SpringField XD 45 Compact MOD 2 First Impressions Review or.........

cslinger · April 25, 2015, 12:46 PM

How Goldilocks found the .45 that was just right for her.

So before we begin lets set a few ground rules and agree to a couple things.
1-The fact GRIP ZONE is ridiculously emblazoned prominently across, coincidentally, the grip area is only slightly more tacky then a gun named Xtreme Duty, I guess because it is so XXXXXXXTREEEEEEMMMMMMMEEEEE!!!!!

2-I am pretty sure we all agree the above is at best marketing schlock and at worst tackier then flypaper hung in a super glue factory.

3-This is not a this thing is the best thing EVER created review. It's a fairly small, .45 caliber handgun that throws .45 caliber bullets fairly reliably. Just like a bazillion other offerings. So lets not get hung up on brand loyalties etc. as I own a great deal of firearms and don't really feel a particular brand loyalty myself.

So lets put those things in a box and move on to my impressions.

cslinger · April 25, 2015, 01:14 PM

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE SPRINGFIELD XD45 COMPACT MOD 2

I have been looking for a small carry .45 for a long time and I have always felt a bit like Goldilocks in this regard. This is too big, this is too uncomfortable, this recoils too much, this is not reliable etc. In no particular order I have tried the following. (All of which are fantastic small .45s that you would do well to evaluate should you want such a beast).

Glock 30 - Foolishly sold, great gun. However it is still a fairly big gun.
Glock 30s - This was to be the one........the grip design channeled the recoil right up my wrist and arm bones. I would limp wrist within a few mags, causing malfunctions.
Glock 36 - Too big, too few rounds, not the most reliable Glock to come out of Smyrna
SIG P245 / P220 compact - Awesome guns but I really prefer plastic for carry
Smith CS45 - Great gun, thin. Still don't like aluminum as much as polymer for this.
HK45c/USPC etc. - Other than the P7 series I just cannot warm up to HKs
Commander sized 1911s - I simply am not trained enough in using the thumb safety to have it committed to muscle memory and most of what I would carry would be very expensive.
XD45 Compact - I liked this one so much it became my house gun complete with light and 13 round magazines. It was a big compact to begin with and set up like this would be too much of a pain to constantly transition from home to carry and back etc.

So there is my general, although, not exhaustive list of what I have tried for small .45s and none of them worked for me. I was just about to give the XD(m)45 compact a go since it was a hair smaller and I really liked my XD45c. Around this time I handled a 9mm MOD2 and really liked it. In 9mm or .40, however it does nothing the Glock 26/27 don't do from a practical standpoint and the are bigger.

Then one day I came across a Mod 2 in .45!!! WOW, I thought. This thing feels great and is really only about the size of a wide Glock 26. Could this be the one??? So I ordered and I waited and I worried. Would it be reliable, would I be let down like the Glock 30s etc.

Well it came in and I recently got to run around 160 rounds of varied ammo round nose and hollow point through it and to cut to the chase I, personally, am astounded with how good it works for me.

Model - XD45 MOD2 Compact Bi Tone

Price - 548 Out the door for me.

Fit and Finish- Excellent. Everything is robust feeling. Everything moves together well. The feed ramp, like all XDs is like a polished mirror. Really XD seems to be about the best in tactical tupperware business as far as feed ramps go IMO.

Trigger - Very good. I like XD triggers. They are smooth, break nicely, have an audible click reset etc. They are good triggers for me. That being said the reset is longer then a Glock and although the manual of arms is more or less the same as a Glock the trigger is pretty different feeling.

Reliability - Perfect as all my XD experiences have been. I ran it mostly with the compact mag but ran rounds with the extended magazine, the extended magazine from my original XD45c, the 10 rounder from my 45c, non sleeved 10 and 13 round magazines pretty much all of them. Not one slow down, hiccup etc. I ran rounds limp wristed, one handed, pushing on the extending mags etc. Just ran like a top.

Accuracy - At around 7 yards with the first time I shot the gun with only a cleaning out of the box I was very happy to put the first 60ish rounds into the target below with ease.

Shootability - The gun is a pussycat. It is very soft shooting with most of the recoil being a bit more muzzle flip. It was extremely pleasant to shoot and I could run it all day without any problems. Dare I say the XTREME GRIP ZONE!!!!!!!!!!HELL YEAH!!!!!! sorry, but dare I say the grip zone works. It felt great and quite possibly did actually aid in shooting.

Sights - Very nice, steel and fiber Optic.

Parts - Everything is basically steel except the frame. I like that. Does it really matter in the real world.........notsomuch but I like it.

Value - I feel like the XD series has always been and continues to be a good value. I think they offer a fantastic gun, designed from hard military use and package it with passable / usable accessories and cases.

Mag Release - I am a sucker for ambi magazine releases. I prefer a trigger finger push. Hence I love paddles and the XD guns scratch that itch as well. The mag releases work very well and hold the magazine very positively until time to eject, when the mag drops very easily free.

Cons - Aftermarket support is NOWHERE near most of the direct competitors, the rear frame rails are plastic (again does it matter I dunno but I don't like it), they tend to be a bit heavier then the competition, support isn't as good as Glock or Smith and you either love or hate the grip safety. I kind of like it. The trigger mechanism from what I understand is actually single action vs. something like Glock's action and a half kind of thing so that may or may not sway you. I have had no issues myself.

All in all my final thoughts are I love this gun. I really feel that the Austrians make a better 9mm but damn if Croatia doesn't seem to make fine .45s.

cslinger · April 25, 2015, 01:18 PM

So comparison pictures.

Vs. a Glock 26

vs a Glock 19

cslinger · April 25, 2015, 01:19 PM

vs my XD45c

Fishbed77 · April 25, 2015, 01:42 PM

I'm just glad there's finally a pistol that tells me what part I'm supposed to hold onto.

RECTIFIER · April 25, 2015, 02:30 PM

Your post is an interesting review..Thanks.

There are several reviews on youtube as well.I like the gun,handled a few of 'em at gun shows.I even thought about getting a .45 XDs when I have one of those..

...'I feel like carrying a .45 kinda days'

...but the GRIP ZONE...what were they thinkin'..?

Nathan · April 25, 2015, 03:55 PM

Why don't people get the grip zone. All they did was enhance texture where you use it and lessen it where you don't. Not a bad idea. Like a 1911 with smooth grips and checkered MS and FS.

cslinger · April 25, 2015, 04:05 PM

Nobody has a problem with the grip zone stippling or technology so to speak. We all hate the stupid wording on the side.

The actual "grip zone" itself is very well done and seems to work as advertised at least for me.

lee n. field · April 25, 2015, 05:00 PM

I got to handle a Mod 2 finally, a week or so ago. There's really not much difference, that I can tell, with the regular subcompact. Not enough to make me get rid of mine.

That said, that size XD, in .45, is new, and interesting.

Shotgun Slim · April 25, 2015, 05:06 PM

Yeah,it's an odd thing that Springfield did a number of good things with that model yet that advertising on the grip makes you wonder what they think of their customers.......
I've shot the 45 and agree with the OP's assessment by and large and I know how much better it can be with a Powder River or Springer trigger kit. The perfect cure for the cheesy lettering is a Talon rubberized grip decal to cover it and improve the already good ergonomics.

Tony C · April 27, 2015, 10:35 PM

First off, great review, thanks.

Nathan, let me start by saying that I am a huge XD fan, have owned several and currently compete USPSA with the XDm 5.25" 9mm. Having said that, you are right, they did a good job designing the grip texture, but GOOD GRIEF, did they have to go so corny with unnecessary the text on the grip? LOL, a total marketing failure.

jreXD9 · April 28, 2015, 08:26 AM

Talon grip covers hide that "Grip Zone" just fine and make it even purdier. Not at purdy as my CZ's, though.

Idaho Spud · April 29, 2015, 11:36 AM

If the trigger is the same as that on my XDs 45 it's a No Sale for me.

lee n. field · May 8, 2015, 11:52 AM

Reviving a thread a couple weeks old...

I got a chance to run some rounds through the XD45 Mod 2, last weekend at our club's open house. Springfield is an hour or so away, and they have a tent every year.

It "shoots good", as I was expecting. The grip texturing worked well. The finger grooves are very shallow, which is good, because such things usually don't fit me well. They were un-noticable. And I completely forgot to complain about "Teh Grip Zone!" verbiage on the side.

I also took the opportunity and field stripped a Mod 2 in .40, and a regular XD subcompact in .40. Internally, I could see no difference between the two. It looks like the Mod 2 is simple refresh of the existing subcompact. (Not true, of course, of the .45 version. Prior to this Springfield has had no XD45 shorter than 4 inches.)

cslinger · May 8, 2015, 12:32 PM

I have some more through mine, mostly hollow point stuff and frankly I love it.

I mean, there is no finely tuned machine pride of ownership like a nice wheel gun, 1911 etc etc but it has checked all my boxes for what I wanted it for and its a pleasure to shoot as well.

So far so good. I did have a mugger laugh so hard at the grip zone logo the other day no shots were required to be discharged. I win all around I say.

April 25, 2015, 12:46 PM	#1
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	SpringField XD 45 Compact MOD 2 First Impressions Review or......... How Goldilocks found the .45 that was just right for her. So before we begin lets set a few ground rules and agree to a couple things. 1-The fact GRIP ZONE is ridiculously emblazoned prominently across, coincidentally, the grip area is only slightly more tacky then a gun named Xtreme Duty, I guess because it is so XXXXXXXTREEEEEEMMMMMMMEEEEE!!!!! 2-I am pretty sure we all agree the above is at best marketing schlock and at worst tackier then flypaper hung in a super glue factory. 3-This is not a this thing is the best thing EVER created review. It's a fairly small, .45 caliber handgun that throws .45 caliber bullets fairly reliably. Just like a bazillion other offerings. So lets not get hung up on brand loyalties etc. as I own a great deal of firearms and don't really feel a particular brand loyalty myself. So lets put those things in a box and move on to my impressions. __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

April 25, 2015, 01:14 PM	#2
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE SPRINGFIELD XD45 COMPACT MOD 2 I have been looking for a small carry .45 for a long time and I have always felt a bit like Goldilocks in this regard. This is too big, this is too uncomfortable, this recoils too much, this is not reliable etc. In no particular order I have tried the following. (All of which are fantastic small .45s that you would do well to evaluate should you want such a beast). Glock 30 - Foolishly sold, great gun. However it is still a fairly big gun. Glock 30s - This was to be the one........the grip design channeled the recoil right up my wrist and arm bones. I would limp wrist within a few mags, causing malfunctions. Glock 36 - Too big, too few rounds, not the most reliable Glock to come out of Smyrna SIG P245 / P220 compact - Awesome guns but I really prefer plastic for carry Smith CS45 - Great gun, thin. Still don't like aluminum as much as polymer for this. HK45c/USPC etc. - Other than the P7 series I just cannot warm up to HKs Commander sized 1911s - I simply am not trained enough in using the thumb safety to have it committed to muscle memory and most of what I would carry would be very expensive. XD45 Compact - I liked this one so much it became my house gun complete with light and 13 round magazines. It was a big compact to begin with and set up like this would be too much of a pain to constantly transition from home to carry and back etc. So there is my general, although, not exhaustive list of what I have tried for small .45s and none of them worked for me. I was just about to give the XD(m)45 compact a go since it was a hair smaller and I really liked my XD45c. Around this time I handled a 9mm MOD2 and really liked it. In 9mm or .40, however it does nothing the Glock 26/27 don't do from a practical standpoint and the are bigger. Then one day I came across a Mod 2 in .45!!! WOW, I thought. This thing feels great and is really only about the size of a wide Glock 26. Could this be the one??? So I ordered and I waited and I worried. Would it be reliable, would I be let down like the Glock 30s etc. Well it came in and I recently got to run around 160 rounds of varied ammo round nose and hollow point through it and to cut to the chase I, personally, am astounded with how good it works for me. Model - XD45 MOD2 Compact Bi Tone Price - 548 Out the door for me. Fit and Finish- Excellent. Everything is robust feeling. Everything moves together well. The feed ramp, like all XDs is like a polished mirror. Really XD seems to be about the best in tactical tupperware business as far as feed ramps go IMO. Trigger - Very good. I like XD triggers. They are smooth, break nicely, have an audible click reset etc. They are good triggers for me. That being said the reset is longer then a Glock and although the manual of arms is more or less the same as a Glock the trigger is pretty different feeling. Reliability - Perfect as all my XD experiences have been. I ran it mostly with the compact mag but ran rounds with the extended magazine, the extended magazine from my original XD45c, the 10 rounder from my 45c, non sleeved 10 and 13 round magazines pretty much all of them. Not one slow down, hiccup etc. I ran rounds limp wristed, one handed, pushing on the extending mags etc. Just ran like a top. Accuracy - At around 7 yards with the first time I shot the gun with only a cleaning out of the box I was very happy to put the first 60ish rounds into the target below with ease. Shootability - The gun is a pussycat. It is very soft shooting with most of the recoil being a bit more muzzle flip. It was extremely pleasant to shoot and I could run it all day without any problems. Dare I say the XTREME GRIP ZONE!!!!!!!!!!HELL YEAH!!!!!! sorry, but dare I say the grip zone works. It felt great and quite possibly did actually aid in shooting. Sights - Very nice, steel and fiber Optic. Parts - Everything is basically steel except the frame. I like that. Does it really matter in the real world.........notsomuch but I like it. Value - I feel like the XD series has always been and continues to be a good value. I think they offer a fantastic gun, designed from hard military use and package it with passable / usable accessories and cases. Mag Release - I am a sucker for ambi magazine releases. I prefer a trigger finger push. Hence I love paddles and the XD guns scratch that itch as well. The mag releases work very well and hold the magazine very positively until time to eject, when the mag drops very easily free. Cons - Aftermarket support is NOWHERE near most of the direct competitors, the rear frame rails are plastic (again does it matter I dunno but I don't like it), they tend to be a bit heavier then the competition, support isn't as good as Glock or Smith and you either love or hate the grip safety. I kind of like it. The trigger mechanism from what I understand is actually single action vs. something like Glock's action and a half kind of thing so that may or may not sway you. I have had no issues myself. All in all my final thoughts are I love this gun. I really feel that the Austrians make a better 9mm but damn if Croatia doesn't seem to make fine .45s. __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?" Last edited by cslinger; April 25, 2015 at 01:20 PM.

April 25, 2015, 01:18 PM	#3
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	So comparison pictures. Vs. a Glock 26 vs a Glock 19 __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

April 25, 2015, 01:19 PM	#4
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	vs my XD45c __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

April 25, 2015, 04:05 PM	#8
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	Nobody has a problem with the grip zone stippling or technology so to speak. We all hate the stupid wording on the side. The actual "grip zone" itself is very well done and seems to work as advertised at least for me. __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

April 25, 2015, 01:42 PM	#5
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	I'm just glad there's finally a pistol that tells me what part I'm supposed to hold onto.

April 25, 2015, 02:30 PM	#6
RECTIFIER Member Join Date: January 15, 2015 Posts: 96	Your post is an interesting review..Thanks. There are several reviews on youtube as well.I like the gun,handled a few of 'em at gun shows.I even thought about getting a .45 XDs when I have one of those.. ...'I feel like carrying a .45 kinda days' ...but the GRIP ZONE...what were they thinkin'..?

April 25, 2015, 03:55 PM	#7
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,326	Why don't people get the grip zone. All they did was enhance texture where you use it and lessen it where you don't. Not a bad idea. Like a 1911 with smooth grips and checkered MS and FS.

April 25, 2015, 05:00 PM	#9
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,568	I got to handle a Mod 2 finally, a week or so ago. There's really not much difference, that I can tell, with the regular subcompact. Not enough to make me get rid of mine. That said, that size XD, in .45, is new, and interesting. __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

April 25, 2015, 05:06 PM	#10
Shotgun Slim Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2014 Location: Va Posts: 291	Yeah,it's an odd thing that Springfield did a number of good things with that model yet that advertising on the grip makes you wonder what they think of their customers....... I've shot the 45 and agree with the OP's assessment by and large and I know how much better it can be with a Powder River or Springer trigger kit. The perfect cure for the cheesy lettering is a Talon rubberized grip decal to cover it and improve the already good ergonomics.

April 27, 2015, 10:35 PM	#11
Tony C Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 293	Nathan... First off, great review, thanks. Nathan, let me start by saying that I am a huge XD fan, have owned several and currently compete USPSA with the XDm 5.25" 9mm. Having said that, you are right, they did a good job designing the grip texture, but GOOD GRIEF, did they have to go so corny with unnecessary the text on the grip? LOL, a total marketing failure.

April 28, 2015, 08:26 AM	#12
jreXD9 Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2009 Posts: 404	Talon grip covers hide that "Grip Zone" just fine and make it even purdier. Not at purdy as my CZ's, though. __________________ Don't go ninjin' nobody don't need ninjin'.

April 29, 2015, 11:36 AM	#13
Idaho Spud Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2010 Posts: 330	If the trigger is the same as that on my XDs 45 it's a No Sale for me. __________________ "I should have picked alcohol, drugs, or beating my wife..." Pete Rose Last edited by Idaho Spud; April 29, 2015 at 11:37 AM. Reason: typo, same, not dame

May 8, 2015, 11:52 AM	#14
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,568	Reviving a thread a couple weeks old... I got a chance to run some rounds through the XD45 Mod 2, last weekend at our club's open house. Springfield is an hour or so away, and they have a tent every year. It "shoots good", as I was expecting. The grip texturing worked well. The finger grooves are very shallow, which is good, because such things usually don't fit me well. They were un-noticable. And I completely forgot to complain about "Teh Grip Zone!" verbiage on the side. I also took the opportunity and field stripped a Mod 2 in .40, and a regular XD subcompact in .40. Internally, I could see no difference between the two. It looks like the Mod 2 is simple refresh of the existing subcompact. (Not true, of course, of the .45 version. Prior to this Springfield has had no XD45 shorter than 4 inches.) __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. " Last edited by lee n. field; May 8, 2015 at 03:21 PM.

May 8, 2015, 12:32 PM	#15
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	I have some more through mine, mostly hollow point stuff and frankly I love it. I mean, there is no finely tuned machine pride of ownership like a nice wheel gun, 1911 etc etc but it has checked all my boxes for what I wanted it for and its a pleasure to shoot as well. So far so good. I did have a mugger laugh so hard at the grip zone logo the other day no shots were required to be discharged. I win all around I say. __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"