SA XD .45 ACP vs. SW99 .45 ACP

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I'm leaning towards the XD; the 14rd capacity and gear packageare very enticing.


EDIT: Which would you buy? or, Which did you buy?

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I've had my XD45 Compact for about a year now and it's been flawless. It's a great shooter. The XD Gear Package has pretty much stayed in the plastic case though. The holster isn't that great and kind of sticks out too far for my liking, the mag holders are pretty much the same story. If you want to use them on the range, they'd probably be fine. For concealed carry, I wouldn't bother, go aftermarket for better results. For OC, they'd work fine I guess.

No feeding issues at all with my XD. It's fed every hollow point I've tried. I've hard that it may have issues with SWC though, but I don't shoot those so I haven't experienced it personally.

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Seems like the 'gear package' might not be all that great... as reported on this thread http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum62/7198.html

The extra mags and case would still be nice...

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I really like my XD45 compact as well. I've shot lots of ammo of different brands with not a hiccup. It has eaten every wide nosed JHP or copper HP I have asked it to with not a single FTE or FTF. I have not shot wad cutters either though so I can't attest to that issue. The compact is nice given the 10 rd/13rd mag choices. I usually CC the 10rd mag for concealment reasons. Shortening the grip 3/4" with a mag change really effects concealability sometimes.

The XD Gear reloader works. I used it at first as I was getting use to loading an auto regularly but now I just load everything with my hands unless I am doing a lot of loading. The last time I used it was in a class, following 2 days of range practice, and my hands were getting fatigued. It was a helpful bit of plastic that day.

The XD gear holster is much maligned by most XD owners. Personally I like it for certain purposes since I got purpose designed gun belts. With a regular belt it flopped around too much for my taste and I only used it at the range. I use it primarily for CC and for OC at the range (as my Sig fits in it ok, it works well for me at the range without having to swap out holsters). For OC in public I prefer my level 2 SERPA because of the added security, but I have worn it OC in uncrowded areas. It does it's job. It keeps the gun where I want it and is easy to draw from when needed. There are better and worse holsters out there, but for free with the gun, it gives me another option.

The mag holster works fine. It is a little bulky for my daily taste being that I usually CC due to local ordinances, and I don't like that it is a looped belt holster instead of a clip on being that if you forget to put it on you have to take your belt almost all the way off to use it. But it is durable and also serves it's purpose. For open carry it wouldn't be a problem. It, like the holster, has a tension adjustment screw to adjust for your preference.

I haven't shot the SW99, but I would like to give it a try.

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Another XD owner here. Basically, the XD .45 is a terriffic gun all around. The gear package is sort of neat, but once you get it, you will likely leave it in the box most of the time like the rest of us. The holster and the mag holder are too big for CC, and I wouldn't trust anything without some level of retention for OC...just my preference. The mag loader is a God-send though and will probably be used pretty regularly (cramming that 12th and 13th round down that magazine gets pretty tough to do without a little help). Also, don't know about SW, but SA offers a lifetime warranty with their pistols, so if it breaks, they'll fix it.

Buy an XD, get a SERPA, and you will be more than happy with your purchase.

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The SW99 is a bit slimmer, decocker is a desirable feature and the grip is nice... but you sacrifice 4rd capacity, and the mags are at least twice as expensive, not to mention that it is difficult to find holsters and spare parts.

The M&P 45 would be a good alternative to the SW99 .45 but you'll still be faced with lower capacity... and besides that (IMHO), the soft plastic feel of the M&P grip and trigger leave much to be desired.

The XD-45 would be my personal choice, between the 2 (or 3)... I have tried many, many polymer pistols, and the XD lineup never ceases to impress me, even compared to the standard H&K USP offerings. (I know, that's blasphemy). The XD trigger can be DIY tuned to 3lb with no overtravel and very little pre-travel (just enough for the trigger safety to engage)... I did that to my XD-9 Tactical just recently, and it's trigger was preferred byseveral range-mates over their 1911s.

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Thanks for all your input. It seems that the consensus here and elsewhere that the XD is much preferred. It is a very popular gun right now, so accessories will be easy to find and probably cheaper than others.

There are so many different models...which to choose? What are the differences b/w the compact 4" and the service 4"? Is it just the height?

And, is the height the same on the 4" compact and 5" compact, and the length the only difference?

So, it seems these are the choices (right)? Service Model 4", Compact 4", Tactical 5", Compact 5" and lastly the Sub-Compact 3"

Which do you recommend? I know this is more a matter of a personal preference...

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If I could buy 2 of them, I would buy the Fullsize 5", and the Compact 4"...

If I had to pick one, I'd lean towards the Compact 4". (the 5" guns do shoot very nice though...)

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kmcdowel wrote:

Thanks for all your input. It seems that the consensus here and elsewhere that the XD is much preferred. It is a very popular gun right now, so accessories will be easy to find and probably cheaper than others.

There are so many different models...which to choose? What are the differences b/w the compact 4" and the service 4"? Is it just the height?

And, is the height the same on the 4" compact and 5" compact, and the length the only difference?

So, it seems these are the choices (right)? Service Model 4", Compact 4", Tactical 5", Compact 5" and lastly the Sub-Compact 3"

Which do you recommend? I know this is more a matter of a personal preference...

Click to expand...

Firstly, the sub-compact is not available in .45 so that is right out.

The service models are all 4" barrels. The tactical models are all 5" barrels. So in .45 you can get a service, compact service, tactical or compact tactical (although not stated that way on their web site that is generally the way I see them discussed - the web site kept adding things as the new models came and they didn't appear to change the prior entries to make the .45 nomenclature consistent with the other calibers).

The difference between the service/tactical and the compact is the grip length. The compact grip is about 3/4" shorter than the standard grip. It comes with a 10 rd and a 13 rd magazine. The 13 rd mag has a grip sleeve on it that, when loaded into the pistol, extends the grip to the standard length. Having fired standard grip models and the compact with sleeve, they do feel the same and unless your pinky landed right on the groove between the grip and the sleeve, I don't think there is any noticable difference. The 3/4" reduction in grip length with the 10 rd mag makes a surprising difference in concealability. I got a compact service because I CC frequently.

The frames on the service and tactical models are exactly the same. You can take a tactical slide assembly and put it on a service frame and vice versa. The only difference between the two is the slide/barrel length.

Which model you choose is going to depend on how you are going to use and carry the pistol and comfort for your body. If I only OC I would have bought a tactical model, for example. The service compact is nice because it really is, in many ways, two guns in one. I always use the 13rd mag when I OC, rarely use it when I CC. I always carry 13rd mags for additional ammo/mag regardless. I only shoot with the 10 rd mags enough to ensure proficiency with the shorter grip, the rest of the time I use the 13 rd for comfort. Lastly, if you spend any time in areas that only allow a 10 rd magazine, you may want to get a compact so that you have that option.

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It all makes sense now. I spent too much time on SA's website trying to figure that out...Thanks.

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I have the 45acp service and LOVE IT. I shoot IDPA with it, never had a problem and it shoots better then I can. I have spent numerous days with it trudging around in the snow in sub-zero temps. no problems. I have even rolled around in the mud with it, no problems. Its a great firearm anyway i look at it.

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Why would someone buy the non-compact 4" or 5"? Is the only difference that one comes with a 10rd and a 13rd clip, and the other comes with 2-13rd clips? I guess if you never CC then the compact would be pointless.

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Plus, unless you have some serious sized man hands, the 13rd full size grip is HUGE. Too big for my tastes to be completely honest. This is why I bought another shortened 10 rd mag for my compact and leave the 13rd mag at home.

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kmcdowel wrote:

Why would someone buy the non-compact 4" or 5"? Is the only difference that one comes with a 10rd and a 13rd clip, and the other comes with 2-13rd clips? I guess if you never CC then the compact would be pointless.

Click to expand...

As I said above (with some editing):

The difference between the service/tactical and the compact is the grip length. The compact grip is about 3/4" shorter than the standard grip. It comes with a 10 rd and a 13 rd magazine (the standard grip service/tactical comes with two 13 rd mags). The 13 rd compact mag has a grip sleeve on it that, when loaded into the pistol, extends the grip to the standard length. Having fired standard grip models and the compact with sleeve, they do feel the same and unless your pinky landed right on the groove between the grip and the sleeve, I don't think there is any noticable difference. The 3/4" reduction in grip length with the 10 rd mag makes a surprising difference in concealability. I got a compact service because I CC frequently.
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If I got another XD45 I would add a regular tactical model to my collection. I want a tactical for sight radius and I wouldn't be buying a tactical length for the purpose of CC and therefore would have not need for a compact frame.

By the way, the only difference between the standard grip tactical/service mags and the 13 rd compact mags is the grip sleeve. You can use a regular 13 rd mag in the compact frame, you just have to be careful about not shoving it in too far and hard because there is no "stop" on it without the sleeve. You'll just have about 3/4" of the chrome body of the mag sticking out of the grip. Also, you can slide off the sleeve and use a compact 13 rd mag in a standard grip XD45. The 10 rd mag is only for the compact model.

As Vmathis said, your hand size may be fine with the compact grip. I have fairly large hands and find the 10 rd mag to be a little short for maximum comfort. YMMV

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Pierce just released the 45 pinky extension for the compact magazines, so if you've got large hands and the compact mag is just a bit too small, this should help.

The XD45 Compact is actually only 1/4" taller than the XD Subcompact and the Subcompact only comes in 9mm/40SW, also it only has a 3" barrel. The 9mm/40SW/357SIG models are also slightly thinner than the 45 models. I bought the 45 Compact and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, it's a really great pistol and at a great price point. I bought mine for $500 OTD at the Nations Gunshow last year.

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You might want to consider this one.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php?version=113

5" bbl and two grip sizes to choose from

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I have the XD-45 4 inch service model for about 6 months and absolutely love it. It's had about 1500 rounds put through it (Blaser Brass, Remington UMC, reloads, Cor-bon +P, etc) and has not had any malfunctions whatsoever.