[JSR]

There is nothing surprising about members of a forum devoted to the firearms of one manufacturer being enthusiastic about that company's guns. Nor is it unusual for people who have just purchased a new gun to sing its praises in a forum devoted to it. And customer enthusiasm is even less surprising when the object of the purchaser's affection is not simply new to the purchaser but a new, or relatively new, model gun, such as the XD(M).

Still, given all the predictable enthusiasm for the XD(M) that one would expect to find on XDTalk, it seems to me that something surprising is going on here. I think there are an unusual number of posts expressing surprise -- very pleasant surprise, but surprise nonetheless -- at how much more accurate the posters are with their new XD(M) than they have been with their other pistols.

First, as I mentioned here, posting a picture of one of my first targets, the accuracy of my new XD(M) 9 amazed me, or rather my accuracy with it amazed me since with my other guns I almost never shoot groups like the one I pictured.

Then I began to notice that I wasn't alone, that others are also finding themselves more accurate with their new XD(M)s than they expected to be. Here are a very few recent examples, but enough to suggest that there really is something special about our new toy:

Here:
The first ten rounds my husband shot with the [XD(M)]40, he put 5 in the bullseye....

Here:
Accuracy was more that my expectations. Shooting WWB I had some 2" groups at 25 yards....

Here:
I just purchased an XDM 9 yesterday and went to the range this morning. I own a XD 45 Tactical model for the past 8 months and have shot over 2000 rounds. I’m not the best shot in the world but can keep the hits on a 12” target at 25 yards shooting offhand.… However this morning with the XDM 9 I was shooting all in the 9 and 10 ring at 25 yards. I couldn’t believe how much better I was shooting and wonder how much I must have been flinching with the 45 or this XDM 9mm is way more accurate....

Here:
(Picture of a target with 30 rounds fired from a new XD(M) 40....

Maybe this is just normal enthusiasm, but it's beginning to seem as though the XD(M) really is making better shooter out of a number of us.

Here's one more [added Dec. 16]:

azzpmd

 

[adam_lakesuperior]

I have been very interested to hear some benchrest testing results from 25 yards with the XD(M) 9. I have read that the .40 does well, but the 9 is probably a little more inherantly accurate round. I wonder what kind of "mechanical accuracy" the 9 will be capable of.
It does sound like the practical offhand accuracy is high for most people, like the design is user friendly which is almost more importand in most reguards.

 

[Flyfishtom]

Here is my take on this subject. I have both the 9mm and the 40 cal. XDm. I carry the 40 and compete, practice (a lot) with the nine. Both guns are identical in size and weight. I feel any practice with the 9 will benefit me using either gun. I have clouded the waters a bit by have Dawson Precision sights installed on the 9 and TFO's installed on the 40. Both guns have a Powder River Precision trigger job.

 

[scooter123]

My answer is Yes and No.

Yes because I have found my XDm-40 to be the most naturally "pointing" pistol I have ever used. It's so good that I almost don't have to aim it. Something about the grip, trigger placement, and barrel to grip relationship fits my hand perfectly.

No because the trigger has caused me to frequently see "flyers" that spoil a perfect group. However, my carry pistol is a Sig Sauer P239 with the DA/SA trigger and practicing with that pistol in DA only has really helped me with my XDm. Working on shooting well with a 10 lbs. long, heavy, and somewhat stagy trigger had proven to be very beneficial for mastering the trigger on the XDm. Last time at the range, shooting offhand combat hold, I put 8 out of 10 into the 1 1/2 inch bulls eye on a 5 inch shoot-n-see sticker at 25 feet and the 2 "flyers" were solid 9 ring hits for a total pattern spread under 2 inches. For anyone having problems with the trigger on an XDm, if you have an old DA revolver in your collection a bit of practice with that will most likely make the trigger of the XDm a lot easier to use well.

Now concering accuracy. The XDm is very good and the factory sights were sighted in perfectly as described in the manual. However I have not yet been able to shoot my XDm as tightly off the bench as I have with my Sig Sauer. This may be possibly because the trigger in my Sig in single action is superb but the Sig is about 1/3 to 1/2 inch tighter at 40 feet than my XDm. I have shot sub 1 inch groups with the Sig at this distance. It's also quite possibly be the fact that field stripping my Sig requires a light finger tap to free the barrel from the slide, my sample is every bit as tight as a fully hand fitted pistol. In comparison, my XDm is a bit loosy goosy. Bascically, on a good day, I feel confident that my P239 is capable of shooting sub 2 inch groups at 25 yards, the XDm would probably run between 2.5 and 3 inches. Which means that the XDm is the perfect pistol for Action Shooting competition but is not suitable for bulls eye matches. Since I purchased my XDm with IDPA and USPSA in mind, that means that it was an ideal choice. I expect that natural "pointability" will payoff with huge benefits next spring when I try my hand at action shooting.

Bottomline, I think that the XDm is a great value, a great choice for Home Defense, and a great choice for Action Shooting matches. However it's not a true "tack driver", the fitup is just too loose. Course, that loose fitup also means that it won't freeze up after 50 or 100 rounds without cleaning, I expect that XDm would function perfectly in a sandstorm that would turn a "tack driver" into a hammer.

 

[mdx]

The fit on mine is tighter than my Sigs and it shoots better accuracy than all my pistols. Although my Sigs are pin drivers ,the XDM still has the edge and better accuracy. Whoever made the XDM keep the tolerance super tight and therefore the accuracy. Its the best production pistol I have shot ---except it needs trigger work. My first 20 shots were one big hole on the x ring. If you read the posts you see most are surprised with this pistol and its accuracy. The advantage of having a company that knows how to CNC mill, finish, and fit parts.

 

[Chief_of_Scouts]

I am very impressed with the XD-M's accuracy.

I just got done carrying an issue Beretta M9 for the last 15 months in the desert, so it's hard to compare. I have fired my Sig P229 and Glock 27 (both .40 cal. so as to not compare apples to oranges) and neither resulted in groups like my XD-M.

Does the XD-M make a better shooter...not at all, good and bad habits are still going to be there regardless of the pistol. However, if the end result is consistent and accurate shot placement, what else matters?

 

[mdx]

one thing that helps tired eyes is the long sight radius they did on the XDM. Its longer than a Sig p226 . Yes, the end result is on the target .