XD-S Owners?

[GBExpat]

... I solved that problem by using the Pachmayr Tactical Grip Glove. Keeps the grips from biting into your hand. ...

The first thing that I tried in an effort to tame the aggressive grip surface was one of those Pachmayrs.

It felt great, but I had two issues with the thing ... it was too grippy, happily grabbing at clothing and it tended to float/drift while I was shooting.

Later I read a post from a guy who solved the floating by first spraying the XDs grip surface with hairspray just prior to installing the Glove ... but by them mine was covered with a bit of bicycle inner tube and I was happy with the way it felt.

When the inner tube sleeve wears out I will probably try the hairspray trick to see how it works.

 

[TomJ]

I have Glocks and XDS' in both 9mm and 45. Glock for additional capacity if you believe it's necessary, XDS for comfort as it's thinner than almost all Glocks and to me is more comfortable to carry.

Both are reliable, and you won't go wrong with either.

 

[boatdoc173]

my xd-s (9mm)was bought to replace the shield because MY shield had trigger issues( sometimes it did not fire when pulled--no good for a sd gun)and because it felt good in my big hands and on the range was a real ringer(as is the ccp). I use either an XD-S 3.3 or a walther ccp for warm weather carry and a glock 19 for 9 month carry--clothes matter for concealed carry ya know

 

[boatdoc173]

Unpleasant grip texture and nasty recoil characteristics (at least in .45.) One of the very few guns for which I've ever developed a serious dislike.

try it in 9mm then

 

[Delford]

I tried the XDs twice - once in 9mm and once in .45. The 9mm was pretty snappy and the .45 was too small for my hand in .45. In the range with the 9mm I saw a great amount of muzzle flash as well. So I tried a G30 and G36. Neither were a good fit and I shot the 30 pretty well. I ended up with a LNIB Kahr PM45, which fits my hand and shoots extremely well with very manageable recoil. It carries IWB very well and is my EDC now. The price was less than $400 at my local gun store. It was 2 years old.

 

[SeanSw]

I carry a xds 3.3 9mm frequently. I use the larger of the back straps (as the gun is delivered) in spite of having small hands because I like how it snugs the top of my hand up against the frame. Double stack glocks are horrible to me. They're just too large. The shield felt better in dry handling but I shoot my xds better. True, the xds weighs more, especially in 9mm, but I can shoot mine as well as my full size M&P 9mm. It is a soft shooter IMO compared to the others. It does very well for me with the factory trigger but I have felt lighter triggers on factory shields and ruger lc9s. Doesn't matter to me, it works great and I can't see myself replacing it.

At the time the xds was more expensive than the rest but they are more competitive now and the recent mag deals put them over the top.

 

[Jesse H]

I started carrying concealed with an HS2000. Then an XD40SC and an XD45 full size when weather and clothing permitted. Even after my agency switched to Glock I tried and tried to keep carrying my XD's off-duty.

Even now, initially picking up the XD it feels great in the hands due to the grip angle, but at the range I shoot more accurately and faster with my issued G22. With so many thousand more rounds downrange with Glocks (and I've been shooting XD's before I got into LE) I've just become accustomed to Glocks lower bore axis and faster trigger reset.

Now my XD's sit in the safe and my off-duty weapons are a G26 and G19, with a G17 as a nightstand gun.

 

[Captains1911]

I bought the first XDs. Here is my take on them. As far as the 9mm version goes, it is too heavy compared to similar single stack guns. It felt too heavy in my pocket. My Sig P938 and Kahr PM9, for example, are quality guns that are lighter and carry better. Springfield's ad focus on the guns' thinnest but it is like saying that a dime is thinner so it is easier to carry in your pocked than a nickel. A fraction of an inch does not matter plus so many people I know, buy thin guns and then carry them in bulky holsters. At 23 ounces, the XDS 9mm is much heavier than most single stack guns.

In the .45 version, I found the recoil to feel excessive compared to my two 3" .45 acp guns. The reason was that when you have a thin grip, the recoil is concentrated into a smaller area and is then felt more than a gun with a fatter grip. I sold that one too. I also had to focus on holding it tight. If I relaxed my hand a little, I could make it jam. I could not guarantee that I would be able to have a proper very tight grip on the gun under all circumstances. My other guns were much more forgiving.

You are comparing a single stack gun to double stacks. The single stack will always carry better. However, if you compare the XDS to other single stacks, it is much heavier and therefore not easier to carry than my single stack 9mm guns. For the .45 version, it is a nice small size for that caliber but it comes at a price.

I mainly carry single stack 9mm guns. My single stack guns like the Sig P938 and Glock 43, fit nicely into my pocket and are lighter than an XDS. Did you know that the XDS 9mm weighs more than the .45 version, empty? Less metal in the barrel due to the bigger hole, is the reason. the gun frames and triggers are the same.

I do not think that they are bad guns. In fact, they are well made guns for their price point and very good for belt carry. However at 23 ounces, I can belt carry a lot of other guns that are lighter and also carry them in my pocket with ease. As far as the .45, I found it too heavy for pocket carry and too light for a small .45. If I am going to belt carry, I can carry bigger and heavier guns to reduce the recoil. Just my opinion on these two guns. As I said, they are good guns that will work well for most. I just have different preferences in single stack guns just as I favor all metal to polymer.

The XDs was never intended to be a pocket gun. I prefer the extra weight because it helps tame recoil a bit better.

OP: The XDs in 9mm is a great gun, and I believe every bit as good as the Shield as long as it fits you and you can shoot it well. I have no experience with he .45 version.