Got my first new handgun in several years, the Springfield SDX-4.0 4" .45 ACP (All photos are mine)
When got to the store, the dealer still hadn't opened up the UPS box - I was shocked to see the size of the box. Frigging huge. I figured there were a couple guns in it for different customers.
Nope - it was just mine in the largest and most well stocked gun case I've ever had the pleasure of purchasing. When I bought the XDS - I had no idea it came with all of this.
Back Row - Left To Right
Paddle Holster...and not a bad one. I'd use it with jeans and just messing around. Not a retention holster though...
White Envelope with the First Shot fired by the gun. I suppose some states make you register that bitch - me, I opened it up and promptly reloaded the -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-er. Yeah - 1 extra round.
Gun lock - probably won't ever come out of the plastic.
Small baggie with a red and green fiber optic light pipe should I ever want to change the red on the front sight or if I break the one that's pre-installed.
5 Round Mag - probably won't ever leave the case.
7 Round Mag - I'll get a single mag pouch for my belt since I bought an extra 7 round mag.
Extra magazine wrap should I decide to change the grip back
Extra grip back to change the shape of the factory grip.
Dual Magazine Holder - nice touch but terrible design. I always carry my extra mags on non-shooting side with the bullets facing towards my rear...that mag pouch forces you to have one to the front and one to the rear - will never use it - not to mention that it wouldn't even accept the factory 5 round magazine at all, actually - nothing would fit in the left side...just crappy construction.
Gun
According to the paperwork that came with the gun, these are the "features"
Totally not happy with the trigger - everyone is saying it has to "break-in" but I'm not sold on that....
The grip is hard, but it fits me damn near perfectly. It feels better in my hand than does a Glock. And I've carried a glock since 1991...
After taking it to the range to make sure it worked before I carry it as my new CCW, I have decided that I really really like this thing, but it not without its issues.
Pro: This thing fits my hand more perfectly than any other pistol I own.
The balance with a loaded 7 round mag is about as perfect as a pistol can get.
The sights are extremely easy to find and target acquisition is the same out of the box (for me) as my glock is after carrying it for 23 years.
The grips are so aggressive you couldn't let this thing slip out of your hand after wrestleing in jello while covered in baby oil. If you lose your grip on this, it's because you got shot in the hand. There are no other excuses.
Break down and field stripping is extremely fast and easy.
The accuracy on this thing is amazing. I fired my first 8 rounds from exactly 21 feet with this result:
Also on the pro side is just the overall ergonomics of this thing. It just feels easier to aim. There's something about the grip angle that's just more natural. It's as if it just wants to be on target.
Cons:
The stock trigger is -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-ty -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-. Roughly 18 and a half miles of travel before what feels like a 10 pound take up. This trigger WILL get dumped and replaced. I don't care if it changes after a break-in period - it's -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-ing hell and will be yanked out.
Even though the grip is on the pro side, I'm also putting it on the con side. After shooting 200 rounds today, my hand is torn up. I feel like I was jerking off a barbed wire fence. My palm pad is actually sore.
It doesn't help that a compact .45 is brutal to shoot to begin with, but this is a jumpy little bastard and even after 200 rounds I still wasn't able to keep my double taps in the 10 ring at 21 feet. Still lethal shots, but not close groupings. Probably a new trigger and a softer rear grip insert will help that issue tremendously.
200 rounds - zero failures to fire: 1 failure to feed which was due to a bad round from a Winchester White Box.
Verdict: This is my new CCW weapon. I won't be shooting 200 in a self defense scenario...I'm too fat to carry that much ammo in my pockets. I may try to put some mole skin on the back of the grip the next time I go for an extended shoot, but ONLY for practice. For carry, I WANT the grip to bite into my hand like a snapping turtle.
I actually put together a detailed video review of the weapon, should anyone care to watch it:
Click Here For The Full Video Review
When got to the store, the dealer still hadn't opened up the UPS box - I was shocked to see the size of the box. Frigging huge. I figured there were a couple guns in it for different customers.
Nope - it was just mine in the largest and most well stocked gun case I've ever had the pleasure of purchasing. When I bought the XDS - I had no idea it came with all of this.
Back Row - Left To Right
Paddle Holster...and not a bad one. I'd use it with jeans and just messing around. Not a retention holster though...
White Envelope with the First Shot fired by the gun. I suppose some states make you register that bitch - me, I opened it up and promptly reloaded the -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-er. Yeah - 1 extra round.
Gun lock - probably won't ever come out of the plastic.
Small baggie with a red and green fiber optic light pipe should I ever want to change the red on the front sight or if I break the one that's pre-installed.
5 Round Mag - probably won't ever leave the case.
7 Round Mag - I'll get a single mag pouch for my belt since I bought an extra 7 round mag.
Extra magazine wrap should I decide to change the grip back
Extra grip back to change the shape of the factory grip.
Dual Magazine Holder - nice touch but terrible design. I always carry my extra mags on non-shooting side with the bullets facing towards my rear...that mag pouch forces you to have one to the front and one to the rear - will never use it - not to mention that it wouldn't even accept the factory 5 round magazine at all, actually - nothing would fit in the left side...just crappy construction.
Gun
According to the paperwork that came with the gun, these are the "features"
Totally not happy with the trigger - everyone is saying it has to "break-in" but I'm not sold on that....
The grip is hard, but it fits me damn near perfectly. It feels better in my hand than does a Glock. And I've carried a glock since 1991...
After taking it to the range to make sure it worked before I carry it as my new CCW, I have decided that I really really like this thing, but it not without its issues.
Pro: This thing fits my hand more perfectly than any other pistol I own.
The balance with a loaded 7 round mag is about as perfect as a pistol can get.
The sights are extremely easy to find and target acquisition is the same out of the box (for me) as my glock is after carrying it for 23 years.
The grips are so aggressive you couldn't let this thing slip out of your hand after wrestleing in jello while covered in baby oil. If you lose your grip on this, it's because you got shot in the hand. There are no other excuses.
Break down and field stripping is extremely fast and easy.
The accuracy on this thing is amazing. I fired my first 8 rounds from exactly 21 feet with this result:
Also on the pro side is just the overall ergonomics of this thing. It just feels easier to aim. There's something about the grip angle that's just more natural. It's as if it just wants to be on target.
Cons:
The stock trigger is -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-ty -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-. Roughly 18 and a half miles of travel before what feels like a 10 pound take up. This trigger WILL get dumped and replaced. I don't care if it changes after a break-in period - it's -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-ing hell and will be yanked out.
Even though the grip is on the pro side, I'm also putting it on the con side. After shooting 200 rounds today, my hand is torn up. I feel like I was jerking off a barbed wire fence. My palm pad is actually sore.
It doesn't help that a compact .45 is brutal to shoot to begin with, but this is a jumpy little bastard and even after 200 rounds I still wasn't able to keep my double taps in the 10 ring at 21 feet. Still lethal shots, but not close groupings. Probably a new trigger and a softer rear grip insert will help that issue tremendously.
200 rounds - zero failures to fire: 1 failure to feed which was due to a bad round from a Winchester White Box.
Verdict: This is my new CCW weapon. I won't be shooting 200 in a self defense scenario...I'm too fat to carry that much ammo in my pockets. I may try to put some mole skin on the back of the grip the next time I go for an extended shoot, but ONLY for practice. For carry, I WANT the grip to bite into my hand like a snapping turtle.
I actually put together a detailed video review of the weapon, should anyone care to watch it:
Click Here For The Full Video Review
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