XD-45 Compact Review

[TX Rancher]

Well, the weather finally cooperated, and I got caught up on my chores this morning, so I ended up taking out my new XD-45 compact for a spin.
I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked, but I did get ~250 rounds through it.

So if folks are interested, I’ll post my initial thoughts on this Springfield platform.

[Tacomaoffroader]

Sure, I'd be curious I've got the XD .45 4" and think it's awsome, but I'd be interested in hearing how the compact differs pros/cons.

[Jacob Staff]

Post away. There are lots of new .45's coming out. This one is on my list of ones to look at.

[mr fixit]

Yes very interested on how it compares to the Glock 19 and 26 size wise.

How does it feel?

[TX Rancher]

This was only my second outing with the XD, so the total rounds through it are only ~500. I’m sure as I get more trigger time, I’ll have a better feel for the weapons capabilities. By the way, there have been no failures during the break-in period.

Many folks seem to compare the XD’s to Glocks, so I’ll add my comparisons between the XD and the G19/23/26.

Size….
I’ve heard some folks comment the XD 45 is the same size as the Glock 19. Well, that’s not exactly correct. The XD is a little longer then the Glock 19, but not enough to make any major difference. But keep in mind, little differences in size and can have large impacts on concealment and comfort.

The XD is a little wider, and this is where the XD “feels� bigger then the G19. But for me the bottom-line is if you feel fine carrying the G19, the XD Compact won’t be a problem.

Compared to the G26 there’s a huge difference in length and height with the 26 being much smaller. I can conceal my 26 under a teeshirt, that's probably not going to happen with the XD

For those of us who carry 1911’s, the XD is about the same height and length as the Commander, although the XD is considerably wider.

Weight…
Fully loaded, the XD is heavy when compared to the G19 or the 1911 commander. Unloaded, the XD still stands out. I weighed the XD and G19 to get an idea. The loaded weights are with fully loaded clips, but for safety sake nothing in the chamber. The 45’s were 230 grain while the 9 mils were 147 Gr.

XD 1 lbs 9.9 oz empty 2 lbs 4.4 oz loaded
G19 1 lbs 5.6 oz empty 1 lbs 15.3 oz loaded

Shooting…
As with every Springfield I’ve shot, this one performed excellently. Accuracy was good for a service pistol. You’re not going to win your local NRA slow fire bulls-eye competition with an XD Compact out of the box, but for a defensive pistol, it certainly meets the requirement.
It’s on par with the G19, but stomps the G26 (but what do you expect, the 26 does have a very short barrel!)

The trigger is acceptable for a service pistol, but barely. The Clocks have a better trigger and of course the 1911’s lead the field . Trigger break is not that bad, but the travel to get there is a bit much. I like two stage triggers for defensive weapons, so that’s not the issue. I just think the travel is excessive.

The next issue I have with the trigger is reset, it’s a little long, which I can live with, but my big issue is with the travel after reset to get the trigger to break. On my particular specimen it’s approaching ½ inch (that’s “eyeballing� it, later I’ll get the calipers out and measure it)! This can have a serious impact to your double tap timing and accuracy. This was one of the 3 things I’ve run into so far I would like to change.

Recoil is very manageable. The pistol fits my hands well and makes control a piece of cake. Time to get back on target is pretty good. While not quite as fast as the G19, it’s as good as the G23 and better then the G26. One handed shooting, both strong and weak, is very controllable and I was actually better with the XD then the 23 or 26.

The spring on this sucker is tight! I would hate to have to cock this joker one handed. Now as I said at the beginning, I’ve only put ~500 rounds through it, so I’m sure it will loosen up as time goes on, but it’s never going to be as easy as the Glocks. This isn’t a big deal, but something to keep in mind…

The magazine release is hard to actuate. I actually find it easier to operate from the off side (it’s ambidextrous). It’s especially tough to operate when the 10 round clip is full. This is the second of the three things I would like to see changed and an area where the Glocks out performed the XD. Magazine changes however were easy and flawless once the release was tripped. I did several one hand reloads and the mag always ejected and seated very crisply. Here I found the XD performed better then the Glocks.

My particular model came with night sights and they are of excellent quality. I know some folks don’t like night sights, but I’m one of those that do and these are fine. I did some low light shooting, and found them easy to acquire and very bright.

The third thing I would like to see changed is the loaded chamber indicator. At around 3:00 in the afternoon I notice a real problem with the indicator. The sun was directly behind the target at ~30 degrees elevation and reflected off the indicator. The problem comes into play since the indicator is inline with the sights, and in the sight picture is just below the front sight. It was difficult to find the proper sight picture . Later in the evening, I checked the situation in the house and found several real life conditions where the ambient light did the same thing. To me, this is very bad and I plan to contact Springfield and find out if I can have the indicator modified so it won’t activate. The indicators on the Glocks are on the right side of the slide, so the problem doesn’t exist on them. Now I must admit I’m not a big fan of indicators and don’t rely on them. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they were all removed. Rant light is now off…

Take down is a breeze and on par with the Glocks, but I find the Glocks a little easier to clean after field stripping. They just have less nooks and crannies to deal with.

Until I get to feeling at home with this critter I won’t put a lot of money in a holster, so I’ve been working out with an inexpensive Fobus paddle. Its straight drop, which I prefer for speed of presentation, but this is no small pistol and I’m not comfortable with carrying it concealed in a straight drop holster (prints way too much for me). It does have a reasonable length grip for carry, but since it’s 45 ACP it’s pretty wide. I think a good quality holster with a reasonable forward cant will alleviate my concerns. I don’t think I’ll try IWB though due to the width of this pistol. I’ll stick to my 1911’s for IWB and go OWB for the XD.

Overall, I’m impressed and would recommend this pistol be added to anyone’s arsenal, but probably not as your first carry weapon due to its size. But with the increase in multiple BG attacks, I sure like the idea of 10+1 of the old 45 ACP in a very reliable platform.

If any of you are ever out my way, look me up and give it a try. I think you’ll like it too.

[GlockenHammer]

Great review, TX Rancher. It was most informative. Thank for sharing.

[flintknapper]

+1

Very good review.

I wish I had your writing skills. A+

[FM_Weasel]

Fantastic review. I currently shoot an XD 9mm 4" and I haven't noticed the chamber indicator reflecting. But I also mostly shoot at indoor ranges. That's an excellent point about a fairly obscure issue that could be catastrophic in an emergency. I'll remember to pay attention to it next time I'm outdoors and shooting.

[Lumberjack98]

Great review...thanks!!

[TX Rancher]

Thanks for all the kind comments guys, it's appreciated

FM_Weasel:

The chamber loaded indicator issue really caught me by surprise, and the shot timer said it added over 1/2 sec to my time for the next shot! Talk about getting inside my OODA loop...

Now that I now it's there, it won't cost me time like that, but in the right lighting conditions, it can still cost me 1/10 sec if I'm using the sights. Of course no impact on point shooting times...

It is something I'm going to look into fixing though.

It would be interesting to see if any lighting conditions cause a similar issue with yours.