Review: Springfield XD Subcompact Mod 2 in 9mm
Jon Stokes 11.13.14
Reliability
I put 300 rounds through the Mod 2 and about 250 through the original XD, and I didn’t have a signal misfeed, failure to fire, or other real issue with either gun. I did see one minor glitch with both guns, however, once on each gun: when the mag was empty, the slide failed to lock back in the fully open position. As I said, this happened once with each gun. It could have been an ammo thing. I was shooting some pretty cheap Federal range 9mm through both, so there may have been an underpowered round or two in there. At any rate, I’ve never read anyone complain about the XD line’s reliability, and I certainly have no complaints so far.
Conclusions
I feel for Springfield. They have a winner in the XD line, and fans of the gun rave (justifiably) about the ergonomics. So in seeking to improve on the XD’s ergos, the Mod 2 not only has big shoes to fill, but it also has to compete with a very similar, very popular sibling in an area that’s more a matter of feel and taste than exact science. Yeah, I know from reading Springfield’s marketing materials that they threw a ton of science at this design, but when it comes to that magic union of hand and weapon, science only goes so far.
My ultimate conclusion about this gun is that for people with really large hands, the original XD may feel better. Shooters with normal sized or smaller hands will probably get better results from the Mod 2. But in the end, you’ll have to shoot both (if possible) to decide which one feels right for you. (Springfield has a “Hit The Range” promotion coming to a range near you, so go check it out if you want to try both side-by-side.)
I need a carry pistol, and one of these two will definitely be it. I’m undecided about which of the two I want; it will probably take me another 500 rounds to clear that up, and I’ll report back when I do.
Overall, the XD Subcompact is a fantastic weapon system, and you can’t possibly go wrong with it. The Springfield XD 3″ Mod 2’s best-in-class ergonomics, quality, accuracy, reliability, and ease of both use and disassembly make it a very good choice for first-time shooters and seasoned pros alike.
Postscript: I don’t have to send these guns back just yet, so I’m planning to put in some more range time with two different types of users: some ladies who are completely new to shooting and some experienced pistol instructors. More data will help me sort out who tends to like which gun better, so stay tuned for the next installment.
