Took my new Springfield XD-M to the range...

[Breakdaddy]

last Saturday. I shot 100 rounds of WWB, 100 rounds of Blazer Brass, and 50 rounds of Doubletap Gold Dots. I was shooting at 10 and 25 yards. Accuracy of the gun was better than I can achieve, so grouping was good. Out of 250 rounds of the mixed ammunition I cycled there were 0 malfunctions of any type. The only thing I did to the pistol before I took it out to the range was lightly grease the slide rails, check the barrel for obstructions, and change the backstrap out on the grip. It was a lot of fun to shoot and didn't have the kick that my old XD40 had (it was a 4" bbl and this one is 4.5") and had less perceived recoil than my XD45 by a good margin. Overall, an excellent experience and one of my range friends shot it and liked it a lot as well. It is now in my carry rotation and I'm happily carrying it in my Crossbreed Supertuck as I type this post.

 

[phantomak47]

I have read several reviews of the XD-M and some reports indicate that it really was designed and targeted to competion shooters is that true, or is it a combat handgun?

 

[krs]

i'd say, given that the M model was introduced in .40 cal, that it is targeted for LE use to compete for contracts against the S&W M&P model.

it doesn't mean that the entire lineup of XD pistols won't eventually be offered in the M configuration. It wouldn't make sense for them to continue both lines as they are pretty similar. We'll be calling them "Gen 1" and "Gen 2" before long.

 

[Breakdaddy]

Phantomak47, I can't honestly answer your question except to say that the DVD that came with it touted it as having the "best match grade barrel that can be made". If you believe this, then it's at least partially targeted at the competitive shooting crowd. I know it's an accurate handgun, but Im no competition shooter. The trigger isnt as good as a really nice 1911 or the like, but it's quite a bit better (now that I've smoothed it out by shooting it a bit) than the stock XD45, XD40 and XD9 triggers (I have all of these handguns and compared them at the range). I'd personally say that's it's well suited to either, but more experienced shooters than I might disagree. I'ts excellent for what I want it for, which is a CCW.

 

[SoCalShooter]

What they should have done is not worry so much about 40 and started off in 45acp and I would have bought it.

 

[Breakdaddy]

Heck, they may get around to making that .45acp XD-M yet. If so, I'll be in line just the same as you!

 

[phantomak47]

Is the XD-M completely different than the XD series? I have read about these here and there, but their website is very vague on the XD-Ms.

Personally I have to let a new pistol get the bugs out for a year or so before I will buy one, but my XD-45 service has been stellar .

 

[Breakdaddy]

Yes, the XDM is a new platform with new parts including slide and barrel, so if youre inclined to wait a while to see what the reviewers say or to let them work out any bugs then youll want to wait.

 

[phantomak47]

It looks very possible that Springfield was losing out on the police market particularly the .40 sw, as the Xd-40 holds 12+1 ,while the Smiths MP holds 15+1 and Glock 22 holds 15+1.


The XD-M holds 16+1, if I had to carry a .40, I think that the XD-M would be my choice.


here is a very good link I found about the XD-M, with Clint Smiths opinion of them.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/assets/pdf/Binder2.pdf

 

[Breakdaddy]

Thanks for the link. Clint also mentions them on guntalk.tv in one of the free videos IIRC. You could be right about the police market. 16+1 is far better than the old XD40 capacity and now can compete with the capacity of the big contract police handguns.

 

[phantomak47]

It looks like by the tone of that video that the XD-M is going to replace the original XD series. Also I did find out on another gun board that the XD-M is coming out in 9mm and .45 in the fall.

 

[DevilDog0402]

I already have an XD45, now I'm holding out for a 10mm XD