  This graphic from the XD-S micro-site explains it best. The isn’t a really spectacular story about Springfield releasing the XD-S in 9mm. The gun is identical to the .45ACP original version, in 9mm. All of the external measurements are the same and the 9mm is 1.5 ounces heavier, at 23 oz. This is due to the thicker barrel of the 9mm. They got the Golden Bullseye Award from NRA this year.
 The guns are indistinguishable except for the hole in the front, the writing on the side, and the writing on the bottom of the magazine. This is my XD-S .45ACP that has been in my pocket for over a year next to the brand new XD-S 9mm.
 The includes a Springfield lockable case and the standard case candy of an outside the wasteband holster, double mag holster, lock, two mags and thin grip panel replacement. This gun also came with extra fiber optic inserts as well. The mags are both 7 round flush.
 Springfield will also be selling an extended mag for this gun that holds 9 rounds through their online store, and your dealer should have some as well.
 The extended mags, here on the right, come with two sleeves to match whichever grip panel you prefer. Again, the extended mag doesn’t come with the XD-S. It is available separately. The gun comes with two 7 round mags pictured here on the left.
 All of our shooting was done with the flush 7 round mag in a two finger grip. Some women shooters with small hands can get three fingers on the small XD-S grip.
 In rested shooting at 15 yards, the gun preferred the Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain, left, over the 147 grain, right.
 Because of the national ammo shortage the only 9mm we had left to chronograph was Hornady Steel Match. It came in 100fps under the velocity listed on the box, which is very good for a 3.3 inch barrel. You lose a lot more from a .357 or even a .38 snubby revolver and in 9mm this gun will pack quite a punch in a gunfight.
 Our test gun was only #197. We have had it for a couple months, but after the political gun shortages we are trying to not put out articles on guns you can’t get. This XD-S 9mm is shipping this week in significant quantities, so get your name on a list at your local dealer and grab one up as they are shipped from the distributors.
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Springfield Armory XD-S 9mm Micro-Compact
https://xdspistol.com/
Great guns are always the most difficult to review. After all, a gun is just a fairly simple mechanical device that is made to withstand a bunch of force and direct its energy in a particular direction, one that you are aiming at. What made the original XD-S such an amazing great gun when it was first introduced was that it did this in a big caliber, without a lot of wear and tear on the shooter. Shooting.the tiny, pocketable XD-S 45ACP without a disabling recoil or muzzle flip is pretty amazing when you try it in person. You won’t believe how different the gun shoots unless you try it. The newest XD-S, in 9mm, is the same size as the original 45, brought to market this year in response to overwhelming demand for the smaller caliber. It shoots even lighter than the original, holds two more rounds, and side by side with every other “micro-9” in the market, flips a lot less. The XD-S is a full featured pistol, with a loaded round indicator, last round hold open, and the new 9mm comes with two 7 round magazines, an outside the waistband holster, and a dual magazine holster. It it also has an grip insert for smaller hands and extra fiber optic sight inserts in two colors. The street price of the XD-S 9mm should be around $550-$600. Nobody was surprised that Springfield came out with a 9mm XD-S, and we await the .40S&W version, but until you shoot the gun it is difficult to understand just how much the XD-S, in both the original .45ACP and now 9mm, outclasses the competition. If you remember our original review of the XD-S .45ACP back in June of last year, we correctly predicted that this gun would be a game changer for the market. The 9mm version is more of the same, for those who want a couple more rounds in the mag and an even lighter shooting pocket pistol. They should be at your local gun dealers this week.
Springfield has an interesting page on their XD-S micro-site explaining the things that are the same about the 9mm vs. the .45ACP and the things that are different. The length, 6.3″, the height, 4.4″, and the thickness, .9″, are all the same on the 9mm, but the weight of the new pistol is different, The 9mm is a smaller caliber, but is actually 1.5 ounces heavier, at 23oz. Why? …you ask. Because all other dimensions being equal, a smaller bore size, (.355″ vs. .452″), requires a thicker barrel to fit in the same XD-S slide. A thicker barrel for the 9mm means more metal in the barrel, which is heavier. Springfield could have possibly made the gun a little thinner in 9mm, but if you remember back to the original .45ACP XD-S articles here, the gun was originally designed as a 9mm. As Rob Leatham explained back at SHOT Show 2012, after a flood of 9mm subcompacts coming into the market a year prior to the XD-S, the engineers at Springfield decided to release the .45ACP first, because they realized that the physics and ergonomics of the gun could handle a thinner barrel and more punch. Like the original XD-S, the new 9mm doesn’t have a manual drop safety, but it does have the little trigger lever and internal drop safeties. Just make sure you use a holster that covers the trigger guard entirely, and the gun is safe as any other. The trigger is the same, breaking just over 7 lbs. for the long stroke and just under five and a half for the very short .2″ reset subsequent shots. The finish on the XD guns is called melonite and it stands up pretty good, though in a Kydex pocket holster my XD-S .45ACP has worn at the edges a bit after a year of daily carry.
Why was there such pressure to bring the 9mm to market? After all, the .45ACP is considered the ultimate manstopper in a handgun. But as hard as we here at GunsAmerica have tried to get the word out, in addition to blog posts, comments, forum threads and word of mouth from the actual owners of the XD-S, there are still people out there that doubt that it doesn’t feel like you are shooting a .45ACP. A lot of people are simply intimidated by such a heavy cartridge in a small gun. The capacity is also an issue. This new 9mm XD-S holds two more rounds than the .45ACP version, 7 in the standard mag and 9 in the extended mag, which must be purchased separately. The 9mm is also a much more practical caliber for a lot of shooters, especially those slight of build and with small hands. Women shooters especially who want to carry as much punch as they can wield seem to think the 9mm is just right. But, no big surprise here, the same XD-S ergonomics that make the .45ACP seem like you are shooting a 9mm make the 9mm seem like you are shooting a .380. We shot the XD-S side by side with the Walther PPS in 9mm and if you just stand to the side of the shooter and watch, the muzzle flip is literally half of the PPS with the XD-S, and the PPS is no slouch as pocket 9mms go. Talking to the folks at Springfield, they have done side by side tests with every other 9mm micro on the market and shooters universally prefer the XD-S.
The gun isn’t for everyone though, even in 9mm. Compared to the truly “micro” pistols, mostly in .380ACP, the XD-S is a little larger and heavier. I recently had the opportunity to help a friend with his choice for a concealed carry pistol and my suggestion was of course, the XD-S, in .45ACP, but I also showed him the 9mm which I happened to have on hand for this article. At first he thought it was going to the right gun, but then I let him borrow my personal carry XD-S to take to the range, his opinion did a 180. I couldn’t go that day so he went with another friend, who carries… a Ruger LCP. My friend is a custom fabricator and uses messy fiberglass, so he always dresses for work in sweat pants. The XD-S is a little heavy for sweat pants, and as I told him from the start, the right carry gun for anyone is the gun they will actually carry, even if it turns out to be a tiny North American Arms revolver in .22LR. My friend is one of those people who buys one of things (unlike yours truly who never buys less than two of anything). The right gun for him wasn’t the XD-S. Ultimately, all we can report is that the XD-S absolutely rocks as a concealed carry pistol. Whether it fits your lifestyle and mode of carry is up to you.
The performance of this new 9mm XD-S was as expected, flawless. We were able to shoot the gun with Hornady Critical Defense in both 115gr. and 147gr., and we also shot about 4 boxes of Hornady Steel Match. It digested everything with no failures or hiccups, and the accuracy was at least as good as the .45ACP version, with most shots into about 3″ at 15 yards, rested. For a two finger gun this is great accuracy from “average” shooters. Due to the ammo shortage, the only load we were able to chronograph was the Hornady Steel Match. It came in just over 1000fps., compared to the box velocity of 1110fps. For a 3.3″ barrel, with range ammo, the velocity was surprisingly high. That should translate with most ammunition to a general percentage of velocity as compared to what is on the box. The box velocities are always tested with longer barrels, 6″ for handguns generally, so more powder burns in the barrel, and the bullet has more time to build speed under pressure. Better than 90% velocity in a 3.3″ barrel is very good.
Springfield Armory is a big advertiser here at GunsAmerica, so it may sound biased to many people that we tend to review their guns so positively, but Glock also advertises here, as does Ruger, Smith & Wesson, FNH-USA, Kahr, and a number of other companies that compete in the marketplace head to head with Springfield. There are a ton of great guns out there right now, and as we have said many times, we are living in the golden age of firearms right now, just because there are so many great guns. As big fans of all the XD and XD(M) guns, we expected the original XD-S to be good, but the original gun exceeded expectations by a great deal. The .45ACP version is still a shock to shoot, because it doesn’t feel like any other small .45. Side by side the 9mm is just as amazing compared to the competition and you should try as hard as you might to get your hands on one to shoot. We are still big advocates of the .45ACP in general, and the XD-S .45ACP specificially, but if you want more rounds in the mag, or you feel a 9mm is all you need, take a look at the XD-S 9mm, and try to rent one at an indoor range or borrow one if you can. I am a lifetime shooter, and I have carried a handgun consistently, starting with a big fat Bersa .380, for over 25 years. TheXD-S is what is currently in my pocket, and it will remain there for the foreseeable future. I still have a peeve that Springfield should include a pocket holster with the gun instead of a belt holster, but each to his or her own. If you are in the market for a concealed carry pistol, ultimately you should go to your local dealer and hold a few guns, and do try to rent and shoot a couple if you can. If the XD-S, in either .45ACP or 9mm, fits your lifestyle and mode of carry, there is not a better concealed carry pistol on the planet. The dealers do have them this week in hand, and several have hit GunsAmerica for sale already as well.
I see a lot of ink about S&W in these comments and I am amazed at how soon folks forget how they jumped into bed with Clinton and the liberals in the 90s. How can you compare anything Smith & Wesson with any thing but gun control? Their antigun acts almost bankrupted the company and too bad it did not. I will never support Smith & Wesson by owning a new or used S&W.
Love springfield though.
Has the XDS 9mm been recalled like the XDS .45? I liked the way my XDS .45 shot but it won’t be back from Springfield until late February, about 6 months total. I had to send it in anyway because it jammed on all but 230g FMJ Winchester White Box ammo, jammed on other brands, hollow points, & 185g grain FMJ. The three 7 round extended mags I bought also all jammed on the first (or second) round. In the meantime I have come to love my Ruger LC9 and Glock 27 .40 for dependable carry (Arizona). The LC9 fits in any pocket, the Glock 27 in larger pockets.
yes all of them.
GOT BOTH 45 AND 9MM XDS. I LIKE THE SHORT MAG. ON BOTH.I ALSO PICKED UP FROM PIERCE GRIP CO. THE 5/8 INCH MAG EXTENEDER FOR THE SHORT MAG.THE EXTENTION WILL FIT BOTH THE 45 AND 9MM MAGS.ABOUT $8-11 EACH. GREAT PRODUCT TO BE ABLE TO GET ALL THREE FINGERS ON THE GRIP AND STILL KEEP IT SMALL.
Ya.. looks like I should get myself the nine so I have two carry guns instead of just one, would really like to have onr on my side as the holidays aproach us.
I owned an XDS 45 for about 2 months and fired a couple hundred rounds through it. It was not fun to shoot! To me it was hard to control and it is too big for a “pocket pistol.”
wow! what an amazing gun.got this for cc and couldn’t be happier.at 20yds. with no rest I was immediately putting in 4 inch groups.sights are easy and quick to pic up,light recoil which makes repetitive shooting smooth.grip fit my hands perfectly and I will be getting the extra capacity mag for it to carry as extra ammo.I also own the SA XD in 40cal with 4 inch barrel so this was an easy transition for me as well as being familiar with the controls as I call them which is important for CC.Put 50 rounds through it and it was flawless.Love this gun!
Agree! the XDS is a really wonderful handgun. I had it for three years until I sold it to buy a Browning Hi-Power. It never jammed even though I fired hundreds of rounds with it.
This doesn’t really relate to the XD-S, but can anybody tell me why there is such a shortage of ammo. I am having trouble finding ammo for everything I own. From 22LR, .270, 30-06, 9mm, .243, and even shotgun shells of any type. I have heard it’s because the DOD is hoarding it, and I have also hear that it was the Department Of Homeland Security. I know that Remmington is supposed to open another manufacturing facility nex year, but says it will do little to address the supply that is shipped to dealers. I know we have a Constitutional right to bare and own guns, but if we can’t get ammo or material for reloading, what is the point owning weapons.
No it is because of freakout demand and hoarding.
Lopaka Kanaka
Ben i had problems buying ammo on line and my local store so I found someone that reloads ammo and now I have all the 45 ACP, 460 Rowland, 38 Special and 357 mag i can fire at the range. There are many guys that reload and I know you will find someone at your location that will be happy to supply you with all the ammo you can buy.
Try the 3speedholster I LOVE IT.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just bought a XD-s 9mm and love it. Can anyone recommend a good conceal holster?
Try Alien Gear I love my IWB 40 FOR MY RUGER SR40C 15 rd AND MY RUGER SR9C 15 rd FIts THE SAME HOLSTER
They are comfortable I also have one for my FN-FNX45 15 RD. Check ’email out They also have gun belts
I just bought a XD-s 9mm and love it. Can anyone recommend a good conceal holster?
Check Desantis tuk-this or soft-tuck, I have several of these.
I FOUND ” CLIP DRAW” TO BE THE BEST ANSWER TO THE CONCEAL CARRY HOLSTER QUESTION
When will the 40 be available??
Hi guys, I too am a big fan of the XDS, but I’ve discovered what I personally consider a pretty serious issue-
With a round chambered, slide rearward pressure on the slide will cause the gun to come out of battery and hang there. Im not sure how widespread the issue is, but I recommend that all current owners that depend theirs to check this out.
This issue is repeatable with snap caps as well.
*slight rearward pressure.
I own the .45 version
that is true of almost all semi autos. in fact it is in Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris movies.
wow…
I have owned a XD-S in .45 ACP for a little over a month now. I read many reviews on the gun before my purchase and although I believed the stories about the reduced recoil I still had some doubts. I knew it would be less than other pocket sized .45 ACPs but I still believed the kick would be healthy. I wanted to shoot a range rental or borrow one if I knew someone that had one but didn’t get the chance before I decided to take the plunge one day when I was at my local gun store when they put a new arrival in the case. They had been flying out the door first come first serve here in Texas so I just pulled the trigger on the purchase reasoning that if I was dissatisfied with the gun I could always sell it. Well the hype is true and then some. This gun fits my hand like a glove, points beautifully and the recoil is more akin to a 9 mm than anything else. My previous carry gun had been a Springfield EMP in .40 S&W for about the last year and a half and although I love that gun too (not to mention its beautiful cocobolo grips and fit and finish) the XD-S actually has about the same recoil if not less and as I mentioned previously fits my hand like a glove. It’s also lighter than my EMP and will fit nicely in a pocket without too much worry about a pistol imprint showing. (it looks more like you’re carrying a 70s era calculator in your pocket) These XD-S pistols in .45 ACP are amazing and although I see no need for it to be chambered in 9 mm I’m sure there have been many requests for the XD-S in 9 mm and I’m sure there will be plenty of demand in .40 S&W as well. I have no qualms with the round capacity and actually purchased a couple of the 7 round mags (which don’t detract that much from the compactness of the gun) which I carry as my extra mags.
My son has the XD S in 45 and then got the M&P shield in 40. When it came time to sell me one of them, well guess who got the shield. I’m a 45ACP fan (Glock 36 as one of my carry guns) but I also have a G-27 so a 40 SW shield works fine for me. Glock needs to produce a series of pocket pistols to rival Springfield and S&W.
I’d even entertain a 380ACP in SF/SW/or Glock.
+1 on the Shield. I am a 1911 fanatic and my SA Loaded 1911 in 9MM is a tack driver and my one and only range gun. The new XD-S 9MM at a heavier weight would have to run circles around the Shield but I guess that might be a tall order. But… you never know… Would like to see a real world comparo…
I might pick one of these up. I wanted a Rohrbaugh R9, but it looks like they have had a number of problems with the firing pin assembly. Problem is this gun is 9 ounces more.
All of the extremely small 9mm guns have had problems because the parts are too small for that much recoil.
I really enjoyed reading comments shared by so many gun owners out there. and to see that no one try to be hateful in accepting others point of view. I love it when people try to get along and respect one another. that’s being Godly. please keep up the the good work that you’re doing. I find it very informative. I have a Kahr CW45 for my primary carry. It’s a new gun, I haven’t tried it out yet. could someone tell me what would be a good shoulder holster in leather for my Kahr CW45. I am an NRA member, and a retired US Army, Vietnam Vet as well. I’m currently employed with Wal-mart Store#1774 in Sanford, NC: If you’re ever in the area, drop by the Garden Center where I work as a Sales Associate. Takes care and stay blessed. JC
i have the XDs 45,the 9 mm smith shield and the 40 cal smith shield.i love all three,but i carry the XDs 45.i like the power of the 45 and as far as having enough rounds,with 6 in the pistol and 5 in the spare magazine,i feel that i am pretty well covered for concealed carry.i feel that if i cant control the situation with 11 rounds of 45 acp,more rounds probably wouldnt have helped me anyway.the XDs is fun to shoot and i recommend all three for concealed carry.Carry always and be safe.larry
Is Glock coming out with a pocket pistol?
Got to handle the XS-S 9mm at the NRA Convention. I was really hoping for it to be the perfect gun for my wife but once again we find a perfectly sized 9mm super compact pistol that she cannot reliably rack the slide back and release it. I am waiting for a major mfg to produce a similar size pistol that she can surely function in every situation from day one of ownership. I was disappointed in the hard mechanical operation of the weapon.
We are reviewing a product to help people with low hand strength to rack their pistols easily. It should be out soon.
Don: Did your wife try the XD 9mm Sub Compact? My wife has arthritis in her thumb, but she is able to rack it with no problem. I don’t know if the SC is any easier than the XDS.
Don…I believe it’s a matter of physics, which means without some other mechanical assistance, your wife will have a hard time with any sub-compacts because their smaller, lighter slides require stiffer, stronger recoil springs to work properly and prevent excessive wear and tear on the slide from slamming too hard to the rear. Your wife might actually do quite well with a full-size semi-auto, but then the concealability will suffer.
There is also some technique to it….don’t pull the slide back, instead hold the slide and push the gun forward, see if that helps.
I have the XD-S in 45. It is my primary carry piece right now. I also have the S&W M&P Shield in 9mm, I will be be carrying this piece some once my custom holster arrives from Savoy Leather. I think both will be great carry guns. As for me I shot the 9mm shield way better than the XD-S. But I think the more time I have on the range the more comfortable I will be with the XD-S. Its not like I shot bad with it, because after all that’s about the only gun I’ve been carrying so I’m still pretty comfortable with it. I do think both are great guns and Im glad I have both of them.
Why I read these reviews I will never know. We didn’t get the XDm, much less the XD-S .45 because California (then) required a manual safety. (XDs are grandfathered). Now our Attorney General has decreed that any new pistol in California must have microstamping tech–so there won’t be any new pistols in California for at least several years. My next pocketable pistol will have to be an LC9 or a Kahr
How does the xds in 45 compare to to the glock 27 as to weight and accruracy.
XD-S 45 is lighter, thinner and very accurate. I am a Glock man (also glock armor) who owns several models. the glock model 30 is the most accurate of all models but the XD-S is just as accurate. I own a glock 27 (.40 cal) but prefer theXD-S 45.
I fired my Glock 30S and my XD-S 45 tonight and I really like shooting both! I am thinking of getting a XD-S 9 for my wife who has arthritis and trouble racking a slide, and well, I think it would be a great gun to shoot too. The XD-S 45 is every bit as accurate as the Glock30S, and I expect the 9mm version will be as accurate or more than the Glock 26. I gotta say, for me, its a draw.
I’ve been fan of the XD-S .45 for sometime, and have heard many compliments from owners. I am a big proponent of the .45 caliber round for personal protection, however, I have also heard from others who prefer S&W’s Shield .40 and prefer it over the XD-S. Would appreciate comments from anyone out there who has had experience with both.
I would give my Eye Teeth to be able to own an XDS in .45 ACP – I can not even own one in 9 mm…..WHY you ask??? Because I live in Massachusetts and Springfield won’t pay the fee’s to have their Guns Listed on the States accepted list. I “know” of at least 8 Members at my Club that would like to own a Springfield Product. I wonder how much business they are actually losing. Vent – OFF
Maybe if more manufacturers had the stones to stand up to the Massachusetts unconstitutional statute it would go away.
Or maybe if the people of Massachusetts stopped voting in these liberal politicians that hate guns, like Ed Markey, these laws might change.
I have two of the XDS in .45, one belonging to my younger daughter. My oldest had a hard time with the slide and was wondering in the 9mm slide is easier to work? If so, I see one of these in my oldest girl’s future .
Dave, I have a XD40 and the XD-S 9mm and personnaly I feel the 9mm is easier to rack but I would take your daughter to the gun shop with you and have her try them side by side with your .45 to be sure.
The XD-S45 model I sold often, and it seemed to be okay. But if I am going to carry a larger caliber gun, I want more than five in the magazine. If one gets into a minor shootout, that gun would be empty after your first shots. I’ll take a .45, but with more bullets to finish the fight, should it occur.
I have the 7+1 mags for my XDS what you would get in a officer model 1911.
I have an XD-m 9mm and like it very much. I carry a S&W Shield 9mm. I have not had the chance to fire an XD-s in .45 or 9mm but it would have to be impressive indeed to replace my Shield, especially at 4 oz. heavier.
Rick:
You wrote on June 3, 2013 at 10:17 am “I have an XD-m 9mm and like it very much. I carry a S&W Shield 9mm. I have not had the chance to fire an XD-s in .45 or 9mm but it would have to be impressive indeed to replace my Shield, especially at 4 oz. heavier.”
I am going to buy either a Beretta Nano, Walther PPS, Springfield XD-S or a S&W Shield. I was wondering how you liked the XD-S as all the reviews I read on the S&W are raving about it.
My name is Jim, Clearwater, Fl. For the past 3 months or so, I started checking and looking around for a new compact/sub-compact 9MM pistol. So as not to talk to much, I decided on and bought a new S&W Shield about 2 weeks ago. May 9,14 to be exact. It’s still brand new in box, never been fired except the one factory test fired. It’s a great feeling little pistol in hand. However, I have found another brand that suits my fancy as bit better. I now need to sell the Shield. I paid $449.95 plus $31.50 Fl sales tax. = $481.45 out the door. I don’t know how far apart we live, but if interested, It could be yours for an even $395.00. You can reach me by the above e-mail address
Have a great evening
Jim
I read the article but didnt answer a question I have…or maybe I just skimmed over that part. Since the 9mm barrel is thicker to compensate for the larger hole in the slide does that mean if you buy the XD-S in either caliber you get two guns for the price of one? I mean by just changing out the barrel? Also, would the mag well take the other caliber magazine? I know these are probably dumb questions but though I’d have to ask. Thanks.
no it doesn’t work like that
Can someone who has tried both comment on the XD-S versus the Beretta Nano (both in 9mm)? I suspect that it comes down to the Nano being a little more pocketable vs the XD-S being easier to shoot and having an extra round in both the standard & extended magazines. I have a Nano and like the size, but I’m thinking that the XD-S might be better for my wife since the smaller size doesn’t matter so much when the gun is being carried in a handbag.
Just picked up my XDs 9mm on Friday. Haven’t had a chance to take it out yet, but there is little doubt in my mind on how it will work. I’ve had a pair of the .45s for about a year and they are very impressive. Really don’t shoot like a pocket-size .45. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my 1911s, but for a pocket carry, they are hard to beat. My wife has a LC9 and I think it is harder to shoot than my XDs .45!
Where can I get the XDS in 9mm?
your local gun dealer should be able to get them through normal distribution channels.
I just got an XDs in .45 and I am impressed. Accurate and it shoots anything from 185 to 230 gr, JHP and ball. It is a little much with Federal HST Tactical 230 gr. +P, though. Unlike other compacts I’ve shot, this is one I’d consider a good range gun.