Its so worn out its literally turned gray!
We both laughed out loud, but his assessment was entirely accurate.
Its Rob Leathams Fault
His statement encouraged some introspection.
Holster-worn, dinged and covered in tape, the “Gray Ghost” is the nickname given to this XD-M Elite that has run hundreds of thousands of rounds.
Thinking back to when I first acquired that pistol, it really didnt seem that long ago.
So, based on Robs recommendation, I gave it a test run.
The change in grip really made a big difference.
Rob Leatham introduced the author to the XD-M Elite. This kicked off a multi-year journey of teaching and training with the handgun.
Whilethis gun would officially come with an extended threaded barrel, this early variant had a standard 4.5 barrel.
This was fine with me since I was not planning on attaching a suppressor.
One of the many ranges I work at isGunsite Academy.
Constant use may have given the gun a patina chic, but it didn’t slow it down. It’s been used to train military personnel, civilian law enforcement officers and regular folks over the years.
The past few years have been with this Elite.
Its great (and humbling!)
Yet again, the XD-M Elite held up under this demand.
The author, Steve Tarani, is shown here instructing at Gunsite Academy with the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite.
Did You Say No Fewer than 200,000 Rounds?
I also devote a considerable number of hours weekly to further my skills development.
The old gray ghost continues to perform consistently, regardless of the climate or shooting conditions.
With the optic removed, you can see the optic plate’s well-used condition. Not bad for more than 200,000 rounds.
In addition to noteworthy consistency during varied weather changes, it can readily handle many different types of ammunition.
You name it, and the Elites barrel feed ramp-to-magazine linkage would pretty much eat anything you fed it.
More recently, Ive been getting into performance training.
The author experimented with skateboard tape and other accessories on his XD-M Elite. The gun outlasted many of them and remains a great shooter still today.
When it comes to learning how to shoot well, Rob Leatham is a tremendous wealth of knowledge.
DirtiestManPistol in the World?
As far as maintenance goes, Im the absolute worst when it comes to cleaning.
While XD-M Elite Tactical models would be equipped with threaded barrels for sound suppressors, the author’s model had a standard 4.5″ barrel.
It maybe gets cleaned a couple of times a year in between something like 25,000 rounds.
Even given such maintenance neglect, it continues to hammer rounds downrange, running like an industrial sewing machine.
Students and instructors alike have asked me Hey, can I try it?
Is this the dirtiest XD-M Elite in the world? Maybe. Nevertheless, it is still a reliable handgun and is a testament to the design.
The answer is always yes, and the response often is Hey, that shoots great!
The old gray ghost has certainly served me well.
Who could ask for better performance from a reasonably priced striker-fire pistol than more than 200K rounds through it?
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XD-MElite Series
