G21 vs XD-45

[WildWally]

I'm interested in getting either the Glock or the XD in .45ACP. Anything that clearly sets one above the other in terms of performance? The gun will mainly be a "range gun"--My life isn't necessarily going to depend on it's performance but I would hope it would go bang when it is supposed to!

 

[Blarelli]

To me, the biggest difference is the angle of the grip. Both have similar trigger pulls, are super reliable, and super tough guns. Go with whatever fits your hand better.

 

[The-Fly]

I own a G34, a G26, and a XD 5" 45acp. I've also fired my brother's G21 several times, so I feel I have a good idea of what the various models are like. Both guns are very similar in how they operate, cost, capacity, etc.

In 45acp, I feel the XD is a much better gun. The G21's grip generally sucks unless you have somewhat larger hands. Firing the G21 beats up my hands and wrists, and my accuracy is horrible with it (due to my inability to get a proper grip). The XD by comparison has a much more "natural" grip that even small handed shooters can be comfortable with. Another plus for the XD is that you can shoot lead ammo out of the stock barrel.

The pluses to the Glock is that the trigger is much cheaper to modify, and has a better reset out of the box. Also, Glock mags tend to be cheaper (though if you look hard, you can find the XD mags for about $20ish).

If you can, fire them both and decide for yourself. Thats what I did, and it made my decision very easy.

 

[10-Ring]

For me, I prefer Glock over the XD

 

[pablo45]

I like Glock over XD as well. It has just been around alot longer and has more stuff for it. I like the feel of the Glock and the look more than the XD as well.

 

[Japle]

I made exactly this decision several months ago. It was strictly a matter of the way the grips fit my hand.

The G21SF was better than the G21, but the XD felt better than either of the Glocks. The S&W MP felt the best, but its trigger pull was too heavy and it had that 10 round mag.

Got the 4" XD .45 and I'm very happy with it.

John
Cape Canaveral

 

[D-Man]

I couldn't get a decent grip on the 21 or 21sf, so focused on the XD & M&P.

In the end, I went with the M&P because of the $50 rebate / 2 free mag promos. They both felt very nice in the hand, and the XD did have the 3 round advantage over the M&P. If this is a range gun, you may want to look into the Tactical model with the 5" barrel.

 

[AndABeer]

Unless the XD has improved their trigger reset since the last time I tried one, I'd have to stick with Glock which has one of the better resets out there.

 

[Grunt]

I have both a Glock 21 and an XD-45 Tactical (in addition to several other .45s) and to tell you the truth, it's just a matter of which one you shoot better. Both have been on par in regard to accuracy, reliability and ruggedness. The stories about the XD having a weak finish are today moot with the new Melonite finish being used and even with the older finish my wife has never had a speck of rust on her XD-40 although I don't care for Springfield's policy of not selling spare parts for their XDs. If this is you one and only gun, this may be a problem but if you have a backup handgun while your XD is getting fixed, it's not really an issue. Then again, neither the wife nor myself have had any problems with our XDs anyways and even if we do, it's a lifetime warranty so that's a pretty good deal.

 

[deltacharlie]

Glock > xd

XD, great guns, love 'em. Springfield lifetime warranty is excellent. XDs are great, just not all the way there yet.

IMO, it's GLOCK all the way.

Time tested, mature technology and parts availability. Will you ever need parts for either one? Probably not. But Glock parts are widely available and affordable. Also, last I checked, Glock mags are cheaper than XD....and, again, my opinion I think they're better. One last thing that makes them "better", changing Glock sights is a snap, XD, not so much.


Hope this helps.

 

[CTPistol]

IMO glocks all the way too...

both are good guns, but cant stand the XD trigger.

 

[steelyblue]

I had a glock 30 and even with an extension, I could't enjoy shooting that gun. It was just too light for the 45 caliber round for me. I only got the gun for the hi cap aspect of the thing, but for my small hands, I need a single stack, all steel 1911. I can't seem to enjoy any of the polymer guns that I've tried. They all end up sold. I will probably try a Kahr next. I have'nt written off polymer frames, yet.

 

[possum]

glocks in 9mm a ok, other than that count me out, the xd .45 feels 100 times better in my hand than the glock, plus i own and love my 2 xd's that i already have, so if i was wanting a polymer framed striker fired hi cap .45acp i would go with the xd for sure, hands down.

 

[Wayne G.]

I think you'll benefit from reading the following threads which cover the same topic. Lots of useful info contained within.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=203101
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=206601
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=246984
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=154344&highlight=GLOCK
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=155837
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=279504&highlight=supported+chamber
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=222861


My take on the XD45:

--Reliability.
--Ergonomics-natural pointability.
--Slim grip--especially for 14 rds of 45. No fat backstrap and fits my hand nicely.
--Not blocky like my Glock 21 especially on the slide which is a factor for me since I carry IWB.
--Fully supported chamber and rifled barrel so I can shoot lead, reloads, whatever and not worry about kB! (unlike Glock).
--Mag catch doesn't poke me when toted IWB like on the G21.
--Grip safety to avoid unintentional discharge if clothing gets hung in trigger guard or similar (I personally like this feature).
--Melonite.
--Beefier slide rails than my G21.
--Metal mags.
--Metal guide rod.
--Recoils very similarly to a Sig P220 due to its bore axis. It's smooooth.
--Trigger is much better IN MY OPINION than my Glock 21.
--Lifetime warranty from SA.
--It was awarded the 2006 handgun of the year.
--The price is nice.

I could go on...