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Next purchase, opinions welcome.

2K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  stunksinatl 
#1 ·
Ok guys, I am about to make my next purchase and would welcome your input on my choice. I have been a member of this community for awhile since I bought my P99 soon after Hurricane Katrina happened. (last September). The reason I am coming to you guys is because I trust your opinions more than I would on any of the other forums I could go to. I have scoped out the forums and everyone praises the gun I'd like but that is to be expected, just like the majority of us praise the p99 on this forum.

Anyway, I am looking into getting the Springfield XD-45. I have fired a friends XD-40 and I like the trigger feel on it. I like the Single Action (I have the QA) and the safety features as well. I have heard wonderful things about the customer service department from him so I am not to worried about that side. If any of you have any experience with the 45 or any of the other XD's that would help in my decision I would welcome any and all opinions.

Thanks, in advance...

-- jon
 
#2 ·
My good friend has an XD .45 ACP 4" barrel.  I only offer my opinion of this ACP gun as I have not seen/shot an XD in .45 GAP.  I have not shot it yet myself.  It was an excellent deal as it was $524 NIB (I think, maybe that was the 9mm tactical friend below's price) with that XD package of goodies like holster, mag holster etc.  He has shot it in IDPA and it worked great for him.  He carries the gun but it is very tall...13 (or 14?)+1 .45 ACP what do you expect.  High cap .45 ACP mags were $30+ dollars when the .45 hit the market...not sure prices now.  If you want any modifications to enhance trigger etc then good luck...my local dealer said I'd have to ship it to the springfield custom shop and they charge an arm and a leg.

My other good friend as an XD 9mm tactical (5" barrel).  He also bought it new with the package of goodies for cheap.  He also shoots with it in IDPA and it works great for him.  He does not carry this gun and uses his Kahr P9 instead.

Both of them have performed flawlessly except for one case.  The 9mm Tactical guy used some weird imported Middle Eastern/ Arabian company FMJ ammo and the pin dented the primer but some of those rounds would not fire.  Some of the rounds you could see different bullets being inserted at different depths into the casing.  Garbage ammo.  Good gun.

My comments on the XD are that I rented and shot a 4" 9mm one time and I liked it.  The bore axis is higher than a Glock so you'll get a little more flip and it is heavier and has a larger profile than the comparable Glock 19.
 
#3 ·
The value per dollar for the XD in any caliber is great.

I also spoke with another guy at IDPA shooting his compact XD 9mm and he loved it.
I also spoke and held a different IDPA member's 5" tactical 9mm and he had done some trigger work which made the trigger a little smoother. He could not change the reset distance. He also added some grip tape of various parts of the gun which was nice.

However, if I got into a Glock vs. XD debate I would side with Glock on many accounts but that is another thread that has been debated several times on GlockTalk and HS2000 or whatever the XD fan site is.
 
#5 ·
The XD is a great platform.  My wife owns a XD subcompact in 9mm.  It is a bit snappy, but nothing that the correct grip and stance can't overcome.  The 9mm service I've fired had very little noticeable flip.

The 45 is such a soft shooting cartridge, with its slow velocity, the XD45ACP HAS to be excellent.  I've only held it, never shot one.

The trigger is better than Glock's in my opinion.

The only problem we've had with my wife's XD was during break-in.  A limp wrist caused an ejection failure within the first 100 rounds.  Over 1500 rounds later, no problems whatsoever (not counting the ONE extraction failure caused by WWB, which is inexpensive plinking ammo).

My overall advice: buy it!  I wish I could, right now. Maybe in a few months.

-stunks
 
#6 ·
I have shot a 9mm XD I rented before - nice gun. Expecpt for the 45 w/ the melonite finish, though, I am not sure I'd buy one after all the rust issues I have read about - EVen those die hard XD lovers on the XD site defend the gun, all the while stating that they just rubbed some rust off their gun that particular day


Anyway - how does the XD compact compare to the 9mm P99c as far as recoil is concerned?
 
#7 ·
The 45XD has a tennifer type coating unlike all the other caliber XD's so the rust thing isn't as much as an issue with it. My real complaint with the XD series is that their trigger reset is just way too long after coming off a P99AS. If that doesn't bother you, go for it.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the replies all, keep 'em coming!

I was concerned about the rust - I hadn't heard anything of that sort, but if the .45 is coated with the tennifer then it shouldn't be a problem. As far as the trigger reset, I have a QA so my reset is pretty long as is.
 
#11 ·
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ShipWreck @ Aug. 20 2006,8:00)]Its actually melonite - similiar to tennifer, but just slightly different...
I've never been able to figure out what the truth is in that.

http://www.durferrit.de/en/index.html
"To meet the growing needs with regard to wear and corrosion resistance, as well as the enhancement of the fatigue strength, great efforts were devoted to the development and launching of the TENIFER® process, which is also known worldwide under the trade names of TUFFTRIDE® and MELONITE®. This nitrocarburizing process has undergone continuous development with regard to its regenerability and ecology, and from year-to-year the number of applications is increasing on all 5 continents."

So obviously we have trade names here that are protected so if I offer a nitrocarburizing process it can never be tenifer even if its the exact same thing. My question is, is it the exact same bath under a different name, and if not is the final result any different.
 
#13 ·
The point is if you take care of your gun like you are supposed (wiping it down after use etc) to then the melonite is not a problem...the tenifer gives you some extra insurance.

Of course this is all hearsay as I don't know of any legit testing that has been done on this subject. For example, leaving finger prints on an XD slide vs. a P99/Glock slide and see how long and under what conditions it takes for rusting to be visible. Gun myths. I just don't have the money to buy guns and try these things out myself.
 
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