Denfoote: Marko here. How've you been, bud? Mak collection still growing by leaps and bounds? Mine's kind of plateaued for now, but at $109 for unissued Bulgies, that could change in a heartbeat...
Anyway, as much as you and I agree on Makarovs, I've got to once again disagree with you concerning the HS2000/Springfield XD. If you're finding them currently priced at $500+, you're shopping in the wrong place. I've seen them going anywhere from $399 to $429 for the XD, and significantly less for the HS2000 (when you can find any that haven't been snatched up).
As far as the HS/XD being a Glock copy, nothing could be further from the truth --- as explained in numerous other threads on this board. Significant internal differences, and numerous differences in features (not to mention the obvious ergonomic differences).
And as for the Springfield version being way over priced, I've always maintained that the HS2000 was a $600 gun at a $300 price. At $400, the Springfield is still an excellent value.
Don't let anyone con you into believing the quality isn't there. That notion is patently false (as the 6000+ rounds without a single failure in my HS would tend to support). The gun is robustly built, yet exceedingly comfortable. It's exceptionally reliable and posesses excellent accuracy. And it comes with a ton of features and safety items found (and sometimes not found) on the much more expensive pistols.
If the HS/XD is a good fit for a prospective buyer, then it should definitely go on that person's list of quality pistols for possible purchase.
I'll say it again, $400 for a Springfield XD is a good value.
Take care bud. Marko