Pistol Review: Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 3.3 9mm

Specs

Itching for specifications on the XD-S Mod.2® 9mm? Well, here you go:

• Barrel: 3.3″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite®
• Sights: Pro-Glo™ Tritium/Luminescent Front & Tactical Rack Serrated Rear
• Frame: Black Polymer w/ Enhanced Grip Texture and under-barrel accessory rail mount
• Slide: Forged Steel, Melonite®
• Recoil System: Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
• Length: 6.3″
• Height: 4.3″ (4.85″ w/ Extended Magazine)
• Width: .975″ (1.1″ at widest point, which is the ambi mag release)
• Magazines: (1) 7-Round w/ Pinkie Extension, (1) 9-Round Extended & (1) Flush Plate (8-round extended mag available separately)
• Weight: 21.5 oz w/ Flush Magazine (22.5 oz w/ Extended Magazine)
• Safety: Trigger and grip safeties
• MSRP: $574

Other versions are available; MSRPs vary. See SA’s website for more info.

Takedown

Taking the XD-S Mod.2 apart for cleaning is a piece of cake. Simply remove the magazine and unload the pistol, locking the slide in the open position.

Rotate the disassembly lever 90 degrees clockwise by pushing upward on its front portion.

Carefully release the slide and move it slowly forward until there’s no more spring tension on it.

Pull the trigger. You’ll feel and hear it release inside, and then you can move the slide forward & off of the frame.

Invert the slide and remove the recoil spring & guide rod by lifting up its rear end, then do the same to remove the barrel.

To reassemble, reverse the steps to assemble the barrel and recoil assembly into slide, then slide it onto the frame, pull slide to the rear, and lock it there with the slide lock. Rotate the disassembly lever 90 degrees counter-clockwise, release the slide and ease it forward, and you’re done.

Speaking of the guide rod, it sticks out a smidge on purpose… should the pistol be pushed up against something (or someone) in the heat of a struggle for your life, that slight protrusion will help prevent the slide from being pushed rearward & out of battery (which would prevent the gun from firing). At the same time, it doesn’t interfere with carry.

Carrying

My early carrying of the XD-S Mod.2® 3.3 9mm was holsterless and wasn’t very comfortable, with the sharp edges of the ejection port either digging into my side or hanging up on my waistband. The mag release would be accidentally pressed from time to time as well, especially when sitting in a vehicle seat.

When I switched to using a Comfort Cling holster, life improved… but it also required some retraining because it changed my draw… and after some time, the top portion of the holster began to “grab” at the top rear corner of the rear sight, which required another change in muscle memory.

The XD-S Mod.2® 3.3 9mm carried quite well, providing 8 readily-available shots in a handy small package that’s easy to conceal.

Conclusion

The Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2® 3.3 9mm is a handy little semi-automatic pistol that’s ideal for concealed carry. I ran a variety of ammo through mine with absolutely no hiccups or malfunctions of any kind. This isn’t surprising, considering the 25,000-round torture test SA put it through.

Accuracy is perfectly acceptable for a carry piece, and the sights are adequate. The hooked front top of the “tactical rack” rear sight allows for one-handed operation, but won’t interfere with drawing the pistol.

It could stand a bit of “de-horning” to remove sharp edges, especially on the front of the front sight and rear of the rear sight and on the edges of the ejection port — and the mag release could stand to be a bit shorter as well.

All of the magazine floor plates are well-designed, and even if you do prefer to add the pinkie extender to the small 7-round mag, you’ll find it nicely rounded.

All in all, the XD-S Mod.2® 3.3 9mm quickly became my new favorite carry piece, and I’m not looking forward to sending it back to the good folks at Springfield Armory. Want one? Click here to order a new pistol.

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the XD-S Mod.2® 3.3 9mm.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.