XD's and why they suck

[jordonhurd]

Thanks for the info on why the XD's suck so bad. I think I will just keep shooting mine at my local USPSA matches. I do get a lot of crap from the local Glock shooters, they love to me how great their Glocks are.
My XD feels good in my hand, and shoots where I point it. What more could I ask for? I shoot at least 2 USPSA matches a month and try fit it at least one steel match a month, all with no failures from the XD.
Just my $.02.
Thanks for the great podcast.

Jordon.

[Eric R Shelton]

Hey Jordan, I just hope people really do realize that I was trying to take extreme examples to show how anybody with an agenda can denigrate what most people consider to be a good gun.  I honestly have no malice toward the XD- and it's a very, very small percentage of the shooting the community that would be analyzing the gun on that level.

I learned to shoot a handgun on an HS2000.  They're decent guns.  That's kind of the end of the conversation for most sane people, isn't it?  LOL.

[lee n. field]

Interesting show.

I <heart> my XD.  I listened through your list, thinking like: "yeah, yeah, bogus, yeah, bogus, opinion, urban legend, yeah...."  And that extractor -- what were they thinking?  Seriously, though, I realize you were just picking on it as an example.

There are two separate questions that have to be answered in this field:

1)Is it fit for the task?  No point taking a, say, Caleb's .25 Baretta into bear country.  A Dessert Eagle (sic) won't do for discrete office carry.

2)Does it fit the person?  Ergonomics, as you say, is a personal judment call.

[marsbike]

Just heard the podcast!  Loved it!  I have an XD that I picked up from ProArms down in Sunny Live Oak Florida (cue Kazoo).  Anyways, I love my xd9.  I've got 639 rounds through it currently, and haven't had a single misfire. I also use it for CC when I am in a permissible state.  I am honestly amazed that it conceals so well being a full size gun

[Cogz77]

Not taking your rant too seriously but still want to respond:

The "locking up" I believe has to do with not putting the spring in centered.  Is it a flaw?  Yes, but at the same time its not something that you find out in battle.  This is something that you find out when you first put the gun together after field stripping it.

I agree the cocked indicator is dumb, but the loaded chamber indicator is useful.

I have about 1,500 rounds through my XD since I bought it, and would have had double that if primers hadn't been so hard to find.

All in good fun Eric, no worries.

[wcsxd9]

Just listened to the podcast.  Wanna say that I am very pleased with my XD9 subcompact.  I would say that I am more of an "owner" than a "shooter" since I've only put 800 rounds through this gun so far.  I use it as my concealed carry.  Haven't had any issues with this gun so far, works for me and my needs.  When looking for a pistol to conceal it felt better to me than the M&P and the Glocks.

I really enjoy listening to Shelton every week along with the GunDudes.

[RangeRat]

Eric I have to say that if you were going to illustrate a point like you did with the XD, you should have done it with a gun you're known to love.  If you had done that with Glock you would have come off as self depreciating.  Going though the litany you did on the XD came off pretty raw.  It would be pointless to address even the references you agreed with.  I have several thousand rounds through my XDM.  I shoot it as much as my beloved 1911s, a couple of hundred rounds a month with no issues.  That's enough for me. 

[Eric R Shelton]

I figure self-deprecating is too close to apologizing, and I'm apparently not supposed to do that anymore...   

I kid, I kid!  And while I agree with most of the list I read being true, I also don't really care that much because it's different stokes for different folks, and the XD doesn't "suck" in my opinion.  It's just different.  But $200 more for a Springfield Armory rollmark on an HS2000 to earn "gun of the year" does kind of bother me...  And it ain't an urban legend.  But if Glocks disappeared tomorrow and I had to use an XD?  I'd be ok with that.  Well, after a brief period of mourning, anyway...  Haha.

You guys want to know the real reason behind this show?  When I made Hi-Point owners angry, my numbers doubled!  I just figured it was time to get some more hate mail again and see how high I could get my numbers this time!   

[Chris]

Hey!!  What's wrong with Hi-Points! I've got six and I carry all of them every day. That way I'm pretty sure I'll have one that works if I need it.
Let's stop bashing Hi-Points.
Chris Christian

[RangeRat]

"Hey!!  What's wrong with Hi-Points! I've got six and I carry all of them every day. That way I'm pretty sure I'll have one that works if I need it.
Let's stop bashing Hi-Points."

OK, that's pretty funny right there!

The mental picture of how one would stash 6 of them is too much   That's enough for another whole thread

[Dave.45]

"Hey!!  What's wrong with Hi-Points! I've got six and I carry all of them every day. That way I'm pretty sure I'll have one that works if I need it.
Let's stop bashing Hi-Points."

OK, that's pretty funny right there!

The mental picture of how one would stash 6 of them is too much   That's enough for another whole thread

Please....No! 

[John from MA]

COncealing them wouldn't be too bad. I would just try to stay away from piers, swimming pools and canals. You might have trouble reaching the surface with that much metal on you.

[Chris]

Metal? Hi-Point? Naa... the air bubbles in the pot castings will keep you afloat. It's a safety feature that is often overlooked.
Chris Christian

[Panhead Bill]

Uh oh, here we go. You just can't get away from it Eric.

Seriously though, enjoyed the podcast. I got your point. I loved my Glock. It was a great weapon, never had a misfire in nearly 10,000 rounds. But I replaced it with a 1911. Not because the Glock wasn't a great gun, but because the 1911 fit me better and my accuracy (for me) is extraordinarily better.

Bill 

[RangeRat]

The 1911 has done that to me as well.  I have been drifting towards a g20 or g31 for fun though.  Only thing that's saved me is fear of my wife's wrath and I can't decide between the 10 or 357sig.

[Christopher Burg]

Eric, I'll have you know the Springfield XD is the greatest gun every developed.

I should know I carry three of them every day while working the mall.  One is in 9mm is I need a high velocity round, one is in .45 if I need a hard hitting round, and one is in .40 in case I need something in between.  Unlike the Glock the XDs have two features which are critical for an elite mall security guard such as myself.

First the loaded chamber indicator.  Let me ask you this smart guy how can you tell by a quick glance if your fancy smancy Glock has a round in the chamber?  You can't!  You have to manually check the chamber which take seconds that would kill you in a gun fight with Al Qaeda if they were attacking your mall.  Second the XD has a cocked indicator letting you know if your gun is cocked or not.  I know some idiot will say if you racked the slide to load a round into the chamber is cocked but what if you fired the gun on a bullet with a bad primer at the range and forgot about it later?  You'd have a loaded chamber that wasn't cocked that's what!

I'll not even get into the fact that the Melonite finish is much better than the Tennifer.  Melonite is actually produced by hammer forging, with THOR'S HAMMER ITSELF!  Does the Glock finish require the hammer of an ancient and angry god to make?  Didn't think so.

 

[D.Hamilton]

Eric,

At least you gave some love to my beloved M&P.

Which of course is the greatest handgun (Not designed by John Moses Browning, hallowed be his name) ever created.

[walkingbush]

...Second the XD has a cocked indicator letting you know if your gun is cocked or not.  I know some idiot will say if you racked the slide to load a round into the chamber is cocked but what if you fired the gun on a bullet with a bad primer at the range and forgot about it later?  You'd have a loaded chamber that wasn't cocked that's what!...

Sorry, can't let that one stand. Honestly I hope it is a joke because anyone who doesn't clear their gun after a range session needs some SERIOUS remedial training. That, and the instant I get a click no bang, I do a tap, roll, rack clearance drill. NEVER would I leave a dud round in the chamber. If I'm not carrying the gun, it gets cleared and put back in the range bag, action open. If I am going to carry, it gets cleared of range ammo, checked, and loaded with carry ammo (in my case Gold Dot .40).

Sincerely,
Michael Coffman

[abhm]

Micheal. thats seriously tongue in cheeck, google gecko 45 or mall ninjas and you will understand the context!

[Kingofthehill]

Wow, this episode actually irritated me.

The XD's suck... News to me...  I have one at 8k rds and my new XDm at 4500ish...  still rockin' and doing what they are supposed to do.  Ive owned 5 different glocks and i just can't wrap my head around why I can't get comfortable with them.

To be honest, im a 1911 guy followed by my M&P's... but my XD's are great.

Have you ever thought the reason why departments carry them is because as you pointed out several episodes ago, they get a HUGE discount?

as for the HS2000 being a $300 gun and the new xd's being 500... Gas was a lot cheaper back then too.  With popularity and positive sales, why not raise the price to what the market will accept? Look how expensive Glocks are.  As "Complicated" the XD's are, at least you get more IN the gun... not saying thats always GOOD but its something.

When the Glock is 550+ new, M&P's are 500+, Sig's are 700+.... why not get $500 out of the XD? its what the market is calling for.

Interesting episode to say the least.