Which mate for my 5" XD45 Compact

[Wild Rice]

I am extremely pleased with my new 5" XD45 Compact. The swappable 10/13 round magazine option is pure genius. It really is like having two guns in one. It is a great range gun and with a vertical shoulder holster, an imposing carry weapon. The grip, trigger, and controls are perfect for me. I like the long sight radius and recoil control of the full length slide. For the price, I can buy two XD's for one midpriced M1911 semi-custom.

The question is: what XD would be the best mate for my current XD?

With a stainless service (4") 45 I could swap slides and frames. I am assuming the modular design will allow this. I could use the 13 round compact mag (sans grip extension) on the service. The 4" stainless slide on the compact frame would be a fantastic concealed carry weapon. The 5" slide on the service frame would be a great range/target gun. This is the option I am leaning toward. Would there be any legal liability for me to defend myself with a hybrid gun?

A 4" compact XD45 would allow full sharing of magazines and would be excellent for carry and range use. I like commander sized guns for carry and shoot almost as well with them at the range. There is no stainless slide option with the 45 compacts, so far. The black Melonite surface treatment is actually tougher than stainless, so I have heard.

A change in caliber would be an option. Are the 40 or 9 any slimmer across the slide or grip? If the outside package is the same, I would just as soon stay with 45 cal.

I don't have the need for the Subcompact XD. My 38spec +P snub nose fills that role quite nicely. A brace of 5" XD45 Compacts would not add any versatility.

Any suggestions?

[BMFOTP]

First, are you sure you have a 5" Compact? From what I understand from the SA website there is only a 4" Compact. If you have a 5" weapon then a 4" weapon would be a good companion and the inverse is true if you have a 4" weapon. a 9mm weapon would be a good choice since the ammunition is cheaper and you could afford more range time.

[1lowlife]

Originally Posted by BMFOTP

First, are you sure you have a 5" Compact? From what I understand from the SA website there is only a 4" Compact. If you have a 5" weapon then a 4" weapon would be a good companion and the inverse is true if you have a 4" weapon. a 9mm weapon would be a good choice since the ammunition is cheaper and you could afford more range time.

Check your website again.
SA offers the XD45 compact in 4 and 5 inch models.
http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php?version=113

[1lowlife]

Originally Posted by Wild Rice

I am extremely pleased with my new 5" XD45 Compact. The swappable 10/13 round magazine option is pure genius. It really is like having two guns in one. It is a great range gun and with a vertical shoulder holster, an imposing carry weapon. The grip, trigger, and controls are perfect for me. I like the long sight radius and recoil control of the full length slide. For the price, I can buy two XD's for one midpriced M1911 semi-custom.

The question is: what XD would be the best mate for my current XD?

With a stainless service (4") 45 I could swap slides and frames. I am assuming the modular design will allow this. I could use the 13 round compact mag (sans grip extension) on the service. The 4" stainless slide on the compact frame would be a fantastic concealed carry weapon. The 5" slide on the service frame would be a great range/target gun. This is the option I am leaning toward. Would there be any legal liability for me to defend myself with a hybrid gun?

A 4" compact XD45 would allow full sharing of magazines and would be excellent for carry and range use. I like commander sized guns for carry and shoot almost as well with them at the range. There is no stainless slide option with the 45 compacts, so far. The black Melonite surface treatment is actually tougher than stainless, so I have heard.

A change in caliber would be an option. Are the 40 or 9 any slimmer across the slide or grip? If the outside package is the same, I would just as soon stay with 45 cal.

I don't have the need for the Subcompact XD. My 38spec +P snub nose fills that role quite nicely. A brace of 5" XD45 Compacts would not add any versatility.

Any suggestions?

Get the XD45 compact with a 4 barrel.
I carry an XD9sc but you said you didn't want an SC.
Congrats on your purchase and enjoy.

[rgeliske]

Originally Posted by Wild Rice

A 4" compact XD45 would allow full sharing of magazines and would be excellent for carry and range use. I like commander sized guns for carry and shoot almost as well with them at the range.

A change in caliber would be an option. Are the 40 or 9 any slimmer across the slide or grip? If the outside package is the same, I would just as soon stay with 45 cal.

I have a Compact 5" and a Service 4" right now the 4" slide is on the Compact frame and is a daily carry while the 5" slide is on the Service frame and is my range, possible IPSC gun. You have asked an interesting question I have a leather pancake holster I ordered for the 45 Compact 4" and it fits nicely, today I was going out and I though I would use the pancake holster with my 9sc. It would not fit I could not even get the first 1/2" of the slide in the holster without it binding. I have had my 45 Compact in a kydex holster made for the 9sc and it did bind until it got to the trigger guard area. I have had both guns in holsters made for XD9/40 Service guns. So I would assume the slide of the SC is slightly wider than the Compact.

[Wild Rice]

In the first third of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" Eli Wallach (Tuco) traverses the desert and walks into a gun shop. There, he cobbles the parts of several revolvers to create his own hybrid side arm. That has to be one of the best gun scenes on film. I suppose that is what I could do with the XD series (as long as I stick to 45 Auto).

Of course Tuco only needed one gun. They always say, "Beware the man with only one gun; he surely knows how to use it."

[rgeliske]

Originally Posted by Wild Rice

In the first third of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" Eli Wallach (Tuco) traverses the desert and walks into a gun shop. There, he cobbles the parts of several revolvers to create his own hybrid side arm. That has to be one of the best gun scenes on film. I suppose that is what I could do with the XD series (as long as I stick to 45 Auto).

Of course Tuco only needed one gun. They always say, "Beware the man with only one gun; he surely knows how to use it."

You watch too much TV...Man should have all the guns he can, more is better.

[Wild Rice]

I just missed out on a good deal. I went to a local shop looking for an XD45 4" stainless service model. They had just recently had a big discount on these and I just missed out on buying one. There are plenty of XD45 4" Melonite Compact models in my area available at full price, which would be my second choice option.

[Wild Rice]

I decided that the best mate for my XD45 5" Compact would be an XD45 4" Melonite Compact. I can buy this particular model at any of 4 local gunshops. I checked out an overpriced XD45 4" stainless two tone service model. The grip seemed too long for the short barrel. With my medium hands, there was a lot of extra grip below my pinky. The black barrel and black chamber indicator in the stainless slide was not visually appealing to me, but it is probably a super-hard corrosion resistant surface treatment (Melonite) that is there for a good reason. The stainless slide itself also seemed to have a surface treatment that I would probably mess up if I tried to polish it like my nice shiny stainless Colt Combat Commanders.

There is also the legal issue of using a hybrid gun for self defense. A honed sear might be difficult to prove or hold against you in court. However, if you shoot someone justifiably and the DA finds out your gun is a "hybrid" with mismatched serial numbers, you could be accused of being a Rambo-style gun owner. If I put a stainless 4" service model slide on my compact model frame, there could be legal problems if I ever had to use it.

[1lowlife]

Originally Posted by rgeliske

I have a Compact 5" and a Service 4" right now the 4" slide is on the Compact frame and is a daily carry while the 5" slide is on the Service frame and is my range, possible IPSC gun. You have asked an interesting question I have a leather pancake holster I ordered for the 45 Compact 4" and it fits nicely, today I was going out and I though I would use the pancake holster with my 9sc. It would not fit I could not even get the first 1/2" of the slide in the holster without it binding. I have had my 45 Compact in a kydex holster made for the 9sc and it did bind until it got to the trigger guard area. I have had both guns in holsters made for XD9/40 Service guns. So I would assume the slide of the SC is slightly wider than the Compact.

I've only used crossbreed holsters for my XD9sc and XD45 compact.
They both seem to fit about the same.
As far as the slides on these two being different widths, I don't think they are.
Here are a few pics of my XD9sc and XD45c.