laughed at like the S&W Sigma.

I did that.
I was going to buy one... then l picked one up and said NOPE.
S&W sold a bunch of em though just because it was a Smith & Wesson with a High Point price.
I was unaware of the HS2000 (nee XD) until about 10 yrs later. Mostly due to my contempt for Glock (which continues) and my disdain for all plastic guns (got over it with an XDM in 2014). The Sigma did absolutely nothing for me except confirm that my bias against polymer handguns was well placed.

 

I still remember when the HS2000 was first hitting the scene. Hard to believe that was twenty years ago now.

The Croatian Sensation in its original packaging.

Here's mine that I got long after Springfield Armory got the import rights.

It still seems like yesterday to me that I walked into Lou's Police Supply when they were located on West 41st St and Palm Ave in Hialeah, FL and seeing them under the glass priced at $299 while GLOCKs were next to them going for $398 (Blue Label). At the time I never jumped on one because I was deep in the GLOCK Kool-Aid (and I still am for the most part.)

I thought back then that they'd never catch on, especially since the Clinton AWB was in full swing and pre-ban mags didn't exist unless you modified Beretta 92 mags for the gun. Hell, after Springfield Armory bought the import rights I recall them outright selling modified Beretta 92 mags for the gun. But the Beretta mags had an issue of breaking the ejector on the gun if you slammed the mag in hard because the floor plates weren't the same thickness so the mag went a little further into the gun.

Anyways, I thought that the HS2000 would never catch on and it would be like other GLOCK wannabes and just either fade away into the ether of forgetfulness or be laughed at like the S&W Sigma. Well, I was wrong and it appears that a decade and a half later I even bought myself a 1999 made HS2000 and then a 2006 made XD-45 and just a few weeks ago a 2019 made XDM-45. I even learned to like them for what they are.

Amazing how time has gone by.

Now fast forward 21 years the XD, XDM ,XDM Elite they are rugged reliable and are a Handfull of fire power and accuracy .A true Military & Police combat ready handgun. High capacity magazine s ,new triggers, competitive design match threaded barrels for suppressor or muzzle devices.The XD line is my most favorite polymer pistol line.

 

You know you are getting old when you can say.....

Hard to believe that was twenty years ago now.

Just sayin'

 

Kermee should pay us a visit and let us know big foot is still alive.

 

I still have a pile of that issue of American Handgunner and some other special issues like the first XD cover.

 

I still remember when the HS2000 was first hitting the scene. Hard to believe that was twenty years ago now.

<snip>

Amazing how time has gone by.

That's a cool bit of history and a great post. Thank you!

 

Thank you for this post.

 

Damn, I’m getting old.

 

Just an OLD HOODLUM !

 

Hard to believe that was twenty years ago now.

You know you are getting old when you can say.....

I catch myself throwing that sort of timeline reference out more and more often without really thinking about it. Then, later, I'm like, Damn..... TWENTY YEARS?!

Yep... old. I doubt l even have twenty years left.

 

Yeah I as hard as I have abused my body over the years. I doubt I got 20 left in me too.

 

On a more cheerful note (I do not have that many years left too) I discovered the XDs late, and I am in love.
Both the XD and XDm shoots exceptionally well, and the recent addition to the family, H11 aka Hellcat is great beyond expectations.