I've had this XD Mod.2 Tactical in 9mm for almost a couple months at this point and thought I'd share some observations. I don't see the XDs getting as much love as some other models these days, but to me they are great pistols that I much prefer over many of the competitors.
First off, I bought this because I have had such good experiences with my XD-40. That pistol always amazed me with this accuracy and "shootability", much of which I attribute to a smooth, constant trigger pull that doesn't have a "wall" before the break. When I saw this Mod.2 priced at $469 in Cabelas (which is not the normal price and was going to be corrected on the price tag if I hadn't bought it), I couldn't pass it up.
The stock trigger was smooth but a little heavy, close to 5 1/2 lbs. I bought some replacement sear and trigger springs from Powder River Precision, and now it's right above 4 lbs. I may pick up the Powder River sear as well at some point, but that's not on the immediate future list. In terms of "in hand" feel, it's a very comfortable pistol. Not quite as comfortable as my PPQ M1 9mm but close. In fact, the grips feel very similar but the XD is slightly more square in feel and the PPG is more rounded. The XD Mod.2 balances well and I like the 5" barrel on the tactical model. I also like the sights. While the rear sight is fixed, it is a nice, large sight with a serrated surface that looks like a target sight from the rear. The front fiber optic picks up light nicely, although I could take or leave that as an option.
Shooting this is a joy. Recoil is light, which I'm sure is aided by the extra 1" length over the service model that creates more weight out front.
In terms of accuracy, I've only had it out three times now but it's showing some real signs of promise. This pistol looks like it can run with my Beretta 92fs, which is my most accurate 9mm service pistol. My Dan Wesson Pointman 9 is definitely more consistently accurate, but the two pistols are night and day. The Dan Wesson is a target style 1911 that is very well fitted and costs nearly three times as much as the XD (as a side note, I whole-heartedly recommend the Dan Wesson PM-9 if you are looking for a 9mm that will shoot like a laser in terms of accuracy). Anyway, check out the targets below produced by my XD Mod.2 Tactical this morning. In the first set, shot from 7 yards (standing unsupported), the target on the left was almost a 5-shot cluster if not for the one shot out to the left. Still, it came it at .875" total. The second target was, again, shot unsupported but this time from 10 yards and turned in a .9" group. Others could probably produce better results, but in terms of showing what the pistol can do I will tell you it can run.
I'll say again, the XD Mod.2 Tactical is not going to beat the Dan Wesson in my hands over the long term. But, for the XD to shoot like this and even come close is a big deal given it's a polymer striker-fired service pistol. I've posted some info on this pistol and others in my blog as well (link in my signature line).
