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I'm carrying my .45 XD(S) 3.3 right now, and it's a dream. I haven't yet played with a 4, but I wouldn't give up my shorter barrel. It may kick a bit, but I can still tack with it. I think it is the BEST gun I have ever bought, period. I want to buy another one to match her, but it does it's intended job better than any other platform I have shot.

Edited to add:

I've been sitting here thinking about it, and after getting to look at a 4, I kinda like it. If I were wanting to have the feel of a 1911, a slim conceal pistol, and heavy hitting .45, it doesn't seem like a bad deal. I think I'll be okay with a range officer though, with a XD(S) 3.3 as my backup.

I have shot both in 9mm but only the 3.3 in 45.

I liked the 4.0 9mm longer barrel but same length grip. It is a little bit more front heavy but to me it was very easy to shoot. Think of it as a polymer cco. It is on my list in 9mm or 45 in 4inch.

I would really like to have the 4 inch .45.

I've shot both in 9mm and honestly there isn't much difference. I'd rather have the 3.3 for concealed carry purpose. If I want bigger I'll carry my sig.

I had a couple of the XDs 45s when they first came out. I really enjoyed them, but the reality was with 5-6rnd capacity and weighing more than a Glock, they didn't fill any niche for me. They were hugely popular when they first came out because of the big caliber in a little package, but I'd much rather carry a snub nose if I'm going to limit myself to 5-6rnds. And a snub nose weighs half the weight.

The main advantage over a revolver is the 45 ACP caliber and faster reloads with magazines. It is a also a small pistol that you can easily conceal. I normally like carrying larger pistols with more capacity, but it fills a niche.

The gun shoots 45 with less recoil than you would expect with such a light gun. I used to have an RIA compact 1911 that was all steel that recoiled more. That said, lighter weight ammo like the Hornady Critical Defense is much easier to shoot than hotter Federal 230 grain SD loads.

Except at 24oz unloaded, it's not a light gun. A Glock 19 with 15rnds probably weighs less loaded.

My son's shop stocks both the 3.3 and the 4", and I've handled both and own a 3.3". My son owns and carries a 3.3", but he has carried a 4" in the shop (employees OC while in the store), using a gun (and the included holster) personally owned by the shop owner. His reaction was essentially this:

If you're going to go with a 4" XDS, why not just go with a compact version of a 4" 1911? Well, he already owns (and sometimes carries) a 4" Kimber. But his EDC is his 3.3" XDS, in a Hopp Custom Leather holster I gave him for Christmas last year......which by the way makes for a pretty handsome OC rig.

I have the XD 9mm Sub-Compact 3" and the XDM 9mm 4.5" and both are fantastic guns. I'm very accurate with both and have had zero failures after shooting hundreds of rounds. My wife usually carries the sub compact and I occasionally carry the XDM. My main carry is a Springfield EMP 9mm or Ruger SR1911 .45ACP. You can't go wrong with an XD in my opinion.

The Wall wrote:I have the XD 9mm Sub-Compact 3" and the XDM 9mm 4.5" and both are fantastic guns. I'm very accurate with both and have had zero failures after shooting hundreds of rounds. My wife usually carries the sub compact and I occasionally carry the XDM. My main carry is a Springfield EMP 9mm or Ruger SR1911 .45ACP. You can't go wrong with an XD in my opinion.

Neither one of those guns is what the OP is interested in.

nyj wrote:

The Wall wrote:I have the XD 9mm Sub-Compact 3" and the XDM 9mm 4.5" and both are fantastic guns. I'm very accurate with both and have had zero failures after shooting hundreds of rounds. My wife usually carries the sub compact and I occasionally carry the XDM. My main carry is a Springfield EMP 9mm or Ruger SR1911 .45ACP. You can't go wrong with an XD in my opinion.

Neither one of those guns is what the OP is interested in.

Yes, I know. I think the OP can figure that out on his own. I was endorsing the XD in general.

I've owned the xds 3.3 45 for over a year. I compared a lot of guns before buying. My priorities were small for conceal ability, 45 for punch (I also carry when hunting and my 9mm wasn't enough for hogs I ran into), light enough to avoid excuse to not carry, and extra safety than just trigger safety. I have a 1911 9mm with 13 rd capacity that I just didn't carry all the time due to size and weight. Your priorities may be different.

Shot a lot of guns and was surprised how easy the xds 3.3 45 was to shoot and a lot less recoil than I was expecting. It's not the lightest gun, and capacity is not great, but I love it for conceal ability and it's easy to have an extra mag or 2 on me when I want.

Recently, someone offered to swap for a new xds 4" 45. Went to the range and we shot a bunch. I did like the slightly longer sight radius, but did not feel any difference in recoil (they both are very good for such small 45"s). I decided to keep my 3.3. I like the smaller size and slightly less weight (although difference was barely noticeable for me). I like that my 3.3 is so easy to carry and how quickly I can clear my holster and be on target with it. I quite often put it in a sticky holster and pocket carry when I'm in a rush (the 3.3 fills my pocket pretty good, so the 4" felt noticeably bigger when I tried it in my pocket). If high capacity was a bigger priority, I'd carry a different gun than either xds, but for me, the xds 3.3 45 is great and I'm glad to not have the extra length of the 4". Again, your priorities may be different.