Most everything is a rework of a current design, mostly because it works.
Its easy to sell stuff when demand is so high you cannot meet it.
When the market slows you should probably separate yourself.
you’re able to do it with new or different product, pure marketing, or a combination.
Because the consumer demands it, has for years now, not sure it will ever change.
But heres the kicker, sometimes the truly different just does not sell, admired greatly, but unsold.
The firearms market is littered with great ideas that no one bought.
It may come as a surprise to some, but that has been the case for decades.
The most modern polymer pistol today shares designs from years past.
At times it is nothing more than a change in materials or advancements in machining and production.
In other cases it is really a better mouse trap, but its still a mousetrap.
It may also be a melding of existing ideas into a combination.
Sometimes, you are just improving things, not reinventing them.
Arguments are based generally on anything but practical utility.
As usual, sides are pretty well entrenched.
Some will never use a pistol without a hammer, dismissing striker-fired versions out of hand.
Opposing forces see a hammer as useless weight.
Same is true for manual safeties or de-cocking levers.
De-cocking levers are seen as necessary safety devices by some, manipulation nightmares by others.
The rest is nothing more than a preferred mechanical advantage.
That being said, It makes it kind of hard for major manufacturers to hey the buying public.
After shooting it quite a bit I can say Springfield has done an excellent job of doing just that.
Springfield Armory XD-E 9mm Compact Pistol
Single-stack pistols for concealment remain one of the strongest markets.
Concealed-carry advocates want a pistol that can be carried easily, is reliable, accurate, and remains comfortable.
Pocket pistols remain popular, but many are realizing palm-sized pistols are less then optimal in a fight.
Hammer back and safety up disengages the trigger at the same time, allowing the slide to be manipulated.
Push down and the hammer is safely lowered, turning it into a double/single-action pistol.
Offered initially in 9mm, it comes with two magazines.
One holds eight rounds using a lip/hook on the base pad allowing for the greatest concealment.
A 9-round extended magazine is also included.
There is a flat base pad that can be switched out if needed.
The XD-E will fire and function without a magazine inserted.
Using a polymer frame it remains light.
The 3.3 inch barrel keeps it compact, hammer forging provides strength, longevity, and excellent accuracy.
A larger slide stop is optimally placed for use as a slide release.
Magazine release is ambidextrous.
Stippling on the front and back straps provide ample control without excess abrasion.
A rail mount for mini-lasers and lights sits up front.
A combat rear sight and fiber optic front sit atop the Melonited slide.
A loaded chamber indicator sits at the top of the slide and can be easily felt if needed.
Cocking serrations sit at the rear.
Admittedly, when announced it was a bit underwhelming.
Working as a police officer it met some policy requirements allowing me to carry it like a single action.
The XD-E fit well in my hand and pointed like a 1911.
Little pistols and my large hands seldom work well together.
In this case even with the lipped magazine my entire hand fit, although snugly.
One of the selling points of the pistol was ease of slide manipulation, and that was true.
Unlike many compacts the slide was very easy to run, especially with the hammer back.
Since the slide will run with the safety engaged this is more than workable.
In single-action the trigger was about five pounds or so with an easily definable reset and crisp wall.
Decoking the pistol required thought, unlike the USP, so inadvertently doing so was unlikely.
My only concern was how far forward the trigger goes, barely reachable with my large hands.
Not so sure how that will work for smaller hands.
It was otherwise well balanced and concealable.
Testing
Initial testing in Las Vegas during the event was quite useful.
It may have been the best run such event I attended in a long time.
Stages were setup similar to an IPSC or IDPA match testing pretty much every aspect of use.
After shooting steel to get a feel for the trigger we moved on to each stage.
This is where the XD-E came into its own.
Running several passes on steel in DA/SA it was pretty smooth, in fact very easy to run.
Press through on the trigger and it was great.
Subsequent SA shooting was rather surpassingly fast.
After running several magazines on steel it became clear I could run this thing hard very comfortably.
We shot from behind cover, from inside a truck, and through and around a doorway.
Several home and self-defense style stages provided for plenty of time allowing for some rapid fire.
By stage two my crew and I were running this thing like a comp pistol.
It was fast, easy to be accurate, and very controllable.
Recoil is minimal at best with little muzzle rise.
By the end of the day I was running it as fast and accurately as most larger pistols.
My best group overall came from Hornady 124-grain XTP at just under 1.75 inches.
Fired from a bench using a bag as a rest it was one of my better days.
Their Critical Duty 135-grain load was just a tad wider but still under two inches.
I was able to keep most everything under two inches, not something normally accomplished with a compact.
Just like at the event it shot more like a full sized pistol than a compact.
Other Considerations
Testing at home was completed mostly in the cocked -and -locked mode.
The safety is ambidextrous and placed like that of a 1911.
Operation was intuitive with a crisp snap.
At no time was it inadvertently decocked during a firing cycle.
Shooting from the DA/SA configuration the trigger was smooth enough not to disturb the sights.
Comparing it to two other full-sized 9mm pistols it was all but night and day.
If you are looking for a compact that is easy to manipulate this is a good choice.
What it did provide was 10 rounds at the ready (9+1) in a nice size.
They are almost identical in size to the EMP9 magazines, so those pouches should be about perfect.
It has just about everything you hate in it with a mechanical safety, decocking lever and hammer.
But this pistol was not built for you to begin with.
Distance of 25 yards, 3 five shot groups for comparison.
Velocity in Feet Per Second (FPS) measured with a Chrony chronograph over three five shot groups.
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