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[FROM SHOOTING TIMES]
SPRINGFIELD'S XD SUB-COMPACT GOES HIGH-CAPOne of the first companies to get aboard the high-capacity train after the "Clinton Gun Ban" sunset, Springfield has unleashed a new high-capacity version of the XD Sub-Compact. Plus the company has a brand-new line of XD Gear that makes the pistol even more versatile.By Joel J. Hutchcroft, Editor
After spending time with the XD, I can state that it is an advanced pistol design that is utterly reliable and extremely comfortable to shoot. And in addition to all the new guns for 2005, Springfield also has unveiled a brand-new line of XD Gear, which includes molded polymer holsters, extended magazines, magazine sleeves, and heavy-duty range bags. These items, too, are what I would call "advanced." Shooting Times has covered the Springfield XD in detail several times since its introduction in 2002, so I won't go into the story of its development here. What I will say, at the risk of repeating something you already know, is that the XD Sub-Compact is a three-inch-barreled semiautomatic pistol of striker-fire design. It incorporates both an action trigger safety and a unique grip safety. (Both safeties must be fully depressed before the pistol can be fired.) In addition, it has an internal firing-pin safety that prevents firing in the event the pistol is dropped. 
 The striker-fired XD Sub-Compact features a grip safety, three-dot sights, a loaded chamber indicator (on the top of the slide near the chamber), and a cocking indicator (at the rear of the slide).
The XD's frame is a lightweight, durable, proprietary polymer. And parts such as the slide, slide rails, barrel, slide stop, grip safety, and dual recoil spring assembly are made of steel. One of the distinguishing features of the XD, one that so many gun writers like to mention, is the ergonomic shape of its grip frame. Springfield spent considerable time and effort designing the full-size XD's grip so that it will accommodate even small hands. The upper portion of the grip is thin and tapered while the backstrap is slightly curved. The ergonomic design of the XD pistol allows the grip safety to be depressed easily and positively, and it makes accessing the ambidextrous magazine release buttons quick and easy. The Sub-Compact XD's grip is shaped very much like that of the full-size pistol, but it is considerably shorter. The original version of the XD Sub-Compact came with double-stacked 10-round magazines that fit flush with the bottom of the grip frame. The new high-capacity magazines are also double-stacked and hold 15 rounds in 9mm (12 rounds for .40 S&W), and the magazine extends about an inch below the bottom of the grip frame. One of the new XD Gear accessories is a magazine sleeve that slides down over the top of the high-capacity magazine and fills the gap between the bottom of the grip frame and the base of the magazine. When the high-capacity magazine and sleeve are in place, the Sub-Compact's grip feels much more like the full-size grip. To me, it feels much better than the short grip and helps make the pistol more controllable. 
The XD has ambidextrous magazine release buttons, an oversized slide-stop lever, a dual recoil spring assembly, and a unique accessory rail at the front of the frame.
The sample XD Sub-Compact pistol I fired for this report was chambered for 9mm and came with steel three-dot combat sights. Sight radius is 4.1 inches, overall length is 6.3 inches, and weight is 20.5 ounces (unloaded). It wore the standard black finish. Options for the XD Sub-Compact include two-tone finishes (green frame with black slide or black frame with stainless slide), tritium night sights, and .40 S&W chambering. 
Springfield's new XD Gear line of accessories includes molded polymer holsters, high-capacity magazines, and extended magazine sleeves.
One of the key features of the Sub-Compact is the light rail on the front of the frame, and it accommodates what has been called the smallest pistol-mounted tactical light in the world. Made by InSight Technologies, the little Springfield XML white light uses two lithium batteries, dual activating switches, and a very positive locking system. The sample pistol also came with an XD Gear molded polymer holster. It is made of a proprietary polymer material, and it is formed to fit the XD pistol. It has a removable paddle that slides onto a belt or the waistband of your trousers. The paddle is attached to the holster body via a heavy-duty screw, and it allows the holster body to be adjusted for cant and vertical placement. The most unusual aspect of the Springfield XD holster is its use of Picatinny-style accessory rails. These rails are located on each side of the holster, and according to Bill Dermody, Springfield's manager of advertising and marketing, they were incorporated into the design because there are times when a duty officer does not want his tactical light to be attached to the pistol but needs to have fast access to it. 
Locating it on the holster accomplishes that goal. The sample holster fit the review pistol perfectly and held it firmly. Not once did the pistol come loose during several tries of dislodging the gun by shaking the holster upside down. And despite this firm grip the holster had for the pistol, the Sub-Compact was fast and easy to draw during offhand shooting drills.
Shooting The Sub-Compact XD
During my offhand shooting drills I fired it with both the standard 10-round magazine and the high-capacity magazine to see if a noticeable difference in how it handles with the larger capacity magazine appeared. While the gun handled well with the standard magazine, the extended magazine and sleeve really make it more comfortable to shoot. The extended magazine and sleeve provide enough room for all my fingers to wrap around the grip, providing a firmer hold on the gun, and they make the grip frame feel very much like a full-size grip. After doing quite a bit of shooting with this little pistol (500 rounds total), I have to say it was very effective on the swinging plate. It was quick to get on target, functioned flawlessly, and on paper it was well within the 4.00-inches-at-25-yards standard Shooting Times employs for service-type handguns. As the chart indicates, best accuracy at 25 yards for the sample pistol came with Winchester's 147-grain SXT factory load. The 9mm XD Sub-Compact was pleasant to shoot, especially with the high-capacity magazine and XD Gear magazine sleeve. Its small size makes it a natural for use as a personal-defense gun, and with a 50-percent increase in magazine capacity it offers a lot of firepower.
Currently, the XD Sub-Compact has a suggested retail price of $498; the price goes up to $569 for night sights. And the versions that come with the XML light list for $570. To my way of thinking, the XD Sub-Compact represents a lot of gun at a very reasonable price, and the new line of XD Gear makes the entire series of XD pistols more versatile than ever. |
Springfield Armory Links
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