About that XD........

[RHZig]

I just landed a job as a police officer and I am being sent to the academy in January. Anyhow, we have to purchase our own guns.

I think I want a Springfield XD .40 or the .45ACP. After much internet research and from what I have read on here, I haven't read much negative about them.

The reason behind this post:

I can't, for the life of me, find the difference between the tactical as opposed to the v-10, service, or compact.

What in the world is the difference?

[RedRaider]

The tactical is 5 inches long, service is 4 inches, and sub-compact is 3 inches. The V10 is the ported model which I believe has slits on the barrel that reduces recoil. I'd recommend checking out springfield's website, it should give you a little more detail and some good pics of the size differences.

[AEA]

Congrats on the new Job. My Son is in training in Canada where he lives. He has a bit of a leg up as his Uncle is the Deputy Chief of the Local Constabulary.

Just curious....which Department did you land your Job with?

[G.C.Montgomery]

You really need to shoot the various versions in both calibers and decide for yourself which is best. Even thought I'm a huge 1911/.45 guy, I'd lean toward the .40cal Tactical (5-inch) or Service (original 4-inch format) model XD for duty use.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the XD. Since you haven't heard much that was negative, let me offer some negativity. I just love pointing out the flaws in every gun design...even the 1911.

My biggest issue with the XD, is the trigger return spring. Though Springfield seems to have fixed a pattern of failures with this spring, it's still a critical point of failure in the design. If the spring breaks, the gun becomes a paperweight and cannot be made to fire until the slide is partially disassembled and remove from the gun to facilitate replacement of the spring. Examples built between 2004 and 2006 had a bad habit of breaking trigger return springs at around the 2000 round mark. I told a student this during a class with John Farnam last year and almost like clock work, the spring gave way right after lunch at about 2100 rounds.

My second issue is the extractor. While not generally prone to breakage, the XD extractor has been known to develop reliability issues relating to a lack of tension or simply not grabbing enough of the case rim, particularly in 9mm pistols. Most of this can be prevented by proper maintenance. It's not necessarily a deal breaker but it's something one should monitor.

My final complaint is the magazines. XD magazine bodies are made from unnecessarily weak/thin steel. I have seen them deform and become non-functional after hitting the ground, particularly hard pavement. While any magazine can deform and fail under such conditions, XD magazines seem especially fragile in this regard. Finally, the cost of these magazines is high enough that I expect them to be more robust.

There you go, some negative info on the XD. If you'd like me to provide similar info on other guns/designs, I'll be here all week. Do keep in mind these are my opinions and in no way represent the views or thoughts of the rest of the Texas CHL Forum or it's owners. No gun is perfect and all have their faults. Some are more inferior than others but in the end, they all work the same way. You press a button and they go bang. Shoot straight, shoot fast, know and maintain your equipment, discard junk that does not work and you should be fine. Good luck!

[Snake Doctor]

I think GCM makes great points. You MUST look at the cons of a gun just like you look at the pros of a gun. I personally own a 3" and 4" XD (both .40 S&W) and not only have I had zero problems with the extractor and mags, but both of the guns have seen well over 3,000 rounds. My father carries an 3" XD (9mm) daily and only he and God know how many rounds have gone through that thing. All I know is he picks up a 250-rd box of Remington UMC every Sunday at Academy, and I've heard no complaints yet. Again, these are just thoughts... At the end of the day, I think many here will agree with me when I say you (or any shooter) would be a fool to buy a firearm on hearsay alone. Sounds like you're doing some good research. Good luck and at the academy.

[RHZig]

Congrats on the new Job. My Son is in training in Canada where he lives. He has a bit of a leg up as his Uncle is the Deputy Chief of the Local Constabulary.

Just curious....which Department did you land your Job with?

It's a small town you have probably never heard of just a drunk stumble south of Houston. Halfway between the water and Houston.


Well thanks for the cons on the XD Montgomery. Of all of the forum searches and websites I have found, nearly every gun has had some cons listed with it. I don't think you will find one without some cons.

At least the Sprigfield, as to my understanding, has a lifetime warranty on their guns.

[Lumberjack98]

At least the Sprigfield, as to my understanding, has a lifetime warranty on their guns.

That's correct.

[KinnyLee]

It's a small town you have probably never heard of just a drunk stumble south of Houston. Halfway between the water and Houston.

At least the Sprigfield, as to my understanding, has a lifetime warranty on their guns.

It wouldn't be Shore Acres would it?

And yes, Springfield does have lifetime warranty on their firearms, not to mention customer service second to none.

[RHZig]

It's a small town you have probably never heard of just a drunk stumble south of Houston. Halfway between the water and Houston.

At least the Sprigfield, as to my understanding, has a lifetime warranty on their guns.

It wouldn't be Shore Acres would it?

And yes, Springfield does have lifetime warranty on their firearms, not to mention customer service second to none.

Na...It has the word Friend and Wood in it, with an "s".

[Sangiovese]

I own the XD-45 compact and an XD-9 service. The 45 is my daily carry and has about 4000 rounds through it now. It has not had a single failure. Not one round.

My XD-9 service has about 5000 rounds through it and during the initial 2000 rounds I had about 9 or 10 failures to extract. Since it was my first semi-auto, and since it seems to have gone away after I got more familiar with the gun, I am guessing that it was either my technique (limp wristing) or improper maintenance (Hadn't figured out exactly what and how much to lube).

I am sure that there are people who have had less satisfactory experiences, but I am very happy with my XDs.

On the other hand, my wife hates the trigger on them and is not a fan of the grip safety - so it's definitely an individual thing.

If I was carrying out in the open like you will be, I would get the tactical model. An extra inch of barrel can't hurt.

If possible, rent or borrow one and shoot it, along with some of the other contenders. How it feels in your hand is a subjective thing, and there's no better way to know that to shoot it for yourself.

And congrats!

[RHZig]

I own the XD-45 compact and an XD-9 service. The 45 is my daily carry and has about 4000 rounds through it now. It has not had a single failure. Not one round.

My XD-9 service has about 5000 rounds through it and during the initial 2000 rounds I had about 9 or 10 failures to extract. Since it was my first semi-auto, and since it seems to have gone away after I got more familiar with the gun, I am guessing that it was either my technique (limp wristing) or improper maintenance (Hadn't figured out exactly what and how much to lube).

I am sure that there are people who have had less satisfactory experiences, but I am very happy with my XDs.

On the other hand, my wife hates the trigger on them and is not a fan of the grip safety - so it's definitely an individual thing.

If I was carrying out in the open like you will be, I would get the tactical model. An extra inch of barrel can't hurt.

If possible, rent or borrow one and shoot it, along with some of the other contenders. How it feels in your hand is a subjective thing, and there's no better way to know that to shoot it for yourself.

And congrats!

Yeah, I figured that extra inch would make it slightly more accurate. You never know when I might need some added accuracy.

[THE ENGINEER]

I have had two XDs, a XD-9 service, and now a XD-40SC. I have has zero issues with either, and would buy another without hesitation.

You should check out the XD forum at http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ there is a huge amount of information there. Ultimately, you should find a range that has a rental and shoot some of the various configurations to see if this is the gun for you.

[KRM45]

I just landed a job as a police officer and I am being sent to the academy in January. Anyhow, we have to purchase our own guns.

I think I want a Springfield XD .40 or the .45ACP. After much internet research and from what I have read on here, I haven't read much negative about them.

The reason behind this post:

I can't, for the life of me, find the difference between the tactical as opposed to the v-10, service, or compact.

What in the world is the difference?

Congratulations on the job. I hope you enjoy it.

I know nothing about the XD.

[KinnyLee]

Na...It has the word Friend and Wood in it, with an "s".

Oh yeah. lol. Welcome to the friendlywood. Too bad I won't be around for long.

[govnor]

I have come to extremely dislike the grip safety. I have a .40 XD. I also own a Glock. I shoot better with it and feel that it's a better gun. If I had to trust my life to a gun, it would be a Glock, bottom line.

I say go to a gun range and rent several guns and see what you shoot better with. Go with the one you shoot best with naturally. Life and death situation, you aren't going to be thinking rationally, it will be instinct.