DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and greatest tactical firearms news (tactical gun news), tactical gear news and tactical shooting news.
by David Crane
david@defensereview.com
competitive shooting arenas, lately. Rob Leatham, world-class competitive
shooter and Springfield Armory
spokesman, is a obviously a big proponent of them, of course. He’s also an ideal
demonstrator for the XD pistols’ performance capabilities, sincel he’s an IPSC Grandmaster shooter and arguably the best competitive pistol shooter in the world, at present.
DefenseReview has also spoken with a number of other experienced "gun
people" about the the XD.
One of these people is John Weisman, author of the best-selling thriller, Direct Action. When I spoke with John on the phone, recently, he mentioned that he really likes the Springfield Armory XD. John’s personal XD is chambered in .40 S&W.
Subsequent to that initial phone conversation, Weisman informed DefRev that…
he appreciates the Springfield XD’s design, light weight, and durability, and actually prefers the XD to the Glock due to the XD’s grip safety (just like Weisman’s 1911s) and what he feels is a superior trigger action to the Glock’s trigger. Regarding the XD’s grip ergonomics, Weisman had this to say, "I think [it is] friendlier than most–and designed so that the hand is led to grip the pistol high up, which assures stability." Weisman told us that he’ll use his Springfield XD pistol (.40 S&W) as a home-defense weapon and IDPA gun.
With the introduction of the Springfield Armory X-TREME (XD) .45 GAP pistols
in 4-inch and 5-inch-barreled versions, the .45 GAP cartridge might
just have some staying power. We’ll see. The .45 GAP is interesting in that it
appears to offer ballistic performance (terminal ballistics) equal to the .45 ACP,
in a shorter-length envelope. Because the .45 GAP cartridge is shorter,
it can be housed in and fired from a 9mm/.40 S&W-sized pistol,
giving the shooter true .45 ACP performance from a more compact,
thinner, and lighter pistol that can be carried more easily on the hip.
range (Orlando, FL). At a range of 10-15 yards, rapid fire, all rounds
went right where I wanted to put them on a man-size target. I remember
being surprised at just how easy to control the G37/.45 GAP combo was
during fast strings, considering the 9mm/.40 S&W-like size and
weight of the pistol. Basically, I was pretty impressed with the
package.
DefRev hasn’t T&E’d the Springfield Armory XD .45 GAP pistols yet, but we look forward to testing both the 4-inch and 5-inch versions, at some point. Here are the specs on the two versions: Capacity: 9 + 1
Barrel: 4.05"
Sights: Dovetail front & rear (steel)
Size: 27 ozs., 7" overall length
Trigger Pull: 5.5 to 7.7 lbs. Ultra Safety Assurance (USATM) action trigger system
Magazines: 2 Stainless Steel 9 rd., easy glide magazines
MSRP: XD9504 $514 XD9514 $514 XD9524 $542
Capacity: 9+1
Barrel: 5.01"
Sights: Dovetail front & rear (steel)
Size: 31 ozs., 8" overall length
Trigger Pull: 5.5 to 7.7 lbs. Ultra Safety Assurance (USATM) action trigger system
Magazines: 2 Stainless Steel 9 rd., easy glide magazines
MSRP: XD9505 $542 XD9515 $542 XD9525 $571
Click here to view the Springfield Armory XD pistol .45 GAP vs. .45 ACP ballistic comparison sheet.
Click here to read a Guns & Ammo (G&A) article on the Sprinfield Armory XD series pistols (9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W), titled Springfield Armory XD Series: An innovative and economical take on the polymer auto concept, and written by Jeff John.
Click here to read about the genesis of John Weisman’s latest novel, Direct Action, at Military.com.
