XD45 Tactical

xd's are great guns... Personally I dont like the tan on that gun, but I like the gun overall.. it is an extremely reliable, quite accurate, and versatile firearm... good choice...

I have the same thing but all black in a .40 cal. and it is an awsome gun. You will find it is very reliable and accurate. Who knows? It may turn out to be your favorite the more you use it.

Got one just like it! Shoots like a dream; is my first 45 and it's true it shoots like a 9mm. Glad to hear others are just as pleased with theirs.

Own both the 9mil and 40S&W XD Tacticals (black), if the 45ACP shoots and handles the same you have a great shooting gun.

LOVE my XD-45!

not sure if i would do that, your defeating one of the built in safety devices, but that is just me

Why would you want the grip safety disabled like that? I don't get it.

Mine sucks. It stove-piped once out of 3-4000 shots in -20 degree weather! Unreliable piece of monkey...

How on earth did you stay outside long enough to fire 3k+ rounds in -20 degrees?

That is impressive though (with regards to the gun). Cold conditions are much harder on firearms than warm.

Thumb safety?

Wanting to know owners' opinions on this model's optional thumb safety, which I think is a good idea but don't miss much.

Pros? Cons? Stories? Logic behind not/having one? What's the conventional wisdom on this? Thanks!

-Plinker

My bad. I meant that I have fired that many rounds overall. The day I had the malfunction I only shot about 150 rounds.

I have shot 2 mags at -55 degrees through my XD though. I even left the gun on the hood of my truck for 5 minutes first to get it extra cold. It is a tough gun for sure.

Oh, and I don't think the thumb safety is neccesary at all. There are already 3 safeties.

I have the 4" version with night sights added. Love it. Easy to shoot, easy to handle.

Don't miss the thumb safety, since the grip safety provides a lot of what a thumb safety does, with no fumbling.

One un-touted feature I really like is that, if you keep your hand off the grip safety, you can pull the slide back just far enough to check the chamber without taking the gun out of battery or accidentally ejecting the chambered round. Let it go, and the gun will be ready to fire again, no worries.

Often, on a gun with a heavy spring, it's not easy to check the chamber without pulling the slide back too far. It requires too much finesse for my taste. With the XD, you just pull back on the slide, look, and let go again (if you don't trust the LCI).

Therefore, I wouldn't disable the grip safety. It's a good feature, especially when you figure out all that it does.

slide release- no round

I saw that this is unadvisable, but must admit that I have let the slide go with the release without a loaded magazine (though I will not do so having learned).

I know it has a heavy spring and am wondering if I need to look for any damage done or some kind of wear/breakage down the line.

What might I need to look for? Any info would be much appreciated.

-Plink

It is my understanding that the striker is completely cocked after you rack the slide and is released by pulling the trigger. It seems to me that disabling the grip safety on an XD is essentially like carrying a 1911 around with the grip safety pinned and no thumb safety.

W

My XD-40 service has been accurate & reliable. It has never malfunctioned. The only really messed up thing is that your .45 has one round higher magazine capacity than my .40 does.

just had my XD .45 out today....It was my first handgun and I love it. I shoot better with it than with guns than cost twice as much and I've never had a single malfunction. Looking to buy a subcompact soon....any ideas on that?

I don't think I would disable the GRIP safety... the 45 could do a heck of a job on your leg or foot while holstering if something were to hit the trigger

I got one with the thumb safety. I grew up shooting 1911's so it feels very natural to me. I will not own an auto pistol without one. Not because I am afraid that I might shoot myself but in case someone takes it away from me in an scuffel. I once read that something like one out of five police officers who get shot in the line of duty are shot with a snatched service weapon. It can happen to anybody.

Min,

All you have to do is get a full sized Hogue grip and use an exacto knife to cut around the rear safety.

Here is mine: