June 5th, 2020
7minute read
Carrying a concealed firearm for the first time can be a scary experience.
One of the best ways you might mitigate your trepidation is to purchase quality gear.
If you are confident in your gun, you’re free to help eliminate that as a concern.
A great firearm choice for many people is the Springfield Armory XD-E line of pistols.
Lets look at why.
Safety
Safety is always a prime consideration for responsible shooters.
For new shooters, having the right safety features can increase confidence in the system.
The XD-E delivers safety characteristics that many firearms instructors recommend to their students.
This design has a traditional double-action trigger.
However, all follow-up shots will be fast thanks to the lighter single-action trigger pull.
Something you do not always find on a traditional double action pistol is a thumb safety.
It is easy to re-engage the safety with the thumb.
Sweep it down to disengage, exposing red dots on the slide indicating the pistol is ready to fire.
All the way down will safely decock the pistol and lower the hammer.
If you want options, the XD-E provides them.
The safety can also be engaged when the gun is disassembled for cleaning.
Internally, the XD-E has a firing pin block.
This prevents the firing pin from moving forward until the trigger is pulled.
Reliability
Im a firm believer that a self-defense firearm must be reliable.
An unreliable handgun offers only the illusion of security as it may fail when your life depends on it.
Thats one of the reasons why I like the XD-E: it is incredibly reliable.
My XD-E has a flawless record with all manner of training and self-defense rounds though it.
Ive not had a single issue of any kind with the weapon.
Simply put: the gun fires every time I press the trigger.
For smaller adults and those with a disability, a typical slide can be too much for them.
Springfield Armory addressed this very real problem when it designed the XD-E pistol.
Thats not just some nebulous measurement: I feel it when I run this pistol.
In fact, everyone who has handled my XD-E has commented about how easily the slide retracts.
Another important aspect of gun operation is how it fits the shooters hand.
The XD-E is a thin pistol with a single-stack magazine.
This allows me to get the proper amount of finger on the trigger.
Trigger control is unbelievably important for accuracy, and pistols with thick bodies can hinder proper finger placement.
The XD-E is 1 wide through the grip, which is just about perfect for my hands.
Lets dive in and take a look at your options.
But small doesnt mean underpowered.
The pistol can be had in either 9mm or .45 ACP depending on your inclination.
Smaller guns do recoil more than larger guns when everything else is equal.
If your circumstances allow, the larger XD-E with a 3.8 barrel is worth considering.
This version is my favorite as it gives me a slightly longer sight radius for improved precision.
Also, the increased barrel length soaks up a bit more of the recoil than the smaller guns can.
Available in 9mm, this pistol uses the same magazines as its smaller sibling.
It is 7.16 long and weighs in at around 26 ounces.
Rounding out the XD-E line is the full-size version of the pistol.
This 9mm gun has a 4.5 barrel for improved bullet velocity and shooter accuracy.
The longer gun helps to reduce muzzle flip without adding excessive weight to the gun.
It still comes in at just 28 ounces unloaded and has an overall length of 7.87.
The largest XD-E shares the same magazines as the other pistols.
All pistols come with two magazines, and also an additional pinky extension floorplate for the flush-fit magazine.
They offer a number of safety features while still being easy to operate.
There are a lot of things I like about the XD-E line.
Im betting you will see what makes this line special once you check it out.
