[S281]

Hi, I'm a total Newb to guns. Ive shot a few over the years, but never owned one. I was at Cabelas, and the salesman got me sold on a XD. Now the help I need is which one between the 9mm service or Sub compact. I decided on a 9mm for the cheap ammo and not too hard for my wife to shoot.

What are the pros and cons between the two models. THe XD will be for the home. I am not sure if I would use it as a CCW but who knows, I might down the road. What I want for sure is ease of shooting basically for my wife. I want something that is not intimidating to shoot, controllable recoil for a girl that has never ever shot a gun, and something that will fit in her hand well. I was sold on the subcompact but was reading that the service has less recoil. Is it considerably less? The subcompact looks large in her hands, so I cant imagine what the service would look like. But would the service be easier for her to use? I held both and could get used to both, so that's not a big deal for me. Thanks.

 

[RoughNTough]

A little off topic..Do you happen to be from Nashville? The reason I ask is there is not many Cabela stores out there.

I carry my XD service quite easily tucked in an IWB. I would choose either gun IMO. I went with the .40 though. I have the capability to buy an EFK 9mm barrel if I want to shoot cheaply, not that I am breaking th bank shooting WWB ammo though. At 14.97 per 100rds it's cheap and the stopping power is still there.

 

[S281]

I'm from Nebraksa. Yeah, too bad there arent very many cabelas, its an amazing store, i could spend days and a ton of cash in there.

 

[Arnisandyz]

The obvious advantage that the SC has is its easier to CCW. You get close to the same firepower in a smaller package. Will there be situations where your wife (given she has a CCW) wants to carry it in her purse? The SC is better. If you don't plan on CCW, get the Service.

The service will be more accurate, hold more rounds, have slightly more velocity and control recoil a little better.

It just depends on what your gonna do with it. Is it a house gun you might carry occasionally or something you carry everyday that can be used as a house gun? They both overlap, the service can be carried comfortably and the SC can serve as house gun, its very accurate at defensive ranges, and when your at home you can use the 15 round extended mag. Just like the service, it has a provision for a tac-light.

Get both. one for your wife and one for you.

 

[qballwill]

The only advantage to an SC that I can think of is its concealability. I have no problam concealing my service with my IWB holster and an untucked shirt. The service would be easier for your wife to shoot because of the little bit of extra weight. but I dont think it is that much of a difference. I know many people who can shoot better with their SC than I can with my service, but that is because of the shooter not the gun. both are very capable guns.

 

[S281]

I was checking out the XD website and noticed they also have a 4 inch ported model of the 9mm. What is the difference between the service and the ported, besides the ports? Since its ported, does that make it a really easy going shooter, with even less recoil? Is there any cons of having a ported barrel?

 

[Arnisandyz]

Ported reduces muzzle rise, makes your follow up shots faster.

Cons - louder, stuff like lint can get in the ports, flash belches out when shot at night...and the big one for me, you can't enter any IDPA shoots!

 

[jkswiss]

I haven't heard to many good things about the ported model. I also heard that it annoys other people if your at the range. Plus I hear its not too good for indoor ranges as it flares up pretty high. Plus, I've read that you really shouldn't need a ported 9mm model, as recoil is already minimal.
SC vs. Service. If I had to choose between the two I'd pick my XDSC. However, the reason for that is for carrying concealed which the smaller grip makes it a lot more easier. The XDSC has an attachment which makes the grip identical to the service/tactical model, so makes handling it easier for range/home defense use; but it still has a small sight radius so it probably won't be as accurate as the service/tactical.
As far as the grip is concerned, its usually the grip circumfrence that is the issue, not the length. I have about 2/3" on leftover grip that I don't use. The tactical has the same grip length as the service.
My recommendation is the service model for you, seeing as your not dead set on ccw. Lower recoil for the wife, better sight radius, and more pleasant to shoot at the range. Also, consider the tactical model if a top priority is for it to be a pleasant shooter. Not practical to CCW but I hear its a great range gun and recoil is extremely minimal. I highly doubt that model would scare her in terms of recoil and if your set on pleasing your wife, it would almost be a sure winner.

 

[S281]

Thanks for the tips. Ported is out for sure, just read up on some old posts. I am definately leaning towards the service model. I guess I really dont see why I wouldnt, even if I need a CCW in the future, I could still carry the service without too many problems. 90% of the time I woudnt be able to carry one anyways in my line of work. There are no firearms allowed in the building. So It just comes down to taking the wife in and letting her hold the service and SC side by side to see if she feels comfortable with a larger gun since it would be an easier shooter. 8)