Looking to buy a new piece....

briehl12 said:

but I like the look of the XDM too.

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For me, the last thing on my list of criteria is the "look". I want something that fits my hand, shoots well, has a reputation for reliability, is chambered in a readily available caliber that's economic enough to shoot so I can get plenty of practice, has a wide selection of holsters available for it, and then LASTLY, it's looks.

amlevin said:

For me, the last thing on my list of criteria is the "look". I want something that fits my hand, shoots well, has a reputation for reliability, is chambered in a readily available caliber that's economic enough to shoot so I can get plenty of practice, has a wide selection of holsters available for it, and then LASTLY, it's looks.

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+1000

I absolutely love my XD45 Tactical and it's my primary sidearm. It doesn't get far from my side unless I need to deep conceal. I will OC and CC with it but need a bit of a large coat to cover it. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the XDM series and if I could ever get enough spare cash I hope to get the XDM9. I've fired Glock and have owned a few 1911s and of course a variety of other handguns. For me the XD is a natural point of aim shooter and I rarely need to use the sights for shooting under 25 yards (using the sights just insures a very small group.)

Definitely go to a range that rents out or go out with friends that have a variety of pistols and try them out. You will want to have it be something that not only fits your hand but is a natural shooter for you. If you can point shoot and hit what you're aiming at and it doesn't beat your hand up, then go for it.

Thank you all for your input. I carry a G26 that I like, but not inlove. I do not like that the handle is short, no pinky grip. Yea i can buy an extender, but I also am thinking of changing weapons after 4years of having my G26. I like the look of the XDM, and the feel, just have not had a chance to shoot it yet.

My Opinion

Sig>M&P>XD>Glock

Might also look into the new Ruger SR's. There is the SR9 and SR40 and they also come in a compact flavor. Really nice guns, shoot really well and can be had for ~100 less then a glock. Might pop up north the Champion Arms in Kent. We have several things for rent, friendly OC supporting staff and good prices...

My choices:

Sig>M&P>SR40>1911>XD (or XDM)>Keltec>Diamondback>Slingshot>knives>Sticks>Rocks>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Glock (maybe)

the other benefit with XDs that I have not seen in other guns is you will notice the guide rod is just longer than the barrel of the gun. This allows you to press into something like a door without causing your gun come out of battery (probably the wrong spelling on that sorry)

SigPacker said:

I would recommend looking for a gun that

A: you shoot well
B: has multiple caliber options

My gun of choice is a Sig 229 in .40 since you can purchase additional
drop in barrels (9mm and .357Sig) and essentially have 3 guns in one!

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+1 on the Sig 229

Same here, although I carry it in 357 Sig.

Another advantage I have found is that the 9mm & 40/357 mags are fully cross caliber compatible within the same platform for both the P226 and P229. I have never had issues with using 9mm in the 40/357 mags and vis-a-versa after thousands of rounds at the range.

That being said, I don’t cross caliber carry....JUST in case.

I like the way the XD & XDm pistols shoot, very accurate I have found, but I don’t like the grips, and I'm not fond of grip safeties, and overall Im not a fan of striker fired actions.

I like the M&P over an XD, but mostly due to ergonomics.

My Witness is like that, I have a second upper in 45 ACP, the upper for carry in 10mm, a 22 upper.

Normally I carry the 10mm, as the 15 rounds seem sufficient. )

briehl12 said:

Looking to buy a new XDM40... Anyone have any grate news about this piece? I currently have a G26 that I like, but I like the look of the XDM too.

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I've carried and trained with the standard XD, in .45, and I really like it. Anyone notice any substantive difference between the XD and XDM? I'll probably just get another 1911, but I could......could be persuaded.

aktion said:

I've carried and trained with the standard XD, in .45, and I really like it. Anyone notice any substantive difference between the XD and XDM? I'll probably just get another 1911, but I could......could be persuaded.

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The 'M' versions came out about 3 years after original XD with some improvements on the base model. Including but not limited to: Match grade barrel, higher cap mag, more ergo grip, not having pull trigger to break down.

This pdf has some more info. http://www.the-m-factor.com/download/CatWebv2.pdf

The 'M' specific stuff is further down the pdf in the 'M' section.

BrenTen said:

My Witness is like that, I have a second upper in 45 ACP, the upper for carry in 10mm, a 22 upper.

Normally I carry the 10mm, as the 15 rounds seem sufficient. )

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10mm? Is that a good defense cartridge?

FMJ 911 said:

10mm? Is that a good defense cartridge?

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If you can hit them on your first shot... Cause you don't really get a chance for a follow up. Look up some of the ballistics for 10mm JHP rounds...

Its really just a .40 on steroids... but it will put one hell of a hole in soft tissue. http://brassfetcher.com/10mmAuto180grRemJHP.html

I first carried an XD45 compact 4". I also carried a Sig on occassion. Then I got a compact 1911 followed recently by a SA full size 1911 (I only mention the 1911s for comparative purposes below). My father in law liked my XD so much he bought an XDM 45.

My only complaint about the XD is the trigger - too much pre-travel. After I started on 1911s (admittedly with better than average triggers even for 1911s) I found the long pre-travel on the XD annoying and in fast fire I now tend to slap the XD trigger a bit. Clearly that is a "me" issue rather than the XD and it isn't fair to compare a stock XD to a higher end 1911 with a pro trigger job.

The XD(M) trigger is better than the original XD IMO. Also, the ergonomics, primarily the bevel to reach the mag release with your thumb, is much improved on the XD(M). Years ago I posted a rather lenghty thread on OCDO as to why I saw the XD as not comparable to the Glock but rather an evolution of the Glock. That was before even rumors of the XD(M).

The caliber discussion is an entirely different matter and for most of us comes down to personal preference.

All that being said, if SHTF and I had to walk out with nothing but the clothes on my back and one sidearm at this moment, my XD45 would be with me.

Sr40

Anyone else have an opinion on Ruger's SR40? This is the one I was interested in purchasing. It's got good reviews across the board from what I've seen, except for the occasional manufacturing errors that involve too much packing grease, which isn't a huge deal. The bigger complaint I've heard is from people putting a lot of rounds through it in one sitting at a range, and having the webbing between their thumbs and pointer finger getting cut to the point of bleeding. Otherwise I've heard it's a solid .40 pistol.

Opinions from owners/previous owners?

Obe:

I am a huge Ruger fan... I own more than 10 of them and I have sold a ton of them... That said, I personally believe there are better .40 caliber handguns out there including the aforementioned handguns... There are a couple attributes of the SR series that I am not fond of... First is the trigger... I don't know what it is about the design or the manufacturing, but IMHO the triggers on the SR series are not as good as triggers found on the XD/XDm/MP/Glock pistols... Secondly is amount of effort needed to operate the slide... While this is not a big deal for a reasonably strong male, women and lighter framed men seem to have some difficulty with slide operation on the SR series... That said, one thing they absolutely have in their favor is a smaller grip size, especially over the XD and Glock Gen 3 which do not allow for adjustment of the backstrap... If it were my money, I would do exactly what I advised the OP... Find a place that you can rent each model of gun you are interested in and shoot it... They always feel different when you are shooting them versus fondling them at the gun store... Buy the gun that feels the best to you when shooting... You will shoot it better and more often...