New Acquisition! (Springfield XD-9 Sub Compact)

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Loach

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I got my CCW permit a little over a year ago now and have been carrying a Kel-Tec P32 (in front pocket) ever since. It's a great little gun and I'm getting to where I can shoot it pretty accurately. I also have a Ruger KP95DC (9mm) that I love to shoot, but I just can't seem to carry it comfortably. It's just too big for my frame. I've been thinking about getting a smaller 9mm carry weapon for some time and I bit the bullet today with a Springfield XD-9 SubCompact. Everything I've read has been positive and I just LOVE the way it feels in my hand. Nice trigger feel as well. I havn't been to the range with it yet, but I'm already in love. I'll have to go out to the range tomorrow and report back in this thread! If I really like the way it shoots, I'm likely to put the KP95DC up for sale.

Now I've got to try to find a holster I like for it. Thinking about the High Noon Holster's Hidden Impact I think the XD-9 is small enough that IWB carry might be possible.

Does anyone have recommendations, gotcha's or other little things to look out for with this pistol?

Thanks!
 
Nice report! I hope I find my groups as tiny as yours sound. We'll find out tomorrow! Glad to hear someone else is carrying it IWB. It's small enough, but it's kinda thick. I too was worried about the small grip being problematic on the draw, but like you, I'm hoping that with practice it'll work out.
 
Range Report!

Well, I just got back from the range and I'm quite pleased. While a little harder to control than my P95, the XD-9 is inherently much more accurate. When I did my part, it was dead-on. The problem was doing my part! The trigger is taking some getting used to. My P95's SA was farly crisp and smooth but the trigger moves quite a bit before releasing. My P32's DA has a long heavy draw. However, the XD-9, has a short, crisp feel to it that takes some getting used to. Best of all, though, the XD-9 just plain fits my hand better than any other pistol I've tried.

After I spent some time getting the feel of it, I settled in and had some decent groups. Not anything to write home about, but respectable considering my limited experience (only been shooting about 2 1/2 years) and the fact that this is a brand new gun for me. Anyhow, below is the best I could do today. Each group was 10 shots, slow-fire. If you're counting, there a shot missing at 15 yards. It was a flyer... :fire:

By the way, does anyone have any idea why as the distance increases, I seem to be drifting further and further to the lower left??

At 5 yards:

5yds_small.jpg


At 10 yards:

10yds_small.jpg


and at 15 yards:

15yds_small.jpg
 
It looks to me like you are anticipating the recoil. I suspect that should one of those rounds have been a dummy round, you would have seen your muzzle being pushed down right when the trigger when “Clickâ€. Your shot groups opened up a bit too quickly even for a sub compact… you did well at first and then you started to get shaky. Work on not just the trigger control, but your breathing and relaxation too. When the trigger breaks – it should be a surprise to you… DON’T anticipate it. It’s only a 9MM, it aint going to hurt you (after all, this isn’t a Glock).
Your doing very well for your first time out with such a small little pocket rocket.

Practice – Practice – Practice.
 
yup low and to the left usually means some flinching is occurring. Dont worry about the 9mm recoil...

Nice groupings at 5 yrds. Post pics if you can. The subcompact XD is currently the most intriguing handgun to me. I dunno why, probably cuz its very small, yet in a respectable round the 9mm.

Have fun! :)
 
Yes, much practice is in order. I feel that I was anticipating recoil and the crispness of the trigger break was weird too and probably wasn't helping. I didn't have much trouble with flinching with the P95 and felt recoil isn't much worse than it was either, so who knows, could be a combination of both. In any event, I need to get out again soon! Much practice and concentration on trigger control is in my future.

Black Majik, I'll post more photos as I get out (and improve :uhoh: ). I hope to get out one evening this week.

Thanks!
 
Because of the trigger design, you sometimes have to fight the urge to "stage" the trigger. Pulling the trigger smoothly straight through, and not anticipating the striker release will improve your shooting greatly.
 
Loach, to improve your trigger pull, practice dry firing your pistol. It'll help stop anticipating the recoil. If you catch yourself flinching (I know I sometimes do), empty the gun at the range, aim at the target and smoothly pull the trigger. And then reload and fire away.

Practice makes perfect.

P.S. As for the pics, I meant the gun ;) But post pics of your improved groupings also.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Thanks everyone for your advice!

And as for photos, here's a couple. I'm no professional, but the first one turned out pretty good. The lighting wasn't so good for the one with the knife and mag, though. As for the knife, seems everyone has a knife in their pistol photos. I'm not much of a knife guy, but here's my latest deer-gutting wonder courtesy of Gerber knives.

xd9sc1_small.jpg



xd9sc2_small.jpg
 
Whoot! Thanks Loach. I really want one.

Watch out for rust on the slide. Make sure to take good care of the finish... and leave a thin coat of oil on the slide constantly..

Man, I want one..


Damn the urge! :p
 
Watch out for rust on the slide. Make sure to take good care of the finish... and leave a thin coat of oil on the slide constantly..
Click to expand...

Experience has shown the slides on the HS/XD's can be somewhat sensitive to the elements. My HS2K is about 4 years old, and has developed a light surface rust a couple of time. Each time it cleaned off with no ill effects.
 
There's a quick and easy solution to the slide-rusting problem. Get some NON-ABRASIVE wax polish (hint - many auto waxes are abrasive, designed to lift off oxidized paint, so don't use these!), and apply a coat to the slide (exterior only, please! :D ). Let it dry, buff gently, and you should have a pretty rust-resistant finish. Reapply as necessary, depending on exposure to the elements.

(This also works well on poorly-finished long guns, e.g. Remington 870 Express.)
 
When I first shot the xd 40 I knew I was not flinching, but my rounds were hitting the target like they were. After about 1 hour of messing around with the trigger pull I figured out what went wrong. I am used to shooting the 1911 with the middle part of my index finger between the tip and the first knuckle. Well the xd needed more finger on the trigger. I had to go up to the first joint on my trigger finger to get it to where the muzzle was not dropping.

So give this a try. Clear your weapon and pick a spot on the wall like a screw or tack and put your sights on it an pull the trigger like you normally do. Then go up to you first knuckle and pull the trigger. This has worked on 5 out of 5 people I have tried it on. Let me know if it works.
 
Very cool gun. You're making me want one again also, after looking at the cz p-01 for awhile. Have you tried the .40 mags in the subcompact yet?
 
I'll have to try that trick, Preacherman.

Pale Horse. I had to do just that to be able to get a decent groups from my P32. Interesting that I didn't think to try the same thing with the XD. I was back at the range today and it seems to be improving. If I think consciously about a smooth pull and relax (without relaxing so much that I 'limp-wrist' it), the holes were appearing just where I wanted them. The trick is doing that every time. I'll have to try 'choking up' on the trigger.

DJ E, I have not yet bought an XD-40 mag, but might. They work in the sub-compact as well, right?
 
Pale Horse,

It works!!! You are awesome!!! I purchased my XD9 subcompact, and although I love the pistol, and it shoots well, I have noticed that there is a little too much movement when I pull the trigger, but when I just dry fired doing what you said, the sights didn't move nearly as much.

Thank you.

I.G.B.
 
Well I am glad it worked for you. Thats now 6 out of 6 its worked for.

I shot my xd 40 last night and I was sucking....even using my own technique.
 
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