Springfield Armory "Instant Gear Up"

[GBExpat]

Springfield Armory "Instant Gear Up" states that it is worth up to $230 in extras and lists:

5 mags • Holster • Mag pouch • Range bag • Hard case • FREE!

Very nice!

When I bought my original (Mod.1?) 3.3" .45acp XDs in Aug'14 the (good!) $475 price (Gunbroker) included:

2 mags • Holster • Mag pouch • Hard case

I received a Sale email from Cabelas last week and noticed that they had (very briefly, as it turned out) marked down their Non-Grip-Zone 3.3" .45acp XDs Mod.2s by $100 to $350. After checking that the original mags fit the Mod.2, I found that I could not resist and ordered one.

I also discovered prior to making the purchase decision that SA was advertising the Instant Gear Up promo that included the items listed above. Interesting!

I wondered how that was going to work, since in knew that the pistol came with 2 mags, so ... pistol & case in small box and then I register for the IGU and receive a package including 5 more mags, mag pouch, holster, range bag and hard case?

As it turned out, the pistol already came in the big hard case and, apparently, via the IGU I will receive only 3 more mags plus the other items.

So, actually, the "free" items in the Instant Gear Up for my XDs are:

3 mags • Holster • Mag pouch • Range bag • FREE!

Not a problem for me, I am grateful to SA for the extra bits .... the, um, slippery-ness of the marketing intrigued me and thought that I would share my thoughts.

BTW, I much prefer the Mod.2 grip treatment to the "grenade grip" of the original XDs.

 

[Texas10mm]

There were specific SKUs that were packaged for this promotion.

But due to people not being able to figure out how it worked they decided to send out the extra bits.

 

[GBExpat]

Oh, one additional Springfield Armory "attention to detail" item that I forgot to mention.

I found that the 5-rd mag had a finger-extension base installed ... and a flat mag base was included in the sealed cable-lock bag for those who may prefer that style.

I like that. A touch of preemptive customer care.

 

[SeanSw]

It is a good promotion and has me strongly considering trading out my original xds 9mm for the xds mod 2. It's a hard justification as my old one has been great but the new ones do feel like an improvement. When I had a spot of money a few months ago and started making calls many sellers were caught unaware and now that my preferred FFL dealer is out of business (Thanks a lot Pritzker!) the appeal has waned.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I’ve seen these recently with tritium night sights for 379-399. Heck of a good deal. The holsters add no value to me, no good for ccw of firearm.

 

[GBExpat]

The one that I bought sports an Ameriglo® Pro-Glo tritium front sight.

I intend to give it a decent trial before, perhaps, replacing it with a green/yellow set of Truglo TFOs.

I am a big fan of the TFOs. I have them on 3 of my carry pistols.

 

[Plan2Live]

and a flat mag base was included in the sealed cable-lock bag

Who would have ever looked in that bag! I was at a recent gun show and the had a baby bathtub filled with those locks, all in unopened bags.

I've had an XDm 3.8 Compact for several years. It's chambered in .40 S&W, I wish I had bought the 9mm version instead but at the time .40 was the rage. Anyway, I just bought Pearce pinkie extensions for that gun a week ago. The"pinkie zone" left a little to be desired.

Do you have to discharge the striker when field stripping the Mod 2? I don't have to do that with my XDm.

 

[GBExpat]

Do you have to discharge the striker when field stripping the Mod 2?

Yes, you must still pull the trigger to release the slide.

EDIT:

I have Pearces on all of my 5rd XDs mags:



The few that I actually carry concealed get shaved to a minimal profile:

 

[Zaydok Allen]

BTW, I much prefer the Mod.2 grip treatment to the "grenade grip" of the original XDs.

The Mod 2 version does not have interchangeable backstraps, correct?

I recently contemplated ditching my XDs-45, but I kept hesitating. After testing 230 gr HST +p ammo, and getting an extremely consistent 850 fps, I guess I just like the idea of having a pocket cannon, rather than a only a pocket pee shooter. Options...….

My XDs has basically become a concealed hiking and biking gun for me. There's a lot of tourists on the established recreation trails in my neck of the woods, and if I'm going to be on one of them, it'll get carried there with a 7 round reload in the pocket.

 

[GBExpat]

The Mod 2 version does not have interchangeable backstraps, correct?

Correct.

 

[tercel89]

I will say this with respect as I do like the S.A. XD line and I have 2 XD's . One the original XD9SC and the other being an XD9 Mod2 Service. But if you decide to buy an XD product and later want to sell it , don't be surprised if you don't get a buyer. They have almost no resale value. Mine run very well ! Eat all my reloads that I make and I like them very much. But I had an extra XD Mod 2 SC 9mm and an XD9 Service size. Something came up at home and I had to sell them both. I couldn't sell them for squat ! I ended up losing my ass on them both. I'm keeping my present XD's but I'll only buy new XD's for guns that I plan to keep and never sell. They work great but have no resale value in this present market.

 

[ATLDave]

Are the mag pouches the stupid v-shaped things? If you pay extra, will Springfield keep those?

 

[TomJ]

I will say this with respect as I do like the S.A. XD line and I have 2 XD's . One the original XD9SC and the other being an XD9 Mod2 Service. But if you decide to buy an XD product and later want to sell it , don't be surprised if you don't get a buyer. They have almost no resale value. Mine run very well ! Eat all my reloads that I make and I like them very much. But I had an extra XD Mod 2 SC 9mm and an XD9 Service size. Something came up at home and I had to sell them both. I couldn't sell them for squat ! I ended up losing my ass on them both. I'm keeping my present XD's but I'll only buy new XD's for guns that I plan to keep and never sell. They work great but have no resale value in this present market.

I was in one of the larger LGS' in the Chicago area a couple of weeks back. They were selling SA's below their cost and I saw no one looking at them. Good guns and service, but I'm wondering how much their schenanigans with the gun dealer legislation here in Illinois has hurt them. We're losing about half of our LGS' as a result of the new requirements.

 

[GBExpat]

Are the mag pouches the stupid v-shaped things?

I will be surprised if it is not.

 

[GBExpat]

They were selling SA's below their cost and I saw no one looking at them.

Not ... a good sign.

 

[Fiv3r]

The gear up thing sounds good on paper, but I dont need a range bag. I don't need another holster or mag pouches. Since I bought a 1911, aftermarket mags are inexpensive as is. I nearly bought a new Loaded model because they had them at such a good price. Then I noticed the LGS had them online under a different SKU. Same gun, but with the Gear Up option marketed up about 100 bucks. No thanks. Just bought the Defender and called it a day. Sounds like a great deal if you need all that stuff.

 

[GBExpat]

I like the 3 free OEM magazines and the hard case to hold/store all of the other stuff.

If I ever sell the pistol, the extra bits may make a difference.

 

[jonb32248]

The gear up thing sounds good on paper, but I dont need a range bag. I don't need another holster or mag pouches. Since I bought a 1911, aftermarket mags are inexpensive as is. I nearly bought a new Loaded model because they had them at such a good price. Then I noticed the LGS had them online under a different SKU. Same gun, but with the Gear Up option marketed up about 100 bucks. No thanks. Just bought the Defender and called it a day. Sounds like a great deal if you need all that stuff.

I just did the same thing. I don't want 5 mags and all the other junk. So I traded a Taurus 357 Poly Protector for a SA XD sub. Bought an extra mag and I'm good to go. The gun is awesome, so easy to shoot and very accurate, makes me look good.Compliments my XDE.

 

[GBExpat]

... I don't want 5 mags ...

Wow, that is rare ... but I certainly understand it. In the late '70s, while living in a city apartment, I only had 2 mags for my Colt Combat Commander .45. I shot that pistol so naturally & well that I actually spent little time shooting it (except during visits to this farm )

... and I was not reloading for the .45acp at the time.

Most folks want at least 5 or 6 mags just to avoid too-often breaks at the range spent reloading the 1-2 mags that you have.

Also, I have found that multiple mags can be very handy when you are working up loads.

Prior to my Mod.2 purchase, I had accumulated ~10 mags for my original XDs.

... The gun is awesome, so easy to shoot and very accurate, makes me look good. ...

<nodding> I discovered the same with my original XDs (and my Glock 30s, btw).

 

[Fiv3r]

I like taking my time at the range BECAUSE I don't roll my own I have 3 or 4 mags for my 1911 that I know work. If one gets all mushy or dinged up, I buy another 20-25 dollar one and roll on. Its not like the $50+ FN mags. You bet your tookus I'd suffer through a free range bag for more of THOSE mags.

 

[GBExpat]

OOPS! I bought that original XDs in Aug'13, not '14 ... I picked it up just a couple of days before that Recall was issued. <sigh>

 

[Zaydok Allen]

OOPS! I bought that original XDs in Aug'13, not '14 ... I picked it up just a couple of days before that Recall was issued. <sigh>

I got mine in like November of 12. Yeah, the recall was a pain in the ass.

Last year I had to send mine in to SA because the trigger dingus broke.

 

[GBExpat]

The trigger-action on mine was very good ... and then in, like, Feb'14 (after the Turn-Around Time had reduced to about a week) I sent it back to the mothership for The Fix ... and it came back with a HORRIBLE(!) trigger-action.

So I took time to add the Powder River replacements and also polish the innards and I ended up with a better trigger-action that I had initially.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

The trigger-action on mine was very good ... and then in, like, Feb'14 (after the Turn-Around Time had reduced to about a week) I sent it back to the mothership for The Fix ... and it came back with a HORRIBLE(!) trigger-action.

So I took time to add the Powder River replacements and also polish the innards and I ended up with a better trigger-action that I had initially.

Yeah mine wasn’t as good when it came back either.

More disappointing was how it came back after they replaced the trigger from the parts failure.

I need to do a bit of polishing too. It isn’t what it once was.

 

[jonb32248]

I have to say my XDSC trigger was a bit gritty when I got it. Now it seems to be broken in and pretty nice, one of the best of all my guns. I had an XDS and hated it, had it about 5 weeks and traded it for a PPSM2. Gave that to my son though.