Tried XD-9 Subcompact today

[manygunner]

I got to my range a bit early today, decided to rent their XD-9 subcompact as I am so happy with my XD-9 service. I normal hate anything subcompact as it is difficult to hold, generaly creates way too much recoil and has poor accuracy. I was pleasantly surprised. Even with the tiny (by my big hand standards) grips it was easy to hold and fire. Trigger was pretty much like the one on my XD-9 service. Accuracy was very good. At 15 yards I was able to keep 9 rounds within a 2" circle with only one flier. Mind you this is a range rental gun with much shooting and little servicing over long intervals. Rapid fire was smooth and no jams. I may have to get one of these..

[hummel]

yep,i have been very pleased with mine...when i first shot mine at 15 yds i almost made the olympic rings.....it was great....

[garyk]

Yes, you must! Do it today!

And don't forget the Pearce grip extensions, 40S&W subbie mags, ...........

I love spending other people's money

[rege0109]

Subbie is great. I had a glock 27 and it shot awful. So it took me awhile to purchase the xd sub for that reason. When I finally shot the gun...damn I thought, this gun shoots better than my H&K USP 40. I'd put the grip extension whole different game. I also found on this forum that someone used a crayon to fill in the inlays of the gun. Looks great, pick any color and push scrub the crayon into the inlays. Don't be scared to push hard and make a miss. Know take a lighter and melt the wax for a few seconds just enough to liquify it. Let harden and srub of with rag. It will come off and if you missed so spots do it again....again..again till you fill them in. Better to do with slide off.

[Delija]

Originally Posted by manygunner

I normal hate anything subcompact as it is difficult to hold, generaly creates way too much recoil and has poor accuracy. I was pleasantly surprised.

Yup, I find the recoil on my 9mm sub almost unnoticeable. And the accuracy for such a small gun is really impressive. The only surprise is that it is kind of loud. I guess because of the short barrel? It seems about equally loud compared to my 5" 1911 .45 caliber ACP. (Which also has surprisingly little recoil).

I guess it's true of all the XDs (I have never shot a service or tactical), but the natural pointability (is that a word?) of the gun still amazes me.

I've said this before....when I shoot a man sized silhouette target at 7 or so yards, I find myself being extremely accurate in COM hits without using the sights at all. It is not a "tack driver", but it exactly fits the bill for personal defense. I only own two guns now, but I have owned plenty of others before, and shot almost every kind gun made. The 9mm Sub is the easiest shooting gun in my experience. It is also the only truly compact sized gun (in my experience) that has been so amazingly reliable. Virtually 100%. (in a few thousand rounds, I've had 2 or 3 FTEs, but I think it was caused by low quality rounds).

Peace,
D.

[XD_Dan]

Originally Posted by manygunner

I was pleasantly surprised. Even with the tiny (by my big hand standards) grips it was easy to hold and fire.

A Pearce Grip extension on the end of the magazine makes a big difference. Has just about the same feel as your service model.
If you decide to get an SC, the Pearce extension is a 'must-have' item.

Link to Pearce Grip Exension

[DigMe]

Many people find the XD subcompact easier to shoot than other subcompacts like Glocks because the XD has a longer grip length. The glock has a shorter grip and a longer barrel. The XD has a shorter barrel and a longer grip. I love mine and am totally confident shooting it!

brad cook

[Brickboy240]

Maybe I ought to try an XD subbie.

I too am put off by most subcompact pistols I have shot. The Glock subbies don't have enough grip and the Colt Officers Model I shot was way too muzzle-flippish and the 40SW Smith subbie I shot recoiled like a 357 and was way too loud.

I wish our range had a subbie to rent. All of their small guns are Glocks or revolver snubs - no thank you.

I wonder how the 40 subbie XD is in relation to the 40 Service Model I own. I don't find the recoil bad at all, although it is louder than my 1911s or Hi-Power....no doubt about that.

-Brickboy240

[xHypex]

I love my XD9SC, and it is very versatile as you can add Pierce extensions, XD-Xtended mags, etc. if you feel the grip is too small. I have small hands so I don't need any of the above, but I am still interested to see how shooting the SC will be when I receive my XD-Xtension from Springfield. My fiance prefers larger framed handguns, so the sleeve is definitely a plus so it is more comfortable for her to shoot.

The other option is to modify your service/tactical (not sure why you'd cut down a tactical but I guess you could do it) to be a Compact instead of a Sub-Compact If you had an XD40 Service cut down you could run 3 different calibers (40, 9, 357) in two different sizes (with/without the sleeve). Talk about versatility.
-hype

[slowpoke13]

I LOVE my XD9SC. It's so easy to shoot and draws naturally. Only thing that pisses me off, and takes muscle memory to fix, The grip is just short enough, that when I speed reload, I pinch the meat of my palm between the mag base and the grip. I do it once every time I go to the range. But only once. And usually, it's right in the beginning. My friends know I've been to the range when they see the blood blister on my hand. I've got a nice schedule going. it normally takes a week to get it to go away, and then, it's time to go back to the range and get another blister. Speaking of which, it's almost time to go back to the range.

And yes, I know how to fix the problem. Like I said, it just takes developing the muscle memory. Atleast the pinching doesn't affect my shooting. I'm just as fast and accurate when I pinch as when I don't.