BUG search: Contenders/Winner = XDS. UnGlocked my pal.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

For some time now, my primary EDC has been my Ruger SR9c. It's a great pistol.
I can carry it in true compact style, as a 10 + 1 in 9MM. Or I can carry it with the larger
mag and that makes it a full size grip with a 17 + 1 capacity.

I bought my Rossi R971 for its 6 rounds of .357 since a .357 with 125 grains is supposed to be such
a great threat-stopper. But it's not too much fun to shoot. After 12 rounds, I'm done. Shooting .38's
out of it is fine. The Rossi has usually been sitting in my driver's seatbelt holster, and I would remove it
sometimes and carry it IWB, along with the Ruger onbody.

But I really wanted a dedicated onbody BUG so that the Rossi could just stay in the seatbelt holster anytime
I'm driving.

BUG's CONSIDERED:
Taurus PT-140, 740, 145, 745. Appealing price points, but my PT-111 developed striker problems after about
3,000 rounds, so I wanted to move to something else.

Taurus 7 shot revolvers. They are available in .38 or .357 variants. I'd have probably gotten the .38 version.
But some comments complained about the trigger pull.

Ruger LCR - salty1 showed me his, and the trigger felt great, but I wanted a round > .38, and a capacity > 5.

Charter Arms Bulldog. This revolver is chambered in .40 S & W.
Smith and Wesson revolver chambered in .45 ACP. List price was over $1,000 IIRC!
Although each was chambered in a round beginning with ".4", I didn't necessarily feel comfortable with revolvers
using semi-automatic rounds.

Smith and Wesson Shield. What's not to like here? 9MM or .40, but I never got around to finding one.

THE WINNER
Springield Armory XDS (eXtreme Duty Single stack). This is what I bought. .45 ACP in super slim, concealable package,
it came with two 5 round mags. Standard capacity is 5 + 1. I bought an extra 7 rounder too. So I have 5 + 1 while at
work, and 7 + 1 when I'm not working. I now carry both the XDS and the SR9c on me every day. Although I was searching
for a BUG, I now consider the XDS to be my primary EDC, and the Ruger to be my secondary EDC (aka BUG).

I often wear 6 pocket Dickies cargo pants. The XDS travels in the right front "slash" pocket. The Ruger rides just below it
in the flat-topped cargo pocket. Both are in Blackhawk Size 4 pocket holsters.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************
A friend at work just got his CHL, and his wife got hers too. He has owned a Glock 17 and some kind of .357 revolver for
a while, but wanted something smaller for carry. You know how new CHL's are - "Oh, I could never carry something THAT big."
He was going to get a Glock G26 for his carry piece.

But a bunch of us went to the range one day. He shot my XDS. He shot other friends' Springer XD in .40, and Springer XD in .45.
After that range session he ditched the G26 thoughts. He bought an XDS and an XD40SC for himself, and an XD9SC
for his bride. She had shot my XDS but limp-wristed it and caused 2 jams.

I love my XDS. The .45 ACP is powerful, without being punishing like my .357. The XDS recoil is perfectly manageable, but
after the long range session the bottom of the beavertail had worn a spot in my thumb that took a while to heal. But I feel
great knowing that I've got a concealable .45 on me, as well as the higher round count in the Ruger SR9C.

Since my friend also owns an XDS, there would be no learning curve if I had to hand it to him during a problem at work.

SIA

[jmra]

I've been looking at the XDS. Would have picked one up last weekend at the gun show but the cheapest one I could find was $675. Also stumbled on a shield for $750. Everyone got big eyes when they saw the shield and even bigger eyes when they saw the price.
I'm gonna have to wait until people settle in and these prices correct themselves. Until then really big shirts and the G23.

[blackgold]

call the academys around you at 8 in the morning on shipment days (stores get shipments every other day usually) and see what they get. sometimes they will hold one for you for a bit. I happened upon my xds, wasn't really planning on buying it but crap it was opportunity. I think it was 580 for the bi tone (think it's a little more anyways over the all black). A little more than they were months back I guess but seeing what they sell for every where else WHEN you find one, I was happy to pay it.
Brian

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://grabagun.com/handguns.html?calib ... turer=2538

The above FFL in Coppell, Texas is where I got my XDS, and where my pal picked up 2 of his Springers.
I just checked their inventory and they don't have any XDS' right now, but this is a link that may turn out
to be your source if you check it occasionally.

By the way, my friend who wanted an XDS after he shot mine tried Grab a Gun just a few days after me
and they had sold the multiple XDS' they had when I bought mine. He was quite a lucky duck in scoring
his XDS: He called Academy/Lewisville one day and they said they had ONE XDS coming in on the truck in
the AM. He rushed down there after work (mid to late afternoon) and bought it. Although it's a fast-moving
gun, no one had asked for it that day.

Happy hunting. There's one XDS out there somewhere with your name on it.

SIA

[Redneck_Buddha]

Even before the crisis, finding a popular firearm in stock seems like luck of the draw.

[DevilDawg]

Another "Aye" for the XDs, and if the .45 is too much for you they had them in 9mm and .40 at SHOT this year so expect to find them in stores around May or so.

[OldCannon]

"Springfield Armory has recently announced that they have sufficient quantities to meet all consumer demand, and that they will be shipping out to retailers that are located at unicorn farms across the country."

Honestly though, good luck with your search. The XDS in 45 _can_ be found right now, but it requires patient searching.

[TejasSd]

I had an opportunity to buy an XDs early on brand new for $490 and I passed, shortly there after I had an opportunity to buy a lightly used one for $450 and once again I passed. Oh how I ultimately regretted both of those decisions as I ended up buying one recently and I was forced to settle for an overpriced bi-tone (which I didn't want) at $625+tax.

I ran the first 150 rounds through it this week and had no issues other than the magazine failing to lock back on the final round twice. I isolated the issue to one magazine which ended up being quite dirty upon post inspection. I hope that after cleaning it the problem will go away. I must say I am very pleased with this gun an if it makes it through another 150 rounds trouble free it will become my EDC and replace my Ed Brown EE from active duty, give my hip a rest haha. I put a Talon grip with the rubber texture on the gun before the last range visit and it has a much better purchase now and it's not nearly as aggressive against the skin which will go a long way when carrying IWB.