  The 5+1 .45ACP XD-S micro-pistol has been called a “game changer” since it was introduced at SHOT Show 2012. We were among the first to see and shoot the gun, and it is indeed going to change the small pistol market forever.
 It may outwardly look a lot like the double stack XD and XD-M series, but this single stack XD-S most likely doens’t even share one part with them. It is a whole new gun.
 We tested all of these types of both range and carry ammo, as well as white box Winchester and some Hornady Steel Match. No matter how the gun was held, it was impossible to get it to fail with any ammo at all. And a pounding of over 300 rounds including the hottest carry loads didn’t seem to phase the XD-S at all.
 Most six round groups were like this, about 2.5-3 inches, and it did seem to shoot better with the lighter range rounds than the hot carry rounds, but that is generally to be expected.
 Of all the ammo we tried, the only one that left you saying “Wow, I wonder if that left a mark” was this Winchester Supreme Elite. Yep, it did.
 The trigger pull was consistently around seven pounds. The reset on the XD-S is a little longer than the XD-M, about 2/10ths of an inch, and very smooth and natural, unlike our previously favorite pocket pistol the Walther PPS, which is cratchy and hard.
 The XD-S comes with its own line of XD gear, including a slightly smaller backstrap, an extra mag, a belt holster and a double mag holster, as well as the nifty hard case.
 The 7 round extended mag is available in the Springfield online store, as well as hopefully your local gun dealer.
 It is a full three finger grip for even pretty big hands.
 The XD-S gear is a compact little package for off duty LE and those who like a belt holster but don’t want a lot of weight. I prefer a pocket holster for the XD-S.
 All three major components, the barrel, slide and frame, are serialized together on the XD guns.
 Like the XD-M guns, the extended mag comes with a sleeve that matches the interchangable smaller backstrap for the XD-S.
 The magazine release is totally ambi, making the whole gun pretty much ambi.
 There is no cocked indicator on the XD-S, but the loaded chamber indicator makes it not needed, as there is no second strike capability on any of the XD guns.
 Made in Croatia, the XD-S is a new era for Springfield, that up until now had pretty much just different version of a nearly the same pistol. Who knows what we’ll see next.
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Springfield Armory XD-S
Soooo, we finally got a Springfield XD-S to play with and shoot. To to make a long story short, it’s really thin, really nice, a pleasure to shoot, completely reliable, and go buy one. The XD-S, as we said back at SHOT in January, is a slam dunk for Springfield and the gun is everything you could want in a concealed carry firearm. You get six rounds of .45ACP in a tiny package – 4.6 inches tall, 6.3 inches long, and all of an inch thick. Big hands, small hands, fat hands and tall hands will find the XD-S easy to shoot and surprisingly not punishing.
We had these revelations back at Media Day at the Range before SHOT Show in January, but after putting over 300 rounds through our little XD-S today, not only did we verify that the gun is manageable with full snot carry rounds, it is also just like the rest of the XD & XD-M line from Springfield in reliability. You can’t make the gun fail no matter how you hold it, or what ammo you put through it. Everyone called the XD-S a game changer back at SHOT, and now we will all get to see how it changes the game. The MSRP is $599 for the all black Springfield XD-S, and $669 for the bi-tone version.
Our test gun weighs 21.4 ounces, and this should correct some incorrect information we and everyone else gave back at SHOT Show when the specs were released at 29 ounces. The true 21.4 ounces is, coincidentally, the exact weight of my 9mm Walther PPS, so if you have heard that the XD-S is heavy for its size, it isn’t. In fact, based on our testing of the XD-S, the PPS is the only fair comparison of the gun in terms of reliability with different types of ammo. In reality, a fair comparison can’t be made at all because the XD-S is a .45ACP, compared to a 9mm or .40S&W in the PPS. This would hold true for comparing it to the Shield, Nano, Solo, P290 or the rest of the field of sub-caliber pistols that just don’t match up ballistically to the Springfield XD-S. Glock has a single stack .45 – the 36 – but it is thicker, longer, and wider than the XD-S and has had mixed reviews.
There are actually a lot of 9mm and .40S&W ultra-compacts in the market now, but with the XD-S we are talking about a .45ACP – second only to the .357 Magnum as a famous manstopper cartridge – and preferred universally as the best caliber for personal and home defense. There is no true apples to apples comparison in this class of firearm. When Springfield comes out with their own 9mm and .40S&W versions of the XD-S, we’ll be able to talk about them head to head as compared to the other guns out there, but for now, the Springfield has leap frogged the rest of the gun industry by coming out first with a tiny .45ACP. It has no equal. And that is why people are getting on lists for them at the gunshops now that they are finally shipping.
Are you an early adopter type? That is the issue with the XD-S, because it signals a milestone for Springfield Armory. This gun is a whole new invention. Until now, the entire XD line was based on a gun that was made for the Croatian military called the HS2000, which was licensed by Springfield back in 2002 for the US market. You won’t see an article on the XD series pass here without an armchair expert having to put a note about that in the comments, because it makes them sound smart or something…we don’t know. But now we get to the XD-S. It’s still a striker-fired polymer pistol and it does have the telltale 1911’esque web-of-the-hand grip safety, yet that is where the similarity ends with the XD and XD-M guns. I would bet that there is not one common part between the XD-S and the other guns, and making everything work reliably in such a small package was quite a task I’m sure.
This is going to make the more cautious consumer wonder if it’s wise to jump in and spend most likely well over $500 street price on a new and untested gun. Shooting over $200 in ammo through the gun today, that was the question we were trying to answer. We couldn’t break it. That’s pretty much all I can say, and as someone who has carried for years – both an AMT Backup .45ACP, and a Para P10 .45ACP – and broken both of them, that is saying a lot. If you think about the other companies that have come out with new ultra-compacts in the last few years, very few of them got good early reviews, and some even had recalls. I can’t recall Springfield ever having this problem. I also can’t recall any report of an XD or XD-M failing. If the same engineers who designed the original are the same ones who designed the XD-S, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. We are buying this little XD-S from Springfield for sure, and once I get our friends at Double Tap to make me a pocket holster for it, it is finally going to retire my S&W Airweight which has rusted to the point of embarrassment.
If I have any complaint about this gun, it is that it doesn’t come with a pocket holster. You get all the XD gear, specially made for this gun which is pretty sweet, but it comes with a belt holster. If I am going to carry a gun on my belt and have to deal with an overgarment, I am going to carry that XD-M Compact .45ACP we did an article on a while back. I’ll take the additional 5 rounds, thank you very much. The beauty of a pocket gun is that you don’t have to feel like you are carrying an extra appendage, and with the XD-S, you get real firepower in a manageable and small package. That belt holster may be a good purse holster with the right purse, and it certainly could be sewn into a side lining so you don’t get stuck carrying one of those dreadful concealed carry purses…Just saying.
And that brings us to the issue of recoil and manageability. As I explained back in the first article on this gun, right after Media Day at the Range when we got our first look and first shots with the XD-S, you will be shocked at how easy this gun is to handle. In most small .45ACP guns, you feel totally unhinged firing it, like the gun is going to fly out of itself. With the XD-S you don’t get this at all. With roundball range rounds like the Speer Lawman you see here, as well as the Winchester white box, you can shoot the gun all day. Some full snot carry rounds like Hornady Critical Defense and especially the Winchester Supreme Elite left a nice print in the hand of the grenade style grip panels, but it didn’t pinch or hurt.
The explosion in small concealed carry guns has given rise to a wealth of new guns that finally fit small and female hands. The ergonomics of the XD-S tames the recoil far better than the two guns mentioned above – the AMT and Para – which are both steel, and thus, heavier, and should make for easier shooting than the XD-S. You have to shoot the XD-S to believe it, so if you are considering a gun for small hands, try to get your local rental range to inventory an XD-S for you now that they should be able to get one. You simply will not believe you are shooting a .45ACP.
Does that mean that big hands won’t like the XD-S? No. As I said before, big hands, small hands, fat hands and tall hands. The difference is that if you have a big hand, you are already used to being able to shoot small guns well, because your two finger grip supplies adequate recoil area. A big hand gets two fingers on a .357 S&W J-Frame, and it gets two fingers on the XD-S without the extended mag (we’ll get to that). A small or female hand, can’t get three fingers on a J-Frame, but it can get three fingers on the standard XD-S grip. Try it, you’ll see.
And yes, for those of you who asked on the old articles here, there is an extended magazine for the XD-S that holds 7 rounds, for a total of 8 in the gun for concealed carry. The extended mag is a full 3 finger grip for even big hands, and the extended mag comes with slide on bottoms to match the two different grip profiles on the XD-S. The standard insert that comes installed on the XD-S is slightly thicker than the optional one that comes in the case. To swap them requires the removal and replacement of one spring pin.
Other things you’ll notice on the XD-S, and that you’ll see in the pictures here, are that it comes with a fiber optic front and two dot rear sight system. Both are made of steel. The gun has a loaded round indicator, but no cocked indicator. Since the XD-S has no second strike capability, this would be redundant. If there is a round in the chamber and you haven’t pulled the trigger, the striker is cocked. You do have to pull the trigger to take down the XD-S for cleaning. It’s generally a pretty good idea to check the chamber before pulling the trigger on a gun you don’t want to shoot something with regardless, so let’s not go there in the comments please. The magazine release on the XD-S is ambidextrous, like the XD and XD-M guns. Also similar to the other XD guns, the slide, barrel and frame are all serialized with the same number. Springfield makes their own magazines for all of their guns, as well as all of the XD gear.
The conclusion on the XD-S, as we learned back in January – Go buy one. You couldn’t get one until now, so ask your dealer about it. There is no a gun in the XD line from Springfield that you will be disappointed with and the XD-S is no different. Springfield has all but taken over the polymer pistol market and for good reason. These are great guns that will all stand the test of time. When do we get to see the 9mm and .40S&W XD-S, Springfield? We know they must be coming!
Almost 45 years of carrying a gun everyday. I carry only 9mm and 45. It took me 30 years to figure that out, pistol cartridges are very close in power and the damage that they will do. There is not that much difference from one to the other if you start going up one caliber at a time. The best way to approach it is to find the best overall round that you can stuff into a Magazine that will get the job done. That is the 9mm, it is the minimum when it comes to stopping a man.
45 is the largest hole without getting into rounds that are too hard to shoot and hold onto your weapon for follow up shots. Statistically it is the best man stopper, {45} that is, so choose either more capacity, like the 9mm, or bigger hole, the 45. The XDS is the perfect delivery system for both, I suggest one in each caliber, although for 9’s I use Glock and Kahr amoung others.
There are hundreds of gun types and company’s that make them, I like to go with “name brands” when it comes to my life. Springfield, Glock, Colt, CZ, and several more are known for quality, and more important, their weapons are used by the largest police and military units in the world. Stick with the top names. Springfield is a top Company, you can’t go wrong with their product, they stand behind their guns, many don’t. You surely don’t want a bargain brand when it comes to your life being on the line, maybe with a car or a pair of sneakers it won’t matter, with a gun it will end your life. IE: I had a loaded mag of 10 rounds of Federal Hollowpoints, sitting in a shoulder rig for 18 years, I bought a new 30S to replace my 30, and put that old mag in the new gun, just to see if it would fire, it fired all 9 rounds without failure. Next time someone asks you if you can keep a Mag loaded for a long time, you know the answer, almost 20 years in the same place. That’s the difference between a quality weapon and a clunker like a Keltec..
I’m on with what Rightway said, I don’t own a Kimber but there is a reason there priced high there excellent guns. I was a glock guy and still am but the xds is amazing. I’ve had all kinds of pistols over the years I’m not an avid shooter but now and then I go shoot to get used to what I’m packing My friend has 7 different Kimbers none of them have ever failed him I have a sig sour p238 It’s a amazing 380 still breaking it in.. I’m selling my 380 ruger and I will be buying the xds in the 9mm now after owning the 45 xds good bye glock I found a new love it’s the Springfield XD guns love that they make me a better shot with no practice…
So ultimately, for everyday use/wear, do you recommend the compact or the s? I’ve read both articles and both seem outstanding.
So ultimately, for everyday use/wear, do you recommend the compact or the s? I’ve read both articles and both seem outstanding.
Owned this gun for several months and hated it. It never misfired or misfed but it is a “Wild Child” and no fun to shoot. I own and shoot a Springfield 1911-A1 and love it. .45acp is my favorite cal. and was hoping the XDS would be a good carry gun. I will be looking for a better choice.
I personally solved the holster issue by buying a Crossbreed IWB holster and it works great. After receiving the holster I went to the local drug store and bought a sheet of moleskin and after removing the paper simply applied it to the whole backside of the holster and trimmed it using an X-acto knife with a new blade. Wearing just a t shirt unless I lean a certain way you cannot see the print of a handgun. Anyone wondering about the Crossbreed holsters you can stop wondering and go ahead and buy one. I like everyone who has handguns have twice as many holsters from buying one that proclaims to be the last one you will have to buy but of course it is not. With the Crossbreed I had seen and considered buying one for quite a while and after buying the XDs I felt I finally had a good enough reason to chance buying one. I am glad I did as for me this is the best holster I have ever had or bought bar none. It is everything it is proclaimed too be and more and I wear it all day without the usual discomfort of an IWB holster. I owned and carried daily a Para Ordnance Wart Hog in .45acp but it now has been retired and I carry my XDs instead. While I still really like the Wart Hog I find the XDs easier on me to carry all day and with the Crossbreed holster it is carried with ease and as I said no discomfort whatsoever. If you haven’t seen or heard of the Crossbreed line of holsters give them a look as they are truly as advertised which I find surprising this day and time when everybody claims theirs is of course the best while the Crossbreed IS the best.
It would be nice if I had my XD-S 45 and it had not been recalled as unsafe. Springfield has had it since Sept. It had never been fired and they refuse a refund but are still Mfg.-ing them and shipping new ones out to dealers to sell. They care more about money than their customers once they get their money. If I had it to do over again it would be a Ruger KP345 or Glock. Do not buy this Pistol or any other from Springfield. You will be taking a risk…SFC Mullins
DID YOU KNOW EVERYONE OUT THERE CAN “PROVE” THAT HIS/HER CALIBER, SEMI, REVOLVER OR WHAT EVER IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY AND ALWAYS WILL BE. SAME AS CARS, I LOVE AND HAVE OWNED 4 C-5’S AND 2 C-6’S BUT OTHERS HAVE TO HAVE A MUSTANG COBRA OR HEMI CHARGER .IT NEVER ENDS .
I checked the 9mm and the .45 acp version of the XDs and although I prefer the 9mm, the XDs is still a little thick on the slide part. Maybe I was wishing it would be much thinner than a sub compact Glock. The other thing I noticed was the grip serrations was a little sharp on my hands. And I don’t have smooth hands. Maybe handling this weapon overtime will make the sharp edges get smoothed out. I’m still debating whether a Croatian made XDs or a Kahr PM9 is what I’m going to get next. I also would like to check out a Glock 30S when available, and when I no longer see a “cracked breech” issue I see with Glocks.
Thanks for both reviews. I am picking up my XD-S tomorrow. Once I get it I’ll run a few rounds through it. From the reveiws it seems like I don’t need to break the bank by running hundreds of rounds through it for break in and reliability testing. Once I shoot it I’ll post my impressions.
Oh and as far as a pistol versus revolver, I am a clumsy 50 something who finds it much easier to drop and load a mag versus reloading a revolver, speed loader or not.
Got one of the first XDs available last summer. I have Glock 21, Ruger P-90, Ruger 345, XD-45(my favorite)and even a new SR-45 Ruger. I have had and resold others, but I like all of these. XDs is the best concealed carry I have ever owned period. Mine has never failed and I shoot twice a week at a local indoor range. I buy the cheapest ammo out there for the range, but carry with quality +P. I like it so much I bought a second one. It’s the only gun I own 2 of. NO!, my spare is NOT FOR SALE.
Comment, Go buy one! Every thing above is true. As for a carry holster- I bought the neatest carry holster I’ve ever seen or used. $25.00 will get you one. Slim,compact,and lite. And it works. Check out versacarry.com
I have always been partial to the 45ACP round myself and own an Army issue 1911 as well as a combat commander I bought new a hundred years ago or so. Because of my preference for the round, I have watched all kinds of guns come and some go but this is the first one That really got my blood running. I probably will buy one because of the good reviews and the unbelievable size. A .45 that small with reasonable handling characteristics sounds well, perfect.
I have had a great time with the new XDs. I put at least 1000 rounds through it with absolutely no problems. I was first worried it might be to much in a small package but even my wife loves it. This is a great gun and the 7 round mag is now available, but with the way this gun shoots you won’t need it unless there are more than six you need to hit. Love it Buy it.
i have owned a XDs .45 for about 3 months now and i shoot the Horandy XTP 230 grain and it shoots find all day long. Greg you must have a problem with your ammo.
brought a new xds, after a number of misfires contacted springfield but recieved no solid answers to the problem. got rid of the xds and went back to sig.
I recently purchased one of these. There is a fail to fire in each magazine. I hope to get it back to Springfiled soon to see if they can or will fix it. NOt recommended by me.
There’s a gun show near here in early March. I think I’ll be looking to at least hold one of these and maybe even plunk some money down. I’m going to bring a hand truck for ammo, though … no more droughts for me!
I’ve had my XDS for 5 months now. I’d say it’s the single best purchase I made in 2012. 400+ rounds flawlessly fired. Dressed in a pocket holster, this .45 is my new best friend… we go everywhere together.
I bought the xds and have ran a few hundred rounds through it, BOB it is indeed a milestone and a game changer. I have a Khar .45 and it will likely be for sale now that I have the finest sub compact .45 available. If you are considering a .45 as a concealed carry weapon just go get the xds. This is a dream to shoot and seriously you have to shoot it to beleive the lack of recoil. I have never been so impressed with a weapon ever. I plan to buy a couple more of them to give to my son and brother because I will sleep better knowing they have highly reliable self protection for themselves when I am not around. All the guys on here talking bad about the xds without ever shooting it you should probly go shoot one, only then will you relize how ignorant you sound to the rest of who have had the privelidge of owning it. I appreciate the review and for those of you with little or no gun experience looking for a first gun for self protection just go get it! Dont let these guys talk you into a khar or Ruger, guns are a get what you pay for item, spend the extra couple hundred dollars and sleep well. Happy shooting!
As the proud owner of an XD40/SC, I was extremely excited to get my hands on the XDS. I found one on sale at Sportsman’s warehouse for 519.99 OTD with no sales tax. (They were having a no tax sale on all guns there).
On my first trip to the range, I put about 90 rounds through it. Of those 90, I had about 12 light primer strikes, where the firing pin failed to ignite the primer. This was not a fluke, as it happened equally with Winchester PDX1 Bonded 180 gr ammo, Wolf ammo, and Remington UMC ammo.
I brought all of the light strike examples with me to Sportsman’s warehouse, and they gave me the option of either sending it back to Springfield for repair, or getting a full refund. I opted for the refund, and went with a Glock 27 instead. I’ll trade the slightly thicker slide for four more rounds of 40 cal ammo vs. 6 rounds of 45 in the XDS, and the well known and trusted reliability of Glock. My XD/SC was just a tad to heavy and big for comfortable carry in my opinion, which is why I was looking for a lighter and smaller option for EDC.
Hopefully Springfield will work these bugs out, and I’m sure they will. I just can’t carry something that I don’t feel will work 100% of the time.
You guys are all lucky to be able to get these weapons. I live in california where these weapons are not on the DOJ registry and at least with the XDM .45 you have to SSE to get it in here which basically doubles the price of the weapon and that’s not including the fact that it takes months to even get to a dealer so they can SSE it. The XDS I’m hoping will be able to SSE soon, but I’m not seeing anything in the near future. Feel sad for me please. 😀
Or, it may have been bad ammo?
CW
SIR, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO GO WITH A XDS 9MM IN THE FUTURE? THANKS JOHN
Nope keepin my .45.
That’s wonderful
spelling correction – it is FAZE not phase, as in “didn’t faze this gun”
Thanks for the article on the XD-S. Nice, as I carried the 1911 25 yrs and had to use it in Korea, “m very prone to knockdown of the ol’ 45acp. Having to get something on my retired income, and have a Glock 23, I got a very good deal on a Springfield XD40 cal for carry..,Problem was that although it was very well made and an excellent shooter, the mainspring felt as it came of a 5 ton truck and my wife could not retract the slide. I tried a few others and settled for a Kahr 9mm. It’s super light, really thin, shoots well and with a hot +p load, should do OK for carry. The downside it the lack of a positive thumb slide safety. I’d prefer a 45 or 45GAP but again, finance limitations are a big hinderance. I wonder if the spring on the XDS was also as tough as on the 40 I had.
Already got the Xds 45acp love it!! Accurate as hell for such a big round and small platform. It eat everything mixed mags of different stuff even threw a few + p stuff in there. Very impressed.It’s now my primary carry for summer winterI stick with my 1911 .
Got one. Love it.
With full power 230 grn hardball at 900 fps, it is brutal to shoot. The USA trigger caught a pinch of skin between the inner and outer trigger- gave me a blood blister after a couple hundred rounds. With the loads dropped down to 800 fps, it is much more comfy to shoot.
But the real shine on this gem is accuracy. Both lead and jacketed bullets are phenomenally accurate- silver dollar sized 5 shot groups at 10 yards from a 3″ barrel!
Admin,
I sent a warranty service request in via e-mail but didn’t hear any reply at all from Springfield. I re-sent it today, after a week without a reply. I can call their warranty number on Monday, but if you have a specific contact that could help me please let me know.
Thanks!
Doug
I would just call them. You did not put the gun in for warranty previously.
I did send the gun back for warranty repair, I have the RMA number right here it is 2680xx.
I was going to call them, but I finally got a reply after resending the e-mail. I was on the road a lot so calling wasn’t possible. They said they would send me another RMA/shipping label if need be.
I just got done shooting it at the range yesterday and did not have a light strike this time by round #80; I cheated a little bit by adding lube on the slide & barrel hood, as previously told by Springfield, and finished out the last 20 rounds without a light strike. I’ll probably try this again on the next 100 rounds to feel more comfortable with its performance/reliability. There is more damage on the recoil assembly and striker pin, so I took pictures and will send to Springfield for their assessment, first.
I did have one failure to feed on one round at round #16, but didn’t have another magazine to test/compare with. It didn’t have any problems after that. I’m at a total of about 650 rounds through it.
The gun, with its mini barrel and small profile, etc. is unbelievably accurate at 15 yards, which is why I am still persisting in testing and re-testing it. I love the gun…
I love the XDS and appreciate your article, I just wish my XDS actually fired when I pulled the trigger. I have had a light strike in every box of ammo, with every manufacturer I can get my hands on.
I immediately contacted Springfield who had an unsatisfying reply; take apart, lube, don’t limp wrist the gun. All great information for someone new to guns, but I already did that, and more. I took it to a gunsmith who took it apart and found nothing out of the ordinary. Springfield recommended I lube it and leave it ‘wet’. We did that and shot better, but still had 1-2 light strikes per box of ammo.
Took it apart and re-lubed ‘wet’ again, reshot another 100 rounds and started getting light strikes every few rounds. So, I sent it back to Springfield, regrettingly (I hate to send new, cool guns back…). They returned it with a message that said ‘disassembled, re-lubed and test fired succesfully’. They didn’t say how many rounds, and that is where the problem lies. It may run through a box of ammo, then the next box it will light strike 5 times with the same ammo. I have gone through over 400 rounds, now, and still can’t trust it. I will try it after they sent it back, now, but I am about to sell it. I can’t trust it to defend me, especially considering it is designed to be a concealed carry firearm.
I’ve never had a problem with Springfield, until now.
Sorry to hear you had trouble Doug. Try straightarming the gun. We have researched your problem and it appears that if you look around online most people having these problems are absorbing too much recoil with their bodies. A small, powerful gun isn’t for everyone and the extemely good ergonomics of the XD-S may make it seem like someone can handle the gun who actually can’t. You didn’t say that you let someone else fire it and the same thing happened. I would try that. If the light strike NEVER happens on your first shot, you can bet that it is something about your grip during firing that isn’t allowing the gun to fully seat into battery, which is probably causing your problem. Hit the back of the gun with the heel of your hand every shot for a couple mags and see if that changes anything. It kinda sucks that the actual answer to your seemingly long and frustrating problem is that you don’t shoot the gun well, but at least you could try some of these things and see if you can modify your approach. The gun itself is nearly flawless.
I shoot straightarmed, and I don’t have a weak hand, I shoot the XDS one-handed, left and right, and neither of them have had a light strike. My kid and wife shot it without a light strike, and my grip is well beyond both of theirs put together. I have a .380 Ruger LCP, I can handle a small grip on a light gun. It happens at all point in a magazine, like I said, it is completely random. Happens with all magazines and doesn’t repeat (like the 1st or last round in the mag). I don’t know if it hasn’t happened on the 1st shot, it happens so often, but anywhere else in the magazine for sure.
The light strikes have the striker dent way off center, and the dent is hardly visible.
This particular gun is far from flawless. I know plenty of people are having great results from it, but I have a lemon so far. When it shoots, it shoots great, I can hold a fist sized group or better at 10 yards with 100 rounds. Yes, it does work great ‘when it fires’. I never had any failures to feed until last night, which started on the 3rd magazine. Then it happened around the 80th round.
The recoil assembly also has what appears to be a problem since the beginning. The thin flange on the end of the rod was damaged after the first 60 rounds, which I took a picture of and sent to Springfield. They said it was normal. I’ll take it apart today and see what it looks like now, but it shaved the edge off of the flange, which I would never expect to be part of the design.
If you lived nearby, I’d love to trade you guns for a day…
I spoke to a friend at Springfield and they don’t see your name under returns, but if you send the gun back it will be taken care of quickly and I’m sure you’ll be happy with it.
Admin,
Thanks for contacting your friend at Springfield, that’s strange they don’t see my name, maybe they saw the gun shop that sent it in for me. I’ll contact them now, and get it sent in.
I’ll post the outcome when I get the pistol back. I”m hoping for a good outcome, I couldn’t imagine Springfield not making it right. I’ve been shooting their firearms for the past 25 years and love ’em. And I really like the features the XDS has that a lot of others don’t.
Ok great. They will be looking for your name.
I’m a big Springfield fan any way and my personal preference. Have a XD service 4” in 45 gap and really like it, but ammo seem a little hard to find except at a gun shop (not something I’ve found Wal-Mart). Springfield does have XD 45 ACP with a thumb safety (call me old fashioned if you want but I like a thumb safety). I was wondering if there might be plans for the XDs with a thumb safety.
Not sure if it just this gun, there was no picture taken from the rear, but XD’s do have a “cocked indicator.” You will notice a little silver pin(part of the firing pin I believe) sticking out of the back of the gun letting you know it is cocked.
I have purchased the Springfield XDs, 45. The fit in the hand is very good. Very light to carry on a belt or in a purse.
I have had no problems firing it, recoil is manageable and it has eaten every type of ammunition I have put through it.
I have all three XDm pistols, 9mm-40 s&w and 45 auto with the 5.25 barrels. I have never had problem with any of them
and the new XDs 45 is an excellent carry and conceal pistol. I also like the hitting power of the 45 also.
I have put 600 rounds of 230gr through my XDs. It consumed 500 rounds of Speer Lawman brass without a failure. However, it choked on Blazer aluminum… about 1/3 of the 50 round box failed to load into complete battery. I had to tap the rear of the slide into battery in order to fire the ammo. To be fair, the Blazer followed the brass and the gun was not cleaned between the different ammo types. I swithched back to the brass and all was well.
One other issue that I have experienced with this gun is the difficulty in unloading live rounds. They do not want to exit the ejection port when the slide is manipulated… it seems that the ejection port is too small and the rearward slide movement is a bit too short to smothly eject the round. I have had to shake the round down through the magazine well to clear the gun.
Other than this minor con, I love the gun. It shoots well and is very accurate out of the box. The sights are good and the ergonomics are excellent in my medium sized hands. Every one of my female students who have had a chance to shoot the gun, want one. In fact, one of my students told her husband that she wanted the XDs and he could have the J-frame +P he had given her!
I am going to put the new Crimson Trace Laserguard on the gun this week (I have one on my Ruger SR9c, which is a little bigger than the XDs, and I love it!)
Lastly, I carry this gun in a DeSantis pocket holster in the front pocket of my Wrangler Carpenter Jeans and they do the job nicely. There is a little print through when you sit, so I am going to add a poly liner to the pocket of my own design.
Overall, I am very happy with the gun and I recommend it to all my students.
I have had my XDs for about two months now and I’ve shot about 200 rounds through it without any malfunctions. I have not experienced the empty magazine malfunction I have seen on other site (the magazine follow through riding above the slide lock mechanism when the empty mag is over forced into the magazine well). But, I have experienced difficulty unloading the weapon with a round chambered. After removing the magazine I am unable to pull the slide completely to the rear and use the slide lock. The round is not ejected but sits straddeling the breach and the chamber. There is absolutely no difficulty in locking the slide rearward without a round in the chamber. There seems to be something obstructing the slide with a round in the chamber. Has anyone else experienced this issue.
This article is ridiculous. I have shot the XDS. It’s a nice gun. Low recoil for a .45 ACP, but not any less than the Kahr CW45. The Kahr is also only one inch thick; the same length as the XDS, and holds one more round – allowing for a full three-finger grip. The XDS is a nice gun, but definitely not a “game-changer”
Oh, and Springfield has definitely not taken over the polymer pistol market. I believe Glock owns that title at this point, and is not even close to being unseated as the king of polymer pistols.
Kurt has an excellent idea in a match up between a Kahr PM45 vs the Springfield XD-S 45 micro
vs the Glock 36 vs the Para LDA stealth (45 cal) vs the mini 1911s of Kimber and or colt agent in 45acp. Why doesn’t the Kahr PM45 get any press? In the few reports out there that I’ve seen it is truly a compact reliable, high quality handgun.
Is there anyone out there that works on XD triggers? If this XD s had a 3 1/2 – 5lb trigger it would make this an extremely attractive gun.
You know, there are after market kits with as many as 3 to 4 different mag release springs of varing resistance for 1911’s.
You might think it was a stupid question but it was a serious inquiry asking if there are any after market kits for the XD’s and if you knew if it could be changed. Maybe your ham handed enough to not know how low to not go on mag release pressure but a lot of shooters like to fine tune there firearms.
Never owned or shot a XD. Was checking one out today. Mag release seemed very stiff to push. Can the mag release spring be replaced with a softer easier to push or modified for less resistance?
Well then the mag will fall out lol. It does get easier as you break it in.
Springfield Armory is building some Fantastic handguns. I bought a Colt .45 in 1975 and got a IMI Jericho SS .45 in 1983 then bought a pair of Kimbers in 2000. The Colt is pretty tired but I can still hit what I aim at. The Jericho is still like new and I Love the DA/SA de-cocker function but that Dude is a CHUNK… Heavy! The Kimbers are Retired because after 3 Years of shooting them, with My Son who I gave one to, they looked like they had been left out in the yard and mowed over. They still shoot but the finishes just rubbed off and they look terrible so instead of having them re-finished I bought a XDM .40 sub-compact 3.8″ that was such a Joy to shoot that I bought a second one and added a XDM Competition .40 5.25″ and they remain My Favorite Semi-Autos. The Glock Model 27 I used to carry has been replaced by one of the 3.8″s which is bigger but it fits My hand so well with the extended mags and is such an un-commonly comfortable Pistol to draw, aim & shoot that I’d feel foolish even thinking about replacing it as a carry piece and You Got to Love all those rounds it holds. That said, I’m buying the XDs next. I don’t need it but there’s No Way I’m going to miss out on a Pistol that I already know I’ll Love, besides, it’ll be perfect for a Nice Young Lady I know to try out. If You haven’t spent some time with a Springfield XD series Pistol You are Cheating Yourself but If You Love Glocks maybe You better not Go There. I’m just Saying…
Don’t jump on Me, I got the Jericho in 1993 not 1983. I hate typing!
Took my SDs to the range the day I got it. Put over 350 rounds through it without a hitch. Everyone I let shoot it – men and women – were amazed at how easy it was to shoot accurately and how easy the recoil was. I had one lady shoot it who never shot a .45, and she could not believe how easy it was to shoot. I have carried it every day now for two months and am very pleased with it. I did own a Kahr .45 and this is so much more accurate and easier to shoot. Thanks for a very good review of this fine gun
I thought that I read someware that Springfield was going to make a 3.0″ barrel model in .45acp. Was this possibly a prototype that they were trying before going to 3.2″ ?
Thanks,
Gary Frost
I bought the first one to hit my favorite gun shop. 500 rounds of mixed ammo including steel cased Wolf with no malfunctions. Now my daily carry gun. I am looking for a good pocket holster. I was not surprised that the XD-s was as good as it is, I have 2 xd 9mm sub compacts that have seen much use in CHL classes without malfunctions.
I’ll put my 2 cents worth in. I have half a dozen pistols, with 3 of them in 45. I personally like a 45 for my concealed carry. I own a 1911 Colt commemorative Marine Corps… Semper Fi brothers…, H&K 45 CT (fantastic weapon) and most recently an XDs 45. The XDs has performed without any issues, with more than 1000 rounds down range. The only problem I have had, and it is my fault, won’t blame Springfield for this, is that when trying to reload a fresh magazine fast, I have on several occasions pinched the flesh of my palm on my right hand, to the point that the pistol will swing freely while being firmly attached to my palm. It does hurt, will (can) draw blood and makes it a bit difficult to press the magazine release. With a bit of practice, I can now change mags relatively fast without any personal injuries. Other than that , an amazing little 45.
Looks nice. But having carried the M-1911A1 for 25 years in the Army and been on a couple pistol teams, I’d like to see a comparrison between the 45 ACP and 45 GAP. I have heard some nice things about GAP but naver had the chance to fire it.
I have been a police firearms and tactical trainer for over 20 years. I’ve carried them all and not any one of them didn’t have an issue or two. Reading this article I felt as if I wrote it myself. Carrying the right size gun for plain clothes police work and off duty carry for self defense requires a firearm of sufficient caliber and capacity. Most of the auto loaders that were the right size for concealed carry did not meet this criteria. Anyone can put a 1911 down their pants and untuck their shirt for a quick run in to the liqour store but if you have to carry one safely, all day, then you need a gun that is right. Then came along the polymer frame. Small guns of sufficient caliber with at least a 5 shot capacity. But the early ones wanted to jump right out of your hand making a rapid accurate follow up shot difficult to impossible or they were too fat. I’m a t-shirt and shorts kind of guy so concealment can be limited. In a close combat gunfight, I want a gun that shoots a bowling ball. While I feel that the 9mm is probably the smallest round I would go with, the best case senario is that a good hollow point will only expand to around .45 inches at best and there’s no guarantee that will occur since all kinds of stuff will clog it up like clothing or wall board, making it a ball round. With that in mind, why not START with a .45 hollow point and go up from there? Then I saw an XDS a friend had. Love at first sight. I finally ordered one last week as they’ve been hard to get at the right price. Don’t have it yet but I have fired one and the size and fit is just right. I see no problems with concealed carry with the holster options out there and the safe design of the weapon. I can finally retire my S&W 36 which was blue at one point in it’s life. I’ve been carrying for almost 40 years. It’s hard to retire a good friend, but now it’s time to move on.
I have one of these XDs’s and I can tell you everything in the article is correct. I also have a .45 Backup. This XDs is much better. My favorite side gun is the Sig P220, I have 3 of them but I seem to favor this one over them now!
Buy one, you’ll like it.
What I would really like to see is a comparison test of the Kahr PM45 vs the Springfield XD-S 45 micro
vs the Glock 36 vs the Para LDA stealth (45 cal) vs the mini 1911s of Kimber and or colt agent in 45acp.
A true mint blaster shoot out with at least 3 or 4 judges (one of them a female) for fairness.
You can ad any mini 45’s to the test you want, But the above listed should be shot against each other
and evaluated on a common sense rating.
We have been trying to work on some of this. I would just buy the XD-S personally.
I did, 2 of them . My oldest daughter has trouble pulling back the slide . Any suggestions to make her pistol a little easier to work with? Oh yeah, she’s a southpaw.
I’ve had the XD-s for a few months now and I’ve put quite a few rounds downrange with zero problems. It’s now become my primary carry piece along with an extended magazine. I also own the XDm in both .40 & 9 and the only problem I’ve ever had was a broken striker retaining pin on the .40 from thousands of dry practice trigger pulls. I’ve been very happy with the XD line. The recoil of my XD-s is far less than the Ruger LCP or LCR 38 for comparison purposes. I can put two or three hundred rounds through it in one range session with no discomfort using reloads and Winchester white box ammo.
Just bought my Xds today at a gun show.i got there early so I was fortunate to get one of the few that they had.before I left the building four different people wanted to by my new Xds from me.springfield sure has a winner.i’m loved it ALLREADY.
Just wanted to comment on my experience thus far with my new XDs. I have had it for over a week now. This is the first .45 acp I have ever carried concealed simply due to the size and weight of most .45’s out there. So far this one has been great. It is a little heavier than anything else I have ever carried, but not enough to be cumbersome. The frame being just a bit larger does make more of that GUN shape in my pocket, even with a wallet holster, but I put my little tactical flashlight in that little empty spot just under the barrel and fills it in nicely to where it looks more like a book or note pad.
As to shooting it, as one should expect with it being a .45, it does have a bit of kick to it. However not near as much as I would have expected out of a small frame .45 and nothing not manageable. I will say it could potentially be hard to handle by someone small and petite though.
All and all, I am VERY happy with my new XDs.
For a holster try the Blackhaw #7 IWB. Pocket style try DeSanntis Nemisis marked “U-4”, with CTC universal laser. Both work fine and are iexpensive. BB
I loved your Article. Very Thorough and Great Photos. I recently purchased an all Black Springfield Armory XDm in .45acp with 4.5 inch barrel and a Ruger SR40 Compact with Stainless Slide in .40 S&W Caliber. Both Guns are Awesome. Very Accurate and Reliable right out of the Box. I was just at a Gun Show and I picked up and looked at the Springfield XDs in .45 acp. Since .45 acp is one of my favorite calibers I am very interested and will probably make another purchase soon. Although the price is pretty hefty for such a small pocket size gun. Makes me wonder if it is worth the price and if it is really better than my small Ruger LCP380 Pocket Pistol which only cost me about $319. Being made in Croatia doesn’t bother me, as many fine guns are or were made in Europe. People complain that certain items aren’t made in America when they are driving a Toyota or Honda.
And nearly every stitch of clothing and and ALL the shoes they own are made off-shore … much of the food they eat, too. Look … buy local if you can (food, in particular) … but don’t buy junk at any price. Buying based on price is what allows junk to drive quality out of the market.
Stick to quality and people like Barrett (for one example) will open their factories here.
XDS, what can I say, was able to handle and test fire at this years shot show, was impressed with size and handling. I too was a bit nervious about the recoil. No problem. I begged my supplier to get an XDS as soon as possible, he did, I have almost 2000 rounds down range now, no even a quirk in the gun. My normal daily carry gun is a S&W Pro series 45ACP and my new backup is my XDS. I’ve 35 units come throught the shop now, the longest one in the case was two days. Not one has come back. XDS may be the new standard!!!!!!!!!!
I handled an XDS today and was mighty impressed. It was much smaller than I expected–significantly less bulky than other compact and sub-compact XDs. I have several XD-45 service models as well as an XD-45 compact, all of which have performed flawlessly and impressively over several years and thousands of rounds. I also frequently shoot and carry a Kahr CM9, which I am considering replacing with the XDS. I’ve been satisfied with the Kahr but, even with the extended magazine or finger extension, the XDS felt much better in my hand. Also, my CM9 has improved in function (after a few hundred rounds) and performs well now, but I still have lingering doubts about its reliability (of course, for me, the described reliability of the XDS is still just promises)–note that my son has a PM9 that he adores and, apparently, has never failed. I avoided the Kahr PM/CW45, because I’ve seen too many comments about less than perfect reliability, and my own experience with small .45s has been lousy, so I settled for 9mm in a sub-compact. If Springfield has succeeded in building a sub-compact .45 with utter reliability and such great ergonomics, I would agree they’ve set a new standard.
Just picked a XDS up cant wait to try it it feels so right.
Good review, great gun. I have 2 of the XD’s in 9mm with many training rounds and few cleanings and no failures. I bought the first available XD-s .45 and have shot everything from old reloads to cheap Chinese steel case, to good tactical ammo in it. No failures. It carries concealed easier than a 9mm XD. Time will tell, but I expect to enjoy shooting and carrying this gun daily for a long time.
I shot an XD today and it was fantastic — accurate, controllable, even comfortable. But I had several light primer strike FTFs. Has anyone else had that issue? The striker on an XDs is rectangular and hits the primer cap off-center; I wonder if that could have something to do with it…
I have a Kahr PM45, and find it too fussy over ammunition for total peace of mind. The recoil spring is very hard, and after a year, I still get puckered up racking the slide. The Kahr is small, and I carry it in a Grizzle pocket holster as a backup, or solo when I’m in polite company. I’ve watched reviews of the XDs, particularly with Hickok45, and I’ve handled one in the local gun shop. The slide is as easy to handle as a 1911, and the trigger is crisp with a short stroke. I’m convinced. I just got a phone call that my XDs is in, and I can pick it up tomorrow.
Local SO used SA 1911A1s for years as SWAT weapons and “upgraded” to Kimbers due hype by some local politician who owned ONE. These guys shoot 250rds thru their 45s every Friday 50 weeks a year, plus competitions and personal practice. The Kimbers broke-I mean slide failures-recoil springs going out the front due to bushing failures-and Kimber warranty gave them a hassle on a 50+ gun purchase! They sent them ALL back and four years later are still shooting the SA new guns on the same schedule w/o incident. My former partner, who left the SO for a RR Detective job just alled me recently about e-barreling his old SA 1911A1, with close to 90K rounds thru it! He got a Wilson Combat drop-In unit w/ bushing thru Brownells and it is running great.
KIMBER is like a beautiful woman that could cheat on you anytime. GLOCK is like an ugly woman that remains loyal to you until you die.
THAT IS A GOOD ONE…I HAVE A KIMBER (4″) AND A GLOCK 36 BOTH 45 APC…
I picked up a bitone XDs yesterday, selling price was $579. Luck was on my side, this was only the 3rd the store has recieved with the other 2 going to employees. Mine came with a paddle holster, not the belt holster mentioned above and the sights are adjustable for windage. The fiber optics installed are red but comes with green and orange. If it performs as well as my XDm, I’m sure not to be disappointed. Next stop the range!
Picked up a XDs last week and put 90 rounds (mainly FMJ but some JHPs as well) through it this weekend. It was not only flawless, but amazing to shoot! I had high expectations being that it is an XD, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is a “game changer” in that I have never shot a compact .45 ACP pistol that was so accurate, controllable and comfortable. Springfield has another hit on its hands with the XDs, and I think it should be in the running for ‘Gun of the Year!’
Where are these whackos getting the idea the government is trying to take our guns? Regulation doesn’t mean confiscation. duh!
Maybe you should check out what happened in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. The local government did actually in New Orleans did confiscate some guns. Here’s the article Fox News did about the guns returning them after they were sued for confiscating them. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192347,00.html
The Obama administration is going to attempt to disarm America. The US government is going to attempt to sign an agreement with other countries thru out the world to limit the sale of firearms and especially ammunition in the US. It has even been discussed if this goes thru, you will be directed to turn your weapons into a local government collection agency. If you refuse, there will be potential jail time. It is coming. I say buy what you can and protect what you have. Being a former marine, I am disturbed that we have a muslium president that wants to destroy the Constitution of the US and make us a laughing stock to the rest of the world. I love my country. Served my country and will protect her in my civilian life. God Bless America and protect her at all times. Remember you were told this on the 27th day of November 2012. I will always pray I am wrong! Buy as many weapons that you can and get the necesssary ammunition that you feel you can while we are still free to do this.
This is stupid and paranoid. Romney did more to regulate guns than Obama has ever done. If you want to buy in to this dopey notion, be my guest – it’s all an invention of the NRA, gun and ammo companies to boost sales. They did exactly the same thing after the 2008 election and what happened? Nothing. Obama is a Methodist, not a Muslim. Get a grip on reality.
I have a very strong grip on reality, Chris Nichols. Truth is, Obama laid off the pushing gun control to lure Independent gun owners into thinking he won’t push for stronger laws. Now that he has a second term, the gloves are off. This time, there is no crowd to woo. Expect major legislation to come early in his next term. Boxer, Feinstein and Schumer are already writing the new laws which will outright ban assault weapons, magazines with more than 10 rounds, ANYTHING WITH A PISTOL GRIP, shotguns that hold more than 5 shells and more than I can fit in this block. Even the .410 cylinder shotguns will be outlawed, with NO GRANDFATHER CLAUSE. Just because these oppressive laws were not enacted years ago does not mean they won’t happen now. That theory holds absolutely no weight or bearing. Sniper 1970 is correct. Methodist, huh? Obama has been the most anti-Christian President in American history.
Chris Nichols. drink you mud water and wake up. Obama will never be a man.
I think thee has been drinking the cool aid.
Hey Chris Nichols,
You still around? Who’s laughing now?! I agreed with Sniper 1970 2 years ago and bought up both guns and ammo. The ar-15 I paid $600 for brand new, is now going for well over $1000. Ignorance is thinking you know it all. Wisdom not only speaks with humility, but LISTENS with the same. God bless you, Sniper; and you too, Chris!
Terri
Hey Chris Nichols,
You still around? Who’s laughing now?! I agreed with Sniper 1970 and Irish 7, 2 years ago and bought up both guns and ammo. The AR-15 I paid $600 for brand new, is now going for well over $1000. Ignorance is thinking you know it all. Wisdom not only speaks with humility, but LISTENS with the same. God bless you, Sniper; Irish; and you too, Chris!
HsHrt101
Let’s see…regulated in England, Australia,Germany, Canada, Oh yah…CONFISCATED in all of those places at some point in time!
I got my XDS last week and it is all that. The only problem I had was the slide coming back on my hand. Will be purchasing extended mags soon. Conceals nicely. Very controllable. I recommend this gun for conceal carry for anyone who wants the power of a .45. Use the Uncle Mikes IWB size 1 holster and it’s perfect, even with tighter shirts. So light you almost forget its there. Kudos to Springfield
We just got this as a rental gun I’m a glock guy but this gun is a great concealed carry gun if you want a 45 ACP
I put 5 Rounds in a 3in group at 15 ft with not much effort I highly recommend this weapon I would take it over a kimber super carry and day
I have had one hs 2000 in 9mm, one xd in 9mm, and 2 xd .40’s…after 10 yrs service in Law Enforcement, including spec ops..I am TOTALLY a Springfield Fan! I have used and owned nearly every major brand of pistol,..incl extensive use of Glocks while in LE. In my personal and tested opinion,..nothing truly compares to the springfield XD series. I cannot wait for the XD-S in >40!!! Im soo ready to purchase and trade it for my Kel-Tec .40 that i use for CCW right now! Springfield RULES!
I second the XDs in .40 as well
Good factual article. Thanks. I found this gun at our local dealer. They had two. The guys behind the counter were big on this gun. The guys in front of the counter had all kinds of negative comments just looking at it. I went home, got on line and watched the utube video and read the article mentioned above. Scurried back to the store and got one. Absolutely the best carry gun I have had. My .380 S&W polymer stung when I fired it so I eventually sold it. My 9mm Beretta PX4 storm sc is a great carry and handles really well all around and has a secure feel as you grip and use it. A bit bulky to though because its a dblstack. Only a bit. This XDs .45 acp is my first Springfield. It is exactly like the review says. Manageable. Some day I may need six shots that are just that. It is smaller than I am used to, which is good, and has more fire power, which is good. I was very satisfied with the four clips I put through it at the range three days ago. This will now be my #1 carry.
You are requested to please display the prices of all weapons and how to get in Pakistan?
Step 1: Find the nearest camel.
Step 2: Ask him why your country is so darned screwed up.
Step 3: Wait.
Call us when he answers you.
Great, now I need to clean up the milk that I spilled while reading that comment. You owe me one wet-nap.
I’m kind of surprised by someone of the comments on here. This was a great article, yet people want to nit pick about this and that and whine, whine , blah. I doubt any of you who felt obligated to try and point out some mistake made by the author, have an article on the web as well written. Some gun guys have nothing better to do, except scour over every word, trying to look for something to debate, to make themselves feel intelligent. SHUT UP AND SHOOT
Good for you, Tony. I was thinking the same thing. I commend anyone that adds a comment, without the intent of poking someone else in the eye. Those folks show the maturity to own a firearm. But, for those kindergarten pantywaists that just hop in the forum to shoot holes in the article or a previous post, I offer some adult advice: Grow up. Get a life.
All looks good. I don’t, however, like the traditional mag release. I carry daily, and the push button style mag release will release your mag when you sit in a chair… or in your car… or lean up against a wall. I LOVE the XD pistols. I own 4 of them! This is a concieled carry weapon with a big flaw! I wouldn’t carry it the way I do my PPS. Nothing worse than drawing your weapon and having the mag hit the dirt. Hopefully you just need the one shot!
I’ve never had that happen with an XD. A 1911 yes, especially double stack Paras. That PPS release is a new thing that is just on Walthers and the HK guns.
Bought the XDM 5.25 competition couple months back,have a a few hundred rounds through it. Absolutely flawless can’t wait to get my hands on one of these. Great article! thanks
I have owned the Springfield .40 XDM compact and their comp .45 XDM. They were both great guns, but I traded them because they are a bit too big for me. But they both operated flawlessly. I now carry a Taurus PT740 and like it a lot. Granted it has a safety, but if you don’t like safeties, don’t use it. I recently bought a Rock Island compact .45 made by Armscor and that little gun is a keeper. Well made and shoots great. It’s a bit heavy also, so I will continue to carry the Taurus.
If you don’t want to use a safety don’t buy a gun with a safety. It’s an accident waiting to happen. Guns with safeties have a lever that can get pushed to fire by accident. They can also be on safe when you need to fire right NOW. Get a Glock or better yet a Springfield XD (two passive safeties).
“Administrator June 25, 2012 at 9:38 am
That is the other issue. Kahr requires that you spend over $100 on ammo (200 rounds) just to break the gun in. Who wants to do that?”
I think it is wise to put 200 or more rounds through a carry gun before actually carrying the gun.
+1 kevin and Administrator
Actually…never mind the break in, I always want to shoot a new gun way more than 300 rounds anyway, especially after hungering for it awhile. And of course want to see how reliable it is. My Kahr K9, CW9 and CW45 have all been 100% out of the box with many through each. They’re my favs, along with my CZ PCR 9 (another 100% gun). They are great guns, as are the XDs!
Glad you mentioned the CW9. bought one for my wife, but couldn’t get any ammo for it locally (not even the 200 round break-in count) at the time. Nice to know that, at least for you, it has proven reliable. Nice to see that supplies of guns and ammunition seem to be easing up a bit. Prices are still pretty high, but at least there is (slightly) more stuff on the shelves. Oh well … that’s the way things are for now.
I am looking for a readily-concealable personal defense handgun, I am comfortable with my Taurus Judge PD (.410 / .45 LC), but it is both heavy and bulky. This XDS looks like it has potential. I go hiking and open carry is permitted, but freaks too many people out and telegraphs my capacity should a conversation go sour. OTOH, I -really- want to be able to put a man / bear stopper in my hand on shorter notice than digging through my backpack.
Having been a machinist and tool & die-maker sometime back, I am not impressed by the need to wear-in the Kahr. It’s not like they cut the price any … so they should be cutting corners, either. It doesn’t cost a whole lot more to simply give the parts a decent surface finish to start with. It DOES cost a lot to have paying customers bad-mouthing the product on forums. After reading a couple of the comments above, I’m tempted to disassemble the gun and get in there and polish things up BEFORE taking it to the range. I have the tools and, being retired, I have the time.
“Glock has a single stack .45 – the 36 – but it is thicker, longer, and wider than the XD-S and has had mixed reviews.”
It was in there…
TriumphRider
There was comparison to other subcompact 45s, but no mention about closest rival the GLOCK 36. Any particular reason? Seems this would be the closest competitor.
There was a mention of Glock 36. It’s wider, longer and thicker.
Kudos to Springfield for bringing out a micro 45. Just what the doctor ordered. I can’t wait to get one to go along with my XD service 45.
I started my collection and shooting with a Detonics 45 ACP. Everything else is too large and too heavy to carry all day and everyday. I will check out the new XDs, just to make sure. Very nice article on the XDs, thanks for writing, as it makes me want to check it out for another option to carry.
this gun as well as the M&P Shield are soooo hard to locate to buy one but ive heard and read nothing but good things about the two….i will buy mine if and when retailers can ever get ahold of them
The shield has no light rail
What kind of retard slaps a light onto a pocket gun?
“A tiny package” and yet still 1/2″ longer and higher than my old faithful AMT Backup .45. Why can’t someone make a truly pocket sized .45 again?
Yea, well I would take your AMT to the range and see if it actually fires without pulling the trigger three times. I have two and both failed.
My AMT backup only missfired after I cut the trigger spring down, Terriable trigger pull, Shimmed it backup and fired ok. Maybe the spring is weak in yours, I lost my AMT in a snow storm while on a road trip before
I noticed it missing. Turned in Ser number as lost, maybe it will show up someday if I live long enough.
Gary
They had me until they said it was made in Croatia. Springfield having guns made in Croatia!?? That’s un-American!
What a shame…
Oh please where do you think Winchesters, Brownings, Glocks, Tauruses, and about a dozen other popular guns are made? NOT IN THE US!
Do you want the best gun out there or to whine about how the Croatians are the inventors and makers of it?
Sure, you can poo poo the idea of buying American products if you want, it has been chic for a long time now. But as far as I am concerned, I will make a greater effort to find a good American product of any type before caving in and buying something from overseas. Granted sometimes you cannot find a particular item but I feel it is worth the try. If I can get what I want or comparable, I will even pay a little more because I feel like it is worth it to support our economy, our workers and our businesses. But that’s just me.
Many Winchester rifles are made in the FN plant in Columbia, SC. Same place where they are building M16’s, M249’s, & FN pistols.
High quality is high quality – no matter where it’s made.
Croatia that’s disappointing from Springfield.
Yea guns with no recalls go figure.
Beretta made in U.S.A.
Er, not most of them. I don’t know if the nano is going to be US based long term. The px4 subcompact and some shotguns are US.
You’ve got this kind of backwards. From what I was told, this line of pistol was developed by another company and contracted by Springfield to sell them in the US under their name. This may not be correct, but this is what was explained when this line first came out years ago.
I have a 9mm Springfield XD-M which I have been incredibly happy with. I am especially amazed at the reliability. The weapon has never jammed or failed to feed no matter what type of ammunition I use. I once deliberately bought a box of crappy reloads which featured worn/scraped brass and a few bullets that weren’t seated properly. Every round fired and cycled properly. The same ammunition in a Smith & Wesson 59 jammed on the third round.
I have an XD9 that I put around 8000 rounds through with no cleaning except for a quick barrel brushing after every day of firing and no lube aside from my initial breakdown and lube when I got it new. It has had exactly one malfunction. The aluminum casing of a CCI blazer buckled and stuck in the chamber about three years ago. After the last time I took it to the range in June I decided this amazingly reliable pistol had proved its point and gave it a good cleaning.
I have carried the xd 4in compact since it came out , no problems,love it, waiting for xdm 3.8 to come in,should be fun
I carry the XDM .40 in 3.8, 16 +1 with the crimson universal mount laser in a versa IWB and I love it. Even in So Fla in the summer it is easy to conceal. U am looking at the same thing in .45 but I will look at the XDS also. There is no comparisons between the Label and Sprin in my Springfield or even glock. Having shot them all and after researching them, for my money ans my safety XDM wins hands down.
I have the XDM 3.8 in 45ACP. Having shot just about everything else in 45, I’m sold on the XDM. After hundreds of rounds of just about everything available, plus lots of reloads with cast bullets, hot one hiccup. Very easy gun to shoot well, the best trigger of any of the stiker fired pistols. That’s saying a lot, being a big Glock fan. XDM 3.8 is small enough to be easily concealed. I can’t help but believe the XDS is even more of the same. Way to go Springfield!!!
I’ve shot a Kahr pm45 and I was impressed with the handling and shoot ability of it, and the size, but it is more pricey, and it wouldn’t shoot one clip full without having a hiccup. Every mag had at least one jam up.
That is the other issue. Kahr requires that you spend over $100 on ammo (200 rounds) just to break the gun in. Who wants to do that?
More like $80. And who doesn’t fire at LEAST 200 rounds through ANY gun before trusting their life to it? This a non-issue. But nice try.
At ammo prices today almost nobody is putting 4 boxes of ammo through a gun in one afternoon. And if you can get 4 boxes of .45ACP for $80, good luck with trusting your life to that.
Not to belabor the point, but after 2nd trip to factory for my PM40 (new frame–had to pay another FFL fee) and it came back just as bad, I gave up and got rid of it for a hefty loss. Kept running premium hollowpoints throught it, trying to establish reliability with Gold Dot, Federal HST, or Ranger-T, wouldn’t work with any of them.
I would have tried Hornady Critical Defense. The XD-S is however the best single stack available, and it shoots everything.
I have the Kahr PM40, and have put ~700 rounds through it before sending it back to the factory: slide lockback in the middle of a magazine, and breaking followers every 50rds. Kahrs are at the very limit of engineering, so I’m willing to forgive some issues as long as it comes out reliable in the end. Recoil is not that bad (Kel-Tec PF9 is MUCH worse), and accuracy is amazing. Having said that, when I want to move up to .45, I’ll probably go with the XD-S (or whatever subcompact .45 S&W comes out with) rather than the Kahr. Note that the Kahr only comes with a 5-yr warranty, as well.
I have a Kahr CM-9 as my concealed carry gun, and am extremely impressed with both function and accuracy! I never once had a jamb during or after this break-in period that everyone talks about, or since. All of this while shooting any kind of ammo that I can get my hands on. (Although I do avoid steel cased ammo) Great pocket carry gun! But, I do have to say that it is very snappy, and is not a pleasure to shoot hundreds of rounds through at the range. And before someone says it’s just me, I have no problem running that many through my Glock 20sf.
Any plans for a 40cal?
A great gun, for sure. But it is inexcusable for you to talk about this gun as a game changer with nothing else comparable in the field when Kahr has the six shot P45 and CW45 that are almost exactly the same size, and the five shot PM45 that is even smaller and a couple of ounces lighter. These Kahrs are quality guns, the CW45 is a relative bargain, and a new bargain priced CM45 will probably be out in less than a year. So, let’s set the record strait. Kahr is still, and always will be, the pioneer in high quality, thin, light weight, low recoil carry pistols with, by the way, the most butter smooth DAO trigger in the world. It is good to see Springer enter the ring. But let’s not act like the reigning champ doesn’t even exist!
They are going to send us some guns. The one Kahr we did get was a nice gun, and some of their patents are indeed interesting. I have not heard that the recoil is manageable like it is with the XDS though. As explained in the article, this isn’t the first 5+1. I had an AMT Backup 45 before Kahr even existed. The XD-S is a whole different standard of pocket 45, try one.
Great points, Footin.
I was thinking the same thing about the PM45 when I read the, “but for now, the Springfield has leap frogged the rest of the gun industry by coming out first with a tiny .45ACP. It has no equal.”
When you can go buy one for the same price as an XD-S, then maybe it could be an equal, if it is as ammo tolerant as the XD-S, which I doubt strongly, and the CM-45 is cheaper, but it is a slightly larger gun, and again, take it out of the box, fill it with white box Winchester, and see if you get through a magazine. As much as I do like the Kahr guns, it just isn’t acceptable in today’s market to put out guns that need to be theoretically broken in. Buff the parts and make the gun work, like they do in Croatia.
“…, if it is as ammo tolerant as the XD-S, ..’
That shouldn’t be hard to equal, my XD-S chokes on 230 grain Hornady XTP (failing to fully chamber them).
Check the OAL on them. Might be a bad batch. I don’t have any 230gr but I just tried the 200gr. and the OAL is 1.232 on them and they work fine. That is the exact OAL as the 185gr. I have here as well, so I suspect the ones you have are out of spec. Check to see if there is something stuck to your feed ramp.
“Check the OAL on them. Might be a bad batch. I don’t have any 230gr but I just tried the 200gr. and the OAL is 1.232 on them and they work fine. That is the exact OAL as the 185gr. I have here as well, so I suspect the ones you have are out of spec. Check to see if there is something stuck to your feed ramp.”
The 230gr. XTP that I have runs 1.229-1.23″ in OAL. It cycles fine in my 1911s, P345, and CW45.
The feed ramp on the XD-S is good to go and I’ve had no issues with other ammo. I suspect the bullet profile and lead-in of my XD-S’s barrel don’t agree. It’s not an issue for me as I’ll just not feed the XDS any XTP.
Have you noticed that the right rear frame rail on the XD-S does not engage a slide rail when the pistol is in battery? It’s probably not an issue (and hasn’t been in mine to date), but I would have preferred that they made that frame rail extend farther forward or changed the disconnector cut on the slide.
I also think they could reduce the height of the LCI to a point that it doesn’t extend into the sight picture, but I guess they did that by design.
The above aside, I like my XD-S: it’s reliable with ammo it likes and it shoots accurately for me.
Interesting quirk at least. I will look through my piles tomorrow to see if I have 230 ftx. Didnt know they made them that big.
Would like to promote your website on mine. If this is ok can you please e-mail me the HTML code.
It is just a regular link to the article.
It swallowed the MAGTECH 230gr FMC flawlessly. It did not do so well with the CCI Blazer 230gr FMJ. I will be going to the range tomorrow with a clean gun and will run another box or two of the Blazers through the gun and report back.
Do you own a Kahr P45 or CW45? If you do, then you know they are not fun to shoot. One of the primary focuses of this article was to point out low felt recoil. The Springfield is a joy to shoot, something that can be taken out and used to practice with. The Kahrs of the same size suck to shoot. While not painful for me, I know for a fact I’m not taking the Kahr or any other similarly sized pistol chambered in .45 and shoot a couple of hundred rounds though it in a day. Why is everyone having some much difficulty wrapping their brains around this?
While I consider the XD-S to be good for the market in general adding competition just like the LC9 did, I will keep my Sig P220 Compact in my pocket. It may be a little heavier than the XD-S but it also takes normal 8-round P220 magazines and is about the same size as the XD-S. Yes it is more expensive but it shoots like any other P220 and has night sites.
I may consider the XD-S for my daughter though. The Kahr PM series is a great gun for its size but the price is higher and the recoil will be felt more.
Thanks for the review. Looks like I’ll be adding one of these to my armory. The wife currently shoots an XD9. I like it. Can see no reason why I wouldn’t like this one. Will have to put some miles on one at the local rental place when they become available. Gotta love the .45 :o)
No miles needed, tell your wife someone you have never heard of in your life told you to go buy one today. 🙂
Thanks for the informative article. Having carried a 1911A1 for most of my 25 yrs Army service, I was happy to see a nice tuckaway available. I tried several “modern” 45s and was not overly happy with any, and chose a Glock 40 and have a Wolf 9mm conversion for light target fun. I will definately check this one out.
I have been interested in XD-S since I first read about it. The XD-S has no manual safety or magazine disconnect to worry about. There is no way I would buy a Ruger P345, because it has both. When the P345 was first introduced, there was a decock only model available, but it was yanked. You can remove the magazine disconnect, but then you are still stuck with a safety on a pistol that does not need one. No traditional DA/SA pistol needs a manual safety to be safe. If that was the case, then revolvers would come equipped with one. That long DA trigger pull negates the need for one. Want to be safe with a semi-auto pistol? Keep your finger off of the trigger until you need to shoot. It works that way for all firearms.
I have been wanting a good, reliable 45 compact pistol for a while. One thing I do know about the Springfield XD series, is that they come with great magazines that are reliable, and they won’t put a strain on your wallet. Some manufacturers cannot say that because they fall into one of two camps. They are either iffy in reliability, or are too expensive.
I would expect the XD Micro to be a great gun, not so sure about being a 45 carry “game-changer” compared to other small 45’s. The Kahr PM45 has 5+1 also, 4 oz. lighter, 1/2″ shorter in length, same height and will accommodate longer mags too. The Kahr CW45 costs $400.00, has 6+1 capacity, 1.3 oz. lighter, same 6.3″ length, .200″ taller and will also accommodate a 7+1 mag. Thanks for the review, I’m sure you like the gun, just don’t believe it’s a milestone.
Until you pump rounds through it do not say it is not a game changer. I have fired 22s that recoil more. lol Ok, maybe not 22s but you get my point. The XD-s is heaven to shoot.. Period. End of story.
I have a Kahr CW40 & it’s a piece of junk especially compared to my XD40. The Kahr has a weird, sloppy trigger pull & tends to jam quite a bit which makes it useless as a reliable personal deffence weapon. I’m looking at the XD-S as a replacement, I just wish it would have come out sooner so I didn’t have to waste $400 on the Kahr.
I agree completely. I have a PM9 and even though it was the smallest 9 for a pocket pistol when I purchased it, I still wished I never would have. I was talked into it from another person that at the time I respected their opinion. After shooting their minimum 200 round mark to break in the gun, I had a spring completely shred inside the gun and had to contact Kahr. When I did they sent me a new spring and internal rod piece, but they acted like it was no big deal. They do like to jam with cheaper ammo. The trigger sucks, but it is an accurate handgun to be so small. However, how in the world did u find one for $400?
Anyway, I would like to try one of these .45 XD-s.
I have owned a couple of kahr pistols. Had trouble with all of them. My brother is a cop and bought one for his back up gun. He had to send his back because it wouldn’t fire reliably. Kahrs might be small, but I would NEVER, EVER DEPEND ON ONE. They are one of the worst brands I have ever owned. And my guns were the higher end Kahrs, by the way.
All that raving about how thin and not one good picture showing how thin?
It’s 1 inch thick. You really need a picture?
He is probably from England and doesn’t have the king’s thumb handy.
Nah, it’s just something you’d expect in a professional review. Kind of like a picture of a guns’ sights.
I see 2 white dots and a red dot in one of the pictures. Are you sure you don’t need bifocals?
It is possible that the reviewer thought that if you were truly interested in the XD-S ; you might had seen his earlier review. (with detailed photos and dimensions).
http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/springfield-armory-xds/
Very good review
Shot one yesterday at out Range & Shop.(Bushwackers)A customer came in with his & after he was done shooting, he let me fire a couple mags. Great little gun.I will be replacing my J frame (340 PD) with it.
Thanks
Duane
You can just make out the sights on two of the pics and it tells you the color and type in the article. Robert is correct about color.
go to hickok45 on youtube put in xds 45 you will see how thin it is !!!
I’ve got to replace my Ruger P97DC and was looking at a Glock 21 (feels best in my hand) Glock 36 and Glock 38. I also looked at the HK’s but they are a little pricy. Also the top of the line like the Kimber .45 have their drawbacks when atttempting to conceal them. After this article came out, I think I’d like to try the XD if nothing else but for an ankle holster. Looks like it would be easy to conceal in a waist holster as well or for that matter a pocket holster. Thanks for the article.
I have Springfield XD 45 ACP that never failed me. Thank you very much for writing this great article on the Springfield XDs 45 ACP. I’m definitely buying a XDs when they become available.
I have owned and carried my XD .45 compact for two years now and love it, so happy that Springfield came out with the XD-S. this will be my new carry weapon, going to talk to my dealer this morning.
se ve muy buena me gusta.ria comprarla.cuar es el precio.
Reinaldo, Si usted es capaz de leer este artículo entonces responder en inglés
Translation: If you are able to read this article then respond in english.
Hear, Hear!
I will buy this when it comes out in .40S&W.
Everyone seems concearned about reliable & dependable conceals. I realize an auto is the preferred choice ,but if you’re getting a 5+1 a revolver is the most dependable. Harder to conceal but…? It’s a tough call ,with dbl barrel .45 autos catching the eyes of people. But to conceal those!!! LOL. To many choices,LOL!
S Their bringing it out in nine, but why on earth would you want an inferior cartridge that is about twice as loud and a harder kicker than 45. The 40 s&w has to be about the most short sighted and worthless new cartridge of the entire modern era. It wouldn’t exist if that dang Jeff cooper and other Wildcaters had decided that the 10mm auto was the end all be all of personal protection. Then some macho FBI guys decided that they needed more power for their firearms and went about making it the new standard for their organization. Only after hastily adopting “the superior” 10mm did they get around to testing it with their agents, only to discover that fully half of them couldn’t handle it’s intense recoil. Not to mention the custom built 1911s they made for the round were breaking down with as few as 3000 rds fired. So they made a bad choice but fortunately most of the handguns hadn’t arrived, and they were able to switch course mid way down stream. So they get a couple manufactures together and they basically refuse to back off from the. 40 cal so they end up just shortening the case and producing a new cartridge and gun that will take this new short 10mm auto. Great, now their agents can shoot it, but now what was the point of switching to a better cartridge if you take all the starch out of it. There’s also the problem of what to do with all the 10mm rounds they already bought. So they get hk to make a limited run of mp5 builds with custom mags and a 2 shot burst capability. Basically if you want capacity get a nine if you want power get a.45 anything else is a waste of time and money. But hey if you wanna come in to my shop and buy a forty I’m always happy to sell to idiots who hate research.
Wow, what a short sighted rant! You’re almost correct on the development process of the ‘forty’, but I think you might want to do some research yourself on this cartridge before you continue slamming it. The .40 absolutely does have excellent capabilities. According to FBI stats, the .40 has nearly the stopping power of the .357 which is the best handgun defense cartridge out there. The .40 has much better performance than the 9mm and guns can carry nearly the same capacity of rounds. I used to own a store myself, and there were always guys like you coming in that couldn’t handle handle change, or anything new. You probably still wish computers ran on dos too, don’t you? I’ve been to instructional courses where different types and calibers of ammo were fired into ballistic gel and other mediums. The performance of the .40 was very apparent. This cartridge is here to stay because it is good, and it works. If you want to rant on a bad cartridge idea, pick on the .327, or the .45 GAP, those came and went with the blink of an eye.
S.a.a. Colt 1800’s late. revolver’s & Winchester Rifles. where chambered in 38/40
todays .40 S&W cartridge duplicates exact same ballistics.
Agree the 10mm was overkill. Howsoever, the .40 was never needed either, God created Sam Colt and backed him up with John Moses Browning & the .45 A.C.P. was created. that is all anybody needs and my children could shoot them
I’ve been down a many of the conceal carry fads. Waiting lists, special orders, the whole gambit. No one can tell you what chamber is best for you. My preference relegates me to place my family’s security first behind God almighty, with a SA XDS/45 on my ankle and a Ruger 357 police service 6 wheelgun in the console. I have drifted away from those two calibers over the years a few times but I’m back to stay. Even with the recall I have never been more excited and satisfied with a pistol as that XDS. I’m going to send back for the recall but I don’t see it necessary with my particular piece.
Gee, Randy, thanks for calling a first time gun owner an idiot. When I bought my XDm .40 (Gun of the Year the year I bought it) I thought I’d done my research. I’m sure you are a much wiser person than all the rest of us but with your a _ _ hole attitude I wouldn’t buy shite from you. Oh, and by the way, It’s MY gun, not your. I happen to love it. Matter of fact, I love all my guns, no matter the caliber, size, type, etc. because they serve a need I have. I’m sure you would have some pathetic remark about many of them, but I don’t care because YOU didn’t pay for them.
You had a pretty good, informative post until you decided to show the rest of us your lack of character and maturity. Do you always work that hard to piss off your customers and fellow gun owners. And, yeah, I’m sure ole Jeff Cooper was no where near as smart as you are, Yeah right.
Idiots are not limited to first time gun owners, just for the record. They are all over the place these days.
Not only are idiots all over the place, but they breed and their proginy will be taught like thinking.
Rightway it wasn’t Randy who called anyone an idiot it was Matt.
My first gun was an XD9 and it has performed flawlessly for over three years now. If we ever get CCW here in IL, this would be my choice for a .45.
If I were you, I would move before Obama get’s back in Jan. ’13. Just sayin’…
Looks pretty cool. Regardless, my next .45 auto is going to be a Ruger KP345. I already have a Colt Gold Cup Series 70 M1911A1. I want a double action with a safety that de-cocks the gun. I don’t have the same hand control that I use to and riding the hammer forward after chambering a round is getting more difficult. I don’t like to leave tension on that spring for indefinite periods of time, so I am not comfortable with carrying the weapon with the hammer back and the thumb safety on. I don’t want to carry the gun without a round in the chamber, as I may not have time to pull the slide back if a dangerous situation develops quickly. Actually, I would love to have a Kimber. But, they are not double action, either. And, for what I would pay for a Kimber, I can buy 2 Rugers. Perhaps the .45 and the LCR in 357 Magnum. Thanks for writing the article. I do enjoy your reviews.
Last week I was talking to a guy who used to sell Kimber’s. He informed me that since the Kimber’s did not come with a stainless barrel. People in my home state of Florida were having problems with the barrel pitting. Since I always listen to people, but also do my own investigating. I went on the Kimber site, and he was right. I wonder why a company that produces such a fine weapon wouldn’t go the extra and provide a stainless barrel?
um, because Kimbers are an overpriced gimmick maybe?
I own two Kimber 1911’s. A Super Carry Ultra + and an Ultra Carry Pro II and have never had a problem with either of them. Pricey, absolutely, but also tack drivers. Anything manufactured by man is prone to defects. I’ve always told people (I have owned a construction business for almost 30 years), you don’t know the character of a company until something goes wrong. Then you find out who you have purchased from. Same is true here. I also own three Springfield Armory pistols. An XDm .40 bi tone, a XDm Compact 9 mm and an EMP 1911 9mm. I love every one of them and will own an XDs as well in .45. In all the thousands of rounds I fired through the three guns, never a failure to feed or failure to function. They will eat Tulammo all day, but get dirty, but that is to be expected. They are also the simplist of my guns to field strip and clean. I love Springfield’s guns and the two Kimbers I own.
You got that right Kimber is junk.. no better than the XDs.
I owned a Kimber 1911 Desert Recon. I will never own Kimber garbage again. Part fitment was poor. Staked in pieces were LOOSE fitting. Kimber is JUNK!
Take a look at the Desert Eagle 1911 C 45acp. They are made by BUL in Israel. BUL was the original makers of the Kimbers.
Cool story, bro. I’m so glad your comment was relevant to the XDS review and wasn’t a self-centered ramble about your preference in .45s. We are all so proud of you.
And you didn’t comment on part fitment which gives you another kudo.
Nice and topical response. I don’t think any of your issues/gripes in a carry gun applies to the XDs.
You should take a look at the FNP 45. It meets all your criteria.
Take a look at the Mag. Research Desert Eagle 1911 C 45acp. made by BUL in Israel. They were the original makers of the Kimbers.
I love my xdm’s and own several of them but the XDS compared to one of the option in particular AMT 45backup. I prefer the AMT 45 backup it has a lot less recoil and is smaler, length is the same size as a Ruger LCP but much thicker naturally for the 45 made from solid stainless steel all tho they are kinda hard to find. I have put somewhere around a thousand rounds and never had a failure