Yep, the XD45's really are that good!

[SnakeEater]

Took my new XD45 Tactical out for the first time today. Now just about every handgunner considers themselves to be loyal to a certain brand, you've got 1911 guys, Glock guys, Sig guys and HK guys, like me. I've always sorta looked down my nose at the Croatian creation. No more.

I gotta tell ya, accuracy was on par with the best guns I own. Shootability, although subjective, is downright phenominal. The grip angle and feel is excellent, recoil even with +P's is negligible. I can't comment on long term reliability yet, but the first 250rds were flawless. I shot a mix of Winchester Ranger, Federal Tactical bonded, WWB, and Blazer Brass.

Pistols snobs, myself included, would do well to at least give this terrific pistol a shot.....literally.

 

[Old Dog]

Haven't shot the XD-45 yet, but my buddy's XD-40 is really growing on me (although, so is my brandnew S&W M&P in .40). I can certainly see the attraction to the XD, though ...

 

[wally]

I thought they were ugly and had no intrest in one until I shot one. Now I have the 5" XD9 and 5" XD45.

--wally.

 

[Ala Dan]

Ya'll know you have spoken the truth, my friends~!

The Springfield XD series is one fine handgun; and I predict that over
time, will give those Austrian guns a run for the money. I am the
proud owner of a XD-.45 ACP 4" service model myself. First time at
the range, I shot it agaisnt my Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special 1911
and it was equally as impressive~!

 

[Lebben-B]

My uncle recently gave me an XD-40 Tactical that he won at a raffle. I had shot XD's before and was favorably impressed, but with other mouths to feed I didn't really consider owning one. After abusing it for a few hundred rounds, I wonder why I hadn't bopught one earlier. Now, I'm gonna give the XD-45 some more time to shake out and pick one up later this year.

Mike

 

[Just_Parker]

i bought the xd40 and took it shooting, loved it. Let another guy at the range have a go with it (while i shot his glock) saw him a week later and he was shooting his new xd40 (sorry glockers had to say it)

 

[.38special]

I bought a XD9 a while back and I love it. At first I didnt like the look of the gun, but then when i saw one and felt one in person i love it.I am really considering the .45acp because you cant go wrong with 14rounds of .45.

Plus then are so easy to dissasemble and clean.

 

[kansas45]

I,too have a XD45 TACTICAL. I had a gunsmith in my area do a trigger job just to smooth it up a little. I am very impressed with this gun.

 

[heritageguy]

I'll Admit it

For years I swore that I would never, EVER, buy a 'plastic gun'. Well I now own an XD 45 Tactical. It has the best ergonomics of any semiauto that I've used -- and that has been a bunch. It's now my new carry pistol. Never say never!

 

[PCRit]

SnakeEater,

You are exactly correct! I have the service model XD45, it was as accurate as my SA Loaded Champion up to at least 10yrds, which is saying something! It wasn't a fair comparison beyond that, as the 1911 had Bo-Mars on the rear and a fiber optic front. I can easily believe the Tactical XD45 will equal a 1911, with the same sight setup.

 

[MarkDozier]

love the XD

XD-45, ummm, if it shoot like my 40 BUY ONE TODAY.....

 

[AlaskaErik]

Size vs Glock

I've been anti .45 since my Marine Corps days but I'm really interested in the new XD 45 with the 4" barrel. How does it compare in size to the Glock 23? Anyone ever laid them side by side?

 

[S_O_Laban]

I would be interested to see some pics comparing it to other popular pistols. How narrow/flat is it? is it as bulky as the Glocks? How about concealability? Not to highjack this thread..... just curious.

 

[jdksr]

XD's

I have a XD 40 3inc sub-compact, I love it for concealed carry, (I use a DeSantis NyPad which I had to adjust with a hair dryer, it was canted butt out which kind of defeated the concealed part) The weight is good and capacity is good, althought I did purchase mag extensions to give my pinky somewhere to go since I didn't want to carry the extended mag that came with it. Never had a problem with it and the features are great, you can tell with a touch if you are cocked and chambered, which is good if you carry different weapons at different times as I do. I don't know if SA is going to offer XD45 in 3inch, I just may have to get myself a 4 inch XD45.

 

[Surefire]

Based on handling an XD45, I decided to get one.

While it is a butt ugly pistol, it really feels well made and has great ergonomics. I was surprised by the level of workmanship on a Croatian pistol. I would have expected something in this price range with rough internals--like a CZ (e.g. lots of tool marks and unfinished internals that don't affect function). However, the interior workmanship on the XD was actually quiet good.

I think shooters should at least try this pistol out before discounting. Its NOT a good looking pistol, has a polymer frame, etc... BUT when handled it clearly seems well made and has excellent ergonomics--at least for me. Finally, the grip is a reasonable size, despite holding 13 .45 rounds. The grip feels more Glock 17'ish, rather than Glock 21'ish (which to me is a huge grip).

 

[Surefire]

Where are the best places to get extra magazines for the XD 45? I don't see this option on the Springfield website...

I would be needing the neutered low capacity magazine given my state...

 

[yomama]

hey Surefire,
Try here http://www.pistolgear.com/products.php?id=8

 

[Surefire]

^Does that website have a good reputation among this forum?

 

[distra]

My June 2006 American Rifleman lists the XD45 as "Handgun of the Year". I'm not sure what that is worth, but I really like mine

 

[yomama]

Does that website have a good reputation among this forum?

It has a very good reputation over at the XD/HS 200 forum.http://http://www.hs2000talk.com

 

[Surefire]

I'm curious who uses the XD pistols.

Does the Croation Army? What other countries use it for their military?

What about in the US?

What police departments, Federal Agencies, etc. use the XD series?

 

[Frenchy]

Both the Croatian Army and Police use this gun. There are a very few US police agencies using it, but it is on the "approved" list of quite a few departments.
It is still referred to as the HS 2000 outside of the United States.

 

[Skirmisher]

Just added an XD45 ACP tactical to my XD9 and XD40 pistols. Have to wait until tomorrow to shoot it.

 

[coinshooter]

Just order the 5" model can't wait to try it out. All my other guns our for cowboy action shooting.

 

[Coronach]

Both the Croatian Army and Police use this gun. There are a very few US police agencies using it, but it is on the "approved" list of quite a few departments.

When I asked this question elsewhere, I was told that the reason for the lack of use in the US by LE agencies is Springfield's reluctance to assist the LE agencies by setting up armorer schools and certifying in-house people to work on the guns. S&W and Glock, OTOH, have taken the other tack and will bend over backwards to get LE agencies set up to do in-house maintenance and repair on their weapons. Naturally, the agencies in question are buying Glocks and S&W pistols hand over fist, and Springfield is not being used much at all.

I dunno if there is truth to that, but it certainly explains the lack of use. One has to remember that there are many more factors going into a purchase decision than "which one shoots best". Heck, I feel fortunate that "which one shoots best" is included in the list of criteria at all.

Mike