Springfield Arms XD .40 caliber Service (4")

by Hank Graham
(Columbus, Ohio)

After recently purchasing a XD 40, I took it to the range yesterday for the first time and I was totally impressed with this pistol, that I've effectionately named "Elrod". I was already satisfied with the fit and finish of the pistol upon initial inspection and cleaning of shipping lube. And I love the ease of take-down.

Right out of the box, Elrod performed flawlessly and ate 250 rounds of American Eagle 180 gr. ammo without a hiccup. I was a little apprehensive about the felt recoil after reading a number of reviews on the gun and the round itself but discovered the concern was unfounded(at least, in my case). The recoil was no more objectional that the average 9mm. Some of that may be due to the fact I'm 6'-0", 235lbs but aside from that, the gun was a pleasure to shoot. Even during rapid firing, there was not a problem with reacquisition of the target due to excessive muzzle whip. I was able to consistently hold 3" groups at 25 feet. That may not sound too impressive but I'm far from a marksman and for defensive purposes, that's fine for me.

The only complaint, if you can call it that, that I have is regarding loading the mags. I know now why they include a loading tool. Loading the first 8 or 9 rounds in the mag isn't too difficult but it is next to impossible to get the last 3 or 4 rounds without the loading tool.

Overall, this is the sweetest shooting auto loader that I've ever owned. Down the road, we'll keep an eye on reliability.