springfield xd 40 review

One thing I learned fairly quick upon the release of the Springfield XD was this. "everyone is a critic". Especially Glock fans. Now I will not even make the slightest inclination that Glock is not a fine weapon. This much has been proven, so I see no need for redundancy which is why I have not reviewed any Glock model to date. It is a fine pistol indeed. The problem with the Glock and many other firearms is the simple fact that not everyone likes it. While it may work for some, it does not work for all. For me personally I am not real fond of the way Glocks point. I also do not like the trigger. Even worse I don't like the way it looks. Be that as it may, I do own one. I have grown accustomed to the trigger on my G20 over the years and with practice I am able to shoot it quite accurately. Practice makes perfect. I do love the way it performs, and the reliability is second to none. Glock can be found in duty holsters around the world and with valid reason. It does perform, and exceptionally well. So if I didn't like it, why did I buy it? One simple reason. The Glock 20 is best platform for which to launch the 10mm cartridge. It is reliable, accurate, and comfortable to shoot. Hell aside from that, everything else is mere preference. If you want a firearm that works every time and all the time, Glock can not be beat. But this review is not about the Glock. It is about the gun that is supposed to out do it.

As it stands, I was indifferent about putting my hands on an XD. I had heard it all. The XD is better than Glock, the XD is as reliable as Glock, the XD has a better trigger than Glock, the XD turns into a Jet and can fly you around the world in 10 seconds flat. Well,.. that was all great and dandy, but like I said I am happy with my Glock. I own a Glock because of what it is, not because of what it can be. But hey, I'm open minded and this is my job, so I gave it go.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Okay, the first thing I noticed was the grip. It is rather comfy. It doesn't have a finger serrations like the Glock does, but it feels good in my hand. Actually,.. scratch that,.. it feels really good in my hand. The fit is definitely on par with any quality firearm. Springfield Armory obviously paid attention to this detail. The back of the grip has a 1911 style safety, where as when you grip the gun the safety is pressed without effort. (see pic above) It also sports the same "Glock style" trigger safety. The frame is made from polymer and has no funny edges or burrs on it. It seems smooth and well made. The slide is made from forged steel and the mags stainless steel. The claimed dry weight of the XD 40 is 29 ounces. It is slightly heavier than the Glock 20 (27 ounces), but it is not very noticeable. Size wise the SIG Pro 2022 and the XD 40 are very similar. Actually the SP2022 fits in the XD holster perfectly. There is a 1913 Pica-tinny rail for a taclight or other fun accessories one might opt for.

The XD comes in a nice plastic case which contained the firearm, 2 mags, a magazine holster, a firearm holster, a gun lock, and a mag loader. I think it's pretty cool that Springfield includes the extras. That really is a nice touch. The mags are capable of holding 12 rounds of 40SW.

The Barrel length of the XD 40 is 4" has a fully supported ramp and is made from steel with a Melonite finish. The 3 dot dovetailed sights are decent enough and it is easy to acquire the target. The sights are fairly low to the slide to avoid snagging when drawing the firearm. The gun points exceptionally well. It was very natural. This is a big plus for me, as I do not like the Glock point angle. I dry fired the firearm, and the trigger feels very nice. This is a striker fired pistol so there is no pulling the trigger more than once without re-cocking. The trigger on this gun measured 6.1 lbs. but to be honest it feels more like 4 lbs. The trigger really is butter smooth. I felt that the length of trigger pull is perfect for a double action only gun. The trigger does not stack, just brakes clean right at the end. Springfield really did a great job in the trigger department.

PUT SOME LEAD DOWNRANGE
I knew that if the XD was gonna live up to Glock standards, it had better perform flawless with any ammo on the menu. We brought along everything we could get our hands on. Blazer, Federal, Cor-Bon, Double-Tap, Winchester, Glaser, Remington, you name it. The rounds were Hollow Point, Flat Nose, Safety Slugs & FMJ. With respect to rumors stating the Springfield XD is poised with "Glock Reliability" I strongly insisted that we randomly mix various types of ammo in the magazines and go to work. GAME ON!

I noticed fairly quickly that the sights on the XD 40 are more of a traditional 6 O'clock set up. Aim just below the area you want to hit. Or rather, the bulls eye will rest on the top of your front sight. (see pic to left) This wasn't a big problem, just a bit different than my personal preference. Shooting the XD 40 was really a ton of fun. Again I really liked the way it pointed, so I had no trouble finding the targets. This gun is very accurate for a duty pistol and the trigger is spot on. I really felt connected and confident even after the small amount of time I spent with it. In fact we were having so much fun shooting the darn thing that none of us even bothered to measure the distance of the targets. We just wanted to set them up and knock them down, and that was accomplished without any effort at all.

About the recoil, or should I say, "lack thereof". For a 40 caliber pistol, the XD 40 is very plush and really handles well. The spring and frame soak up the recoil surprisingly well. This is a huge confidence booster. Recoil is very similar to that of a 9mm. In fact we shot the SIG Pro 9mm a long side and the recoil difference is barely worth mentioning. One could easily shoot this pistol all day. I was rather impressed with the XD 40 and how well it fires.

All in all we ran just under 1000 rounds of various ammo thru the XD 40. The one and only problem we had was a dud round. A bad primer from one of the greasy Blazer rounds. We cleared it and were back in battery. There were no other problems with feeding or failures to eject a spent casing. We did not clean or lube the gun at any point during our testing. We did not measure the guns grouping as we were treating it more like the duty pistol it is, rather than a target gun. I am quite confident however that it is as accurate as any Glock. Finding target was never an issue after I had the sites figured out.

WHAT DO I THINK
Well I think a lot of things but that is beside the point. First thing is this. I like the XD 40 ergonomics, a lot. I like the XD sights and point angle, a lot. I also like the XD 40 trigger, really a lot. However I do like the higher mag capacity the Glock touts as well. All in all, if bang for your buck is the goal, the Springfield XD really is a better buy. All the accessories that it comes with are a big plus. It is a very well built firearm, proved reliable for us, and was a joy to fire. I have no doubt the XD can take abuse and still remain a top performer verbatim the sinless Glock.

Personally, I do not have a need for another polymer firearm. I currently own the SIG Pro in 9mm and a Glock in 10mm. But, if Springfield did make a 10mm, I would happily trade my G20 for one. Does this make the Springfield XD 40 a Glock killer? Eh,.. I don't think so. It just makes the XD 40 better suited for me. I would not hesitate to recommend Glock or XD to anyone. I think the XD 40 is much like a Glock, yet also, nothing like Glock. I don't think Springfield was trying to better the Glock platform with the XD. I don't even know if that is possible. I think the goal was to create another great firearm as an alternative to Glock. Either way Springfield did a fantastic job.

THE BOTTOM LINE
While the XD 40 has yet to transform into a jet and fly me around the world, it really does live up to many of the rumors I have heard. One thing is certain, I need bit more trigger time with the XD 40 before it is returned. So with that, I'm gonna grab her and head out. There is still daylight left and I gotta get in a few hundred more rounds before it goes back tomorrow morning... That alone should say it all. I love this gun!

- Jeff | ballistics101.com

GUN SPECS.

what do you think about the springfield xd?