First time to range with new XD9 SC and Mec-Gar 18 round magazine

[kmc757]

I have had an XD40 SC for around a year and I have been impressed by it. I have been wanting a 9mm pistol for a while, so I bought a new XD9 SC at the gun show three weeks ago.

I just got to take it to the range for the first time this past weekend. Before going to the range, I cleaned and lubed the gun with CLP and I added a Pearce grip extension to the 13 round magazine.

I used Remington 115 gr. FMJ, Monarch 115 gr. FMJ, and Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr. JHP. Myself and two friends put a total of 250 rounds through the gun. Absolutely no failures or problems of any kind. The gun and sights were right on target. No FTF or feeding issues of any type. You could not ask for a gun to do any better. One of my friends is a police officer and former navy guy. He uses a Sig 226 on duty and carries a Sig 229 for his personal CCW. He picked up the XD9 SC and shot the center out of the target at 15 yards. He was sufficiently impressed with the XD. My other friend uses a Sig 239 for his CCW and he has never liked my XD40 SC because of the recoil. He was pretty impressed with the XD9 SC and especially when I told him it held 13+1 with the short magazine.

During the range visit, we used my new Mec-Gar 18 round magazine. I removed the spacer that Springfield supplies with the factory 16 round magazine. Once I slide it into place on the Mec-Gar magazine and inserted it into the XD, it felt just like the standard 16 round factory magazine. The Mec-Gar is a about 1/3 of an inch longer, but you do not notice it. It had a little flex to it when locked in the gun, but it was no more flex than the standard factory magazine. The magazine feed perfectly and on release it dropped just as smooth as the factory magazines. That did not surprise me, since I have owned Berettas and Mec-Gar makes their magazines. Good quality product and cheaper than the Springfield factory magazines.

Footnote: The vendor at the gun show told me that they have been selling a lot of the Mec-Gar magazines to law enforcement due do the black finish as opposed to the shiny surface of the factory magazines.