Wow. That has to be the best review on this forum ever. Excellent.
Springfield XD .40
6
We have a .45 and a 9 written for the Springfield but not the .40 so here is my review.
Model: Springfield Xtreme Duty .40S&W 4" Service
Purchased at: Gunnies in Orem (http://www.gunnies.com)
Purchase date: Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Why?
I was originally looking at the Glock 23 .40S&W because I'm a fan of .40S&W. I don't like 9mm because in my opinion they are pee-shooters. Yes, they do damage and will drop someone, but I've also heard the opposite of a 9mm being used against a pit-bull and it didn't drop the dog. .45ACP is just too much. So for me the .40S&W is good middle ground. I went to Gunnies in Orem and was looking at the Glock 23. I talked to the guys behind the counter and asked them their opinion. They pulled out the Springfield XD .40S&W 4" Service. Just the look of it made me want it. Now style doesn't really matter in a gun fight but if I say the XD to the Glock, I'd be more afraid of the XD personally. The feel of the weapon is also comfortable and I like the heavier slide, helping with the muzzle being dropped back down after firing. The additional safety and chamber loaded indicator is also a big plus for those with a family or when you might get in trouble with a store manager or law enforcement officer.
The Test
The golden rule is to shoot it before you buy it. Well, I went down to Range Masters of Utah LC in Springville. They didn't have the 4" Service so I went with the 3" Sub-Compact. I put about 75 rounds through it. I then traded that for the Glock 23. Now I had never fired the XD but I had the Glock, so I was more familiar with the Glock. My rounds with the XD were a little more spread out where as the Glock were closer together. But I liked how the XD dropped faster back to its original position after firing because of the heavier barrel though between the Glock and XD there wasn't a whole lot of weight difference. So in my book they were evenly matched during that test period.
The Debate
I took my Concealed Firearms Permit course and submitted my paperwork, the waiting period began. I continued to research out both the Glock 23 and the SA-XD40 by going by Gunnies in Orem. I talked to them as much as possible and asking the different questions. I tried to see how it felt in the hand, sighting across the store, magazine capacity, etc. Back and forth I went. I interviewed with a security firm for armed security. The owner is a law enforcement officer and we ended up talking about guns a little. He recommended getting the Glock since it was what most departments issued. Coming back to mind was an interview I had with an FBI agent out of the Provo FBI Branch. He recommended not getting a Glock 22 or similar because the likelihood was that your department would issue you a sidearm and you'd have two of the same weapon. So I continued to think after the interview with the security firm and went back to Gunnies afterwards and continued my debate. I tried both of them again at the store in feel, sighting, weight, safety, etc. The FBI agent won. If my department that hires me on when I go to become a LEO then I won't want two of the same gun. I interviewed on Monday and bought my brand-new Springfield Xtreme-Duty .40S&W 4" Service model from Gunnies in Orem.
Safety
As a husband and future father the safety of my family comes first and foremost. "Do what you want to me, but leave my loved ones alone," is what I think of most of the time. So in having a weapon in the home I want it to be the safest possible. The Springfield XD models offer that extra safety. The XD has two safeties to Glock's one. The safeties are located on the back of the handle and on the trigger as shown here:
Handle Safety
![]()
Trigger Safety
![]()
I like the double because you need a firm grip on the handle or else the it won't fire even if the trigger is pulled. I have done this is dry fire and have "felt" the difference through the trigger, not being pull the same. Hard to explain, but basically the trigger will not pull all the way back to fire. But also I have noticed with myself as I go to re-holster I have to move my thumb away from the firearm, partly letting up on the handle safety. So, in theory, if my finger is still on the trigger and I goto re-holster it is possible that I don't have enough tension on the handle safety that the weapon won't mis-fire and hit me in the leg or something like that. This might be different from person to person, but that is what I noticed with myself. The extra safety on the handle is nice because children might get to the gun and because they won't have a firm grip on the back of the weapon it will not discharge. Safety is first, so keep firearms out of reach of children.
Chambered Round Indicators
Something the Springfield XD has that Glocks do not is a chambered round indicators: 1) Loaded Chamber Indicator and 2) Striker Status Indicator.
1) Loaded Chamber Indicator: This is located right behind where the round will exit when fired or cocked. It will be down when empty and up when there is a round in the chamber, making it easy to show someone whether or not the weapon is loaded or unloaded without having to remove it from the holster.
Unloaded
![]()
Loaded
![]()
(I apologize that not all pictures are very clear.)
2) Strike Status Indicator: This is located at the back end of the slide. "When the gun is cocked, the pin will protrude out of the slide" (Springfield XD Owner's Manual). This is to tell you the weapon has been cocked and the striker (firing pin) is ready to drop with a pull of the trigger.
Not Cocked
![]()
Cocked
![]()
(Again, I apologize for the pictures.)
PLEASE NOTE that you could have weapon cocked but no round in the chamber. The striker pin might be out but the chamber indicator not up. Useful for dry fire exercises and what not. But, again, the strike indicator might be "hot" and the chambered indicator might be "cold." Always, always, always check!!!
Disassemble
I believe that in watching a YouTube video in cleaning the Springfield XD and then looking at both the Glock and XD on the way they are taken apart the XD is much more friendly. Just personally opinion.
Shooting
As I'm a intimidated shooter I do not know everything about shooting except that I really like to shoot up the left side of the target. This is due to stance and still trying to find the front sight and dominate eye practices. I can say that I like the XD-40 to the Glock because of trigger pull and reloading. The draw back right now is I've fired Glocks that have had thousands of rounds through them and my XD has had only about 100 or so, it is still stiff in many ways. I'll post more on the shooting when I can go and put a thousand rounds through it. I must say that I believe going from the first 8 pound pull to a 3 pound pull seems easier on the XD then the Glock. I was able to do some double taps that were quite nice, though I'm still working on that as well. Overall shooting I prefer the XD to the Glock. The big thing I like is the heavier slide that helps drop the gun back down faster, using gravity to achieve the second tap. In a quick fire where I fired a full clip as fast as possible the XD performed better then the Glock, placing more rounds in the target (no numbers available and will vary from person to person based on experience and skill).
Accessories
Though I haven't bought any yet the Springfield is like the Glock where is had the rail on the front of a light or laser or a combo of both. I will try to post more on that when I have something to report on.
So there is my little review. I hope it is helpful. Basically a novel, but yeah, what I like about the Springfield XD.
Model: Springfield Xtreme Duty .40S&W 4" Service
Purchased at: Gunnies in Orem (http://www.gunnies.com)
Purchase date: Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Why?
I was originally looking at the Glock 23 .40S&W because I'm a fan of .40S&W. I don't like 9mm because in my opinion they are pee-shooters. Yes, they do damage and will drop someone, but I've also heard the opposite of a 9mm being used against a pit-bull and it didn't drop the dog. .45ACP is just too much. So for me the .40S&W is good middle ground. I went to Gunnies in Orem and was looking at the Glock 23. I talked to the guys behind the counter and asked them their opinion. They pulled out the Springfield XD .40S&W 4" Service. Just the look of it made me want it. Now style doesn't really matter in a gun fight but if I say the XD to the Glock, I'd be more afraid of the XD personally. The feel of the weapon is also comfortable and I like the heavier slide, helping with the muzzle being dropped back down after firing. The additional safety and chamber loaded indicator is also a big plus for those with a family or when you might get in trouble with a store manager or law enforcement officer.
The Test
The golden rule is to shoot it before you buy it. Well, I went down to Range Masters of Utah LC in Springville. They didn't have the 4" Service so I went with the 3" Sub-Compact. I put about 75 rounds through it. I then traded that for the Glock 23. Now I had never fired the XD but I had the Glock, so I was more familiar with the Glock. My rounds with the XD were a little more spread out where as the Glock were closer together. But I liked how the XD dropped faster back to its original position after firing because of the heavier barrel though between the Glock and XD there wasn't a whole lot of weight difference. So in my book they were evenly matched during that test period.
The Debate
I took my Concealed Firearms Permit course and submitted my paperwork, the waiting period began. I continued to research out both the Glock 23 and the SA-XD40 by going by Gunnies in Orem. I talked to them as much as possible and asking the different questions. I tried to see how it felt in the hand, sighting across the store, magazine capacity, etc. Back and forth I went. I interviewed with a security firm for armed security. The owner is a law enforcement officer and we ended up talking about guns a little. He recommended getting the Glock since it was what most departments issued. Coming back to mind was an interview I had with an FBI agent out of the Provo FBI Branch. He recommended not getting a Glock 22 or similar because the likelihood was that your department would issue you a sidearm and you'd have two of the same weapon. So I continued to think after the interview with the security firm and went back to Gunnies afterwards and continued my debate. I tried both of them again at the store in feel, sighting, weight, safety, etc. The FBI agent won. If my department that hires me on when I go to become a LEO then I won't want two of the same gun. I interviewed on Monday and bought my brand-new Springfield Xtreme-Duty .40S&W 4" Service model from Gunnies in Orem.
Safety
As a husband and future father the safety of my family comes first and foremost. "Do what you want to me, but leave my loved ones alone," is what I think of most of the time. So in having a weapon in the home I want it to be the safest possible. The Springfield XD models offer that extra safety. The XD has two safeties to Glock's one. The safeties are located on the back of the handle and on the trigger as shown here:
Handle Safety
Trigger Safety
I like the double because you need a firm grip on the handle or else the it won't fire even if the trigger is pulled. I have done this is dry fire and have "felt" the difference through the trigger, not being pull the same. Hard to explain, but basically the trigger will not pull all the way back to fire. But also I have noticed with myself as I go to re-holster I have to move my thumb away from the firearm, partly letting up on the handle safety. So, in theory, if my finger is still on the trigger and I goto re-holster it is possible that I don't have enough tension on the handle safety that the weapon won't mis-fire and hit me in the leg or something like that. This might be different from person to person, but that is what I noticed with myself. The extra safety on the handle is nice because children might get to the gun and because they won't have a firm grip on the back of the weapon it will not discharge. Safety is first, so keep firearms out of reach of children.
Chambered Round Indicators
Something the Springfield XD has that Glocks do not is a chambered round indicators: 1) Loaded Chamber Indicator and 2) Striker Status Indicator.
1) Loaded Chamber Indicator: This is located right behind where the round will exit when fired or cocked. It will be down when empty and up when there is a round in the chamber, making it easy to show someone whether or not the weapon is loaded or unloaded without having to remove it from the holster.
Unloaded
Loaded
(I apologize that not all pictures are very clear.)
2) Strike Status Indicator: This is located at the back end of the slide. "When the gun is cocked, the pin will protrude out of the slide" (Springfield XD Owner's Manual). This is to tell you the weapon has been cocked and the striker (firing pin) is ready to drop with a pull of the trigger.
Not Cocked
Cocked
(Again, I apologize for the pictures.)
PLEASE NOTE that you could have weapon cocked but no round in the chamber. The striker pin might be out but the chamber indicator not up. Useful for dry fire exercises and what not. But, again, the strike indicator might be "hot" and the chambered indicator might be "cold." Always, always, always check!!!
Disassemble
I believe that in watching a YouTube video in cleaning the Springfield XD and then looking at both the Glock and XD on the way they are taken apart the XD is much more friendly. Just personally opinion.
Shooting
As I'm a intimidated shooter I do not know everything about shooting except that I really like to shoot up the left side of the target. This is due to stance and still trying to find the front sight and dominate eye practices. I can say that I like the XD-40 to the Glock because of trigger pull and reloading. The draw back right now is I've fired Glocks that have had thousands of rounds through them and my XD has had only about 100 or so, it is still stiff in many ways. I'll post more on the shooting when I can go and put a thousand rounds through it. I must say that I believe going from the first 8 pound pull to a 3 pound pull seems easier on the XD then the Glock. I was able to do some double taps that were quite nice, though I'm still working on that as well. Overall shooting I prefer the XD to the Glock. The big thing I like is the heavier slide that helps drop the gun back down faster, using gravity to achieve the second tap. In a quick fire where I fired a full clip as fast as possible the XD performed better then the Glock, placing more rounds in the target (no numbers available and will vary from person to person based on experience and skill).
Accessories
Though I haven't bought any yet the Springfield is like the Glock where is had the rail on the front of a light or laser or a combo of both. I will try to post more on that when I have something to report on.
So there is my little review. I hope it is helpful. Basically a novel, but yeah, what I like about the Springfield XD.
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
Great review! Thanks! I couldn't get the pictures to load, says your page is down. 
My web host was doing a server merge last night and this morning, but they should be back up for you. I saw them.GeneticsDave said:Great review! Thanks! I couldn't get the pictures to load, says your page is down.
I am still getting this:
![Screenshot.jpg]()
Attachments
That's a great, very well-written review! Excellent! :thumbsup:
However, the pics no workie...
I enjoy my Glock 27. I've been wanting to add an XD-40 to my collection as well. This just makes that itch a bit stronger.
However, the pics no workie...
I enjoy my Glock 27. I've been wanting to add an XD-40 to my collection as well. This just makes that itch a bit stronger.
2
I liked your review, though I would like to point out a few things. First is that Glock pistols have 3 safety features. The first is the external "trigger" safety. Internally there are the "firing pin safety" and the "drop safety". It's important to remember that just because we don't see something, doesn't mean that it isn't there. :wink: As for the "load indicator", there is one located on the extractor of the Glock. There is a tab on the extractor that will protrude when the chamber is "hot".
![]()
![]()
You may not see this on the older Glock pistols (generation 1 or 2), but will see them on all current production pistols. Glock pistols don't have the "grip safety" or "striker indicator", but IMHO both aren't necessary. Proper training and safe firearms handling will keep you from putting a round in your leg. Remember that your finger should be OFF OF THE TRIGGER until you're ready to shoot.
One thing that you can do with a Glock that you can't do with a XD is change the trigger weight. There are several different configurations that will result in 4 different trigger weights. Your common Glock pistol comes with the "5.5lb" trigger. I have all of my Glock pistols set at a 8lb trigger. For competitive purposes, you can set the trigger as low as 3.5lbs. It's a matter of personal choice.
I don't agree with the FBI guy you talked with. I own 3 Glock 27 pistols. There is no problem having 2 (or 3, 4, 5, etc.) of the same firearm. So your department issues you a Glock 22, what's the problem? If you already own a G22 and know what it does as well as know it inside and out, you're already ahead of others who may not be too familiar with the firearm. If the problem lies with mixing up the parts, then here's a simple answer; don't break both of them down at the same time. My Glock pistols have the serial number on the barrel, slide and frame. These are the three components that you will have in front of you when it's field stripped.
Bottom line is that having the multiple "safety" features won't make you a better shooter, gun owner, father, husband, etc. I have many firearms that have a variety of safety features. No matter what firearm I'm handling, I know that I'm safe due to constant awareness, SAFE FIREARMS HANDLING procedures and an in depth knowledge of the firearms that I own. Thing to remember that the "safest" gun can kill you if you don't use it properly.
gf
You may not see this on the older Glock pistols (generation 1 or 2), but will see them on all current production pistols. Glock pistols don't have the "grip safety" or "striker indicator", but IMHO both aren't necessary. Proper training and safe firearms handling will keep you from putting a round in your leg. Remember that your finger should be OFF OF THE TRIGGER until you're ready to shoot.
This should NEVER happen. Train frequently and properly to assure that you keep your finger in a safe place. This is the common reason for ND incidents.
One thing that you can do with a Glock that you can't do with a XD is change the trigger weight. There are several different configurations that will result in 4 different trigger weights. Your common Glock pistol comes with the "5.5lb" trigger. I have all of my Glock pistols set at a 8lb trigger. For competitive purposes, you can set the trigger as low as 3.5lbs. It's a matter of personal choice.
I don't agree with the FBI guy you talked with. I own 3 Glock 27 pistols. There is no problem having 2 (or 3, 4, 5, etc.) of the same firearm. So your department issues you a Glock 22, what's the problem? If you already own a G22 and know what it does as well as know it inside and out, you're already ahead of others who may not be too familiar with the firearm. If the problem lies with mixing up the parts, then here's a simple answer; don't break both of them down at the same time. My Glock pistols have the serial number on the barrel, slide and frame. These are the three components that you will have in front of you when it's field stripped.
Bottom line is that having the multiple "safety" features won't make you a better shooter, gun owner, father, husband, etc. I have many firearms that have a variety of safety features. No matter what firearm I'm handling, I know that I'm safe due to constant awareness, SAFE FIREARMS HANDLING procedures and an in depth knowledge of the firearms that I own. Thing to remember that the "safest" gun can kill you if you don't use it properly.
gf
In terms of practical gun safety in the home, I'd recommend a good, quick-access safe. Something like a GunVault -- kids can't touch the gun or play with it, but the adults can get to it fast if needed. There is no place you can hide a gun where the kids won't eventually find it. Think of how hard it was for *your* parents to hide Christmas presents from you.
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
