What was this, a retro thing in our era of striker-fired pistols?
Gun pundits were probably wondering whether they would introduce a revolver next, as Kimber already had.
The retro element was certainly part of it.
The XD-E is a uniquely different pistol within the Springfield XD line.
Theres also a safety to the user element.
A TDA pistol with an exposed hammer adds, with the latter feature, one more safety net.
The thumb can feel this, stop the insertion, and prevent the unintentional shot.
[Read Paul Carlsons article onhow to safely load a pistol.]
And, of course, the on-safe part of cocked and locked is yet another critical safety net here.
Its kinda hard to be macho about something blowing off the parts which define ones masculinity.
The XD-E hammer, safety catch and long double-action first shot pull option is thrice comforting in this situation.
Trigger reach is surprisingly long for a pistol this size.
Pull weight on our test sample went a whisker over 11 lbs.
in DA and 6.31 lbs., measured on a Lyman digital trigger pull scale.
Pull was smooth and re-set was a bit on the long side but did not seem to be problematic.
The XD-E comes with an ambidextrous frame-mounted safety/decock lever.
It comes with a standard XD feature an ambidextrous mag release.
Theres a small rail on the dust cover for light/laser attachment.
For me, the gun shot high with 115- and 124-gr.
ammo, but was spot on with 147.
This is unusual as 147 gr.
usually hits higher than the others.
Just a reminder to know thy pistol and ammo rather than trusting conventional wisdom.
Recoil was as mild as youd expect in a 9mm pistol in this size range.
The XD-E packs a 3.3 barrel.
I like to use the three most popular bullet weights for the given caliber.
jacketed hollow points went into 5.80, though the best three were at 2.65.
At the other end of the 9mm weight scale, SIG brand 147-gr.
The middle ground was the sweet spot for 5-shot groups in this particular test: Speers Gold Dot 124-gr.
For a pistol pretty close to pocket size, Im happy.
ball, 3.10 for all five and 1.80 best three with SIG V-Crown 124-gr.
Winchester WinClean training ammo.
Pertinent Points
it’s crucial that you know one more XD-E feature.
Its forward-sitting recoil spring guide gives it stand-off capability.
It can literally be a life-or-death difference, depending how the fight goes.
By the time of theAmerican Handgunnertest, holsters made by such firms as Green Force Tactical were coming out.
One such inside-the-waistband Kydex unit was what I carried the XD-E in for about two weeks.
The ambi-levers sit a bit higher and more rearward than what we 1911 dinosaurs are used to.
For my particular hands, it was simply faster.
I like to shoot a test gun under some pressure.
This is when the staff and I demonstrate the course of fire the students will qualify on.
It requires 60 shots.
From four yards to 15, all under time constraints drawn from police qualification courses.
Ammo used was 147-gr.
Bottom Line
I like the XD-Es concept.
I like its utter reliability.
It seems to shoot above its weight class in terms of deliverable accuracy under pressure.
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