Just back from the range where I shot my new Springfield XDs.45 ACP for the first time. Figured that I would write this while still fresh in my mind.

 

I had 50 rounds of PMC Bronze, 10 rounds of Rem Golden Saber 230 JHP and the same amount in 185 grain. I shot the GS 230 first with a firm two handed grip. They all grouped around the bulls-eye at 7 yards, shooting one round per 1-2 seconds. Recoil was stout but not painful or uncomfortable in any way. The gun seems to dissipate it very well but my hand did look like a hand grenade due to the imprint of the XDs' grip design. They are aggressive but not painful as they do not come to points but rather little rectangles. I was very pleased to see that I did not lose my grip after each shot which made follow-up shots much easier. However after 50 rounds my hand looked a little red with all weird rectangular marks on it but it returned to normal in a few minutes with no harm done. So the gun is very accurate and easy to shoot accurately. Reminds me of the Glock 30 in that I was shooting it more accurately than some of my smaller caliber guns.

 

Gun shoots to point of aim, reliable, controllable, not painful and accurate so what is there not to like for a carry gun? I put it in my bag to exercise my HK P2000SK whose job is to sit in a gun safe next to my desk in my man cave protecting me into the wee hours of the night as that is where I spend most of my time working and playing. Put 100 rounds of 9mm FMJ through it flawlessly as usual but think I drifted the sights over too far to the right which I will take care of as soon as I finish this review. The problems started when I decided to shoot the last 20 rounds of .45 that I had.

 

I had read a few posts about the XDs having light primer strikes and not returning all the way to battery even though it looks like it did and subsequently being returned to Springfield only to be returned with a statement that they could not find anything wrong or a courtesy recoil spring change or some such work. In one vide I saw the guy had his wife shoot it using only 1 brand of ammo and said it was terrible and returned it to Springfield. A more experienced shooter would have done a few tests first but as we know, owning a gun does not make you a shootist anymore than owning a guitar does, even if you can play a few songs you memorized on it. Anyway, the gun came back to this guy and he shoots it this time and it is fine. Gives it to his wife and it keeps jamming. Problem is the shooter and their hand strength.

 

So many men are either too macho or not experienced enough to recognize the symptoms of limp wristing. After a lifetime of shooting large guns with big grips I learned this first hand when I bought my first LCP. The sucker jammed like crazy on me but I had enough gun experience to have others try it and to shoot it on another day when my wrist and hand were strong again. Too many try to solve the problem without resting their hands not realizing that even though they are trying to hold it firmer, they may not really be doing so despite how it feels to them due to the effects of the previous rounds.

 

This is what happened to me. After shooting the XDs and then 100 rounds of 9mm I decided that I might as well finish off the last 20 rounds of .45 I had. That was a mistake. I have arthritis and nerve damage in my hands and know that they cannot take as much pounding as they used to. Just a year ago I could shoot .44 mags for an hour with no problem but now by the end of 50 round of anything above a 9mm, my hands start shaking. Might just be due to weak muscles as I have not exercised or engaged in shooting as much as I did last summer but nonetheless the problem is there in extended range session.

 

Knowing that my hand was weak after shooting so much (for me at least) I was curious about the problems that others post about and wanted to see if I would experience them myself. Sure enough I had three jams in a row but I knew that my hands were weak, so weak that they were shaking and at this point I was just shooting to break in the gun and finish the box of ammo. I reloaded the rounds, took a break and with a very firm and deliberate hold on the gun, shot them with no problems as I did with the next 5 rounds. So I have learned that this is a gun that requires a very firm grip and upper body strength. It is not going to work for those with poor shooting technique who may get away with it shooting lesser calibers. It is not for those with weak hands or hands that cannot get a good firm grip on the gun. I am convinced that many of the complaints about this gun are due to not holding it firm enough. No matter how big and macho we may be when it comes to small guns we can limp wrist them due to our normal shooting technique not working well with the small gun. For me the problem was very obvious because the gun did not return all the way to battery although it looked like it did but more telling was that the trigger did not reset and that is a dead giveaway that the slide did not cycle properly. As I said, some rest for my hand and a very firm grip solved the problem.

 

I want to mention that when I first started shooting it I shot about 15 rounds one handed with no problem. I will not keep a gun that I cannot shoot one handed having used a handgun in combat and competition. The other thing my guns must have is the ability to point well. I always practice point shooting without the use of sights as that is what most of us resort to when it hits the fan for real despite what we think we will do in practice. Been there and done that and got the medals to prove it. This gun points well for me.

 

I think this is a great carry gun. Not a gun for fun range shooting but more for carrying a lot and shooting a little. I am comforted by the big holes it makes. I did not notice a difference between the 185 and 230 grain ammo. I am not recoil sensitive in regards to it hurting my hand (affecting my muscles is another thing) so I tend not to notice it when I shoot. I am pretty much focused on my target when I shoot . The trigger was more than good for defensive shooting where all those little things people agonize over with triggers are not noticed since you are pulling the trigger as fast as you can when your life is on the line. However how people shoot at ranges and how little that helps in self defense is a food for another post.

 

When I got home I found the Pearce grip extension I ordered waiting for me. I did not get a chance to try it at the range but I did put it on a little while ago and it allows me to get a full fingered grip. Very comfortable but I have a lot of sub compact guns with extended mags and grips and I shoot them equally well regardless of the grip. So now I have one mag with an extended grip and one flush one. I tend to carry with the flush one and keep the extended ones for when they are used for a car or home defense gun. It would fit the bill for those who must have a full handed grip though without buying the hard to find and expensive 7 round mag Springfield makes for the XDs. I personally do not see the logic to put an extended mag on a gun designed specifically to be very small. Sort of defeats the purpose but I guess you can use the extended mag for your spare if you are the type to assume you are trained enough to survive a gun fight that requires more than 6 rounds. For me the larger mag is a pain to carry and if I want more rounds I will just get a bigger gun. I see too many 3" guns with large mags on them and do not get it. The barrel is the easiest part of the gun to conceal. It goes down your pants. The grip is the thing that prints. I learned that after buying 35 conceal carry guns.

 

In conclusion I highly recommend the XDs to anyone wanting a concealed carry gun. I would not recommend it to those that are recoil sensitive or who only carry a few times a year when they find an excuse to drive to PA. Yeah, been that and done that too. My reason is that it is a waste of the gun because it is not something you will want to bring to the range often and put a lot of rounds through. You would be better served with a concealed carry gun that you can use for the range and home defense like a Glock 19 or my HK P2000SK. It is very thin, the slide thinner than its stated measurements which include the slide stop and takedown lever. With a good belt and holster the weight is not an issue and if you do not wear skinny jeans it will ride in a pocket well too. You can get a Pearce extension grip to fit your hand and some of those stick on grip decals for a smoother grip.

Thanks for the Report...I have 300 rounds on my XDs - can't say enough about it - all A's at 25 yards is good for me...I had no failures...

I was happy with the reliability and knew what would happen if I tried to shoot it with my trembling/weak hands but just wanted to see what kind of failures I would have when I did not grip the gun tight enough and sure enough they were the kind being posted about by some people. I am 62 with nerve damage and arthritis so I have to make an effort to grip semi autos tightly. That was not the case in my younger days. Some days when my hands are in pain and weak I have to carry a revolver because I cannot rack the slide. It sucks to get old. However it was a tack driver for the first 50 rounds for me. Even had a guy in the next lane come over to see what I was shooting because he had a lot of little holes all over his target from his SR22 and mine were all grouped around the bulls-eye of my Shoot 'N C target.