With this in mind, Im reviewing the Springfield Armory 5 XD Tactical Model in .45 ACP.
Why review a gun thats been available for almost two decades?
Because its thrived in the firearms marketfor almost two decades.
That says a lot about its popularity and reliability.
I wanted to scrutinize it for myself.
I think thats unfortunate.
I consider all these characteristics to be welcome improvements regardless of the kind of shooting you anticipate doing.
Features
The XD Tactical .45 is part of the Springfield line of classic XD pistols.
It turns out I took to it immediately.
Combined with the flawless reliability, I was impressed by that XD.
It also retains the grip safety that many people love.
Of course, one of the main things that sets this gun apart is its 5 barrel.
Hammer forged steel, the barrel has a Melonite finish for wear and corrosion resistance.
While the gun is noticeably longer, the balance still feels great when pointing the pistol.
In an IWB holster, the extra length doesnt add anything that would be visible to the general public.
Something that surprised me was the width of the gun.
Some companies have to enlarge the frame to unwieldy thicknesses to accommodate the mighty .45 but not Springfield Armory.
My hand fits the XD line well and that includes the .45 caliber versions of the gun.
I was eager to get the gun on the range and see how it shot.
Nor are there any smart or tracing technologies built into it.
Its a straight XD pistol like any other in the line just also available to our friends in California.
Of course, the California autocrats continue their death hold on arbitrary limits on magazine capacity.
Consequently, the XD Tactical .45 ships with low-capacity, 10-round magazines.
Outside of historical pieces, only reliable guns are interesting to me.
This 5 XD 45 proved to be equally reliable as the rest.
I ran more than 10 different loads through this pistol.
Two were FMJ or ball rounds.
Remaining loads were all defensive rounds with bullet weights ranging from 78 grains to 230 grains.
Most were standard pressure while several were marked +P.
Every single round went bang without a single failure.
Recoil and muzzle rise were very mild in the XD Tactical .45.
In a 4 pistol, the cartridge is easy to manage.
In the 5 XD Tactical, the .45 ACP round was very soft recoiling.
Muzzle rise was also less than what I expect from a shorter barreled pistol.
Taking a different approach to defensive power was the Civil Defense load from Liberty Ammunition.
This load used a very light-for-caliber 78-grain hollowpoint driven to incredible velocities.
For a five-shot average, I measured nearly 2,000 fps!
No, thats not a typo.
From a shooting perspective, the only drawback to the Civil Defense ammo is the muzzle blast.
This ammo is loud especially in an indoor range.
However, the muzzle rise was virtually non-existent.
Its a remarkable dichotomy between what you expect because of the noise and what you actually feel.
Frankly, from a rest or more steady hands you could see those accuracy numbers shrink even more.
This gun is accurate enough to get the job done in a lethal force encounter.
Final Thoughts
The XD 5 Tactical Model .45 ACP is one of my favorite Springfield pistols.
It is 100% reliable, simple to run and chambered in a respected cartridge.
With the 5 barrel, I get great accuracy and limited muzzle rise for quick follow up shots.
I prefer to use mine as a dual-purpose woods and home defense pistol.
