Springfield XD 40 Subcompact

Not only have I personally fired the Springfield XD 40 subcompact, I own a Springfield XD 45. I give my personal seal of approval to every Springfield XD pistol – not that the seal really means anything. What does mean something is American Rifleman magazine's "Handgun of the Year" award, which was awarded to the Springfield XD 45 in 2006. Three years later, the XD(M) series won the award. Rest assured the XD line of pistols is rooted in excellence.

Contrary to popular belief, the Springfield XD line of pistols is not manufactured by Springfield Armory, or even in the United States. In fact, all XD pistols, including the Springfield XD 40 subcompact, are manufactured in Karlovac, Croatia by renowned Croatian arms manufacturer HS Produkt. The HS2000 is licensed to Springfield Armory and sold in the United States as the Springfield XD.

Earlier, I mentioned that the Springfield XD 40 subcompact could be summed up in three words. Those three words were performance, reliability and safety – three things you want in a pistol suited for concealed carry. You want performance? The XD 40 subcompact just feels right in your hands. It comes with a factory-standard, two-stage trigger with a trigger travel of only 13mm and a trigger pull rated between 5.5 and 7.7 pounds. Tight groupings are standard with the XD. Not only that, but the pistol is reliable. Personally, I have never experienced a jam or fail-to-fire in all the rounds I have put through mine. With concealed carry pistols, reliability is a must. If you pull the trigger, the pistol must fire. That is exactly what you get with the XD 40 subcompact. Similarly, concealed carry pistols must be safe, and boy does this pistol have a number of safety features. The striker-status indicator provides a visual and tactile confirmation that the pistol is cocked with a protruding pin. There is also a loaded-chamber indicator that pivots upward and alerts the shooter when there is a round in the chamber. There are also a number of passive safeties that make accidental discharges a thing of the past. Both a grip safety and a trigger safety necessitate a firing grip on the pistol. Additionally, there is a drop safety that prevents discharges that would result from a significant impact as well as an out-of-battery safety that prevents firing unless the slide is completely in battery. I am not sure if a pistol even exists that is safer than the XD.

The Springfield XD 40 subcompact features a 3-inch barrel and an overall length of 6.25 inches. The barrel has both a melonite finish as well as a fully-supported ramp. The forged steel slide also features a melonite finish. With its lightweight, polymer frame, the pistol weighs in at just less than 1.75 pounds – making it manageable by just about anyone. The pistol's 3-dot iron sight system features a dovetail front sight and provides for a rapid acquisition of targets and pinpoint accuracy. As noted the pistol includes one 9-round magazine and one 12-round extended magazine. Did I mention that fact that the XD 40 subcompact also has a MIL-STD 1913 accessory rail for lights and lasers? How many subcompacts can say that?

There are not many pistols more fit for self-defense and concealed carry than the Springfield XD 40 subcompact. They are used by police officers everywhere, but more importantly, they are used by me.

Springfield Armory, Inc.

Founded in 1974, Springfield Armory, Inc. is an arms manufacturer and importer based in Geneseo, Illinois. After the U.S. Government closed down the federal armory (Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts) in 1968, one Elmer Balance registered the trademark name "Springfield Armory" for his company. That company was later sold to the Reese family and is today operated under the name Springfield Armory, Inc.