xdm 3.8 vs 4.5 buying tomorrow

[bloodsport]

ok so i had a xdm 4.5 all black and my grandpa came down to visit for vacation and he fell in love with my xdm. he offered to give me 50 bucks less than i payed for it new so i told him he had a deal. (mainly because i wanted the bi-tone) i havent held the 3.8 model and dont have a chance to. im ordering tomorrow morning. i like the way the 3.8 looks. im just concerned about accuracy. both have the same capacity which is a huge plus to me. its mainly for shooting cans and sits on my night stand. so i guess what im asking is there gonna be a significant difference ill notice if i get the 3.8 model over the 4.5? ill be putting meprolight night sights on and already have the stream light tlr-1s for it. plz help me decide lol its driving me nutz. i might try and get a conceal carry liscense later to but i hear the barrel size dont matter so i doubt that would matter on either. thanks for the info ahead of time guys. appreciate it

[SHOOT]

I'll make it easy . . . either one. Btw, what caliber? I like the looks of the 3.8 and "compact" as well and all feel great in my hand. Generally speaking, if it's more for the range, plinking, and sd, the 4.5 is great (because of the little extra length. If it's c/c for down the line, then the 3.8 or 3.8 "compact" may be a little better because of the shorter barrel. Good luck.

[mikedeanellis]

I have a 3.8 40 non-compact so I am partial to it. I cannot imagine carrying anything bigger....

[LJenkmd]

I have both. Like them both. I think I shoot the 4.5 a little better because of longer sight line and a little better balance, but the 3.8 shoots very well as well. Really can't go wrong with either.

[CarlosT]

My brother has an XDm 9 Compact. He says that once he got used to the trigger, it's one of the guns he's most accurate with. I have the XDm 9 4.5 and while I'm still a beginning shooter, if I'm using proper technique, I can put holes touching in the ten ring at five yards.

They're both great guns. If you're planning on doing concealed carry in the future, go for the compact, since it's got the shorter grip length, which is more important for concealment. If you're using an inside the waistband holster, the barrel length is largely irrelevant because it's all covered by the pants anyway. The grip is what will be sticking out, and is what's subject to printing.

[RamRod]

If you have aspirations of CCW in the future, my suggestion would be to go with the 3.8 compact. It comes with both an 11 rd flush magazine (to which I suggest you add the Pearce magazine extension), as well as the extended 16 rd magazine. The extended magazine comes with replaceable sleeves that you can use to adjust the grip size. With the short magazine you have the option for easier concelament, and with the extended magazine you have a full size pistol for the range. Also, if you decide to go with the .40 cal, you can order a 9mm conversion barrel. With that option it would be like having 4 pistols in 1. A 9mm or .40cal compact and a 9mm or .40 cal full size. Just be mindful that you can convert .40 cal to 9mm but not the other way. As far as accuracy of the 3.8 is concerned, it is more accurate than I am for sure.

Either way you decide, I am almost certain that you wont be disappointed. Just my .02

[Tshetter]

Originally Posted by mikedeanellis

I have a 3.8 40 non-compact so I am partial to it. I cannot imagine carrying anything bigger....

^This

I put 1,000 rounds through Baretta, Glock, S&W, SA, and Ruger before I finally determined that the XDm 3.8 40S&W was the weapon for me.

The 3.8 40S&W is the perfect size gun, in my opinion. I have smaller fatter hands and so the smallest of the back straps fit just right. Additionally the proportions of the 3.8 looks just right to me.

It really is all about feel and your ability as a shooter. Yes, a 5 inch barrel will be a bit more accurate. But if you aren't steady as a rock 3.8 vs 5 inch wont matter much at the end of the day.

Practice, practice, practice. Everything will come in time.

[CGP]

If you're planning to conceal carry later, get the XDM compact. It has the advantage of the shorter grip which helps with the "printing" and much easier to conceal. While you can still attach any TLR-1/2/3 light, they will be too long for the 3.8 barrel and kinda sticks out the front. Not an issue for HD and if you're not holstering. Oh, and it can take the fullsize mags using the xtension sleeves.

[bloodsport]

I had the .40 before and will be buying the .40 again. I actually like the longer handle so im staying away from the compact. Ill make myself manage if I end up conceal carrying. Only thing I'm worried about is accuracy. I thought about that light sticking out to far when I was looking at pictures of the 3.8 hmmm decisions decisions.. How much of a difference can 3/4 of an inch make on a barrel? the only time the light would be attached to the gun is when its on my night stand or I may take this **** hunting with me (not really legal in my state since its not a rimfire but I dont see a problem with it honestly) got about two or three hours to decide. I actually already paid for the 4.5 in bi-tone but there not ordering it till this morning. I found out there was a 3.8 yesterday so im all sorts of indecisive on this one

[XD357sig]

I have the 4.5 in .40 and 9mm. I have the 3.8 in regular and compact. I do carry the compact, but because of the balance and feel, the regular 3.8 is my favorite of all. I have put all my pistols on a rest to test their accuracy. There is not a bit of difference in the two 3.8's than the 4.5's. All are very accurate. Hope this helps. Go for the regular size 3.8 is my suggestion.