My primary carry is a 3" 1911. However, I also sometimes carry an H&K USP Compact in .40 which has a 3.58" barrel, double stack 12 round mag, and is probably close in size to your XD, and it carries just fine. My guess is that your XD .40 will carry just as easily. I have a soft spot when it comes to 1911s, and I'm glad I bought my little Kimber, but I can carry the H&K all day, and have done so, and it doesn't feel any more of a burden than the Kimber, even though it weighs a little bit more.particle wrote:Thanks everyone for your responses. I've been reading a lot of people saying that newbies to CC want something small and easy to conceal, and I guess I've fallen into that. I'm just not sure how comfortable it would be to wear my XD .40 4" service model when compared to a single-stack 1911.
I think I'm convinced to stick with a 4" version, and I've experienced slide-bite with my little .380 junk gun - I imagine hammer bite is equally unpleasant! I'm definitely not opposed to used... Thanks for the excellent responses.
The point is, get a small 1911 if you want one, but only if you want one. Mind you, they are great pistols and I love mine, but It isn't going to prove to be a panacea compared to your XD in so far as carrying it is concerned. All pistols will force you to make some compromises, either in the way you dress, or carry yourself, or the belt you choose, etc., etc. The only way you're going to know for sure is to carry what you've got for a while and decide whether or not it works for you. Then if doesn't, go ahead and get something else. Smaller isn't always better, but neither is bigger. It's about what works for you, so that you'll be confident to carry every day, armed with as much gun as you can carry without making it impossible for yourself to move around.