t wasn’t long ago that Springfield Armory announced their XD-S Mod.2. A refresh of the XD-S line, a more-or-less subcompact, single stack XD, the configurations available grabbed my interest. I noted one version, the XDSG9339BT, called the “XD-S Mod.2 9mm w/ Tritium.” There was a tritium insert in the front sight and not the rear: my favored setup for a carry gun – they call the front sight the “Pro-Glo Tritium/Luminescent.”
I’ve never been a user of the XD line generally, but this caught my attention.
The gun ships with a 7-round magazine and a 9-round magazine with a “boot” to prevent over-insertion of the longer magazine. An optional 8-round magazine is available at extra cost. It too has the “boot.” The short magazine has a finger-extension floorplate installed. The package is furnished with a flat floor-plate to replace the finger-extension floorplate on the 7-round magazine.
The company launched the gun with a statement that it had endured a high-round count test. I asked and found that it was conducted at HS Produkt, the factory in Croatia. The details of the test aren’t available, though a company representative said that they “ran numerous types of ammunition through it — and it went 25,000 rounds without failure.”
The frame is less than an inch-wide and while the format is similar to the S&W Shield, the gun is noticeably smaller. This made me wonder if the gun would be a bit rough to handle during a 300-500 round per day class.
And, small as it is, it could run afoul of handling issues all smaller guns have; it’s easier to manipulate service-size guns without touching one or another controls. Unlike most small guns, the XD-S has a starboard magazine release button as well as the “American standard” port-side release. It doesn’t get in the way and I checked it: it does work.
The magazines appear to be high quality, made of steel. The gun features a dual captive recoil spring, 3.3” barrel and weighs in at just over 21 ounces. The slide and barrel are steel, treated with Melonite. The MSRP, at this time of publication, is $586.00.
The gun is also available with fiber-optic front sight or with Viridian Red Laser.
The loaded-chamber indicator is the “mud-flap” style, handy as a tactile indicator standing off from the top of the slide if a round is chambered – but don’t rely on it or any gizmo when checking for loaded status. It has the grip safety, unobtrusive while standing out enough to ensure you can’t grasp the gun in a firing grip without depressing it.
You can put your thumb over the back of the slide when holstering – which will prevent the grip safety from being depressed. That keeps the slide in battery as the gun goes into a tight-fitting holster, but it positively prevents the gun from firing even if something snags the trigger – which, if you’d be deliberate and observant, won’t be an issue anyway.
Speaking of holsters, I selected the Safariland Model 571 GLS Pro-Fit Concealment Paddle Holster, which fits small semi-autos generally. It’s for “sub-compact, single-stack pistols” and uses a micro paddle to attach to the waist. It features the Grip Lock System retention device, which is released by the middle finger upon the draw. Made of “SafariSeven” Dupont blend material, it’s made to fit the XD-S line, the Glock 43 and the S&W Shield.
I also tried the gun in a Galco “Pocket Protector.” A simple leather holster, the Pocket Protector holster is carried in the front pocket in pants or a jacket. It keeps the gun in proper orientation – so you can find it – conceals the shape of the gun and the holster mouth is reinforced to allow a smooth draw. The “hook” at the base of the trigger guard is meant to catch the pocket and keep the holster in the pocket as the gun comes out, a good idea. While you need a pretty good-sized pocket to house the XD-S Mod.2, it does work with some trousers.
I used a “Dept. of the Treasury Transitional Target – Blue” for the initial shakeout of the new gun. Using the two inner rings as the “-0,” I shot Hackathorn’s Wizard Drill. I had a concealing garment and used the Safariland holster. The times were all good – the seven-yard shot went a little low in the face, I took a -1 for that. On the second round of the 10-yard pair, the dreaded “trigger snatch” got me and I threw one low into what I considered -3.
Still, the times were good – and I’d fired the course cold with a gun I’d never shot before. While it’s a ‘fail,’ it told me a lot about the gun: it handles more like a service pistol than a ‘subcompact.’ That’s a good thing, but requires more examination.
I also worked at five yards doing the “4-center, 1-head” drill from the holster. I shot that clean, less than four seconds each time. From 25 yards, seated and shooting over a range bag, I tried a pair of loads for groups. The groups were centered for both – Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX and Black Hills 124 grain JHP +P. I had a vertical string into just over four inches with Hornady – telling me it was a compromised grip. Squaring myself away, I put five rounds of Black Hills into 5 ¼” – but that included a high flier. Four of those went into 1 7/8”.
The sights are low – I was not happy with a short front sight – but in application, I didn’t notice it.
There were no stoppages. So far, it’s interesting. Next time, we’ll see how it stands up in the Comparative Standards. First, I’ll explain those standards in Shooting Wire as I shoot a gun with irons then with a micro-red dot sight.
- - Rich Grassi