In a market saturated with sub-compact, single stack 9mm pistols, Springfield’s XD-E stands out by adding the simplest tool in the box: a hammer. DA/SA has its fans, but is it a fit in a polymer single stack pistol?
I admit it: I’m terrible at reading owner’s manuals! I pulled the XD-E out of the box and thought I could get right to using it, but couldn’t figure out how to hold the damn thing.
Thankfully Springfield’s molded handy instructions right into the…well…it turns out it’s the handle. The “GripZone®,” if you will. Excellent! All kidding aside, the handle’s coral-like texture hits a sweet spot. It’s sufficiently grippy yet comfortable, on both the hand and the love handle.
Springfield ships the XD-E in their usual GLOCK-shaming hard case with fitted foam insert. The gun comes with two high quality stainless steel magazines — one eight-rounder and one nine-rounder. But wait! There’s more! The Illinois firearms manufacturer also includes extra fiber optic rods (both red and green) and a flush baseplate for the eight-round mag.
The eight-round magazine arrives with a pinky extension installed (as above). Swapping it for the flush baseplate to achieve maximum concealability is a doddle. The extended magazine’s collar effectively and near-seamlessly extends the XD-E’s grip, though the collar can also be removed to make carrying the nine-rounder more discreet.
Controls include a thumb safety that doubles as a decocker, a slide stop, a takedown lever, and magazine release.
The safety and mag release are mirrored on the right side of the gun. This may make lefties happy, but I’m not a lefty. While it pales in comparison to the problems suffered by southpaws on a daily basis, the XD-E’s ambi controls rubbed me the wrong way. Quite literally.
Using my normal shooting grip, I couldn’t decock the gun with my strong hand thumb; the right-side lever hit my knuckle. I had to completely open up my grip to provide the necessary clearance, or just power the lever down with my left hand instead. Another issue . . .
With a proper firing grip, my right hand wanted to prevent the magazine release from protruding any farther out the right side of the frame. This isn’t conducive to ejecting a magazine. I had to relax my grip to provide room for the ambi side of the release to stick out. To be fair, I’ve encountered this problem on other pistols with truly ambidextrous magazine releases.
That said, whether you encounter either issue above will depend on your personal hand size and shape, and exactly where and how you grip the GripZone®.
For the first couple hundred rounds, when I depressed the XD-E’s magazine release, it stayed depressed. Now that it’s broken in, the problem has disappeared, and it has never caused an issue. With any sort of decently confident mag insertion it popped right back into place and held onto the new magazine. Insert the mag gently, though, and it would fall right back out.
While I’m sure a wet sneeze would have cured the “problem,” this isn’t a part I typically clean and lube when I take a new gun out of the box.
Shooters with hand strength-issues note: the XD-E’s slide is remarkably easy to rack; the handgun’s hammer provides additional recoil spring strength during the gun’s operation. Then again, that assumes you manually cock the skeletonized hammer first. With the hammer down, the slide is much more standard in the amount of pull required to rack it.
As with all Springfield XDs, the XD-E’s slide is very tall. While the “Posi-Wedge Serrations” don’t take up a lot of real estate, and look about as aggressive as a peeved Pekinese, they’re extremely effective.
With the hammer down and the trigger in double-action mode, reaching the trigger can be a show-stopper. For large-handed shooters, it’s a non-issue. For the medium- and small-handed among us, the Springfield XD-E’s trigger is either so far from the backstrap that a fingertip can barely reach it, or completely unreachable.
The XD-E’s trigger is more sharply curved than RF’s favorite Israeli supermodel. And it sits a long way forward inside the trigger guard. Though you can cram your finger between the frame and the curved part of the trigger — where one’s finger should go — the XD-E’s design naturally places the finger on the trigger’s leading edge.
After firing a bunch of double action shots — working with a trigger pull of about 11.5 pounds — the bottom of my finger was getting a tad raw. Boo-boo aside, it doesn’t “feel” quite right for the finger to be on the leading edge of the trigger. Luckily, the XD-E serves up a surprisingly smooth trigger pull that increases in resistance (“stacks”) just before the break.
In single action, with the preset trigger closer to the grip, the XD-E’s trigger is significantly more pleasant and controllable. There’s a bit of slack followed by a fairly decent break at about five pounds. The XD-E’s gas pedal can’t compete with Springfield’s 1911s, but it’s better than most out-of-the-box CZ 75s, though not quite as good as a typical SIG.
The XD-E’s loaded chamber indicator flag sticks up out of the top of the slide when a round is in the pipe. Combined with an external hammer and a manual thumb safety, the gun’s status is never in doubt.
The XD-E’s sights were good to me. I like a fiber optic front, and the serrations on both the front and rear of the front sight are a nice touch. I prefer an all-black rear sight but I’m in the minority (3-dot sights are standard for a reason), and it’s nothing a dab of paint wouldn’t cure.
Though the XD-E’s slide is tall — there’s certainly a lot of mass above the hands — the XD-E is a pleasant shooter. I had no problem shooting it rapid-fire, keeping it right on target. For all my sass, the GripZone® is grippy and the gun’s ergonomics git ‘er done.
Weight helps too. The XD-E tips the scales at 25 ounces (1.4 oz more than a Glock 19). The single stack handgun stands five inches tall (0.01″ more than a GLOCK 19). So while the XD-E’s a sub-compact in width (1-inch grip width) and length (6.75 inches), it ain’t exactly a pocket pistol.
Straight out of the box, the first 17 rounds at 15 yards looked like that. I shot one round in double-action and the rest single at a pretty brisk clip.
Another 17 rounds, all double-action this time, and we’re honing in on the XD-E’s handling.
Another 17 rounds, truly rapid-fired now and I’m fairly pleased.
Fast forward a few hundred rounds of mixed ammo later and the XD-E is chugging along nicely. It’s smoothly feeding, firing and ejecting everything I throw at it and it’s doing it one-handed, both strong and weak hand, decocked and fired double-action, single-action, whatever. Then it was time to break out the sandbag and shoot some accuracy groups.
I shot weak 115 grain and +P 115 grain, weak 147 grain and self-defense 147 grain. All four groups were pretty similar in size. Not exactly impressive at 15 yards from a bag, but more than sufficient for the XD-E’s intended role. The fact that group size didn’t open up all that much even under rapid, off-hand fire I think speaks to a fairly easy-to-shoot gun with good sights.
After accuracy testing I went back to blasting away and ran into a squib round — primer-only, as far as I could tell. I hammered the stuck bullet out of the barrel then kept on keeping on. The XD-E ran through 500 rounds with total confidence, from cheap reloads to pricey hollow points.
When it’s time to clean and lube, simply lock the slide back and flip up the takedown lever. Then guide the slide off the front of the frame or simply drop the slide release to launch it off with great fanfare.
From here, it’s really just as you’d expect inside. Fit, finish, and machining show considerable care. Springfield clearly took the effort to highly polish the feed ramp, for instance.
For fans of hammer-fired guns who’ve longed for a skinny DA/SA subcompact handgun, here ya go. You can decock and carry the XD-E hammer-down (safety on or off) for a longer, heavier, safer first trigger pull followed by short, crisp follow-up shots. Or you can cock the hammer manually to skip that long first pull. Or carry the XD-E cocked-and-locked from the get-go.
No matter how you carry it, the Springfield XD-E is a comfortable shooting, reasonably accurate, entirely reliable, concealable firearm. That’s IF you have a large enough hand to reach the trigger (in double action) and don’t mind the shoe’s pointiness.
Specifications: Springfield XD-E
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: One 8-round and one 9-round magazine included
Length: 6.75″
Height: 5″
Width: 1″ grip width
Barrel Length: 3.3″
Weight: 25 oz
Operation: DA/SA hammer-fired with manual thumb safety/decocker
MSRP: $519
Ratings (out of five stars):
Reliability * * * * *
It feels like a solid, well-made gun and functions like one, too. It easily and confidently cycled a bunch of different ammo right out of the box.
Accuracy * * *
Barely average for a sub-compact, but good enough.
Aesthetics * *
The tall slide with short-ish barrel on a tall-ish frame isn’t a good look. Frankly, that plus the top-half-of-the-slide-only slide serrations reminds me way too much of the Hi-Point C9. From the side or from behind, the XD-E ain’t a looker.
Customize This * * *
Limited aftermarket on this new model, though it comes from the factory with a few magazine options and the ability to switch from red to green fiber optic for the front sight. And there’s a short rail. Some XD-S holsters will fit the -E as well, and plenty of manufacturers have jumped on board and released XD-E specific versions.
Ergonomics * * *
Ergos on the XD-E are very good in general, but the ambi features didn’t work for me. Both the magazine release and the decocker function of the right side safety/decocker got in my way. Plus, there’s that length of pull.
Overall * * *
The XD-E is reliable, but we all expect that in a modern self-defense gun these days. Elsewhere, it checks all the appropriate boxes, though has looks only mama GripZone® could love. If you’ve been waiting for a single-stack, sub-compact DA/SA gun, the XD-E is probably a five-star ticket.
NOTE: Springfield declined TTAG’s requests for a T&E XD-E, so we got one from a dealer. It received the same, honest review as any other firearm without consideration for the Springfield-related political news that TTAG broke this spring.
Springfield = Hell NO!
I didn’t read the entire review. The pop up auto play video ad that kept coming up on the bottom of my phone screen was distracting and kept coming back and eating up my battery. I know TTAG needs revenue but holy crap I don’t know about this
Thank you Johnny! Couldn’t have said it any better myself.
Darn right skippy! Springfield? Not now, not never.
On a serious note however, that is a truly ugly gun. As JWT said in a separate comment, the trigger will stab your finger.
“Not never” means someday you will by a Springfield.
I think the Hi-point wins on aethetics: It doesn’t say “Springfield” anywhere on it.
-1 point for being uglier than a Hi-Point.
-10 points for coming from Springfield Armory.
Say what you will about the POTG, we have a long memory for government anti-2A collaborators.
Friend of mine works at the LGS. Says they can’t give away any Springfields. Good, that means the POTG around here are “woke”.
…or it could be the fact that they’re that damn ugly.
Yeah, p much. S&W:look what I can do; SA:hold my beer.
Heres to hoping they choke on them. Screw Fuddfield armory.
“NOTE: Springfield declined TTAG’s request for a T&E XD-E….”
I can’t imagine why.
TTAG is trying to be ethical by giving this gun a review based entirely on it’s merits. I, on the other hand, am perfectly happy to remind any new readers of Springfield’s treachery and I will not give any financial support by purchasing any firearm from them.
Right on!
+1000 I am not inclined to purchase anything marketed by Springfield. A company that sinks to their level of crony capitalism doesn’t deserve the patronage of the people it betrays. Besides, there are plenty of other similar or better guns at a similar price point. Free choice is a good thing.
Not crony capitalism…crony socialism.
Right on.
That trigger was horrible. It just stabs your finger all the way back. I can’t give a Springfield gun a fare shake yet, but if I could, that trigger would disqualify this one from use.
got to be better than the wet noodle my mod2 service has on it
Stabbing in the back is a S.A. feature.
Maybe liberals can be their newest customers. They like working with them it seems.
“Springfield XD, the perfect pistol to help you bring forth glorious revolution”
but it’s better than a cz!
Not ergonomically. It’s just smoother and crisper out of the box than the various non-modified / base model CZ 75 variants are.
So trigger isn’t better than “old faithful” CZ 75?
Ergonomics of it are horrible. The trigger pull itself is smoother than a standard CZ 75 series in DA and the break is crisper in SA. It’s like a CZ in DA after 2k rounds through the CZ to smooth things out, and the SA is like a stock CZ with the hammer hooks squared up so the hammer doesn’t cam while breaking the trigger in SA.
Why is TTAG giving Springfield any exposure at all? How soon you forget what they did. I’m still boycotting until there are new owners. And yes I know what Ruger and S&W did to survive. Caving in to pressure is a helluva lot different then funding anti gun politicians and seeking to drive small FFL businesses out of business. Does TTAG have any back bone at all?
They can’t call themselves The Truth About Guns if they wade too deep into extended boycotts and that kind of politicking. Here’s a gun, they gave it an honest review. That’s fair. There’s nothing saying the Armed Intelligensia can’t remind the readers that Springfield as a corporate entity needs to be buried in their own filth.
“Why is TTAG giving Springfield any exposure at all?”
Because the truth in ‘The Truth About Guns’ applies to *all* of the guns, not just the ones we approve of politically.
Kinda like freedom of speech.
That means all of it, including the speech one may find distasteful…
I don’t see a need to make up your mind for you. TTAG investigated and broke ALL of what you know about Springfield’s politics. I’m not going to pretend like the company doesn’t exist and blackball them from the website because I’m forcing my own opinion down your throat. My job is reviewing guns fairly and honestly. You’ll continue to get that from me and whether what you know about Springfield (which you know, again, because of TTAG) affects your purchasing decision or not isn’t up to me. Make up your own damn mind. More information is never a bad thing. Censoring information is. I’m in the camp of giving you as much info as I can and letting you be an adult and decide what to do with it. There are plenty of other places you can go if you want to be told what to think.
And I applaud you for that stance. It’s a shame you had to plunk down cash to make the review happen, seeing where that cash ends up, but better to have a thorough review of a product than not.
If, years down the road, SA makes amends and regains the trust of the community, then having reviews of their products will influence my buying decisions. For now, SA products are decent doorstops.
You did fine, Jeremy. A fair and honest review… Springfield themselves couldn’t (or shouldn’t) find any fault at all with your reporting. In fairness to the gun and it’s quality, we should probably be reminded that Springfield is merely the licenced distributor for the Croatian company HS Produkt – they made it, in Croatia, not in Illinois. And they clearly know how to make a good gun… pity their distributor in the US did what they did but that’s not HS’s fault.
Good on you for being honest and standing your ground.
Springfield choked no doubt, but let’s everyone remember that Springfield does not make these pistols.
They only license them.
A larger portion of the money goes to the company that manufacturers these fine pistols and the ffls that sell them than to the middle man “Springfield”.
You mean like Youtube chooses to screw gun channels?
You want TTAG to stoop to that level?
You could always start your own The Selective Distorted Semi-Truth ABout Some Guns” website.
I think it’s because they make guns.
As I understand it, the anti-gun Bill backed by Springfield is still in committee in the Illinois house
It can be resurrected and passed at any time
We certainly need to boycott Springfield until this Bill guy is a comp you certainly need to boycott Springfield until this bill dies completely
This.
If, on the slim chance (snowball in hell) that bill ever passed both houses of the legislature, Gov. Rauner would veto it and they don’t have the votes for an override.
In a state that hasn’t had a balanced budget this millennium, the bill of which you speak was nothing more than a distraction.
Didn’t Springfield quit the Illinois Mnaufacturer’s Group? They’d have nothing to do with the bill if it comes back.
Quit the lobby? They and RRA WERE the lobby.
Went to Defensive Handgun with John Farnam in the Spring. His assistant also mentioned that Springfield magazines would malfunction if exposed to dirt or sand. Said he’s alerted Springfield to this but that they don’t seem interested in fixing the problem.
I agree with the other posters on the sellout issue.
Also, I haven’t followed the latest politics in Croatia but if its like now what it was 25 years ago with Utashe friendly politicians running the place, I’m going to avoid buying anything manufactured there.
Without going into the politics of the company or country of manufacture I have owned XD’s for several years and I have yet to have either the gun itself or the magazines fail in any way. Several thousand through my original XD and about 1k through my Mod.2. I’ve dropped mags in sand, dirt, mud, and snow and they have always functioned flawlessly. Maybe I just got lucky and I am in no way an expert, but that is my honest experience with them. Since their Illinois political situation came to light, I have held off on any further purchases, but the past ones I’ve made will stay with me and on me.
It’s a nice start, but come back with a rotating cylinder and we’ll talk.
Maybe taking an oath of loyalty to the Second Amendment wouldn’t hurt either.
Loyalty oaths are for fascists.
Loyalty oaths actually were maandated first in the US by progressives
Sorry. After what Springfield did, I can never consider any Springfield product.
Erm…no thanks. Springfield can suck it.
I bought a SIG P239 and have been very happy with it.
And for the sake of comparison I bought a SIG P255-A1 as well. That stays in the safe, mostly.
See, Springfield? That’s nearly $2000 in sales you could have gotten a piece of. But you chose poorly.
I have a couple of springfields. An xdm9 and a 1911 loaded.
I havent had any problems with the mags in either one.
I was considering an m1a as my semi auto 308. As ive had good luck with my springfields that wouldve been it.
After all the shtf…. just built an 18in ar10 instead. Never again will i purchase a springfield product. At least not until its under new ownership.
That’s exactly why I have an XD-E. I simply couldn’t drop a grand on a Sig (all of mine have been gifts or pre-owned, or the SP2022 I traded for a G19 I had $300 in).
I needed a single stack hammer for much of where I spend my time, and 500 for a SA was feasible, but 850 for a P239 wasn’t (even used is upwards of 600 or 700 round here with one mag).
I do hope I cut into their profits by participating in GearUp, though. It’s not like they have any more DA/SA decock 9mm that I would want.
I notice it has the Mod.2 grip, not the shred-the-hand grip of the XDS. Even with Talons my XDS was so uncomfortable I sold it.
Can any manufacturer put out low bore axis guns? What we have now, what Beretta, CZ and Strike Industries etc…no other biggies.
” The Illinois firearms manufacturer…”
Correction: Illinois distributor of Croatian made firearms.
Not that I have anything against the Croatians, but let’s not misguide people about where they are made.
I’m not a fan of SA/DA pistols, but for those that are, this review makes me think the combination of SA/DA, safety/decocker and ambidextrous controls was too much for Springfield to effectively cram into a subcompact package.
I never could warm up to the xd series between the high bore axis and the “what’s in a name” Springfield logo, that said the xds my friend lent me was reliable but I would think the da/sa on this one would kill it for me and I’m a da/sa guy whole heartedly , and Springfield can kma
Jeremy’s honesty and integrity are proven once again. He’s a good and fair man. A better man than I could be evaluating a new Springfield product.
I don’t know if they are still mad about him reporting on the forearm melting off their precious SAINT, or if they are upset over us reporting on their double-dealing in the Illinois capitol building. Either way, they blame the messenger for reporting on their own creations.
I’ll write up a report on the Gun Dealer Licensing bill later today, post-eclipse.
John
Great, fair review, as always, Jeremy. But you didn’t test how good it is at shooting yourself in the foot. That seems to be an area that Springfield has put a lot of R&D into lately.
If I had I doubt I’d admit it on the internet 😉
Jeremy – How does this gun stack up against similar striker-fired designs? As a guy who prefers hammer-fired guns, it seems the XDe is bigger, heavier, and maybe not as well executed as others? Any reason (other than the hammer) why this gun would be better than a Glock 43 or even the XDs? Politics aside, of course.
Three stars…average. If you’re cool with a striker then there are lighter, smaller pistols that accomplish the same thing. Though the mass of this one might make it a little easier to control than the tiniest 9mms out there. You can disassemble it without pulling the trigger, and it does have “double strike” capability (a true DA mode) should you encounter a hard primer or something. …The importance of those things being subjective… It’s a fine shooter. I just didn’t like the shape of the trigger in DA mode and the controls weren’t ideal for me.
Politics aside – I like mine very much. I thought mine was the only one with a sticky mag release!! It’s an irritant but not really a show-stopper. They are selling very well in this neck of the woods – per comments from two LGS. Lots of negative SA comments here – I’m sure Chuckie Schumer will be happy when SA goes out of business. Wouldn’t that be great for firearms freedom in the US – one less company, fewer choices.
I suspect that if (when?) Springfield goes out of business, someone else will come along and pick up where they left off as a distributor of Croatian guns. It’s not as though they’re one of only three or four companies selling guns in the US. Aside from the imported XD series, almost everything else they make is a “me, too” product that the marketplace wouldn’t miss too much. How many companies are out there making 1911s and AR-15s? I think we’d still have plenty of variety to choose from.
Never a Springfield for this Illinois resident. Besides I hate the grip safety(almost bought an XD 40)-it’s an HS Product which should be cheaper like a Canik or Sar.
Opinion; Springfield only made one firearm that was any good and that was the 1911 model 70 series. Spring field CEO is like Bill Ruger was when he supported the import bill an AWB bill in1994, just trying to lock in those profits you know, funny how his rifles were not on the list! {ranch rifle and mini thirty!} both companies have lost trust in their pursuit of the almighty buck, remember the Rock armory also for their conniving duplicitous actions.
Rock River Arms, not Rock Island Armory. One is guilty of crony capitalism, the other is the world’s largest manufacturer of 1911s.
Never wanted a Springfield before their political suicide, sure as hell don’t want one now. I do appreciate the honest review, it sounds like a hammer fired shield.
Also, do not remove the collar on the extended magazine. It can lead to over-insertion on single stack guns. Double stack guns do not have this problem.
Did you drop it or hit it with a mallet, you know, to safety test?
A very, very expensive Hi-Point with a hammer. Glad it doesn’t have too many sharp edges, because Dennis Reese can stick it up his ass as far as I am concerned.
We almost got royally screwed as gun owners,,, but Springfield and Rock River would have been fine with their exemption!
Good review
Sad thing is….I like single stack pistols for carry.
Springfields wont be an option though.
I’ll just wait for a Slim Line Glock 19.
No thank you.
It could be free, come.with a lifetime supply of ammo, and shoot gold nuggets out of the barrel. I still wouldn’t want it. Nice knowing you, Judas Armory.
Really ? I would buy that in a second. Lol
I have four xd’s of varying caliber and model, I won’t be adding the -e to my collection, but it’s not because of the political bullshit excuses, it’s simply because I think it is extraordinarily ugly, kinda like glock. as far as the political bullshit, well, there are issues with almost all of the big name brands, some worse than others, but if you refuse one company over a bad choice, you should look deeper into all of them, you may stop buying firearms all together. GET OVER IT!
+1 ^
Yep, just waiting for the production to mature (the R-51 comes to mind), because I’m apparently one of the minority that actually does want a da/sa with a frame mounted safety and exposed hammer in a single stack 9mm.
Of course I’m aware that they were involved with the Illinois political deal. Illinois in general has bigger problems than a gun maker’s bad lobbying.
Thanks for the review. Jeremy – does the slide have the same height and width as the XDs? To me, this looks slightly taller than the XDs slide. What is the difference in bore axis? The XDs looks significantly lower. Too bad the aesthetics aren’t closer to the XDs than what the Springfield designers went with (I suppose out of design necessity). I’ve held a couple of these and dry fired them. The grip is comfy, and it does have a fairly nice single action trigger. I didn’t get into the double action enough for it to bother my finger or see if the ambi controls bothered my right hand. This gun, to me, looks better in person than in photographs, but is not the best looker for sure. I agree that the quality is very nice – great machining as with all Springfield firearms. However, I won’t be replacing my XDs with the XDe because the XDs-9 is slightly lighter and smaller, with a ever so slightly narrower grip (about 0.1″ difference) and what appears to be a much lower bore axis. I did recently get a hammer fired gun to add to my EDC – but went with a Kimber Pro Carry II Two tone 1911 in 9mm. Couldn’t be happier with that purchase!
Nope. Not even if it was half the price and twice as good.
Springfield has lost my business. My favorite manufacturer may be connected to a strange Christian cult, but at least they’ve been strong on the Second Amendment.
Moonies supported Nixon and hate Commies. That’s OK in my book. LOL
that grip is way too short, even for a compact. if it was just a little longer and sounds like they need to move the trigger back some, it seems like it would be pretty desirable.
This pistol is one of five I’m considering of single stack “sub-compact” 9mm’s. Other’s include the Walther, Glock, S&W and the other SD. So far the S&W MP 9 Shield is in the lead followed by the Glock 43 (they’re more in the size I’m looking at). I’ve just never been a Glock fan. Single actions include the Sig 938 and the Kimber Micro 9. Its disappointing Springfield and Rock River chose the path they did – I presume they thought no one would find out. An M1A has been on my “to buy” list for a long time, now I may just stick to another AR308.
So what you’re saying is, you don’t like DA/SA hammer fired guns so the best it can do is three stars. But if you liked that type of gun it would get 5 ? So before you even started it never had a shot at 5 stars ? You’re being honest but you are also being biased. Why even bother doing the review? Let someone unbiased do it.
That’s not even almost what I said. I said “If you’ve been waiting for a single-stack, sub-compact DA/SA gun, the XD-E is probably a five-star ticket.” Reason being, it’s the ONLY single-stack, sub-compact DA/SA gun that I’m aware of (at least that’s currently manufactured). Hence the whole “if you’re been waiting…” for it part. Well, here it is and you’re probably elated.
Not only that, but my criticisms of the gun had nothing at all whatsoever to do with its DA/SA hammer-fired operation. The ambi controls were bothersome, the mag release stuck, the trigger is so far forwards and so sharply curved that, in DA operation, your finger ends up on the leading edge of it, and it wasn’t very accurate. Plus it’s ugly and tall and heavy for its size. “I don’t like DA/SA” was never said or meant and I don’t think it was ever implied, either.
BTW I compete with a DA/SA hammer-fired gun (or at least used to when I did that on occasion…it’s been a while). And I’ve reviewed other DA/SA hammer-fired guns on here that got 4 and 5 stars (e.g. CZ P-09).
The Sig P239 is still listed on Sig’s website, so I’m guessing they are still available. It holds 8 in the magazine, so it’s probably similar in size. I’m too lazy to check.
The price of the Sig is close to twice the SA, so SA gets bonus points there. I just wish they would can the ‘Grip Zone’ markings on their guns.
I can see the appeal of a traditional DA/SA pistol for new shooters or off body carry because they may be less prone to negligent discharges. They are also harder for most people to shoot well. Now that we have so many excellent striker fired guns I don’t see myself ever buying something like this. Especially with the current rebates on the Shield or the PPS M2.
I thought the review was fair and unbiased. However, I was shocked that so many people have written off Springfield based on what happened in Illinois. It’s understandable, given how many of these left wing morons want to disarm everyone, but you have to look at the politics of the company as a whole, not just on one issue. All of these companies are for-profit companies and they are getting attacked by the left on a daily basis. They do what they have to survive and sometimes we like it and some times we don’t. Heck, do you think they like making firearms in Croatia and other countries? They are businesses! I have a couple SA handguns that I like very well. Have some Colt’s and S&W’s that I like even better. Wish they were all made in the US but they weren’t. If you think that putting SA out of business is going to fix anything then with all due respect, you haven’t been paying attention. Write to the company and tell them how you feel about their business practices and why. But take it easy on the guy that is just reviewing a product, not making it.
Truth. Hmmm Springfield says that they did not know about the lobby and RRA says that claims about this matter are slanderous. So who are these trolls who post this drivel? Perhaps Obama’s info czars?
Having an inside person at SA and many guns made by them i can say that my bologna sense is tingling when you try to sell this nonsense. (Post)
As for the review, thanks! It told me what I need about the gun to make a good decision on whether to look at it.
A bit late here, aside from the politics which I’m not qualified to judge, Jeremy, the review seems quite honest & goes to discuss what most magazine reviewers are concealing (terrible DA trigger). It’s probably intended for the 1911 (SA) crowd anyway. It’s ALMOST what I want (with a 3.8″ brl.). What about the half-cock feature that NOBODY is discussing? What about poor ballistics in a 3.3″ brl. with most ammo? That ole SIG P239 still sounds good. Thanks Jeremy
I was really interested in this pistol because of the ambidextrous controls, if only Springfield hadn’t made the grip so long, and their slide wasn’t so high, and oh yeah, it wasn’t so heavy, especially for a single stack! If they were concerned about capacity, why not work on some innovative extended magazines?
After reading this article all I can say is “What were they thinking?”.
In my jurisdictions I have to unload and load in the car about 5 times a month, and do so discreetly. Because of that the XD-E held a lot if interest for me. The decocking da/sa and the external safety were really compelling.
You are correct tha the size is a bit of an issue compared to Shield and G43. In my case I was willing to overlook it for the other features. But the real deal killer was the trigger reach at that trigger weight.
I have medium sized men’s hands and this handgun is just garbage on the first shot. What were they thinking? I also have two daughters with what are medium size hands for women and do consider how they will do with any firearms they inherent — xd-e would be useless for them
I’d rather have a double stacked HK p30sk or sks. Yes it is wider but it is shorter in length and height.
Plus the decocker is not associated with the safety. Quality is better and you can use vp9 mags
Glad I didn’t read the comments of this group before I bought the XDE! Action is smooth. The accuracy for 3.3in is good. It has a real trigger, and all the features of a full size. The fit and finish is quite good. Since I only shoot Winchester. I have no ff or fe problems. It is now my summer carry and the Beretta 92 my winter carry.
As far as politics, who cares as long as I get what I want.
I hate how everybody has to give a political opinion and computer screens make awfully brave people now a days. I just want to know about personal experience with the firearm from other shooters. I already know about the Springfield Armory situation and I’ll make my own decision and live with that choice. I don’t need others to tell me what I should be doing, unless I ask them for their opinion on the issue. And you know what they say about opinions.
I carry two pistols: Beretta 92 FS 9mm is my winter carry, and the Springfield XDE 9mm for better concealment. The XDE has everything a full size SA/DA has and is becoming my favorite. It has everything a full size has but weight. You can’t miss by buying an XDE.
Recently had the chance to put about 100 rounds each, through one of these and an M&P Shield at the local range. The XDE fit my hand just as well as the Shield, and I found the accuracy to be about equal. I am cursed with somewhat small hands and often have trouble reaching/operating the controls on some guns. Not so with the XDE. The safety/decocker, mag release, and slide release were right there, and easy to operate. The Shield’s controls were all within easy reach as well, but much smaller. I can’t really see how the author had a problem with trigger reach. (unless those are not his hands in the photos), it would seem his hands are larger than mine, and I had no problems. I am a fan of DA/SA for carry… while I don’t think the trigger on the XDE measures up to my beloved PX4, or P30 I was quite pleased with the XDE. The slender package is a huge plus to me and I will probably end up making it my EDC.
Ooo!
So much anti-SA!
I carry the very ugly XD-S in 45ACP. Funny thing, its like Tom Bodett said, Everything looks the same when your eyes are closed.
I say, my XD-S looks just fine in its holster…which is where it spends most of its time anyway.
My only complaint is the gap between the blade safety and trigger shoe eats my fingers without gloves.
I have never quite gotten over the feeling a cocked firearm riding in my belt without a manual safety is not kosher.
I know, I know about all the other safeties.
The DA/SA operation is safer in quite a few respects even if it may be more difficult to master at first.
My next EDC pistol is going to be the XD-S in 45 ACP.
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I’ve owned many Sigs in the last 30 years. So yes? I like DA/SA guns. I also do extremely well with revolvers. Out of all the Sigs I’ve owned I was able to shoot my 229R the best. I own a SA XDe and I shoot it as well as that 229R. I was never able to properly grip any of my Sigs, even my 239. I have no trouble reaching the XDe’s trigger. At 7 yards, first shot DA, I am able to dump all 9 rnds into and inch group. I’ve found this gun to shoot softer and flatter than any other gun I’ve owned. My Sig 2022 flipped horribly in my hand. Not at all with the high-slided XDe. No pinched finger. No flipping recoil. No hard to reach trigger. Lazer beam effortless accuracy. I’m not saying the reviewer did not have the ergonomic problems with the XDe but I did not. It is subjective.
There are no.more 239’s. And now there are no more XDe’s being made. I’m glad I own one.
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