We’re beginning the gidepath toward the SHOT Show which means the new product announcements will begin to accelerate in the weeks ahead. Early out of the box is a new subcompact from Springfield Armory. They’ve gone to work on their popular XD Sub-Compact and have just introduced the XD Mod.2. They’ve borrowed a little from the XD(M) and added some new features designed to produce a better concealed carry option. Things like improved sights, a slightly slimmer profile, a slightly lower bore axis and a multi-textured, recontoured grip . . .
The XD® Mod.2™ is the refinement of a classic, a distillation of greatness. Those things that made the XD® what it is remain and are amplified, revised or improved in order to bring you the next step in the evolution of the polymer framed pistol.
When picking up the Mod.2™, shooters will find that critical aspects of the design have been fine-tuned. Mod.2™ ergonomics are a next-level experience that you have to feel to believe and understand. The entire interface between the shooter and the gun has been updated, while retaining the Point-and-Shoot characteristics that made it famous. Key features have been tweaked and enhanced to further enable effortless shooting. And you’ll find that the overall package is now more concealable as well.
If you are looking for the best solution to shooting comfort, concealability and increased magazine capacity, you’ll want to pick up the new XD® Mod.2™ Sub-Compact.
wow that looks really comfortable to handle, gonna have to check one of these out.
^^ Can’t tell if that’s sarcastic or not. 🙂 Ah, sub-compacts.
As soon as they make a grip without writing I’ll buy two one in 9mm one in 45 acp
Till then got to stick with a Glock
I like it, assuming the price hasn’t been jacked up. Value is the best aspect of the XDs. Take that away and you have just another crappy Glock clone.
Clone? The XDs are far, far better ergonomics than Glocks
Better? Maybe, but I would argue the ‘far’ part. They’re also considerably heavier with a higher bore axis, and the trigger is lacking. I prefer XDs over Glocks, but mainly because of the price.
Higher bore axis is a talking point for people who know nothing about nothing. My 45xdm 3.8 has no worse muzzle flip or recoil than my 1911.
Snozzallos,
For the future, when trying to look smarter then everyone else, refrain from using double negatives. It ruins the illusion. A person who knows “Nothing about Nothing” logically knows everything because you just said there is no subject they don’t know about.
And while we are on the subject. The lower bore axis of Glocks means that they are noticeably shorter overall from the top of the rear sight to the bottom of the magazine. This makes them easier to conceal then the comparable XD. Oh, except for the Glock 30 versus the XDM 45 compact, in which case you get one more round in the compact mag. Not everyone who values low bore axis does so because they see it as a black magic cure for recoil.
I recall seeing an MSRP of $545, which is right in line with the old ones. I bought an XD9 decade ago for about $500. And for me, I found that the Springfield shot better than the Glock, Glock being the first handgun I spent any time shooting.
Good thing they wrote Grip Zone on it! I wouldn’t want to forget which end goes boom.
Yeah, that grip zone thing has been getting a lot of crap on the boards.
The gun looks damn cool, but the “Grip Zone!” is the very first thing I would eliminate. Maybe a Mod 3 that’s gripzoneless?
Then how would you know which end to hold?
Good. “Grip Zone” is about as dumb as it gets.
“Front Towards Enemy” would have been a step up even.
“Grip Zone” is the trade name they’re using for that texturing pattern. It’s not written on there to tell you that that’s the gun’s grip, it’s written on there in a (misguided) attempt to “brand” this grip design, and make it seem like an exclusive feature of their guns.
Knowing that they were going to mold it in big block letters right onto the grip, they really should have chosen a less stupid name for it.
It’s really horrible.
Now “Front Towards Enemy” would be a selling point! I’d pay an extra $25 for that model. Feel I should get $25 off for the “grip zone”.
Why knock the Grip Zone. I don’t like glock or xdm put on a gun, but I still shoot them. I don’t care what’s on it as long ad it shoots good. Try one you might like it. I do.
Am I the only one who can’t keep up with the XD naming convention? Those guys are like the Mercedes Benz of pistol model names. Is there a decoder ring for this someplace?
I’ve always thought the same thing about Glock. Really Glock? 17, 18, 19 etc. That’s your naming convention? I have no clue as to size, caliber etc unless I look up a chart every time. But, I’m no fanboy so maybe it’s just me
Glocks have a very German naming system. The Glock 17 was the 17th working prototype Gaston created, so he started there. Every new model goes up 1 number. So it’s great…. if you want a quick history lesson based on caliber and barrel length.
So what is the glock 40?
After the Glock 22, 23, 27, and 35 were made for the .40 cal cartridge Glock decided to skip the model designation “40” to prevent confusion. There probably won’t ever be a Glock 45 either.
Austria, the other Germany.
I’m actually okay with Glock…sure, they could make it easier by making it “17-9” or something but at least they have a standard convention rather than just putting numbers together.
Luxury cars do it too. There is a reason Cadillac has the ATS, CTS, XTS and so on. It focuses prestige on the brand instead of the model.
Drink more ovaltine… Son of a bitch!
I agree.
I love XDs but I am frustrated by the fact that Springfield keeps making tiny adjustments to the design and renaming it.
How many freaking SKUs do they wanna have for essentially the same pistols?
I’ll bet that Kamala Harris determines that it is NOT essentially the same pistol (and therefore grandfathered in)and requires it to be retested–and comply with the external safety and microstamping rules. Which basically means that we won’t be seeing these in California, any more than we see the XDm or the XDs. And if Springfield discontinues the old models of the XD, we’ll be down to Springfield 1911s.
Crap. That was my question, too. I was wondering about a comparison to the G23 or G27, but its academic until Calguns wins that lawsuit, which is inevitable but will take patience I dont have.
Pretty soon there wont be any handguns left but revolvers. That 642 Ralph and jwm swear by is looking better all the time as the second line on the ccw permit.
J frame smith for the win. Now that it’s beginning to look like we’re going to get permits my wife wants one also. Gotta love that woman.
You really can’t go wrong with a j frame Smith. A bodyguard was my second CCW.
I always thought the XDm was the XD version 2.0 but I guess this is why it is called the .2. I have an original XD model and except for the mushy trigger I’ve been fairly happy with it. It does what it was designed to do very reliably. Other than the improved sights, I can’t say the cosmetic changes amount to much, infact I hate big obnoxious Ruger style lettering all over a gun. “GRIP ZONE”? I think I’ll keep my 1.0 model for now.
What I had herd was that Springfield considered the XDM series the Match grade version of the XD pistols… Hence the M. Match.
Yes on the ‘match’, at least so sayeth Wiki, but I’m sure I’m not the only one that smirks when they hear that about the trigger.
I really enjoy my XDM, but the trigger was replaced pretty quickly. Pretty long reset and over travel if I recall correctly. “Match” is not a word I’d ever have associated with it, ‘specially with my unfairly inflated expectations from 1911-land.
I was in the gun store the other day (uh, yesterday) and this counter-kid was preaching the ‘heavy sloppy triggers’ on a CC compact being a feature not a bug. We all understand the thinking there, but it’s still a sorry bit of BS in my book. Accuracy is a pretty cool feature too.
Looks like they gave my XD the Toys R Us treatment. Where’s the little orange ring at the muzzle?
I’m waiting for the choking warning and instructions to get etched into the side too.
NOT TO BE USED AS A LIFESAVING DEVICE.
God damn Ruger and their “read the instruction manual” printed on the gun.
I can understand if one designer thought it was a good idea to have “Grip Zone” written on the side, but how did that get past every layer of the approval process?
I said nearly the exact same thing to my wife yesterday when we were looking at the pics. “Grip Zone” has got to go.
It’s clear they spent a fair bit of effort designing the grip, which makes it even dumber that they plastered that label/logo on there. Now, instead of people commenting that the grip looks comfortable and ergonomic (especially compared to the generic grip design of the original XD), the first thing everyone notices is that it says “Grip Zone” on it, as if the gun were designed for retards who don’t know which end to hold onto.
A difference I noticed in the photo between the XDS and this one: the nice, textured slide lock/release, similar to the XDM. On the XDS there are sharp edges which can be irritating.
I like it. I may buy one. Will be my first SA plastic gun.
Springfield Armory: Made in Croatia
You’re point?
The XD line is directly decended from the HS2000, a successful police side arm in its own right. Also winner of Handgun of the Year from both American Rifleman magazine and The Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence.
…Or do we get to play the “not made in ‘Merica!” game again, because there’s too many good guns here that didn’t start here.
Meh! I’m not impressed. Why is it that XD’s are 20% heavier than similar sized guns. Given the weight, I’d expect this to be a 4 inch service model.
Next time you get a chance, pop open an XD and look inside. They took a very Eastern European engineering approach to it, which is a polite way of saying that they threw giant hunks of metal into it. Seriously, the trigger bar looks like it could hold up a car.
Someone call Rob Leatham, because you are about to enter the grip zone.
I’m still waiting for the Dr. Scholls hand scanner to make truly custom grips.
Looks good. But the less that’s printed or engraved on a weapon, the better. Model and serial number and armory logo is all the need. “Grip Zone”… achingly stupid and ugly.
Wait….I have to hold it in some kind of grip?…..wow! ……So where do I grip it?
You grip it just above the Butt Zone, an area they unfathomably failed to mark with giant letters.
That looks great, but like with the LC9s, I’d prefer to wait until it’s been out for a year before purchasing.
Um… This gun has been out for 10 years now. All they did was change the appearance. Internally it’s exactly the same.
If the grip has to read “Grip Zone” I want the slide toward the muzzle to read “Danger Zone”.
And then every example sold could pay $1 to Kenny Loggins in royalties. Probably not a bad thing, really.
LANAAAAA!
Looks pretty good, do they offer something similar in 9mm? Sorry, but I’m not a big fan of the .40 especially now that the ammo is apparently made from unobtainium.
Yes. They do.
Surprised that the XD series is still in production. One would have thought that the XDm would have supplanted it by now. Although, it’s necessary to confess that I couldn’t list the differences between the two series apart from slightly better ergos and appropriate magazine capacity.
I had an XD40 Tactical “Custom Shop” gun I took in trade and shot it twice without finding a use for it.
Now, we own an XDm 5.25 customized by Canyon Creek (“4P package”) that we use in our classes and I have yet to fire it. I suppose I should.
I do know from our Intro and second-level classes, which feature a lot of gun-buying-selection options that pretty much no one has ever gone out and bought the XD Compact. High bore axis and chunkiness seem to be the issues.
What do they buy? Glocks and M&Ps.
“…shot it twice without finding a use for it.”
Aw, come on, since when do guns need to have a use? Heck, if I held to that philosophy, I’d probably only have three or four guns in my safe. 😉
Maybe it’s just my preference but I much prefer the grip ergonomics of the original XD over the Glock. And I don’t mind the extra weight. But then it’s not my carry gun so that might have something to do with it too.
I want to know how they fit 13 rounds of 9mm in there though…
Exactly the same way that they got 13 in the flush fitting mag of the XD 9 sub-compact…. The XD 9 sub-compact was also 13 in the flush fitting mag and 16 in an extended mag. Mecgar also makes an 18 rounder for the XD.
How does a grip safety like that work in practice?
Just like the one on a 1911, but less intrusive, thus eliminating the most common ND with a Glock.
And which ND with a Glock is “the most common”, that is eliminated by having a grip safety? The vast majority of ALL handgun negligent discharges that I am aware of, happen with the shooter’s hand in normal firing position. Which means a grip safety would NOT prevent them.
Sources too, please, while you’re at it.
*crickets*
As I suspected.
Grip “safeties” are a holdover from the bygone era of horse soldiers, and are (in my experience) most often touted by folks who simply don’t trust themselves to handle a pistol safely. A “safety” that is deactivated as soon as you grip, pick-up or draw the pistol does exactly NOTHING to prevent firing of the pistol, (either purposefully or inadvertently), so let’s stop pretending that it does.
@DJ9 – Granted, there are many ways to accidentally discharge a gun, many of which will not be affected by a grip safety, but one that can is catching the trigger on the holster upon reholstering (kydex). The glock trigger safety may or may not help, but if the grip was adjusted upon reholstering with an XD, then you have an extra protection against that danger. For this reason, I purchased an m&p 9c with a thumb safety, because when practicing draw, to shot, to reholster, I didn’t want to catch the trigger. Personally, if I were to choose again, I would probably go with an XD for the grip safety. I like that I get the reholstering protection, but don’t have to train to take it off in my firing procedure.
On another note, I don’t know anyone who would want a safety that would prevent a person from firing in the firing grip, meaning would anyone draw a pistol in self defense and leave any manual safety engaged? A trained finger is the only safety needed in a firing grip, but a thumb and grip safety can be useful in transitions to and from the holster. What else would they be good for?
I’ve seen over-aggressive marketing on the slide/ barrel before. But the grip? C’mon! It seems as if the people who come up with new razors for Gillette every year came up with this piece.
My wife shoots left handed, has small hands and carpel tunnel. We’ve been searching for something comfortable that has a decent length of pull for two years now. This might be the one.
I have an XD 40 SC and love it. I like the grip as it is. I understand that the beaver tail, and change in grip, etc should mean a higher hold which is good. But I think the best change, and one they could have done even more toward is the tapered edges. Big and blocky is less concealable than big and roundish.
Lower bore axis, higher grip, smoother edges. Those are all great changes. If they improved the trigger I would be willing to trade up to it.
Capacity is the same (13 with flush, 16 with extended mag for 9mm, 9 with flush, 12 with extended for .40). Dimensions are the same, except width (the Mod2 is 1/100th of an inch thinner apparently)
Not sure about the sights. I have been planning on getting night sights for my XD40sc anyays. Aesthetics, slightly improvement cancelled out by branding on grip
The weight is fine with the current XD40SC It is easy to handle for me. I think lighter would be too snappy. But I would like to handle the Mod2. It is the same weight, but with a lower bore axis/higher grip maybe they could have lessened the weight and have the same balance? Certainly the 9mm need not be as heavy.
Of course, being the exact same dimensions between 9mm and .40, and stuck in California with the magazine limited to 10, I will stick with the .40.
Pass. Still says “Made in Croatia” on the side. I don’t buy foreign guns if there are other, equally viable options that are made in the U.S.A., because Murica!
I’m concerned about recoil. All of my present handguns are 1911s. They are either 4inch or 5 in.For instance I own the Desert Eagle 1911, the Ruger SR1911 and Kimber.45 1911 concealed carry among others. I bought the XDS .45 in 3.8. I felt a huge difference between it and my 1911s. Recoil was rougher, the checkering on the hand was too aggressive for my hand. The grips kept tearing my hands up and I by know means have soft hands. I’m retired Army, had labor intensive jobs. So this new XDS Mod.2, think about long and hard.
Grip safety, a ultra “safe trigger” ? Any other safe things? A Gipe zone. All we need is some extra safeguards… maybe a mag disconnect safety as well…
Why can’t Springfield make their own pistols, instead buying and reselling (at a inflated cost) some other countries guns. They call themself Springfield USA. Their motto should read “Springfield we can’t design a gun but we know how to make money on other peoples guns by putting our name it” a gun that would only cost $450, but instead they charge $750 so they get a full cut of profit. Other importers make a much smaller profit margin. How do they justify $100 more than a comparable Glock or $200 more than a S&W both of which are made in the USA. Just my line of thought.
I think the XD MOD2 is sweet GRIP ZONE or not I have an XD 40 4″ I always wanted a compact looked to much like the one I have this one is different and I love the new grip and sights I would buy one. But to each their own that’s my preference.
And what is the Truth About BS on this one?
It looks like you just copy and pasted a freaking promo from the factory?
I’ve carried handguns for thirty years now. Always a .45 Colt single action revolver, the latest of which is a Ruger New Vaquero. Yep, I usually carry it concealed. With that, I have to laugh a little at the complaints over the weight of polymer framed pistols. Slip a SA revolver in your waistband for a day! Still, they have served me well for decades, including through my one and (hopefully) only gun fight.
After all of this time I am considering going to a .40 semi-auto, and the Springfield is one of my top two. The other is the Walther PPX. The Glock didn’t make the cut for two simple reasons. It simply neither feels good in my hand, nor points naturally. The XD trigger issue may knock it out of the running if there is no easy fix, but I’ll reserve judgement until after I’ve fired one on the range. The PPX has a nice trigger as far as speed guns go, though ill never find one to beat the glass slick 3lb break on my Vaquero.
I own an xd mod 2 .40 and so far no issues. I only fired 50 rounds so far so is brand new. The grip is nice feels very good in the hand. The accuracy was good too around 10-20 yard range for such as small gun. (2 inch group). I also notice the recoil not being as bad as the fns40(which is also a neat gun). There is one issue I have with this gun. The magazines are not good, either I got bad magazines or these magazines are low quality. I could not load more than 7 rounds on the 9 round clip. Possibly a spring issue??? Also the 12 round was very tough to load. I loaded several magazines for other guns and these by far are the worst. I am going to call Springfield and hopefully they can help me. One more thing, The fiber optics front sight actually did make it easier for me to regain target acquisition faster shot after shot. I like the gun and I think is a nice buy for conceal carry and even home defense. Remember this was my experience with the handgun, I suggest if you can rent this weapon and test it out, the experience will be different depending on the person shooting the handgun.
,
I finally got to shoot one today, along with a Walther CCP. The local range has been around for years, but they never got around to putting CCW’s in their rental case.
The closest things they had were compacts, like the 3.3″ barreled XD-9, XD9(m), and XD-s, S&W Shield, S&W Bodyguard, & the G26, aka the original “Baby Glock,”
NOW, the case has recently been restocked with the latest and greatest in the “Carry Zone.”
I have shot the other Springfield offerings listed above, and the first to fall off my short list was the XD-s (with the “s” modifier standing for “STIFF”) I would have bought one last year during their “3 mags & a bag” bonus. But, the rough racking slide was the deal (and wrist) breaker. A lot of that is due to the use of a double recoil spring system where the 1st spring is like twice the size of the second one.
The Ruger SR-series uses a similar system, and not surprisingly, it, too, didn’t make the cut on my short list (but it did make a big cut on my short pinkie in attempting an overhand rack. Now, If you do manage to rack that Rugero back, don’t let go! At least, not until you know, for sure, your fingers are out of the way. The Ruger’s slide snaps shut like a rat trap, and if you’re a left-hander like me – the slide and ejector port become the trap and your fingers become the rat. Better to ride it home, “and keep yo’ hands to yo’self.”
The SBS on the original XD-9 3″ (“SBS” is short for “Short-Barreled Slide”) was not as unforgiving as was the Ruger, but its rack brought back visions of Torquermada, Spain’s Grand Inquisitor, who used another form of “rack” to get a heretic back on track. As monty Python said: “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
In a similar vein, nobody expects the rack of a slide to be any guide to buying a gun.
Back in my youth, I probably could have racked any gun with my toes. But, now that I’m well into the “Retirement Zone,” and coping with a chronic injury that affects my shooting – which, in turn, exacerbates my injury – the ease of racking the slide is a pretty big deal (especially if something bad should happen – like a jammed round – and you have to fully rack it several times in succession to clear it).
It’s hard enough extrapolating the experiences of an experienced shooter like Hickok45, who has fired everything, from muskets to machine guns, in his ubiquitous back yard, but what rarely gets mentioned is the effort needed to rack the slide – unless it is so light that popping the top off a Coke can is harder to pull. He did just that in his review of RIA’s 1911 Combo that fires 9mm & .22TCM as if they were the same bullet (which they’re not. Not even close – except in case size with the .22TCM using the bottom half of an AR round that matches the size of a 9mm round (case size only). BIG DIFFERENCES in weight requires a change of barrel and recoil spring. The recoil spring for the super-light .22TCM is an equally super light 7lb spring, that makes racking its massive 1911 slide almost jokingly easy.
Now, trhat I’ve gotten off-track myself, back to the GRIP ZONE, which, for me, produced no gripes. Not in racking it. Not in firing it. Loading the 13-round mag to the max is not humanly possible without the aid of my trusty MagUPLula mag loader. It will literally take putting both hands on the Lula to squeeze in lucky #13.
I took it out to the range and ran a box of 50 9mm 115grain high-quality reloads produced by Atlanta Ammo through it (and also through a Walther CCP which only got one magfull or 8 rounds worth before I returned it and rented the XD-9 mod2. more on that later).
Here are the results of my last mag (13 rounds) shot one-handed, at the distances listed in the scanned target wirth each shot numbered by distance and order of placement. (one of these links should work…hopefully)
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=AC817713C6DCF378!660&authkey=!AIUxMIYlwi2t9qA&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg
In the event you cannot see the photo of the round 8″ target, I will describe the results.
First of all, recoil was very manageable – even more so than the Whoopdeedoo Walther CCP with its “delayed blowback design” intended to reduce recoil and difdficulty in racking the slide. It did the lastter but NOT the former. The only “blowback” you’re going to get is from me and my very bad experience with what has been overhyped to death and, when it was finally ready for Prime Time, it is going to see a lot of down time fromn people who won’ty want to shoot it.
Yes, the recoil on such a small gun and short barrel was remarkably light – much better than its predecessor. Which means that maybe – just maybe – the GRIP ZONE had a hand(grip) in mitigating recoil? IMHO, I’d say, “Hell yeah.”
On the flip side – as in the muzzle flip side – the short barrel showed off its other major tradeoff, vis-a-vis a full-size gun (or one with something longer than a 3″ barrel like their 3.3″, 3.8″, 4″, 4.5″, and 5″ XD’s, XD(M)’s, XD-s’s, and any other XD permutation I may hjave missed.
SPRINGFIELD HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT-SIZED BARRELS THAT YOU COME UP “SHORT” IF YOU ATTEMPT TO CATEGORIZE THEM AS FULL, COMPACT, AND SUB-COMPACT.
Throw in the X-Ten Magazine extender, and you’ve added another variable to the “Size matters more than labels” equation. Having extended mags available is not new and a lot of carry guns are opting to offer that option to where round count is negotiable and not limiting.
What also mitigated recoil (but not the flip of a short muzzle) is the mass of the Mod2.
It’s hard to believe that this “close to being a pocket gun” weighs in at 26 oz UNLOADED. No, it’s not that small, but its dimensions are small enough being 4.75″ high, 1.19″ wide, and 6.25″ long. BTW, I don’t give a rat’s pitoot how this compares with any Austrian Anchor (whose philosophy is not “One size fits all” but “All sizes fit one”).
There are lots of carry options for it as trhey are the same for its predecessor and all the other similarly-sized XD models (and competitors).
But, even with 13 rounds of 9mm copper-bonded lead core FMJ’s, I never noticed the weight – and that’s because of how evenly distributed it is.
If you can’t see the photo, I’ll find a way of putting it in a video. Why it’s important is because the range gun was about as fresh a rental gun can possibly be thanks to it arriving last week. You can tell it was new by the stiffness of the mag spring. Ihad to visually check the witness holes and count the empty spaces in my ammo tray to convince myself that, yes, this little double-stacked wonder held 13 rounds ready to fly at the strrke of a primer. No sardines in the world were packed this tightly. But, I had faith that they would fire, stright and true.
And the proof is in the pudding – or rather, the splatter. The five shots #8 through #12 made a sub 1″ MOA at 7 yards. Actual length of the overlapping bullet holes was 20mm.
This was all gun. I was just there to point it.
Seriously though. Before doing those five shots, I moved the target out to 15 yards (the maximum distance in the range) just so that when I moved in back in at 7 yards, that Red Bull would appear to me as being twice as large. I think it paid off.
What else paid off in spaces was the RED FIBER OPTIC front sight. Personally, I hate having to look at three white dots when I need to focus all of my attention on the front one. BUT, then that front sight is BRIGHT RED and the bullseye you’re aiming to hit is also BRIGHT RED:
Putting RED on RED makes you DEAD on target.
Since I much prefer using a CENTER HOLD to using the more common 6 ‘OCLOCK HOLD, you can see why having a red sight sitting in between two white ones makes all the difference in the world.
For someone who is not a great shot to begin with (well, I would be if I bothered to get corrective lenses), to take a gun I never used before and put together a 5-SHOT SUB 1″ GROUPING WITH ONE HAND AT 21 FEET is something to write home about.
It is also new food for thought as I am at the point of choosing a different EDC, and I think the XD-i9 Mod2 GRIP ZONE just got me in its grip for good.
One more thing. I love this gun! It is a lot better than the previous XD-9 subcompact I rented and shot back in December. Being a rental, it was thoroughly “broken in” while the Mod2 was new (considering that it’s only been on their shelf for the past three days).
Contrary to comments made from people who never shot the new Mod2, it does not have a “higher bore axis” than whatever Glock comes closes in size to it (maybe the 26, 34, or 43). Your handgets to ride high in the back thanks to a beavertail – one of the words you will never see in the same sentence with a Glock.
I have a litany of things that knocked the Glock off my short list – and I am far from being in the minority when it comes to Glock-knockers. Even die-hard Glockites will tell you that the newer Gen 4 is not as good as the prior Gen 3.
But, every piece of tech has their own fanboys and fangirls: Glock vs. non-Glock, Kimber vs. Colt, Sig Sauer vs. H&K, Apple vs. Microsoft, IOS vs. Android, Camaro vs. Mustang.
There’s no point in trying to get anyone to switch sides – as that’s a personal choice they have to make for themselves IF vthey want to make a change at all. They say the only people who look forward to change are babies and bullies.
In my case, subjectivity is the very last criteria to ever be factored into a decision I’d make about a firearm for self-protection. Even then, what may seem to be subjective may have an objective rationale – especially when the vast majority of decisions our government makes about guns are also highly subjective.
So, even though an AR or AK are almost the firearm equivalents of an Iphone and an Android phone, in that everyone either owns one or wants to get one. Nobody really “needs” a high-end smart phone in an age where the gap between the tablet computer and the computerized smartphone are growing smaller – both in size, price, and features.
However, the AR is the Fast & Furious (the car movie – not the Gunwalking plot) of the rifle industry in the same way that a very pedestrian-lookinbg Honda Civic was transformed into a badass-looking street racer.
The add-on industriy has done the same with the AR – but in making it more tactical than practical, the highly emotional and irrational Left has made the “Evil Black Rifle” into the inanimate equivalent of Darth Vader (with a 30-round magazine). So, as far as being the most desireable of all weapons platforms, the motives behind that desireability are 180 degrees apart.
So, on top of everything else you have to factor into your choice of home defender, or personal defender, you have to add in its comfort level – how comfortable it is to carry and use and how uncomfortable it is to punks and politicians. So, there’s a duality here between its perceived level of intimidation and its actual level of incapacitation.
The XD-9 Mod2 also comes in 40SW and 45ACP. The XD-45, although it is also in black, is small and not seen as intimidating inside the waistband as would be a Commander-sized 1911 in all silver, that is hung outside your hip.
When gun control freaks hear the words, “Concealed Carry,” they invariably think about all the Westerns they saw where every cowboy had two six guns hanging from big belts in big holsters on both sides of their hips.
And here we are worrying about printing our subcompacts in Summer.
As I’ve said before, making a gun choice for me comes down to four factors: functionality, reliability, safety, and cost of ownership (with “functionality” being the broadest and most inclusive category). The factors are also interrelated – but not in a straight forward way. For example, the best trigger I’ve ever pulled was on a Walther PPQ M2. The SECOND best trigger was on a Walther PPX. The first one sells, from a low of $520 to an average of $560. The PPX, meanwhile, still sells for $280 at CDNN Sports (w/2 16-rd mags) and averages around $340. That’s a spread of $200 between the #1 and #2 triggers, IMHO.
And in Hickok’s as well.
As Dirty Harry said in the movie, “The Drowning Pool” (IIRC):
“A man’s gotta know his limitations”
And my own limitations are many. So, the gun of choice will just about choose itself. And as far as observable results go, for the short time I had it in my hand, the XD-9 Mod 2 can say, as far as I’m concerned, “The Twilight Zone,” given its performance in a first-time test.
I cannot make all of the judgments I need to make on all its pertinent factors untilk I’ve owned one for a period of time. However, I have its predecessor and its similar siblings with which to judge how this will perform in the long run.
Unfortunately, being a brand-new gun with limited availability, its price is generally on the high side – although you do get a lot for your money in terms of the accessories that come with its sturdy case, such as 13-rd. and 16rd. magazines, a two-magazine belt holder, a Serpa holster, a magazine loader, and a cable lock.
The good news is that I’ve seen a dealer who has it on sale for $459. This dealer is known for having good sale prices on selected merchandise. The downside is the flat $20 shipping charge that eats into your deal savings.
Even so, if it stays under $500, iot is worth it given how much its competitors charge for their offerings, and what you get for your buck.
I can safely say that I have never put together a five-shot, sub 1″ sized grouping with one hand from 21 feet using a subcompact that I’ve never shot before. In fact, 80% of what I test out are full size or compact models.
When you throw in the fact that youy can bump this up to 16+1, having 17 rounds available in an EDC (or 14 to start and 16 more to finish), just moved this to the top of my list.
My only question now, is whether or not I give it some more time to get more feedback and also lower sales prices, or “Bite the Bullet and Buy It Now” (as they put in auctions).
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TheDrRJP 5 hours ago
XD-9 Mod 2 accuracy
[IMG]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/Polarik/XD-9_Mod2b_zpsyrmtyzh1.jpg[/IMG]
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/Polarik/XD-9_Mod2b_zpsyrmtyzh1.jpg
“Good thing they wrote Grip Zone on it! I wouldn’t want to forget which end goes boom.
Yeah, that grip zone thing has been getting a lot of crap on the boards.
The gun looks damn cool, but the “Grip Zone!” is the very first thing I would eliminate. Maybe a Mod 3 that’s gripzoneless?”
I’m Looking To Pick Up This Pistol Soon From My L.G.S., I’m Far Less Concerned About That “Grip Zone” Label For I’ve Already Purchased a Talon Grip for It Already via Amazon.com