ive had my sights on the springfield xd sub compact. http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php any thoughts?
thinking of a gun to buy..
- Thread starter tlo86
- Start date
I seem to be replying to a lot of your threads/comments lately. Colorado is coming alive on here i guess.
If you haven't already I'd strongly encourage you to go over to Blucore and do their pistol rental. I believe they have a couple smaller xD framed guns to try out.
I have two buddies with compact xD pistols.
-One is the xDs in 45. I have larger hands than average and I generally like a thicker grip, but the xDs was surprisingly comfortable to handle. Not my ideal pistol, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. It was actually very smooth for such a small framed 45.
-I'm pretty sure the other is a plain xD compact in .40. Still smooth and ok to handle. The grip isn't my ideal size, but it's still a great gun.
I started out looking at the xD lineup and was nearly sold until I shot a ton of pistols at Blucore. I've now shot a couple dozen pistols from friends and what Blucore has for rental and I'm very glad I did. I won't be buying a Springfield anymore. Not because they aren't great guns, but because I found a few other designs that I like better.
I found a few things:
-I don't necessarily like the striker fire pistols. I don't really know why. My first pistol was a Sig p239 and I guess I got used to the SA/DA and know that's what I expect and am most comfortable with. This leans me away from the xD lineup.
-The safety features I was impressed with online on the Springfield don't mean much to me anymore. While the idea of the grip safety, trigger safety and loaded chamber indicator are fantastic I never found them useful while at the range. Perhaps I was just focused on other things, like say the targets downrange and general gun safety 101.
-The triggers on all the xDs I've fired were not overly impressive. They were fine, not amazing. Were it not for my extra exposure to a variety of other pistols I probably wouldn't notice.
-The triggers on Sig Sauers seem consistently better than some other manufacturers. The HK USP I tried was also good, but I'd say the Sig P226 was above all I've ever fired.
-The grip on some pistols feels VERY awkward for me. Most notably the narrow single stack mag semi-autos. The CZ factory grip feels awful IMO. Kinda like very rough sandpaper. Not enjoyable.
-The grips on some pistols were very comfortable. Sig p226 was the winner, but the HK USP also stood out. I believe the full size xD was also comfortable.
You asked for thoughts and now I've rambled for about 5 minutes so I should stop. Thanks for giving me a mini-therapy session to vent my Sig P226 obsession. I was planning on an xD this year, but now I'm holding out while my gun fund grows so I can buy the P226 instead. It's about double the price, but there was an obvious quality difference firing the two one after the other.
Go shoot around and see what you like. For me, all my hours of internet research was shot to hell with only 45 minutes firing a dozen or so pistols back to back in real life.
If you haven't already I'd strongly encourage you to go over to Blucore and do their pistol rental. I believe they have a couple smaller xD framed guns to try out.
I have two buddies with compact xD pistols.
-One is the xDs in 45. I have larger hands than average and I generally like a thicker grip, but the xDs was surprisingly comfortable to handle. Not my ideal pistol, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. It was actually very smooth for such a small framed 45.
-I'm pretty sure the other is a plain xD compact in .40. Still smooth and ok to handle. The grip isn't my ideal size, but it's still a great gun.
I started out looking at the xD lineup and was nearly sold until I shot a ton of pistols at Blucore. I've now shot a couple dozen pistols from friends and what Blucore has for rental and I'm very glad I did. I won't be buying a Springfield anymore. Not because they aren't great guns, but because I found a few other designs that I like better.
I found a few things:
-I don't necessarily like the striker fire pistols. I don't really know why. My first pistol was a Sig p239 and I guess I got used to the SA/DA and know that's what I expect and am most comfortable with. This leans me away from the xD lineup.
-The safety features I was impressed with online on the Springfield don't mean much to me anymore. While the idea of the grip safety, trigger safety and loaded chamber indicator are fantastic I never found them useful while at the range. Perhaps I was just focused on other things, like say the targets downrange and general gun safety 101.
-The triggers on all the xDs I've fired were not overly impressive. They were fine, not amazing. Were it not for my extra exposure to a variety of other pistols I probably wouldn't notice.
-The triggers on Sig Sauers seem consistently better than some other manufacturers. The HK USP I tried was also good, but I'd say the Sig P226 was above all I've ever fired.
-The grip on some pistols feels VERY awkward for me. Most notably the narrow single stack mag semi-autos. The CZ factory grip feels awful IMO. Kinda like very rough sandpaper. Not enjoyable.
-The grips on some pistols were very comfortable. Sig p226 was the winner, but the HK USP also stood out. I believe the full size xD was also comfortable.
You asked for thoughts and now I've rambled for about 5 minutes so I should stop. Thanks for giving me a mini-therapy session to vent my Sig P226 obsession. I was planning on an xD this year, but now I'm holding out while my gun fund grows so I can buy the P226 instead. It's about double the price, but there was an obvious quality difference firing the two one after the other.
Go shoot around and see what you like. For me, all my hours of internet research was shot to hell with only 45 minutes firing a dozen or so pistols back to back in real life.
I was looking at a CZ in the .45 or 9mm until a friend pointed me at the XD I shot one with the larger 5"? barrel last weekend and really enjoyed it. I still want to try the CZ and maybe something else but i can already tell I'd be happy with a XD
The XDSC is a solid concealed carry weapon. So is the Shield. But my personal favorite CC comes from a manufacturer with a not-so-hot rep. The Taurus PT709 Slim.
I tend to look to makers such as H&K, Sig, Colt, Springfield, Kimber, etc when I feel the need to pick up another handgun. But someone recommended the 709 and I skeptically tried it out. It now goes where I go. I love it. Say what you will about Taurus, this little gun is a tack driver. And it's had more than it's fair share of rounds through it without issue.
There are a lot of good choices and a lot of tastes.
I tend to look to makers such as H&K, Sig, Colt, Springfield, Kimber, etc when I feel the need to pick up another handgun. But someone recommended the 709 and I skeptically tried it out. It now goes where I go. I love it. Say what you will about Taurus, this little gun is a tack driver. And it's had more than it's fair share of rounds through it without issue.
There are a lot of good choices and a lot of tastes.
There are some really nice CC guns out now. I know with the proper clothing, holster and forethought you can conceal almost anything. I daily CC'd a Beretta 92f with 3 mags for over 9 months in a foreign country for work. The Beretta would definetally not have been my first choice but it was what was issued.
I also like a hammer fired gun. I love my HK p30sk. A part of it is that when holstering, I like to keep my thump on the hammer, ensuring the trigger not gonna get pulled back by being caught on something. Another part is I like the fact that a hammer fired gun has double strike capability (never had a 9mm not go off on the first strike, but I have a .223 in my rifle). I find a lot of my mechanic buddies also like hammer fired vs striker, and I think its because a hands on guy likes to see what is going on in a gun, but maybe thats just me.
Huge HK fan here ^ p30sk or vp9sk is my next purchase. I have also really grown to like s&w, M&P 5" is what I run in comps and summer carry is a shield. Also what my wife carries.
Glocks don't fit me, XD's are nice but i like both options above more. Cz and any well made 1911 will also be a great option. Biggest thing is throwing out looks and perception and shooting them all. Get what you shoot well and fits your needs.
Glocks don't fit me, XD's are nice but i like both options above more. Cz and any well made 1911 will also be a great option. Biggest thing is throwing out looks and perception and shooting them all. Get what you shoot well and fits your needs.
Haha, nice thread bump.
Here I am 3.5 years after my post and I ended up buying a P226 (MK25). Absolutely love it. Best gun I've ever fired. I'm still very much an amateur with it, but it's all I could ask for. Expensive as hell, but worth the wait until I had the extra disposable funds.
Here I am 3.5 years after my post and I ended up buying a P226 (MK25). Absolutely love it. Best gun I've ever fired. I'm still very much an amateur with it, but it's all I could ask for. Expensive as hell, but worth the wait until I had the extra disposable funds.
I 2nd the P226 MK25. Finest handgun I've ever owned.... next to my Sig 1911. Next choice is my Springfield XDM in 9mm. XDS 9mm is my carry.
If I can offer some advice, go for what fits first, then the company. If it's not comfortable in your hands, you most likely won't shoot it all that great.
If I can offer some advice, go for what fits first, then the company. If it's not comfortable in your hands, you most likely won't shoot it all that great.
Its funny how when I am buying or thinking of buying a pistol, I often get recommended to try out a glock. When I say "no thanks, Im not a fan of glocks", I get looked at like I just said something crazy. Nothing against glocks, just not my thing. The grip angle isnt for me, and I prefer DA/SA.
I am considering a CZ for my next gun, I hear good things about the p09, and it has 19+1 capacity.
The sig is a sweet pistol. One of those things that it might hurt paying $1000 for a gun, but youll likely still enjoy it 10 years down the road.
When I just got into guns about three years ago and came into a gun shop, the two guns that I was really impressed with were the Sig p226 and the HK p30. Seeing those kinds of guns up close you understand why they demand a premium price. I cheaped out on my first pistol, and now everytime I pick it up, my thought is - should have spent another $100 and got something much better.
I carry a ruger LCP II. I love the little pocket rocket. I can go anywhere and no one ever knows its there and its always on me. When im heading out somewhere I always grab my Shield 9 or XDS .45 to take also. Id rather have some knockdown power and use the 380 as a backup.
I agree I am very much a trigger snob and it is damn near impossible to beat a good sa or da/sa trigger. I just don't shoot glocks well the angle doesn't point well for me. I am also not thrilled about the triggers and the trip feel in my hand so there is no reason to retrain my natural point shooting.
My normal carry and first gun I purchased was an HK USP .45 compact. It's has several thousand rounds through it and countless hours of saddle time. It shoots just as good as the day I bought it and is a tack driver.
Only reason I run an M&P in comp is rules require safety on and hammer forward. It has neither so has an advantage.
I bought myself a Beretta 96fs and added a sweet sgs style compensator. Also just bought a extended mag for it and it looks awesome. I've always been a Beretta fan since I saw the matrix.
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I know there is going to be a bunch of triggered gun haters for this setup but im loving it. It is also my current conceal carry minus the extended mag of course.
All this talk of what folks carry makes me realize that a 1911 is a fine gun, but not such a great choice for a small frame fella like myself. Need to see if I can find myself something that is more carry friendly for me that I can stand the feel of...
Abe, thats a sweet looking pistol. If you can conceal carry it, props to you.
Te72, its whatever your comfterable with. Even my sub-compact hk is a bit too thick for me to carry at times, my other is a m&p bodygaurd 380 in a N82 holster.
Te72, its whatever your comfterable with. Even my sub-compact hk is a bit too thick for me to carry at times, my other is a m&p bodygaurd 380 in a N82 holster.
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