Dr-Science
Member
Okay, I understand that there are many threads comparing the .45 ACP Glocks with the .45 ACP XDs--and trust me, I have read them--but I think that my questions are in-depth and different enough to warrant a new thread on this topic. I suppose this thread with be a mix of a review of these pistols and a question/answer session.
I am torn between the Glock 30 and XD45 Compact. I rented the big brothers to both of them at the range today (the Glock 21 [not the SF version] and the XD45 Tactical).
Both of them fit my hands well. Perhaps I will give the slight edge to the Glock because of how completely it filled the space between my hands when I gripped it. That being said, the XD was also comfortable and felt less... "cumbersome." I was surprised to feel that both the Glock and XD recoiled less than the Colt 1911, Kimber Warrior and Sig P220 Combat that I also shot today (today was a very expensive but good day, haha).
I was equally accurate with both of them; however, there were a couple issues with the Glock... The first issue is that the shells were being expelled almost directly back. As in within half a foot of the top-right edge of my head. Does anyone else have this problem? The second issue was key-holing. I shot at both 25 and 35 yards with both guns and for some reason the Glock key-holed more than 50% of the time. Being a rental gun, I imagine it doesn't get cleaned often and also suspect that someone may have fired lead (unjacketed) rounds through it. Would lead rounds cause this type of problem? I didn't wanna check the barrel because I didn't imagine they would like me (A) looking down the barrel of an assembled weapon or (B) taking the gun apart to look down just the barrel. It is worth noting that I was using really cruddy lead-free remanufactured rounds the range sold to me (it's an indoor range that requires the use of lead-free ammo). I don't think the keyholing was the ammo's fault because none of the other guns keyholed even once. As a fun-fact, the Colt (which had jammed once in it's ~30 year lifetime) jammed 3 or 4 times with the range's ammo, but both the XD AND Glock never jammed. Not one FTF, FTE or any other problem.
As far as triggers go, they are both excellent in their own rights. The Glock had less trigger travel and was more crisp when it broke. The XD had more travel and was less crisp when it broke, but don't let that trick you into believing that the XD has an inferior trigger. The XD's trigger was very smooth and was like one fluid motion to fire whereas the Glock had more of a two-stage (travel to the point where the trigger is going to break, then crisply fire). But, it was also completely easy to "stage" the XD's trigger to the "point where the trigger is going to break" and then fire nonetheless. I guess you really gotta fire them if you wanna feel what I am trying to describe.
Pointability was good with both guns and both recoiled similarly (although I somehow think that the XD recoiled "better" ...I don't really have a way of describing why). I have smaller-sized hands, but the Glock still fit me even though it didn't have the SF-type frame. My fingers were spread out (not touching each other) on the Glock because of the finger grooves, but it still felt just fine. The Glock sat all the way down on the webbing between the thumb and index finger, but the XD had a little space for some reason. This did not seem to affect accuracy, because I still managed to get a good grouping.
Attached are pictures of the targets that I shot with the Glock and XD. If I recall correctly, both targets have 7 rounds from 25 yards and 5 rounds from 35 yards through them. Stances I fired from were Weaver and isosceles. I fired several slow, steady shots and ended with semi-rapid fire (I bet you can't see which ones were fired on semi-rapid, haha). I also outlined one of the several keyholes on the Glock target.
As I mentioned before, I have smaller-sized hands, which is my logic behind wanting the compact versions: the Glock 30 and XD45 Compact.
Lastly, please share anything you have to add and/or which gun you prefer and why. Questions are also welcome!
Thanks for your input and reading!
I am torn between the Glock 30 and XD45 Compact. I rented the big brothers to both of them at the range today (the Glock 21 [not the SF version] and the XD45 Tactical).
Both of them fit my hands well. Perhaps I will give the slight edge to the Glock because of how completely it filled the space between my hands when I gripped it. That being said, the XD was also comfortable and felt less... "cumbersome." I was surprised to feel that both the Glock and XD recoiled less than the Colt 1911, Kimber Warrior and Sig P220 Combat that I also shot today (today was a very expensive but good day, haha).
I was equally accurate with both of them; however, there were a couple issues with the Glock... The first issue is that the shells were being expelled almost directly back. As in within half a foot of the top-right edge of my head. Does anyone else have this problem? The second issue was key-holing. I shot at both 25 and 35 yards with both guns and for some reason the Glock key-holed more than 50% of the time. Being a rental gun, I imagine it doesn't get cleaned often and also suspect that someone may have fired lead (unjacketed) rounds through it. Would lead rounds cause this type of problem? I didn't wanna check the barrel because I didn't imagine they would like me (A) looking down the barrel of an assembled weapon or (B) taking the gun apart to look down just the barrel. It is worth noting that I was using really cruddy lead-free remanufactured rounds the range sold to me (it's an indoor range that requires the use of lead-free ammo). I don't think the keyholing was the ammo's fault because none of the other guns keyholed even once. As a fun-fact, the Colt (which had jammed once in it's ~30 year lifetime) jammed 3 or 4 times with the range's ammo, but both the XD AND Glock never jammed. Not one FTF, FTE or any other problem.
As far as triggers go, they are both excellent in their own rights. The Glock had less trigger travel and was more crisp when it broke. The XD had more travel and was less crisp when it broke, but don't let that trick you into believing that the XD has an inferior trigger. The XD's trigger was very smooth and was like one fluid motion to fire whereas the Glock had more of a two-stage (travel to the point where the trigger is going to break, then crisply fire). But, it was also completely easy to "stage" the XD's trigger to the "point where the trigger is going to break" and then fire nonetheless. I guess you really gotta fire them if you wanna feel what I am trying to describe.
Pointability was good with both guns and both recoiled similarly (although I somehow think that the XD recoiled "better" ...I don't really have a way of describing why). I have smaller-sized hands, but the Glock still fit me even though it didn't have the SF-type frame. My fingers were spread out (not touching each other) on the Glock because of the finger grooves, but it still felt just fine. The Glock sat all the way down on the webbing between the thumb and index finger, but the XD had a little space for some reason. This did not seem to affect accuracy, because I still managed to get a good grouping.
Attached are pictures of the targets that I shot with the Glock and XD. If I recall correctly, both targets have 7 rounds from 25 yards and 5 rounds from 35 yards through them. Stances I fired from were Weaver and isosceles. I fired several slow, steady shots and ended with semi-rapid fire (I bet you can't see which ones were fired on semi-rapid, haha). I also outlined one of the several keyholes on the Glock target.
As I mentioned before, I have smaller-sized hands, which is my logic behind wanting the compact versions: the Glock 30 and XD45 Compact.
Lastly, please share anything you have to add and/or which gun you prefer and why. Questions are also welcome!
Thanks for your input and reading!
