Is the XD Irrelevant?

In the mid-2000s, I asked a knowledgeable gun store owner what was the most reliable handgun on the market. Without hesitation, he answered the Springfield XD line of handguns. He said he owned one, his buddies owned them, and they performed reliably with thousands of rounds through them.

The Springfield Armory XD Mod.3 is the newest generation of XD pistols chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. It is red dot-ready and has an amazing trigger.

I ended up buying a subcompact Springfield XD-9 that day. I fired that pistol with every type of ammo available and couldn’t get it to malfunction, no matter how hard I tried. That little 9mm pistol chewed up everything I fed it, even when it was filthy and dirty.

I knew there was something special about the XD line of handguns.

Springfield vs. Springfield

Fast-forward 20 years, and some shooters might wonder if the XD is still relevant. As I explored this question, I tried to theorize as to why some might think the Springfield XD family could be outdated.

author shooting Springfield XD pistol — In this photograph, the author is shooting his .40-cal. Springfield Armory XD semi-automatic pistol.

Firstly, Springfield Armory has never been a company to rest on its laurels. With it releasing newer models at a regular pace, perhaps some shooters might believe these newer handguns make the original XD line obsolete. These newer models certainly benefitted and built on the reputation of the reliable XD line, but that doesn’t make the original pistols any less practical for protection and sport.

Let’s take a look at some XD family pistols and offer my thoughts on how they remain relevant in today’s market.

The Original

The original full-size XD, launched in the early 2000’s, offered shooters a rugged, durable and capable polymer-framed and striker-fired pistol. Originally offered in 9mm, the XD 40 full size was later added. I have one of these latter ones in my own collection.

XD 9mm pistol — The original XD line of handguns were — and remain — great-shooting pistols. For many people, the grip angle and trigger pull are far superior to other options on the market today.

For shooters who feel the .40 round is “snappy,” I suspect they have never shot the Springfield XD in this chambering. The pistol is built like a tank, and the dual captive recoil spring tames the felt recoil to the point it feels like shooting a 9mm.

The semi-automatic pistol has great features like a 5.5-lb. trigger pull, forward serrations on the slide for easier manipulation, a striker indicator, loaded chamber indicator, three-dot sights and functional reliability that has yet to let me down. I consider the XD in .40 a workhorse similar to the XD 9mm I owned years back.

XD Mod 3 pistol — With the XD Mod.3, Springfield Armory launched the XD into the future with a wide range of features today’s shooters demand. Features include an enhanced trigger, a superior grip texture and a red dot mount.

And while the original XD might have been launched over two decades ago, that does not mean that Springfield is no longer offering shooters a cutting-edge offering. The new Springfield XD Mod.3 9mm takes everything that was great about the original XD, and enhances it with features such as a slide cut to accept optics, a redesigned frame and texturing approach, and a redesigned slide with enhanced serrations. This pistol offers XD fans a variant that has the features today’s shooters want.

Elite Option

In 2020, I got my hands on a full-size XD-M Elite 4.5” 9mm. I was blown away by how well it handled and the smoothness when shooting it. Not long after that, Springfield Armory came up with the XD-M Elite OSP Threaded in Desert FDE. It has all the bells and whistles that any modern shooter could think of, and I want to focus on my range time with it.

In my opinion, the Springfield XD-M Elite OSP Threaded is the type of handgun that shooters would pay well over a grand for. It’s the handgun that points and shoots more accurately than a guy like me deserves to. After plenty of range time with the pistol, I said to myself, “I have the best polymer-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistol in the vast handgun market.”

Currently, the XD-M Elite line is offering shooters 10mm versions in both compact and full-size versions. These provide users with a powerful semi-automatic handgun featuring impressive double-column magazine capacities and all the features that make the Elite so great.

Another Option

A couple months after I received the XD-M Elite OSP Threaded, Springfield Armory released the full-size Echelon.

Echelon pistol — While the Springfield Armory Echelon is an all-new pistol, it is built on years of engineering experience.

The Springfield Echelon was built from the ground up to offer an amazing set of features. The Echelon is modular with the Central Operating Group, a serialized chassis that allows shooters to choose various frame sizes. In addition, optic choices are practically endless with the pistol’s Variable Interface System. This optics-mounting system has self-locking mounting pins that can be positioned to fit the mounting footprints of more than 30 of today’s most popular red dot optics.

The pistol’s slide trench cut serrations, the simple disassemble process along with Springfields Adaptive Grip Texturing, and the clean and crisp trigger, created what many shooters consider the perfect 9mm handgun.

XD-S 9 Mod.2 OSP

About 10 years ago, the handgun rage was all about single-stack 9mm EDC pistols. Springfield was on the cutting-edge with the subcompact XD-S in 9mm. It ships with single-stack magazines that hold seven and nine rounds.

The Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP brought a range of enhancements to the XD-S platform, and was — in my opinion — the best single stack 9mm pistol available. This pistol added new texturing as well as the ability to accept red dot optics, which were becoming very popular at the time of its launch. It was a growing trend that has only increased throughout the years. Once again, Springfield Armory helped lead the way with the XD-S Mod.2 OSP.

Hellcat pistol not an XD — The Hellcat pistol is easily one of the best self-defense pistols for concealed carry available.

Springfield also had launched the exciting Hellcat micro 9mm, which offered shooters an ultra-compact pistol that features an 11-round, flush-fit, double-column magazine. Although, while the Hellcat is incredible, I think there’s still a market for the single-stack XD-S Mod.2. This pistol is slim, easy to carry, optics-ready, and extremely affordable.

Conclusion

Like I suspect is the case with all of you, I get super-excited when Springfield Armory introduces a new handgun. I think about guns like the Echelon and the Hellcat Pro Comp, and I instantly smile.

However, like any great athlete will tell you, there comes a time when you just have to go back to the basics. The XD line of pistols has a proven track record of excellence, and they are reliable and priced right.

Do I still love the XD-40, XD-M Elite OSP and the XD-S Mod.2? Absolutely! Even though Springfield Armory has created some strong new options, These handguns still hold a special place in my heart. Why? Because they are simply great guns, and always will be.

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