As the name suggests, however, the XD-M Elite is more than just a basic modern handgun.
The first thing that jumps out to me about the XD-M Elite series is the grip frame.
The ergonomic grip is visually striking, and it fully fills your hand.
The Springfield XD-M Elite 4.5” Tactical OSP 9mm is a high-performance handgun suitable for law enforcement, personal protection and sport shooting use.
Springfield also designed the gun with interchangeable backstraps that allow you to get the best fit for your hand.
Three different inserts allow you to swap them around to find the right size for your hands.
As with the original XD line, the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite line uses a grip safety.
The XD-M Elite Tactical comes with an impressive feature set, including a threaded barrel, ambidextrous controls and an optics mount.
Mine worked flawlessly in both dry firing and range testing.
As part of the Elite treatment of the XD-M, Springfield includes aremovable standard magwell funnelon this pistol.
This rig is designed to help channel your magazine when reloading under pressure.
The factory magwell is designed to funnel magazines more quickly into place. During competition or other stressful events, this ensures a faster and more consistent magazine exchange.
This flared magwell also works in concert with a new lengthened 22-round steel magazine.
is machined to accept an optic with the appropriate mounting plate.
I ran aHEX Dragonflyon mine, but you could drop nearly any pistol red dot on the gun.
The XD-M Elite Tactical is an “OSP” model that is ready from the factory for a red dot optic. Red dots are easier for many people to use for accurate shooting.
Several available mounting plates make adding a red dot an easy affair.
Springfield includes suppressor-height iron sights on the pistol.
They provide a crisp sight picture especially in bright light conditions.
The word-class META trigger on all XD-M Elite pistols is easier for many people to use and shoot accurately.
The front sight nestles perfectly within the rear sight for precision shots.
Springfield Armory offers this pistol in both black and Desert FDE finishes.
In black, the slide has a Melonite treatment.
A threaded barrel allows for the use of a comp to reduce muzzle rise or a sound suppressor to protect the shooter’s hearing.
For the Desert FDE gun I tested, the slide had a Cerakote finish.
Its my experience that both treatments are incredibly durable.
You just need to select which color you prefer.
The author spent a substantial amount of time on the range testing the pistol to ensure it was reliable.
One of my favorite Springfield XD-M Elite features is the META trigger.
META stands for Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, and it has a flat face with an overtravel stop.
Frankly, its one of the best factory triggers on the striker-fired market today.
The XD-M Elite 4.5″ 9mm is an accurate pistol with all kinds of factory loads. Prior testing with 10,000 rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok delivered similar performance.
The XD-M Elite I tested had a crisp 5.5-6 lb.
trigger pull that felt much lighter to me than its measurement suggested.
The XD-M Elite line uses top-grade barrels.
The pistol was fast and accurate on the range with the Dragonfly red dot sight. It made getting on target fast and follow-up shots were easy.
The model I am reviewing uses a match-grade, threaded barrel.
A thread protector comes standard from the factory.
Built into the dustcover portion of the frame is a strip of Picatinny rail.
The pistol fills the hand nicely and offers many of the top features someone might be looking for like ambidextrous magazine release and interchangeable backstraps.
This rail allows you to attach a laser or flashlight such as theSurefire X300.
This is especially beneficial if you use the gun for home defense or are a law enforcement officer.
Just be sure to carry a handheld flashlight in addition to any weaponlight you might attach to your pistol.
The polymer frame stood up to all testing, provided a sure grip and reduced the overall weight of the pistol.
This is one of the more generous capacities in a handgun.
For a police officer or armed citizen, this gives you an ample supply of ammunition.
Springfield Armory also offersextended 35-round magazinesfor the XD-M Elite 9mm family.
These extended capacity magazines extend below the bottom of the pistol by a significant margin.
For my own use, I prefer to stick with the standard 22-round magazines.
However, the extended 35-rounders could be fun during an afternoon of shooting.
However, the most important aspect of a defensive firearm is performance.
How does it feel in your hand?
For me, this pistol fits naturally in my hand.
It looks a touch big, but the fit is darn near perfect.
I found the textured grip ensured a secure hold, even with sweaty hands.
This allowed me to maintain positive control over the gun during recoil.
The guns recoil what quite manageable with even the most powerful defensive loads.
I find that this level of reliability is typical for the XD-M Elite line.
I own a 10mm version of the gun and have shot many of the others in the current catalog.
He had no problems, either.
Simply put, these guns are reliable.
In my testing, I ran FMJ from Blazer and defensive hollowpoints from both Federal and Speer.
In addition to running well, it also shot quite well.
I was able to manage a tight 1.6 group at 15 yards with Federal HST 147-gr.
However, for most pistols the process is straightforward and quick to master.
In fact, the XD-M Elite family is quite easy to take apart for cleaning.
Reassembly is even easier.
Be sure to unload the gun prior to starting any work.
I also recommend removing all ammo from the work area to ensure no accidents happen.
Springfield XD-M Elite 9mm Tactical OSP Verdict
This Springfield XD-M Elite 9mm is a great gun.
Its packed with features that make it an excellent choice for self-defense, duty carry or competition.
While suitable for defensive carry, its obviously not ideal for concealed carry due to its size.
However, in a duty-grade or tactical role, it can excel.
The gun is equipped with features to make it ideal for suppressed use.
These all make the pistol quite capable for home defense or tactical use.
I know Ill be buying this one!
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