[TeckTrek]

Howdy Folks; new, left handed (two strikes already) shooter that is trying to find a single gun that will serve my immediate interests;
1. A lefty friendly gun that is as accurate as possible for the money
2. Lots of practice shooting at indoor and outdoor ranges
3. Will serve as a starter gun for silhouette, 50 yd slow fire and Practical

The XD fits my hand, the mag release is easy enough, I'm hoping the 5" barrel will buy me some accuracy and it's less expensive than the P99 or PX4 Storm, both ambi-lefty friendly guns.

My two concerns, from my limited internet research, is the XD trigger and accuracy. Not really knowing what I will want in a trigger as I move into competitive shooting, I'm at a loss but understand mods can be made. I've also read that the XD is a fine for service level accuracy but I'm not sure how that plays as I move into intro practical and other competition.

Because I haven't invested yet, I'd rather spend another few hundred to get the best overall fit without going to a full blown $1,000+ competition gun.

What say you about the XD Tactical as a starter gun for my learning curve and intro competitive desires?

Thanks,

Doug
Cypress, TX
Firestorm 22
Bersa 380
S&W642

 

[therooster]

your too worried about accuracy... the gun will always outshoot you.

accuracy is in proper sight alignment and trigger controll... not mods.

the XD will be as southpaw friendly as any other pistol would.

if the price is right, and its what you want... go for it.


one last thing.

come shoot with us www.txdpsa.com, we will get you in the right direction.

 

[TeckTrek]

Good points - thanks for the feedback. I'll make every effort to attend the event on the 17th to see some XDs in action.

So, the 5" barrel is worth the extra money or just gets in the way?
Also, can the XD 9mm accept a 40 cal barrel or visa versa? It would be nice to be able to shoot multiple calibers in a single gun...

 

[therooster]

the extra inch is worth it IMO. it adds a better sight radius, and doesnt take anything away from the gun. if you come out to our shoot (i hope you do), i can show/explain better.

caliber swaping only goes from bigger to smaller. .40 down to .357sig, down to 9mm. 9mm cannot go up to .40 etc.

if i could do it all over, i would buy nothing but .45 and 9mm. IMO there is no real need for a .40.

 

[baa]

Lefty here- The XD is a very lefty friendly design. No manual safeties to worry about reaching and it has a ambi magazine release, which is very nice. The slide release is on the left side, but in easy reach of the index finger (damn you SIG!) I would say the only designs which are even more lefty friendly are from Walther (ambi slide release.)

As far as accuracy, the XD is highly accurate with a pretty very decent trigger (especially considering it's a sub $500 pistol.) I suggest buying one and shooting it with the stock trigger and seeing how you shoot with it. If you want a lighter trigger, both Canyon Creek and Springfield Custom do good trigger jobs (I would go with Canyon Creek personally.) The XD will easily shoot as accurately out of the box as a Glock, Sig, Beretta, Ruger, etc.

I don't own a tactical, so I cannot directly comment on the 4" to 5" difference, but I own a Taurus PT99 (5" barrel) and my XD-9 Service shoots just as tight as the Taurus. In fact, out to 25 yards the XD-SC holds groups as tight as the XD Service (from a bench rest) for me. YMMV.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

First post here on this forum. I just bought a 4" package with the 3 mags.

I'm also left handed (and right eye dominant). So I always look for left hand friendly handguns. The XD is better than most. It has an ambi-mag release. However, if you've left handed and have fired other handguns, by now you should be adept at hitting the mag release with the index finger of your left hand.

I'm not too crazy about the slide release of the XD. I hope there'll be an aftermarket extended slide release soon for the XD - similar to the ones that can be put on Glocks.

I think the purest left-hand friendly handgun out there right now is the HK P2000. Ambi-everything. And the decocker is rear-mounted.

DJ

 

[Frenchy]

This "Lefty" has well over 10,000 rounds through his HS2K, and has taken top honors in a few LE shoots and qualifications. No doubt it's left-hand friendly.

 

[retired]

Left Coast DJ, I'm in the same boat, lefty and cross-eyed dominant.

One reason I bought the XD over the Glock subcompact was the slide release. The Glock is so thin, I had a difficult time getting it to work and it cut my thumb up one time. I was told I could buy a larger one from a full size Glock, but my thinking is why should I have to for the price I'm paying for the gun.

After using a Beretta 92f on duty for 14yrs, I find the XD slide release very easy to operate with my left index finger. Everyone is a little different I guess.