Shot my brand new Springfield XDS

[RetiredMajor]

I Picked up the new Springfield XDS last week and finally had a chance to shoot it. I put 100 rounds of mixed FMJ through it. Here are my thoughts after firing it:
* It ran flawlessly, no problems of any sort
* It was very accurate out to 50 feet (limit of the indoor range)
* The trigger has some take-up and then was crisp
* The recoil wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. My Kahr PM9 is snappier
* The gun fits my hand and points naturally for me
* I really like the fiber optic front sight, it allowed me to find it quickly
* The gun is well made like all the xd line

I'll pick up some hollow points and run a hundred of those through on my next range visit. But so far I'm impressed with the XDS. It's very slim and very accurate.

[wk9k]

Hey one question could you tell me how does it pocket carry? I can pocket carry my glock 26 in jeans. Just wondering about the XDS. Thanks

[RetiredMajor]

Hey one question could you tell me how does it pocket carry? I can pocket carry my glock 26 in jeans. Just wondering about the XDS. Thanks

The guns are very similar in all dimensions except the XDS is much slimmer so if you can pocket carry the Glock 26, you'll find it even easier to pocket carry the XDS. Here's a You Tube video comparing the two guns. See for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqSt9DMMDJc

Major

[rob i]

Thanks for the report! I cannot wait till I get mine! I am on the list for one at my friend's shop. No idea when he'll get them in though. Hopefully soon!

[Dashunde]

The recoil wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. My Kahr PM9 is snappier.

Thats remarkable.
I dont consider my PM9 to be snappy at all, its miles softer than my G27, for example.

I may have a new winter ccw to buy :)

Any chance you can shoot comparison pictures of the XDS and PM9 together?

[wk9k]

ide also like to see comparison pics of the xds and pm9 please :)

[TacticalDefense1911]

Does the XDS still require you to depress the grip safety to operate the slide?

[RetiredMajor]

Does the XDS still require you to depress the grip safety to operate the slide?

No, I can operate the slide either way.

[TacticalDefense1911]

No, I can operate the slide either way.


That is a welcomed change over the XD line. It would be nice if they changed this on the XD's as well. Thanks for the report.

[Baylorattorney]

This gun is going to take the place of snub nosed 38s.

[Rmart30]

This gun is going to take the place of snub nosed 38s.

I will agree with that. Faster to reload, slimmer to conceal, bigger punch in a small package.
It wont replace my 642 as a pocket gun, but if Im going to IWB/OWB carry it looks like its going to be with the XD-s once I have 500+ rds thru it.

[TacticalDefense1911]

The XDS might be thinner then the cylinder of a j-frame but the grip of the j-frame will be easier to conceal then that of the XDS. Not many things are as easy to conceal IWB as a j-frame revolver. A semi-auto handgun will never be as inherently reliable as a revolver. There is something to be said about the pull trigger-go bang reliability of a revolver. Because of this I think that it is hard to say that this gun will replace the snubnose. There are plenty of subcompact semi-autos in calibers more powerful then the 38 special and they have yet to replace the snubnose. Different guns, different niches.

[SKILCZ]

Does .45 ACP lose significant velocity out of a 3" barrel? Is the advantage of the caliber overcome by the short barrel?

[Dashunde]

^ I was wondering the same thing. Specifically if the higher pressure of the .40 gets it up to speed in a shorter distance, thus making it more effective?

I'd really like to see a comparison review across several brands of ammo for .40 and 45acp out of a 3" barrel.

[ScotchMan]

.45ACP is better fitted for short barrel use, because it doesn't do its job with velocity, it does its job with mass. It's a slow, heavy bullet. Slowing it down a little changes nothing.

Nothing is really less effective out of a short barrel, but on paper 9mm and .40 need the velocity to do their jobs more than .45 does. So if you're going to pick a caliber to shoot out of a short barrel, and are going to get hung up on 50fps difference, the .45 is the best choice.

Personally, I think the sight radius and therefore real accuracy of the gun, is at least a million times more significant than the velocity loss/gain from barrel length.

[Dashunde]

That kinda makes sense, perhaps 45 is the way to go.

On accuracy and sight radius... I care much more about follow up shootability and reliability.

My PM9 goes to the range every time, most rounds are draw-n-fire while trying to keep them all in a paper plate at ~20-30 feet.
I dont use the sights much.

[warbirdlover]

How good are the sights on the XDS? It looks like they only adjust left or right.

[4V50 Gary]

Can you please rack the slide back on a Glock 23 and tell me if it's easier or harder than your XDS? Better yet, ask a small elderly woman to try racking both back. Thanks.

[RetiredMajor]

How good are the sights on the XDS? It looks like they only adjust left or right.

Yes, the rear sight is only drift adjustable. The front sight is very easy to see and pick up quickly since it is fiber optic. They work well for me.

[RetiredMajor]

Can you please rack the slide back on a Glock 23 and tell me if it's easier or harder than your XDS? Better yet, ask a small elderly woman to try racking both back. Thanks.

I have neither a glock 23 or a small elderly woman handy. If you can't rack a slide buy a revolver.

[ScotchMan]

That kinda makes sense, perhaps 45 is the way to go.

On accuracy and sight radius... I care much more about follow up shootability and reliability.

My PM9 goes to the range every time, most rounds are draw-n-fire while trying to keep them all in a paper plate at ~20-30 feet.
I dont use the sights much.

Don't wanna get too off topic here. But I want to clarify my post. 50fps difference either way will make no difference in real world use. On paper, the .45 is hurt less, but real world effectiveness of ANY caliber isn't going to change (with modern ammo which takes into consideration the popularity of short-barreled guns). I would submit that 9mm is still a superior caliber because you can carry more of them, and shoot them better, even out of a 3" barrel.

If you like point shooting, and can maintain paper-plate accuracy, then great. But don't lose sight that shot placement is more important than speed. Or the (probably small) chance that you'll need to use the sights for a shot further than 30 feet. keep doing what you're doing, but it probably doesn't hurt to practice with the sights as well.

[4V50 Gary]

Thanks for the reply Ret Maj and for the advice. I'm trying to buy a gun for an older woman and hence my inquiry. I'll just yell at her instead when she has problems with a Revolver's DA trigger pull or when her thumb hurts from cocking the hammer. As a fellow firearms instructor, I guess that advice you shared about revolvers has always worked. Good for you.

[KyJim]

4V50 Gary --

I occasionally look for a .380 Beretta with tip-up barrel as a handgun for my old-age. Failing that, I can always fall back to my .25 acp Beretta 950 but, somehow, it doesn't seem as comforting as when I first bought it 30 years ago. :)

[Madcap_Magician]

I just got to drool on an XDs yesterday. I don't know what the spring weight is, but it's about as easy as a Glock 19 or an M&P, and a ton easier than a PPK. Although that latter statement doesn't say much, I grant.

[4V50 Gary]

Thanks KyJim. I considered the Beretta, but wanted a big bore full caliber as there are four legged critters too. MadcapMagician, thanks. That's what I'm looking for.

[RetiredMajor]

Thanks for the reply Ret Maj and for the advice. I'm trying to buy a gun for an older woman and hence my inquiry. I'll just yell at her instead when she has problems with a Revolver's DA trigger pull or when her thumb hurts from cocking the hammer. As a fellow firearms instructor, I guess that advice you shared about revolvers has always worked. Good for you.

Why didn't you just say that in the first place as opposed to leaving a cryptic reply asking me to locate a Glock 23 and a small elderly woman? As a firearms instructor looking for advice, you should learn to ask an intelligent and complete question. Then you won't have to get snarky when people treat your comments like a joke. If someone can't effectively rack a slide then a semi automatic may not be a good choice for them. Looking for a big bore full caliber semiautomatic for a small elderly woman who has problems with slides, triggers and hammers doesn't make a lot of sense to me. How would they ever clear a double feed or some of the other malfunctions that can occur? A revolver is a much better choice but you may have to consider a trigger job to lighten the trigger pull. That might be a good solution. On the other hand if she can't pull a trigger or cock a hammer a firearm may not be a good option for her at all. Maybe a stun gun or mace would be better.