Springfield -XD9 Subcompact Full Review

OK, I’ve had this baby at the range and am pretty darn happy with it.  I’m going to give it a thorough rundown.   First of all let’s talk about price.  You can get this guy from $300 to $500 (Don’t pay more than $500 for it; you can get it just about anywhere for less than $500).   It comes in two kits, The standard kit (Reviewed below) and the “Essentials” kit which drops the Holster, the reloading tool and the magazine belt pouch.  (See further down on the review for those components).  I’d recommend getting the essentials kit at a much lower price and getting your own personal preference in magazine and holsters.

Full Kit, 13 and 16 round mags, reloading tool, dual belt pouch, holster, gun lock and bore brush.

Let’s start with the magazines, this kit came with one 13 round mag (Flush) and one 16 round with grip extension.  I have large hands and the 13 round mag turns this into a 2 finger gun for me.  My wife has small hands and all 3 of her grip fingers are on the grip with the 13 round mag.  So I did pick up a Pierce Magazine extension.  This adds the length to the forward part of the grip to equal a full size mag, but still tapers back down to reduce the butt signature of the weapon to a point about ½ way between flush and full mag extensions.   This is a great compromise for me, still keeps the weapon small enough to carry easily while providing a full size grip for control.   Pierce grips are about $10 on Amazon.  See the two pics below for the visual difference with and without the pierce grip extension.  The magazines are stainless and slide like butter into the mag well of the -XD.  Also the mag well is beveled very nicely and makes magazine swaps very quick and easy.  I did notice that the mag with the pierce grip extension was a bit harder to seat at first, but after a couple dozen mag exchanges it’s straightened out and works as well as the others.

Without Grip Extension

The extras that come with the full kit are ok, but not top line.  The mag holder is ok, good retention control, and would be ok for IDPA competition but it’s a bit bulky for Concealed carry.  I prefer IWB (Inside the waistband) carry myself so this may just be my bias.    The holster has a tension adjustment, but being plastic, it feels a bit “Soft”.  I just didn’t like the feel of holster.   Both the holster and the mag pouch have rails to hold the reloading tool.  This was an interesting  idea for a range tool, but it didn’t really add anything to convenience for paper punching at the range.  Maybe a competition range where you would have to load mags would make good use of it.  But just didn’t get used that way.  The Reloading tool is great and a must have with the VERY strong magazine springs.  However after loading about 400 rounds, I noticed that the bottom edge of the rail protruded a tad bit past the curve and the top of your thumb would hit it on each “Lift” of the tool.   This was quickly remedied with a file in about 10 seconds.  All in all, I’d recommend getting the cheaper “Essentials” kit, and put the extra money toward your own choice of holster and mag pouches.  Money better spent on custom gear.

With Grip Extension

On to the gun.  Where do I start?  This is an excellent piece of hardware.  One of the things I’ve been struggling with is a manual safety.  I’ve always liked the idea of a manual safety, just adds that extra little bit of “Oops” protection.  But once you study enough shootings, you realize that even the best trained may miss a safety on draw so us “Average guys” may have the same issues.   I like Glocks, they are good guns, but the trigger safety as an only safety device made me wonder.  Anything that pulls the trigger will set the gun off, a stick shoved into the holster walking in the woods, a slight catch of the holster as you re-holster the weapon and BANG, it can go off.   So I was going back and forth in the debate for a manual safety.  The -XD solved this dilemma for me by adding the grip safety as well as the trigger safety.  There is no manual safety on this model, but it has both a trigger safety and a grip safety.  The gun should not fire if both are not pressed.  (Note, the -XD cannot be charged if the grip safety is not depressed).   This little added bit of safety has no impact

Deeply Beveled Mag Well

on drawing and firing the weapon.  But when holstering or handling the weapon, this added bit of safety could help prevent an AD (Accidental Discharge).  Everyone says keep your booger hook off the trigger and you won’t have a problem, which “Technically” is true.  But we are all human beings and even the most highly trained can have momentary lapse.  And a fraction of a second or distraction as we re-holster can happen.  So this extra bit of safety is just what I was looking for.  So I don’t have to worry about a safety, but feel much more secure in the weapons safe storage and handling.  Best of both worlds!

The next feature I’d like to talk about is the loaded chamber indicator.  Some people like them some don’t give a damn.  I’ve never been a fan of “press checking” a weapon.  It can increase the possibility of leaving the receiver unseated.  As well as take the users focus away from danger and looking down at the gun.  For this reason, I’m not a big fan of “Visual” indicators because again, they distract from the situation to check.  The -XD has a little lever that racks up and is easily felt with both bare skin and through gloves (I was shooting with neoprene gloves when I checked).  Just slide a finger down the chamber and you’ll know immediately if there is a round chambered.

Loaded Chamber Indicator Down (empty chamber)

Same thing goes for the striker.  The -XD striker actually sticks out the back of the slide when the weapon is charged.  This is also easily felt with a gloved or ungloved hand.  With the right holster, you can slide your thumb and index finger down the gun and immediately know if it’s loaded and armed.   No need for press checks.

The sights are good.  They are pretty standard sights.  Easily visible in daylight, the point of impact out of the box was dead on center just above the sight radius.  Can’t ask for better out of the box accuracy.  I am going to get night sights though,  The sights all but disappear in the dark.  One upgrade recommended by my friend the shooter (Thanks Goatdog) that I will be implementing.   This gun easily shot as well as I could shoot it (And will only get better as I get used to it).  Anyone says a 3 inch barrel isn’t enough for 25 yard accuracy will be pleasantly surprised by this gun.

I set up 2 targets.  One at 10 yards, and the other at 25 yards.  (Rough estimates based on pace).  I didn’t include the 3 steps from the bench to the edge of the shooting pavilion so these were about 9 feet longer than I was intending.

Loaded Chamber Indicator Down (loaded chamber)

This gun points as naturally and ergonomically perfect as the M&P or 1911’s.  The grip is rounded better than the earlier Glocks (I haven’t had much time on the Gen 3 or later guns).  The scallop for the thumb groove is done so well that regardless of your hand size, your thumb just rolls into it for a perfectly natural grip.  Trigger pull is a solid but slightly less than a full double action.  No grit or drag, clean but it could be a tad crisper.  If it was a competition gun, I’d get some work done to it, but for a carry gun, it’s absolutely fine out of the box.

Unprimed

The -XD isn’t going to win any beauty contests (Check out the Kimber Solo for pretty little carry guns), but it is about as perfect ergonomically as it can get.  Function over form will always be my motto.

The first 5 shots at 10 yards, new gun, not used to the sights yet, still working figuring out the best grip.  This gun is every bit as accurate as I can be.

The next target was at 25 yards.  You’ll see the spreads are little higher, but still easily on target.  (The upper right and lower left quads are my 12 year old sons, one of the center shots hits was his but I don’t know which one).  The Upper left, lower right and center are mine.  Shooting 5 and 10 round groups.  I am more than happy with this gun.  (By the way, it was 18 degrees out with a wind-chill of 22, putting us below zero.  This always makes shooting and reloading more difficult so I’m expecting to see better groups as it gets warmer).

Primed and Ready to fire

Since I don’t generally carry a spare mag unless I’m heading somewhere I don’t want to be, I like having a double stack with some extra rounds.  The short stack is 13 + 1 in the chamber.  And if I do carry a spare mag, it adds 16 more shots.  The double stack does make the grip wider than some of the other slim carry guns, but the extra  1/5 inch or so doesn’t detract from the ease of carry of this gun, but the extra rounds could be worth their weight in gold.

Broken Down

Breakdown is simple and easy.  Lock the slide back, turn the take-down lever up, release the slide back to battery, pull the trigger and pull the slide off.  SIMPLE.

Reliability of the -XD’s is right up there with the Glock and M&P.  This turned out to be the perfect carry gun for me.  Your mileage might vary but all in all, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in this weapon.

First 5 Rounds, 10 yards

Remaining Rounds 25 yards

New Guns !!! Springfield XD9 Sub Compact

WARNING!!!  This is not an in depth review, this is an “I just got a new toy” review.  I’ll cover it in more technical detail after I’ve spent some range time with it.

Although I am a shooter and enjoy shooting and can hold my own, I do not consider myself an expert. I’m an average guy who knows his way around firearms. I went through a large and quite lengthy list of firearms to replace my ageing (And quite large) full sized duty pistol (Ruger P85 Mark II) that’s been my constant companion for the last 2 ½ years. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that Ruger, it’s a part of me. But it is a lot of gun to carry and conceal. My wife recently got on board with self-defense and after the training courses and plenty of range time; we went out and found her a gun. (Unfortunately we don’t have any rental ranges near us so we can’t shoot many guns unless we do the old “Buy and Try” method). She held dozens of guns and turned her nose up at every one of them. None felt “Right” in her hand, until she picked up a Springfield -XD Sub Compact. She immediately liked the weight, the feel and the ergonomics. She even went “Wow, I like this”. We bought this gun for her.

I have a friend who is what I consider the foremost expert I know on weapons. It’s what he does for a living. I respect his opinion on firearms more than anyone else I know personally. He helped me answer some questions and talked me through some parts of the selection process. I owe that man a lot of beer by now.

Now the -XD was on my long list, but it wasn’t on my short list (Glock, M&P, and a couple of carry 45’s). But after purchasing this weapon for my wife and having it at the range, I was quite smitten myself. I decided after that first range trip that I was also going to get an -XD, but I was considering the 4 inch or even the 5.25 inch Competition version. (Still about the same size but lighter than my Ruger). Since I’d carried a full size duty pistol for so long, the larger gun would not be a problem.

The night before I ordered my -XD, I had decided on the 4 inch duty version, but kept thinking about my wife’s sub compact and how well it shot, how accurate it was and how nice the small size for carry would be. I was actually driving to the gun shop, ready to order the 4” when I changed my mind. This was going to be a carry gun first and foremost; I may shoot some competition eventually, but decided that I still wanted the smaller carry size. But that is what really made the -XD my choice for carry gun. The subcompact comes with a 13 round standard magazine (Making this a 2 finger gun for me but a 3 finger gun for my wife) as well as a 16 round magazine with a grip extension. This gives the gun a full size grip for range or fun shooting. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. For a 3” barrel, it’s plenty accurate. At 20 feet my wife’s first 3 shots out of it were touching, 3 inch down and 3 inch left of center. (She always seems to out shoot me the first time she shoots something; I wouldn’t mess with that woman if I knew what was best for me).

I was really impressed with the grip extension. There was no play in it (I’ve seen similar extensions and heard the stories about pinching). This is a great gun to shoot, even with the standard magazine. As a two finger gun, it’s eminently more controllable than the other 2 finger guns I’ve used. With the 16 round mag, it feels and shoots like a full sized gun. Simple to keep rounds on target. My wife even says it doesn’t “Kick” as much as my Ruger.

The dual spring does make charging the weapon a little stiffer. It would be difficult to do a one handed charge on my pants pocket like I do with the Ruger, but this is a brand new gun with only 60 rounds through it, so it’s still going through the break in period. Sites are good, but I want to drop some night sights on it. It comes with a decent kit, Reloading tool, Dual magazine pouch, OWB holster, 13 round and 16 round magazines. Both the holster and the dual mag pouch have a rail on them that holds the reloading tool. This is GREAT for range shooting.

One of the features I really liked was the grip safety. This moves the firing pin block off the trigger and onto the grip safety, which cleans the trigger up over some of the other trigger safety pistols out there. The trigger is a medium double action style pull, not as long as some full DA only triggers, but breaks clean and is not distracting in any way. Trigger reset is good and follow up shots are easy and accurate.
My only complaint (And this may have been made worse by the sub freezing weather we were shooting in) but the mag springs are STRONG. The reloading tool is a MUST. I’ve shot a lot of guns over the years and I’ve hand loaded countless magazines and have never seen a spring this strong. This is probably a good thing that ensures proper feeding. (The -XD’s are flawless performers). But it does take some getting used to.
All in all, I love her gun. Mine should arrive Monday and I can’t wait to get it out on the range. It was also a good excuse to get the MTAC holster I’ve been looking at.

I am going to order 1 of the tiny pierce pinky extension but plates for the two 13 round mags. That will make it a three finger gun for me without adding the full length to the butt.

At $460 to $500 for this gun, you CANNOT go wrong. You can spend more on Glocks or M&P’s or any of a number of Kimber or other manufactures high end guns, but it’s not necessary. (I do shoot Glocks now, I never liked them but they have grown on me. Still don’t like the grip angle but it only takes a few rounds to get used to it). You don’t have to have a $1000 Kimber when you can have an -XD for half that price. (Or heck, buy two). This is a gun you can trust your life too and you will not be disappointed in.

By the way, this is just a cursory review after one range trip.  I’ll redo this review a bit more in depth after I get some more range time with my own.  Including breakdown (it’s easy) and all the other features.

My wife made the comment we now have “his and hers” -XD’s.
Did I mention how much I love shooting with my wife?

Hope you get to the range and have some fun.

Doc