SA XD 10 mm 4.5″ Service Pistol

A Brief History

Although Springfield Armory (SA) is a bit tardy to the ten millimeter’s resurrection the company first fielded two then three of their iconic all steel 1911s and now followed by two XD M (Match barrel and trigger) polymer versions – a long slide hunting version  and a 4.5 “ personal defense or duty sidearm. The latter role is not new and besides the FBI a number of police departments followed the feds and carried 10 mm pistols loaded with Federal’s 180 – 190 grain JHP @ 950 fps.  There was nothing wrong with the caliber and round, but when the .40 SW with similar lower end ballistics that could fit into nine millimeter frame was announced coupled to the failure of the FBI’s pistol the 10 mm appeared to be doomed and it faded into the ballistic graveyard. The only manufacturer that retained faith in the caliber was Glock and it continued to date to produce rugged G 20s.

Better Than the .45 ACP

By now, SOF readers appreciates that the 10×25 mm round was developed by gun guru Colonel Jeff Cooper for his BREN 10 pistol. While the firearm experienced a short lifespan, the versatility of the anticipated ballistic equivalent of the .41 magnum was appreciated.  Although a forty caliber, kinetic energy levels were closer to that of the most robust .357 Magnums, but hot tens could smash threats with near 800 foot pounds of energy and retain more energy at 100 yards than a .45 ACP has at its muzzle. Bullet weights range from 40 to 230 grains and can be tailored for any task expected of a powerful handgun.

More Spartan Kit

Gone are the days when SA included polymer holsters, dual magazine pouches and a loading device in the firearms kit. However, SA still provides a rugged, padded and lockable carry case, which houses the pistol with two 15 round magazines, a cable lock, nylon bore brush, manual and other documents.

Well Appointed Pistol

My sample XD M ten was the service length pistol. Although Bob Brown is an avid hunter, I choose this version because SOF focuses more on humans hunting humans – the world’s most dangerous animal. As indicated these are full sized pistols withthree interchangeable back straps and fiber optic front blades with fixed rear aperture for the shorter barreled model and a rugged looking and a nicely blended adjustable stern sight for the hunter. The red light gathering front sight is on all M model guns and some 1911s. For me, they are more precise than other blades with or without contrasting dots and I don’t seem to have any trouble picking them up quickly, but they are of no help in marginal light conditions. However, they are vulnerable to breakage, but easily replaced. SA also maximizes sight radius. The Melonite finished slide is one of the most attractive on the market and overall a great looking handgun.  Aggressive fore and aft “L” shaped gripping serrations make slide manipulation positive even in Monsoon conditions. The ejection port is huge daring any spent case to get hung up in it. Barrel lock up here is very firm contributing to the piece’s accuracy. Also at the breech is SA’S loaded chamber indicator that is augmented by a striker status indicator that protrudes through the aft recoil plate when the pistol is “cocked.” Upper, lower and barrel serial numbers match.

Great Ergonomics / Intuitive Safeties

The ergonomic black polymer lower’s 1911 grip angle has very broad horizontal checkering that appears to be effective. Three different sized backstraps are available for minor customization. The pistol came with the small strap on board and after some preliminary shooting I knew right away that I needed the largest insert.  Strap change is not that easy, but easier if you have the proper tools.  Everything is super tight and a light hammer with 3/32 L 6 carbide punch was not enough to move the roll pin, which also doubles as a lanyard anchor. As per usual a bigger hammer solved the problem. Sliding up the grips rear you come in contact with the XD’s signature grip safety, which I like for point and shoot striker fired pistols. The grip safety and the trigger’s trigger safety are intuitive to operate and add up to augment the firearm’s inherent safety profile. A nationally recognized appendix carry, inside the waistband instructor conceals a full sized DA/SA pistol as a preference, but also because of its heavier triggers and exposed hammer that he can feel to determine status while re holstering. Including these two external safeties XD’s have an internal striker block device, which prevents the gun from firing unless the two others are disengaged first. The starboard side slide release / lock is prominent enough so that can be easily tripped during a speed reload, but high enough so it will not be inadvertently engaged during recoil and locking the slide to the rear on a still hot magazine.  Bilateral magazine releases make it easier to jettison the two supplied XD M’s stainless steel 15 round magazines regardless of which hand is controlling the handgun. Excellent polymer base pads have enough of a lip to enable them to be ripped out should it become necessary. Magazine springs are herculean in order to guarantee proper feeding.  They can be a challenge in cold weather and a loading device should be considered if more than 200 rounds are to be shot. I am not sure that I can understand SA’s thinking, because the hunting variant comes with three 15 round sticks. Animals don’t shoot back, but humans do. Two backup magazines may be needed when multiple suspects are encountered. The trigger guard is large and glove friendly with a near vertical front finger rest for the rare shooter that likes to use it for additional two handed grip leverage.  Moving back to the muzzle, its near universal Picatiniy rail is present for attachment of various shooting accessories.

Impressive Internals

Internally, the linkless, fully supported chambered barrel is easily removed after the guide rod and surrounding recoil spring are vacated.  The guide rod is hollow. I regularly carry an XD .45 ACP Service Pistol. Like other XDs it has a hollow guide rod and to place more weight toward its muzzle, I filled it with lead, sealed it and almost gained an ounce. Did it make a difference re recoil control? Maybe, but it was much better than paying the steep prices for a Titanium rod. The ten’s lengthy guide rails are steel and provide solid support for the slide. External and internal finishes are flawless. Slightly heavier than a Glock 20 10 MM, the service sized ten has a solid slide whereas the hunting version’s slide has an open dorsal surface. Its purpose is to reduce costs of manufacturing by keeping slide weights and therefore recoil spring weight the same.

Stoked with 16 rounds of 180 grain ammunition the XD M’s Go to War Weight is 41.1 ounces.

Unsatisfactory Trigger

The XD M’s trigger weighed between 6.5 to 7.0 pounds. While too high for my taste my main complaint and it’s a habitual one with XDs is the excessive amount of trigger slack or take up before encountering sear resistance. This is followed by some creep before it breaks with no over travel.  The XD series of pistols are classified as single actions, because the trigger only releases the pre cocked striker. My gripe is based on personal preference and stock XD M triggers can deliver good performance once you get comfortable with its idiosyncrasies.  Iusually improve XD M stock triggers by purchasing a Powder River Precision’s drop in trigger kit. It changes everything. Trigger weight, take up and reset are reduced while maintaining the piece’s safety. However, such mods will void your warranty. www.powderriverprecison.com

Field Stripping

Take down is one of the easiest systems on the market. Always wear protective eye wear during these procedures.

Reassemble in reverse order.

XD (M) 4.5” 10 MM

Specifications

 

XD M Performances

Round                                                                       Velocity                                                               Group

Armscor

180 gr.  FMJ                                                               1088                                                                3.47.2

SD 12.3

Buffalo Bore

220 gr. HC FN                                                              1151                                                                 3.05.6

SD 12.3

Double Tap

165 gr. JHP                                                                  1262                                                                1.60.8

SD 13.1

Federal

180 gr. HS JHP                                                              985.1                                                                 0.94

SD 7

G2 Research

115 gr. RIP                                                                    1353                                                                   0.96.4

SD 14

Liberty Defense

60 gr. HC                                                                      2325                                                                 1.66.7

SD 21.2

 

Pow’r Ball

135 gr.                                                                         1368                                                                 2.79.8

SD 15.2

Super Vel

160 gr. SCHP                                                              1191                                                                    2.49.4

SD 10.7

Sig Sauer

180 gr. V-Crown JHP                                                 1172                                                                    1.60

SD 7.2

 

Underwood

135 gr. JHP                                                                   1521                                                              0.96.2

SD 11.1

155 gr. XTP JHP                                                           1381                                                              2.29.9

SD 8.6

200 gr. HC FN                                                              1169                                                                0.71.4

SD 11.6

Winchester

175 gr. STHP                                                               1217                                                                  1.74.2

SD 16.5

Five round group accuracy evaluations were obtained from a hand held rest ay 25 yards and expressed in inches. Average five round velocities were obtained from a CED M2 chronograph Sky screens were positioned at 15 yards and expressed in feet per second. Severe muzzle blast was emitted by some loads and caused many errors. This problem was corrected by creating a blast shield from sheets of cardboard. HP= Hollow point. JHP = Jacketed Hollow Point. STHP = Silver Tipped Hollow Point. HCFN = Had Cast Flat Nose. SCHP = Solid Copper Hollow. FMJ = Full Metal Jacket. HC = Hollow Cavity. RIP = RadicallyInvasive Projectile, HS = Hydra-Shok, XTP= Extreme Terminal Performance, GS = Golden Saber, HTHCFN = Hi-Tek Coated Hard Cast Flat Nose.

 

Balance Power and Speed

If you can handle recoil from a .45 ACP you can deploy with ten millimeter. For antipersonnel work you need to find a balance between power and reengagement speed or “splits” between rounds fired. The hotter formulations are meant for hunting and recoil dwell may not be as important with Razorbacks as it would be with a bunch of bandits coming over the wall. The cutoff for most shooters is 180 grains at 1000 fps. More power is certainly available, but it might result in fewer accurate rounds streaking down range when fast target acquisition is imperative and lower powered tens are more than adequate to dominate a handgun battle. In this evaluation, Federals 180 grain, near 1000 fps Hydra Shok JHP was super accurate, controllable and relatively pleasant to shoot. It has also penetrated nearly 16 “and expanded to .61 calibers.

Range Day

During a cold range day my shooting buddy, former US Federal Air Marshal Ken Trice and I wore a shooting glove to protectour trigger fingers from the battering recoil produced by the stiffer zombie killing loads.  While not a .44 magnum runningthrough 120 rounds of ten will leave your hand tingling a little for the day. Among the bigger blasters was Underwood’s extensive stable of light to heavy tens. Even during daylight its 155 grain XTP JHP will put on a light show for you. Its 200 grain hard cast, flat nose lead slug is coated to eliminate the smoke that usually accompanies lead bullet launches. Of course, Liberty defense’s 60 grain pill tore into targets with rifle like velocities and almost reaches the velocity of a 62 grain M 855 5.56×45 mm round when discharged from a  9”-10” barreled Short Barreled Rifle currently in vogue with special operations warriors.

Loads for Humans and Animals

Accuracy attempts from 25 yards prone were hampered by a late winter Sun that made reading the fiber optic sight through rear aperture difficult. I could not shade the sights without getting into the line of fire. Our gun rest was nothing more than a garden table with a shooting mat thrown over it and Ken in a double knelling position. Bottom line: Although some groups fired were outstanding they may have been tighter with a better arrangement.  As mentioned, I would carry the Hydra – Shok for Homo-Sapien hunting. If I was on the trail in bear country and had the ten in a shoulder rig under my down vest it would be stoked with Underwood’s tack driving 200 grain or Buffalo Bores heavy solids. Deep penetration is critical.

Conclusions

Most shooters will not opt for the ten for personal defense, but choose it for handgun hunting of small to medium game. Seasoned gun men who appreciate the fact that the handgun is a gamble when it comes to putting adversaries down, value all the kinetic energy they can get in a concealable package. The XD M 4.5 “will do that. There are more powerful handguns, but few of them hold 16 rounds of heavy hitters. Sustained 10 mm firing in a relatively light handgun will give you a workout. Be prepared for it and have fun.

Contacts

Springfield Armory

800-680-6866

Federal Ammunition

800-379-1732

Underwood A#mmunition

618-965-2109