Springfield Armory XD-S Pistol Review: 9mm and .45 ACP Pistol

Springfield Armory XD-S Review: Summary


Springfield Armory XD-S
Reliability

Reliability

Treat the pistol right and there will be no issues.

Accuracy

Accuracy

I had some issues with the pistol, and others did as well.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics

The grip really is awesome, for a concealed carry pistol.

looks

Looks

Pretty sleek looking pistol.

Customization

Customization

There are a few things that you could do to the pistol if you’d like.

Bang for your Buck

Bang for your Buck

Decently priced.

We Like

  • Safety. The pistol is extremely safe. It’s got multiple safeties and a loaded chamber indicator.
  • Ergonomics. The grip has a ton of texture, and there are interchangeable backstraps.
  • Available calibers. The fact that there are multiple calibers available is a great feature.

We Don't Like

  • Accuracy. I didn’t shoot well with the pistol, but it is more than acceptable for concealed carry.
  • Heavy. The pistol is on the heavier side, but it does cut down on the recoil a little bit.

This is a decent pistol for concealed carry. It’s available in .45 ACP, which is a decent feature, but the magazine capacity is extremely limited with .45 ACP. The pistol has a great grip and is extremely safe, but the trigger leaves a little something to be desired.

There are plenty of concealed carry pistols out there, but there aren’t many at all that are available in .45 ACP. For this reason alone, I was really interested in the Springfield Armory XD-S pistols and had to learn more about them.

What I’ve learned is that these are decent quality pistols. They have some great features, and a couple things that I wish were improved. If you’re interested in learning more about this line of pistols, continue reading for our full review.

What is the Springfield Armory XD-S for?

These pistols are aimed for concealed carry. They are all really small, to make it easier for you to conceal. However, as with most pistols, you could do a couple other things with the pistols as well.

While it certainly isn’t ideal, you could use these for home defense and for range shooting as well. There are better options for these uses, but you could hypothetically use the XD-S. In my opinion though, I would leave this pistol for concealed carry only.

Breakdown

The XD-S is a subcompact single stack pistol. It’s actually the first single stack polymer pistol that Springfield Armory ever made. It measures 6.3 inches long with a 3.3 inch barrel. It’s less than an inch wide, and 4.4 inches tall. It weighs in around 23 ounces.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Magazine

Springfield Armory XD-S - Magazine

The first unique thing about this pistol is that it’s available in 9mm, .40 Smith & Wesson, and .45 ACP. When it comes to single stack concealed carry pistols, not many are available in .45 ACP. The magazine capacity depends on the exact round. In 9mm, the pistol comes with a 7 round mag and an 8 round mag. In .40 S&W, the mags are 6 and 7. The .45 ACP version comes with a 5 round mag.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Front sights

Springfield Armory XD-S - Front sights

The pistol has quite a few pros. For one, the sights on this pistol are excellent. It’s got a dovetail style rear sight and a fiber optic front sight. The front sight is bright, and will significantly increase your target acquisition speed.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Rear sight

Springfield Armory XD-S - Rear sight

Another pro of this pistol is the durability. The polymer frame is very solid, and the metal slide has a Melonite finish, so the pistol will withstand the elements or any sweat from carrying.

The other pros of this pistol will be talked about later, but the pistol is also very safe, the recoil is decent, and the grip is excellent.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Grip Texture

Springfield Armory XD-S - Grip Texture

However, there are a couple cons. The pistol is on the heavier side, for starters. While this does significantly increase the amount of felt recoil, it also weighs you down while you’re carrying it all day.

Next, I found that the accuracy of this pistol is somewhat lacking. While carry pistols aren’t usually great to shoot, due to the smaller grips, I found this pistol to be pretty inaccurate overall. To make matters worse, the sights are very difficult to adjust.

Safety and Reliability

Like we mentioned before, the pistol is very safe. The safety features of this pistol include a loaded chamber indicator, a positive block of the firing pin, a trigger safety, and a grip safety.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Grip Safety

Springfield Armory XD-S - Grip Safety

The loaded chamber indicator is on top of the slide, and will pop up when the pistol is loaded. This makes it very easy for you to tell whether there’s a round in the chamber or not, with one simple glance. While you should always know this on your own, adding in the indicator certainly doesn’t hurt.

The other safeties of this pistol ensure that the pistol will only fire when you want it to. Between the grip safety and the trigger safety, you must be holding the pistol properly and pull the trigger before it’s able to fire. This is great for a carry pistol, because you can easily and safely draw the pistol.

Springfield Armory XD-S - Thump Notch

Springfield Armory XD-S - Thump Notch

In terms of reliability, this pistol does well. As long as you treat it properly, there will be nothing to worry about. Clean it when you shoot it, and the pistol will perform well for you.

Comfort and Shootability

The ergonomics of this pistol are my favorite feature. The grip has an absolute ton of texture, and the backstraps are interchangeable, so you make it fit your hand even better.

Springfield Armory XD-S on hand

Springfield Armory XD-S on hand

The pistol is less than an inch wide, so it’s not all that big to begin with. However, the varying backstraps help to make up for this. You’ll probably have to adjust your grip a little bit to be able to fire the pistol. It takes a little getting used to, but the texture does certainly help.

In terms of shootability, this pistol is decent. If you use the included extended mag, it’ll help give your hand more surface area to hold onto. The trigger of the pistol is decent, but its not great. The pull is a little heavy, which is fine for a carry pistol, but the pull isn’t that crisp overall. However, for a carry pistol, it’s more than acceptable.

Accessories and Upgrades

Since this is a carry pistol, your first thought should be a quality holster. I really like this style of holster from Galco (https://www.brownells.com/shooting-accessories/holsters-belt-gear/holsters/inside-the-waistband-holsters/summer-comfort-holsters-prod82943.aspx), but there are plenty of options out there.

If you’re a fan of laser sights, you could add one to your pistol. However, if you’re doing this, I would buy this set that includes a holster fit for the pistol and laser (https://www.brownells.com/optics-mounting/electronic-sights/laser-sights/springfield-xd-s-laserguard-pro-with-blade-tech-iwb-holster-prod87888.aspx).

If you’re really struggling with gripping the pistol, a grip extender (https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-extension/grip-extender-springfield-xds-prod116365.aspx) could help. I don’t personally love these, but it may work for you.

Like we talked about, this pistol doesn’t have the best trigger. If you’re looking to improve it, you could get a trigger kit if you’d like (https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/trigger-group-parts/trigger-parts/triggers/xds-trigger-kit-prod81067.aspx).

Conclusion

Overall, this is a decent pistol for concealed carry. It’s available in .45 ACP, which is a decent feature, but the magazine capacity is extremely limited with .45 ACP. The pistol has a great grip and is extremely safe, but the trigger leaves a little something to be desired.


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