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Buy This Gun.

9K views 92 replies 20 participants last post by  XD9 
#1 ·
I am out of control.

That's why I told myself I needed to relax. I have gone through an awful lot lately at work and in my personal life. So today is a one day vacation I've had planned for about 5 weeks. I'm giving myself a one day vacation from all my problems to do whatever the hell I want to do consequences be darned, pardon my language.

Now would you trade an XD40 with 2 ten round mags, an 1891/30, and $89.72 for this?


And what a great oven it is. It cooks my taters good.

Behold the XD45ACP.

Short version: Buy this gun.

I didn't go looking to trade into a gun today. I really did not. I had told myself and others I was going to wait for the bitone model. You know what, I'm not going to.

This was the only one on the floor, the only one the dealer had. Luckily for me, the dealer is also a CHL trainer AND a diehard 1911 fan, else he would have kept this first one for himself as so many other sellers have! Bruces45 and this gentleman would get along very well. Tangle would like him too but less, because his opinion is that if you don't carry a 1911 you should carry a double stack .45 ACP. Ha!

My seller was very professional unlike some of the people at this show (lots of folks pointing empty guns at each other here) and even gave me a quick lesson to improve my shooting grip.

Indeed there were many XDs at the show this time around and at very good prices. Last time I went to this show I saw hardly any, about three in total, all XD9s, one service, two subcompacts. The only thing conspicuous by its absence were the .357 SIG models. News gets around.

Anyway, initial impression: Wow. I cannot believe this is a double stack .45 ACP pistol. It's so sleek and feels real good.


Dirty towel not included.

Let's compare just a little bit here to the XD40. On the XD40, my fingers are almost crowded, but not quite. It is the smallest gun I've ever encountered I can comfortably put a three finger grip on without the last finger slipping or completely losing circulation.

The grip of the XD45ACP is just a wee bit longer. It's not enough to notice at first, but let me tell you it makes a world of difference. My fingers have just enough real estate for there to be some space between them now, and my pinky finds more solid purchase. The gun is maybe 3/8" longer than the XD40 overall, but it makes all the difference. Presentation from the holster is much easier if you've practiced with the smaller XD40.

Yet at the same time, I don't think people with smaller hands, unless their hands are really small, would have any trouble with this at all. I bet your wife could grip it to her satisfaction with a 70% chance of me being correct. It might still feel "big" but it'd be comfortable.

It is just as concealable as the XD40. Unless the XD40 is a big honkin' gun to you, you should have no trouble with the XD45ACP.

Springfield has really hit the ball out of the park with the ergonomics on this one. There is a reason they boast about the ergonomics of these models. The gun is, much like my other XD, well made and easy to field strip and clean. Very user friendly.

I've handled the HK USP in .45 ACP before. It was a very nice gun and comfortable to hold, but it felt like a double stack .45 ACP to me. This gun does not.

For further comparison the same seller had the Glock 21 right next to it. The Glock feels like a brick. The XD feels like heaven. I realize this is subjective from person to person but if Glocks feel "wrong" to you, I think you'd appreciate knowing that. If you like Glock then just keep doing what you're doing.

I purchased 450 rounds of various dirt cheap and some not so dirt cheap ammunition. I got some Winchester White Box, some Wolf, and some Winchester Ranger SXT, all 230 grain loads. I took it to the range this very same afternoon.

Making a great day even better, the range was empty except for four fellows sighting in their rifles. Pistol range was all mine. Weather was fair but overcast, range was muddy.

I set out targets at 7 yards and fired slow, unsupported two handed groups. Then I moved to rapid fire, one handed fire, and then I played at 15 yards. The four guys sighting in their rifles all left together and it was just me and the range officer for almost an hour. SoI got a special treat : I got to under oath of secrecy shoot some reactive steel targets. The range is considering adding something like this as a new feature to attract more customers because it's fun, along with their newly added clay shooting facility. The four guys sighting in their rifles all left together and it was just me and the range officer for almost an hour.

I'll address the static paper in a minute, but the steel was set up on the CHL qualification range. The objective was to run along the firing line and knock each target over in as little time as possible. Targets were spread to various distances from 7 to 20 yards. The first run reminded me I've not been practicing enough since my father passed. The second time I got three of them, and on about the fourth run I started getting 4 out of 6 in about 10 seconds. It was about the eigth run when I started to get 5 out of 6, but I slowed down a little, about 12 seconds. But then some other people showed up and we had to quit.

We didn't write the results down as we'll both deny it ever happened so just going off memory. BTW I don't know what kind of targets they were but they were evil. If you didn't hit the smaller yellow circle with about a 3" diameter in the middle, they wouldn't fall consistently. I had a lot of shots hit and just make a nice metallic sound.

I'm not really good at making long detailed professional sounding range reports, so I'll just make one point here. This is 26 rounds of Wolf FMJ 230 grainers shot two handed unsupported standing at 7 yards.



Now, this is 13 rounds of Winchester Ranger SXT 230 grainers shot right after that, same conditions.



The difference, to me, is astonishing. I know a large part of that is me committing human errors, but still.

Carry the good ammo. Enough said. I know which one of those two loads I'd want in my gun if I had to use it.

The gun did not have a single failure of any sort and ate all that ammunition up and was begging for more. Interestingly enough, all that ammunition was relatively clean. I was surprised.

The gun definitely recoils differently, which I will have to adjust myself to. It's not a hard recoil at all, it's just different. The .40 S&W XD has more muzzle climb. The .45 ACP is more visceral, like it's some kind of monster let loose. It recoils straight back at you, rather than back at you and up.

Still it is very mild. The XD tames 40S&W down to a kitten and does the same with .45 ACP.

Anyway, included with the XD45ACP you get a lot of crap. Crap is about the right word for it.

-Prequisisite papers and idiot lock

- XD Gear Belt Holster

- XD Gear Speedloader

- XD Gear Dual Mag Holder

- 2 13 round capacity magazines.

The XD Gear stuff isn't much to write home about. For injection molded accessories, they're pretty nice, but there's better out there. It'd be good stuff for patrolling the mall or range or training perhaps. I don't think IDPA will ever endorse any of it.

They're really getting hung up (pun intended) on this rail thing. Apparently Springfield Armory is mad at me for not hanging things on the rail. Get this: the magazine speedloader (which really doesn't work very well I tried it) mounts on the gun's accessory rail. Yes.

The mag loader also has a rail on it, so you can apparently somehow mount the loader to the rail and then mount the XML light (not included) to the loader. Why? Why Springfield why?

The mag holder does hold the magazines at a comfortable angle, but I would never wear this thing on the street.

The Holster is the best thing of the lot, and it's mediocre. It's a slide holster and that alone puts me off. But it does work. It could be used if you were stuck waiting on a good holster to show up in the mail one day. It also has an accessory rail. Why? I do not know. Perhaps they intend for you to be able to transfer a light from gun to holster... but why not design a holster to accomadate the light, which this one does...

This gun is fantastic but the stuff it comes with is pure comedy. It looks cool though, all set up in the case, all black and shiny.

The magazines however are wonderful. They improved the XD mags!

Now if you don't have an XD yet, you have to understand XD mags made a believer out of me that a service pistol magazine's springs could stay stiff indefinitely. These are the absolutely tightest magazines you've ever had the displeasure to load. I cannot stuff all the rounds in a new XD magazine without a speedloaer. They are tight, tight, tight. Now eventually they break in and are nice and smooth and slick, but for about 3-4 months it's a battle.

These magazines are tight, but without even using the XD Gear speedloader or its accessory rail, I was able to fully load them both. The last round is a bit tough. Much smoother, more refined. A subtle but much needed improvement.

In operation the gun feels slightly different, but if you have an XD already you've nothing to fear.

A final remark, all your XD40 holsters, will fit the XD45ACP to a tee!

Positives:

- Ergonomics.
- Plenty accurate for combat; points very naturally for unsighted shooting, sights line up naturally too.
- Ate all the ammo without a hiccup, even the cheap WWB and Wolf.
- Soft recoil.
- Fun to shoot.
- Don't have to buy any new holsters.
- Induces maniacal grinning. The other XDs I've owned and shot are fine firearms but they don't induce maniacal grinning. This one does.

Negatives

- Stupid accessories. Nice idea Springfield and I see what they're trying to do, but I'd much rather be able to buy this pistol with another magazine or two or even the XML light. Leave holsters to holster makers.
- Should have been released a long time ago. I'm POed I had to go through the XD40; essentially I feel like I had to buy this gun twice. FYI I am keeping my bitone XD40, as it's a fine gun too and I trust it too much to let go if it. The one I got rid of was my spare, which was a worthy gun too but I don't need it any more.
- I have never experienced the corrossion issue and I don't care if I leave holster wear marks, but I'm keeping my eye out.

I have spent all day with this pistol, from 8 AM to 4 PM stopping only for lunch. You need one of these. Get one.

As for me I think I have a new primary carry piece. And if you want a double stack .45 ACP or just a nice gun period, you should strongly consider the XD45ACP.
 
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#53 ·
Hmmm, I have this urge to bury my gun in the sand and then shake it off and shoot it and then run over it with a truck and,...I guess I'll get somebody else to shoot it after that one.

I really ought to get a rubber sleeve for the grip, a 3.5# disconnector, a g-18 mag, an NY trigger and skateboard tape for the grips. Yeah, that oughta do it.
 
#58 ·
JT said:
Yes I do, and I do it without fear!
LOL!

Well, to be perfectly honest, I still cringe just a little everytime I holster a Glock. Never had the first problem with it, but I've heard the stories. Mostly just operator error, but some that weren't. So I take extra care holstering; I mean, what's the rush to holster? The rush is always unholstering.

I'm also the least bit squirmish about placing a loaded Glock in a glove box, under the seat, etc. That trigger that makes a Glock easy to shoot, makes it easy to shoot. I'm about to the point that if it stays in the car, it stays with the chamber empty.
 
#59 ·
I always reholster very slowly, and I always keep the gun in a holster. That goes for all handguns, not just Glocks.
 
#60 ·
Of course, it all comes down to what you are comfortable with. I'm not comfortable carrying a 1911 cocked and locked, so I don't carry one. I am comfortable carrying a Glock with a round in the chamber, but there are plenty of people who aren't.
 
#61 ·
Since we're way off the topic anyway... I must pose the devil's advocate question.

Why do people (not ya'll) get so worried about Glocks? Revolvers operate the same exact way (pull trigger go bang no safety mechanisms beyond the trigger pull) and I've been shooting, holstering, and stowing them places for... well... over half my life now (such as it is).

My 686, 629, GP100, etc have absolutely zero safeties of any sort beyond the trigger guard. No nervousness on my part, no accidents. At least the Glock has the Rube Goldberg trigger.

As much as I have come to like the elegant grip safety of the XD design (Was skeptical at first) and agree it's inherently mechanically safer, I don't really think the Glock pistol is any more or less safe than its owner.
 
#62 ·
Euc,

It's because of the trigger and it is an real issue. The Glock has about a 5# pull weight with about a 0.25" stroke. It's easy to shoot. Compare that with a revolver trigger with probably a 9 - 12 pound pull and a 1 inch or so stroke.

Ernst Langdon was involved in a study that indicated the stroke is really more important that the weight.

Masod Ayoob once said, "A good thing about a Glock is they're easy to shoot. A bad thing about a Glock is they're easy to shoot." There's a lot of truth to that.
 
#63 ·
a study that indicated the stroke is really more important that the weight.
My thinking too Ron - totally. That is why the DA pull on the SIG represents a very good ''safety'' - similar to a revo.

For me the Glock stroke is a bit worrysome. Not for shooting, that's just fine - but the periods in between - shall we say collectively ''handling''.
 
#64 ·
P95Carry said:
...For me the Glock stroke is a bit worrysome. Not for shooting, that's just fine - but the periods in between - shall we say collectively ''handling''.
Me too. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have a LEO thinking I'm a BG with his Glock pointed at me and notice that his finger is on the trigger.
 
#65 ·
It doesn't worry me because....

I keep my finger off the trigger
I always use a holster
I re-holster slowly

And I don't mean to sound condescending in any way. I know everybody here knows to keep their finger off the trigger, and I’m sure they follow that religiously like I do. What I mean is that as long as I do those three things, I personally have a very high comfort level with Glocks.
 
#67 ·
Euclidean said:
Well in preliminary testing, keep in mind I haven't got a chance to run more through it yet - The WWB was much closer to POI and the Wolf, although it ran just fine and was actually rather clean, went all over the place.

It depends on what you're doing. If you are just running some ammo through the gun like I was for some reliability testing, Wolf was fine. At $7.50 a box of 50 I think I'll be shooting lots of Wolf even though it's not the greatest ammo in the world for this particular gun.

The modestly more expensive WWB at $20 for 100 does significantly better. I wish I'd photographed a target for comparison.

If I ever get off my duff I'll start reloading at some point this year, and plan to just "roll my own" after a while.

I haven't tried any other cheap ammo... no UMC or anything like that.

However it seems the standard pressure Winchester SXT 230 grain load is becoming a popular choice for a defensive/carry load on hs2000talk.com It performed very well out of my particular gun indeed. The only thing that ticks me off about this is that you have to work that much harder to dig up this ammunition. I'd have bought more if I'd known it was going to work that well.

That's about all I know to say. Your particular XD45ACP may behave differently of course.
Nice, Thanks alot. It turns out the deal got sweeter and im getting the XD this Tuseday. Im also getting a cash difference so i can pick up a few hundred rounds of ammo and still get the wifey her carry gun. :banana: Ill pick up some wolf ammo and shoot it through and see what i come up with but ill also look into some blazer or UMC too. I guess when buying your first "new gun" you should find out what shoots best for the money and experiance these things yourself... Thanks again for all the info! I saw thouse Winchester SXT at midwayusa.com they were a little spendy but hey for something thats getting all the raves in the personal defence ammo world. It might be worth giving them a shoT
 
#68 ·
Sunday I compared my XD9 Tactical, my XD Bitone with Springfield Armory (SA) Carry Triggger job, and my Sig 226R, also 9mm, using WWB from Walmart, and I made some picks.

I set up two B-27 targets, one at 18 feet and one at 28 feet. The goal was to see if I could determine any significant difference in accuracy between the three guns. All shots were slow fire and the first shot from the Sig was DA just like it would be if I had to shoot it to defend myself. I shot five shots from each gun and repeated the process.

It was 31º and I had to wear some knit gloves (all I had with me). I shot the target at 18 feet first. I shot five shots with the XD9 Tactical first at the left "7" on the B-27. The XD9 was next on the right "7", and then five shots from the Sig 226R on the top "7". Results are in the first two pics. And, that's a quarter completely covering the five shots from the XD9 Tactical and a nickel almost completely covering the five shots from the Sig 226R. And the slide is so loose on the Sig you can shake it and it rattles. It doesn't seem to affect accuracy.

I'm not sure what's going on with the XD9; it should have grouped better and I think it will.

The third pic is about 20 shots from each gun at 28 feet. I shot one too many evolutions and knew it when I did it. I was getting pretty tired and the last evolution spread the groups out significantly. But, the guns do shoot well and the WWB ammo appears to be quite accurate and consistant.

And, I KNOW, I KNOW - the date on my camera is wrong. :frown:
 
#71 ·
The XD is like anything else... each particular gun seems to group certain brands slightly tighter. Compare my pics of unsupported rapid fire at 7 yards in the original post between the SXT and the Wolf. I was all over the place with the Wolf. The SXT groups quite nicely. The shots that were off was because of me not the ammo.

Ughhhh need to shoot more. Time to spend another day with the 10/22...
 
#74 ·
OD said:
Not exactly. Glocks are not DAs, but striker fired, would be like carrying a revolver at at half-cock (if you could).
Thats True but they do have a heavy trigger pull not as heavy as a da Revolver..

Also springer has almsot same trigger pull and yeah its got the grip safety on it but 99% of the time you hand is depressing the grip safety even when holstering ..

I have one of each and can say there's not much difference between a glock and XD
 
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