Sunday I agreed to go shooting with a friend I haven’t seen since I before I started shooting. He saw me on the news in an interview done by the local station and he reached out. I never feel I spend enough time at the range and I didn’t want to give up my structured practices to hang out with someone I wasn’t even sure was safe with guns… so I procrastinated.
Bad girl! Other than dealing with the chaos that is becoming normal on the weekend at a gun range, I had a good time. He has a nice collection of Springfield Armory guns. I let him shoot my 1911. Until I had to admit that my XD9 was really too wide for my hand, I loved that gun. It’s simple to use, reliable, and simple to clean. I shot a .40 and .45 caliber pistol for the first time. Very manageable.
I bought a 1911 with a 5″ barrel to replace the XD9 as my competition gun but haven’t yet bought a carry gun because there are just too many decisions to make and I don’t want to buy a gun I don’t end up liking and that I have not shot.
I walked away from shooting with my friend with a slam dunk of a choice. He has a Springfield XD-S in .45 calibre. It’s small, it’s thin, and it’s an XD! It’s a bruiser to shoot but I felt that with practice I could manage it nicely. It never jammed for him. It did jam for me, but I think I must have been limp-wristing the gun.
I made a decision early on that I wasn’t going to buy any more guns unless they were in 9mm. I don’t want to have to stock up on multiple calibers. My life, my decision.
Word from the SHOT show is that Springfield will be producing this gun in 9mm in the spring. I want this one. Easy, easy decision. To make it even easier, holsters should already be available as the .45 holsters should also fit the 9mm model. Win!
Now, I need to figure out how to get on a list somewhere to order this as I get the impression it will be popular.
For my reference, here is a review:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/01/15/springfield-xds-9mm/
Hey lady! One of my CC pistols is a Taurus TCP in. 380. Yes, I know it’s not a 9mm, but I like that its holster doesn’t make it look like I’m carrying. The same can’t be said for the. 357 🙂 Let me know if you’re interested in shooting it.
I want to shoot with you again. I’m just pacing myself. There are so many things I want to try. I’ve seen your sweet setup – carry that looks like a PDA or some other nerd device. little do they know! I have my eye on an XD-S in 9mm (of course) but it won’t be out till the summer. Once I have on in my possession we can meet up and trade “mouse guns”. That way I won’t be tempted to add another caliber to my stash. I can’t afford that.
I have an XD9 Service that is the finest all-around weapon I own, and I’ve been through a lot of guns as you well know, trying to find “The Perfect Gun” (there *is* no such thing). I have a couple of Sig-Sauers (like them) and an M&P 9 that I simply hate (can’t shoot it at distance to safe my life, or someone else’s for that matter).
I have at least 2000 rounds through my XD, which is bone stock except for sights, without a single failure. I carry it full-time in a Daranich holster and I hardly know it’s there most of the time. I made the mistake of using the M&P for my last IDPA match; I could have shot it better with my eyes closed, and that gun has a very nice Apex DCAEK with RAM. My eyes and that M&P, along with its low bore axis, simply don’t agree. Time to sell it.
I have *finally* figured out that my XD is My Gun, despite its few warts.
I love my XD, but I have trouble with recoil management. I trust that gun. It just doesn’t fail. I’m still shooting the 1911 in competition but will absolutely get the XDS (which fits my hand well) for a carry gun. I’d never trust my 1911 with my life. Period.
I think all new shooters go through this buy / assess cycle with a few guns. The good news is that if you buy used, they typically hold their value.
Sell now and stash the cash for when you do run across something you just have to try…
Sell now and bank the cash. You’re right. That M&P 9 should go fast. I’m going to list it on CarolinaShootersClub.
I do occasionally have to readjust my grip on the XD during long strings of fire, even though I have a set of rubber-textured Talon grips (they help a lot). But I think that’s due to the ergonomics: the takedown lever is large so I have to drop my left thumb a bit, and my right thumb will ride the slide lock if I’m not careful. However, I don’t care any more. As you wrote, the XD is utterly reliable and rugged; a true, no bullshit combat pistol. I’ve never seen an XD fail in a match; I’ve seen 1911s, Glocks and Taurus fail all over the place.
With the scarcity of some weapons, you may even make money on that deal 🙂
I’ve already received numerous offers to trade or buy. Didn’t take long at all.