Springfield Armory XD-S. Small, Concealable, and Powerful
When I was given the chance to review the Springfield Armory XD-S bought brand new by my friend Gabriel Nelson I was on board. I have reviewed several Springfield Government Models over the years for a few other publications but this would be my first polymer receiver Springfield. I was looking forward seeing how it would run and hold up.
The XD-S I am reviewing is chambered in .45 Automatic. It is a single stack (keeping the width down substantially for concealed carry). It comes from the factory with two interchangeable backstraps so you have a few options on customizing the grip to your preference. There is also an optional extended magazine that increases the capacity by two but adds about an inch to the overall height. That will help people with larger hands get a solid purchase on the small Springfield. For a production gun there are several options to help you make the pistol your own. This pistol shipped in a sturdy case holding a plastic holster, dual magazine carrier, and an additional magazine. Also included was the instruction manual and lock.
Initial Range Trip
Gabriel Nelson and I took the new Springfield Armory XD-S out to the range on a beautiful Sunday morning with several factory rounds as well as a few of my reloads to check function and accuracy. Recoil was noticeable to be sure but it is not as bad as you might think, seeing it is a .45 Auto chambered in a small pistol weighing about 1.3 pounds. Gabriel and I took turns putting the pistol through it’s paces. As the day was winding down it began to rain which was a good signal it was time to wrap up the range day. After accuracy and function was checked we had gone through about 400 rounds, without a malfunction. It was a long day but well worth it. The balance was not bad with the flush magazine but much better with the extended magazine. The balance did not change noticeably as you emptied the magazine but to be honest the little Springfield recoiled much more than a steel pistol so I noticed the recoil more than the balance.
You can see by the above chart, the little Springfield is plenty accurate at 25 yards illustrated by 3 shot groups.
The right side of the pistol, here you can see the compactness of it even with the magazine extension. A standard rail in the muzzle end of the receiver for lights or accessories.
The trigger with incorporated Ultra Safety Assurance, Action Safety System, broke at 6 pounds with a little take up and over travel, a very nice trigger for a striker fired pistol. The reset on the trigger is evident with an audible click. The ambidextrous magazine catch was checkered to keep your finger on target. A striker block safety is incorporated in the slide but not visible from the outside.
Here you see the rear cocking serrations, slide release, and take down lever. In the photo you see the loaded chamber indicator sticking up at the top of the slide in front of the ejection port indicating a hot chamber. The front sight is red fiber optic and the rear is accentuated with white dots. This set up allowed for a quicker sight picture. With a dedicated carry gun these features can make all the difference in the word of you needed the pistol in a hurry. Also pictured is the other side of the ambidextrous magazine catch.
Nice checkering on the front strap and front of the trigger guard, which aided in keeping a solid purchase on the small pistol during recoil.
A clear look at the rear sight, and even with the shallow depth of field and the front sight out of focus you can still pick up on it. Also notice the grip safety (a must for many folks and understandable so) along with the same checkering on the back strap.
Field stripping is simple enough by, ensuring the pistol is unloaded, lock the slide to the rear, and rotate the take down lever to the 12 position, pull the slide to the rear, allowing the slide to go to forward pull the trigger to finish releasing the slide and it will slide off the front of the receiver.
Specifications
Caliber : .45 Auto
Recoil System : Dual Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
Trigger : 6 lbs.
Sights : Fiber Optic Front & Dovetail Rear (Steel)
Weight : (empty magazines) 21.5 ozs.
Height : 4.4″ / 5.4″ with extended magazine
Slide : Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish
Barrel : 3.3″ Fully Supported Steel, Melonite®, Hammer Forged
Length : 6.3″
Grip Width : .9″
Receiver Black Polymer
Magazines 2 – 5 Round, Stainless Steel
MSRP : $669
Thank you to Gabriel Nelson of F/stop Grooves Photography