I promised more info on Springfield’s XD-S 9mm, so during the exhibition, I stopped by Springfield’s booth at SHOT Show 2013 to get some more information.
Fans of the Springfield pocket .45 will enjoy how the XD-S 9mm has changed nothing in the way of dimension; both models are 6.3″ long, 4.4″ tall, and 1″ wide. However, the smaller round allows the XD-S to carry two extra rounds, bringing its capacity up to 7+1 (or, if you’re willing to drop the extra cash for the extended mag, 9+1). The XD-S 9mm does have one slight difference: it weighs 23oz. to the .45’s 21.5oz (not that I would have known, had I not had the specs in front of me).
With the slim XD-S 9mm, Springfield will now be able to address the present concealed carry demand for single stack nines that has been answered, up to this point, with pistols such as the S&W Shield, Beretta Nano, and Kahr CM9.
I’ve had the chance to shoot all of the options I mentioned, and one thing that separates the Springfield XD-S 9mm from other pocket rockets is how well it manages recoil. It doesn’t have quite the snap I anticipated from a 3.3″ barrel. Perhaps that’ll be enough to give it a foothold in the competitive market it’s about to enter, but it can’t do that without also having a competitive price point (to be determined, as Springfield has yet to announce an MSRP).
What more would you like to learn about the XD-S 9mm in a future [full] review?
