Hi,
Welcome back to NW Tactical, today we are gonna switch gears hear a little bit and instead of reviewing a knife we will review our first gun. This one is my personal favorite polymer pistol on the market. The Springfield XD(m) .40S&W, this pistol not only looks badass but I think its one of the best polymer pistols on the market at this time because of its innovation in egronomics and safety.
First off let me clear up one common question, why is the round called .40S&W, when it is manufactured by Springfield. The .40S&W round was created jointly by Smith & Wesson and Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate the performance of the F.B.I. reduced-velocity 10mm Auto cartridge, which could be retrofitted into medium-frame (9mm size) automatic handguns. The reason the F.B.I. needed this type of round is because it needed a handgun that could hold more rounds then your typical 6 shooter revolver and had more stopping power then the 9mm parabellum round. The reason they came to this conclusion is because in the aftermath of the 1986 F.B.I. Miami shootout during which 2 F.B.I. agent were killed and 5 more were wounded sereverly. The F.B.I. agents were totally out gunned by the bank robbers even though they out numbered them 8 to 2, the 2 bank robbers were carrying a Ruger Mini 14 rifle, S&W M3000 shotgun and 2 S&W .357 revolvers. Eventually the two armed robbers were killed but they took some serious lead and kept on going. The F.B.I. chaulked this up to the weapons that the agents were carrying did not have sufficient stopping power. Hope you enjoyed this little history lesson.
The Springfield XD(M) .40 S&W is a polymer pistol. Polymer is a type of hard plastic that is lighter, resistant to wear, abrasion, solvents, and oils compared to its steel frame brothers. Polymer plastic can be molded into a variety of ergonomic shapes that do not require separate grip panels, permitting them to use high-cap mags without increasing the bulk. It also makes them more adaptable to persons with smaller hands. Another great thing is that the polymer frame flexes under the recoil and also absorbs some of the recoil pulse so they shoot softer then the heavier guns and you can shoot faster while maintaining good grouping.
Now lets move on to the gun features which there are many. The XD(m) is a modified version of the XD which was one of the more popular polymer handguns on the market. Springfield could have been content with the XD and sold them out as fast as they came into the warehouse but they decided they wanted more and boy did they give us more. First off the XD(m) has a match grade barrel which rivals aerospace manufacturing, MG barreling is when the barrel is bored the same thickness with more consistent rifling from the rear of the barrel to the tip, which provides a more accurate shot and better grouping. Match grade is usually an aftermarket part that requires special ordering from a barrel manufacture but Springfield has made this their standard.
Springfield has invented terms for the XD(m) that all start with the letter “M”. Lets explore these features and the clever terms that Springfield as invented. First the XD(m) Major Grasp slide Serrations which means it has deeper serrations on the slide to make it easier to cock the weapon in harsh weather or if you are like me and have sweaty palms.
Next we have the Mega Lock Texture which gives the weapon an all terrain look. Springfield claims that this isn’t all about cosmetic looks but it sure doesn’t hurt. The extra texture on the handle helps you keep a tighter grip in extreme weather. The angle and depth of each contour has been calculated for maximum control vertically, horizontally, and torsionally, it also asists with long rapid fire strings which once agains assists in grouping. The angle of the handle is very similar to that of the legendary 1911. Like I stated previously the polymer guns have a Model Contour Frame which contours to your hand and makes it feel like the gun is gripping you not you gripping the gun. The gun also comes with 3 different backstrapes that they call Mold-Tru backstrapes. These backstrapes add another layer of comfort to the shooter by conforming to the size of his/her hand. It comes with a small, medium and large size so everyone should be able to find a comfortable grip. Along with the Mold-Tru Backstrapes it comes with Magazine X-Tensions which also assist in making it more comfortable.
One thing that sets Springfield XD(m) apart from other polymer guns on the market is that they use a Melonite finish which is a lot thicker then most finishes used on its competitors. The Melonite finish is a salt bath nitriding process that leaves a thicker, harder and more corrosion resistence finish on the slide.
The XD(m) has a Minimal Reset Trigger which gives it the shortest travel of any polymer gun on the market. The single action trigger is very clean and breaks between 5.5 and 7.7 lbs. The XD(m) also has the shortest reset on the market as well which keeps you on target with a greater ease for faster more accurate follow up shots which once again aides in grouping. The XD(m) has a Picatinny rail system that they call Multi-Adjust Rail System. This allows you to personalize your gun by adding a laser, flashlight system, or even new sights.
The XD(m) comes with a ton of safety features to help the shooter/carry protect himself and the people around him from an accidently discharge. On the slide there are two indicators that tell you the gun is loaded and cocked, first there is an indicator on the slide by the discharge chamber that will protrude from the top to let you know visually and by touch that there is a bullet in the chamber ready to fire. Second there is a pin that protrudes from the back of the slide letting you know that the chamber has been cocked and ready to fire. This pin will protrude even if there is no bullet in the chamber. Some of the other safety features are the Grip Safety which is on the back of the handle and has to be depressed to fire the weapon. Last but defiantly not least is the USA Trigger System. The USA Trigger System stands for Ultra Safety Assurance which guards against accidental discharge from dropping or bumping by locking the trigger in place until direct rearward pressure is applied. Thats four different safety features all on one gun to protect you against accidental discharge. One more thing Springfield has changed about the XD(m) is that you do not have to pull the trigger to field strip the weapon. Talk about field stripping the weapon, the XD(m) only takes seconds to field strip and put back together. With only 5 different parts anyone can field strip the weapon and clean it, which is great for novice shooters or people who are not looking for a complicated home defense system. Springfield is defiantly leading the field in safety which makes them one of the top weapon distributors in my opinion. They have the shooters safety in mind not just their bottom dollar.
Last but not least the Springfield XD(m) comes is a very nice hard plastic carry case that comes with everything you need to use the weapon immediately and it makes a great range case. The case comes with styrofoam cut out for your gun, two magazines(one compact that holds 12 rounds and another extended version that holds 16 rounds), a hard plastic gun holster, a hard plastic magazine holster that holds two fully loaded magazines, a speed loader, three back straps, a gun chain lock, and last but not least cleaning supplies to keep your gun at its best.
In conclusion I think this gun is a no brainer for any level shooter, from beginner to advanced. When I bought this gun I had never owned any type of weapon before. This was my first gun and I am glad that I went with it, I have put over 2,000 rounds thru it without a single jam or malfunction which is a great indicator of the quality of this handgun. The safety features were one of the main reasons I purchased the gun, also the ergonomics of the gun felt like an extension of my arm where as the Glock and other guns didn’t feel as natural when I would point them down range. Also the increased grip texture helped make the gun look pretty badass. I was also looking for a gun with a little more stopping power then a 9mm, but to my surprise I learned that the XD(m) .40S&W is one of the only guns on the market that you can switch to a 9mm with only a few changes. All you have to do is buy a 9mm barrel and some 9mm magazines and switch them out with the .40S&W barrel and the .40S&W magazines and magically you have a 9mm pistol. Two in one, who would have thought. One of the nice things about that is the 9mm bullets are a lot cheaper to purchase then the .40S&W so it helps save money when you just want to go to the range and enjoy blowing the shit out of a target, it also is great if you are sharing this weapon with your spouse because the 9mm round has less recoil and is easier to shoot for women. I would recommend this gun to everyone, from a women just looking for a small concealable gun for self-defense, a husband who is looking for a home defense weapon to protect his family, to a Police Officer looking for a secondary or primary weapon for duty. The XD(m) comes in pretty much every size and caliber that you could possibly want. In this review we focused on the 3.8 Compact .40S&W but they are all exactly the same but for caliber size and barrel length. They come in 3.8″ barrel with full handle and compact handle, and shoot .45ACP, .40S&W, 9mm rounds, its also comes in 4.5″ barrel that shoots .45ACP, .40S&W, 9mm, and last but not least it comes in 5.25″ barrel that shoots .45ACP, .40S&W, and 9mm rounds. What else could you possible want/need in a polymer handgun. I know this was a long blog but I do love this gun and there is a lot to know before you make such an important purchase. I hope this blog will help you make your desicion on if this is the right weapon for you.
Thank you for reading and keep an eye out for my next post. My next post I will be reviewing Smiths SK2 2-Stone sharpening kit. Also please leave a review/comment in the section below.
I think it would be great for a survival kit because of its size and weight, one of the most important things when putting together a survival kit is to find items that are small and light but still a quality product that will be there when you need it the most. The ergonomic skeleton grip is perfect for a two finger grip to make fuzz sticks, gut a fish, or dress game, wrap some para-cord around it to improve the grip and give it more real estate to hold on to. In my opinion this is a great little knife, but you have to remember that this is only $20.00 and is less then 4 inches in total length. It is a small knife but a quality product that is less then an ounce.
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