How about one with 11 or more rounds in a concealable, yet utterly reliable, package?
I know a lot of people, including myself, would feel very comfortable with a gun like that.
Springfield Armory offers just such a gun.
A 4″ barrel and shortened grip make the XD-45 Compact a great CCW pistol – and it is available in California as well as the rest of the U.S.
Its downsized from a full-size for ease of concealment and affordably priced.
I was and recently got one to check out for myself.
The bonus for my friends in California is that this potent pistol is available to you as well.
Equipped with a Picatinny accessory rail, you can add most standard weapon lights to the XD-45 Compact pistol.
Its an alternative with some real benefits, also.
The XD-45 4 Compact is a smaller version of the Service Model.
Slicing off almost an inch from the grip dramatically reduces problems from printing.
Shown here with the 13-round extended magazine with grip sleeve, the XD-45 Compact makes for a powerful defensive weapon.
My hands are medium-sized, and I had plenty of gripping space.
To start with, this XD-45 is tough.
Why is that important?
Steel three-dot sights are standard on the XD series, including the author’s XD-45 Compact. They are extremely durable and easy to see.
Readforged or castto learn more.
Moreover, Springfield Armory finished the barrel and slide using the Melonite process for extreme corrosion and wear resistance.
I own several pistols with a Melonite finish and all of them look great after years of service.
Many modern pistols are not authorized for sale in California. However, the XD-45 Compact is completely legal for sale in the Golden State.
Springfield installs three-dot sights on this pistol.
The sights are steel and the rear sight has a flat edge for emergency slide manipulation.
Many shooters prefer this sight configuration.
Legal for sale in California with 10-round magazines, the gun can be upgraded with these extended magazines in the free states of America.
I find three-dot sights functional, but I much prefer theU-Dot sights like those found on the Hellcat.
Fortunately, the sights on the XD 4 Compact are dovetailed into place.
If you want to swap them out, replacement is simple work.
The author put more than 500 rounds through the XD-45 Compact during this review. Even with a suspected double charge load, the gun functioned 100% reliably.
Sam Weitzner did a greatreview of the Springfield Armory warranty.
I recommend giving it a look.
Low Cap or Just California Friendly?
The author found the pistol easy to shoot, simple to field strip and completely reliable with all kinds of ammunition.
What does that mean?
I simply prefer the improved concealability.
While many consider the California list to be unconstitutional, it is what Californias residents are currently saddled with.
Even in the drizzling rain, the author’s Springfield XD-45 Compact turned in excellent groups handheld.
Every XD pistol I own or have tested has been completely reliable.
I shoot my guns a lot and polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols tend to be reliable.
They are certainly a major improvement over prior generations of guns from all manufacturers.
The XD line is a perfect example of how reliable modern pistols can be.
Nevertheless, all guns can fail and should be thoroughly tested on the range prior to carry.
Thats exactly what I did with the XD-45 4 Compact .45.
With more than 500 rounds of ammo, I headed to the range to give the gun a workout.
As expected, the XD-45 Compact .45 ACP delivered wholly reliable performance.
Neither standard nor high-pressure rounds caused any issues.
I loaded a magazine of JHP ammo from an overseas manufacturer.
Additionally, the muzzle blast and visible fire ring were incredibly intense.
My chronograph measured the 185-gr.
JHP round at more than 4,000 fps.
If that seems impossible, I agree.
I suspect that the equipment mismeasured due to unburned powder, the flash or some other interference.
It appeared to me that the ammo had a double charge.
The takeaway for me was how strong the XD-45 Compact proved to be.
However, the XD took it all in stride.
I observed that to be true with the Hornady Custom 230-gr.
Compared to some 230-gr.
FMJ practice ammo I was shooting, the Hornady +P load had a bit more bark.
Nevertheless, it was still easily controlled in the XD pistol.
The Liberty Civil Defense load is a fun one to shoot.
Liberty Ammunition uses nickel-jacketed copper hollowpoint bullets.
For the same size as a typical lead hollowpoint projectile, the Liberty bullets are much lighter.
In .45 ACP, the bullets weigh only 78 grains.
With a bullet so light, the Liberty engineering team can drive the rounds to much higher velocities.
My testing confirmed the high velocity of the Civil Defense load.
Out of the 4 XD, I measured the .45 ACP rounds zipping along at more than 1,850 fps.
Thats nearly 600 ft.-lbs.
of energy from these rounds.
While they make a very loud bang when shot, the recoil is ridiculously light.
There is very little muzzle rise for fast follow-up shots.
Final Thoughts
This pistol represents an impressive value in the self-defense market.
It is a proven design that demonstrated its capabilities once again during this testing.
Accuracy, reliability and ease of shooting are all standard features for the XD-45 4 Compact .45.
Pricing on this pistol makes it a true bargain.
