AO Review: Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm w/ Crimson Trace Red Dot

There are 2 definitive crazes sweeping through the firearm industry in the last 10 years and Springfield Armory has been in tune with both. The first was the concealed carry advocate’s desire for small yet high-capacity carry guns. Springfield first ushered in their XD-S, then XD-S Mod.2, and more recently the Hellcat. The 2nd craze burning through the gun community is putting micro red dots on everything! This is a much more recent epidemic in the realm of optics so Springfield first delivered to us a Hellcat OSP, and now the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm is here as well! In this AllOutdoor Review, we take a look at the newly unveiled Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with a Crimson Trace Micro Red Dot! Let’s dive in!

Specifications: Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm w/ Crimson Trace Red Dot

The Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 (Xtreme Duty – Single Stack; Model 2) as well as OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) offerings are both not new by any measure, but for them to be melded together into a single firearm is definitely a 1st. This blends the best properties of a proven carry pistol with the ability to adapt a micro red dot like so many gun owners are now keen on doing. All of the specifications for the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with a Crimson Trace Micro Red Dot can be read below as presented by Springfield Armory:

CALIBER: 9mm
COLOR: Black
BARREL: 3.3″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish, 1:10
SLIDE: Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish
FRAME: Black Polymer w /Enhanced Grip Texture
SIGHTS: White Dot Front, Serrated Rear | Crimson Trace CTS-1500 Red Dot
RECOIL SYSTEM: Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod

GRIP WIDTH: 0.9″
MAGAZINES: (1) 7-Round, (1) 9-Round Extended
WEIGHT: 21.5 oz w/ Flush Mag, 22.5 oz w/ Extended Mag
LENGTH: 6.3″
HEIGHT: 4.4″ w/ Flush Mag, 5″ w/ Extended Mag
MSRP: XD-S Mod.2 OSP – $425 | XD-S Mod.2 OSP w/ Crimson Trace CTS-1500 – $549

The MSRP for the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm is $425 while the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 Micro Red Dot is benchmarked at an MSRP of $549. In the rare event that you should ever need service for your firearm Springfield Armory has a Lifetime Warranty that stands behind all of their firearms. A Press Release statement can be read below from Springfield Armory which talks about the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 Micro Red Dot we are reviewing here today in greater length:

“Our most popular single-stack EDC is now optics ready. The XD-S Mod.2® OSP™ comes with a factory milled slide for low-profile, direct mounting of compact optics for an intuitive sight picture and uninterrupted focus on target. Available with an optional Crimson Trace micro red dot and chambered in 9mm, the XD-S Mod.2 OSP features a 3.3” hammer forged barrel and a passive grip safety for confident carry. Shipping with both 7 and 9 round magazines, the XD-S Mod.2 OSP offers a new take on this trusted platform.“

Range Time: Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm w/ Crimson Trace Red Dot

When it comes to shooting the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with a Crimson Trace Micro Red Dot the first thing you notice is speed. All of us can shoot accurately at any distance if given an unlimited amount of time, but the XD-S Mod.2 OSP gives the shooter a tactical edge by deploying a red dot. This makes sight acquisition faster, more easily repeatable, and it flatly improves your speed to make decisions and engage targets.

What is also nice with the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm is that if your micro red dot were to ever fail or the batteries go out you can still see your iron sights through the lens of your red dot. Because of this, you are never without sights completely under any circumstances. Like a potential finicky round you negotiate with through a “Tap, Rack, Reload,” you simply can adapt and overcome the problem by relying on your back-up iron sights to keep shooting and stay in the fight.

Another element of the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm that I appreciated while out at the range were the hefty slide serrations. Whenever I am examining if a round is chambered, racking the slide open for cleaning, or a multitude of other slide manipulations I grasp the slide from the rear. So, why are the rear slide serrations worth noting on the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm? I was able to repeatedly maintain good dexterity working the slide even with a micro red dot potentially obstructing my grasp of the rear slide serrations. The cut, geometry, and spacing of the slide serrations worked in my favor to always allow for secure handling of the weapon.

In regards to accuracy, this is not my 1st rodeo shooting an XD-S Mod.2 so my standards were set high for what I hoped to see – and I was not disappointed. With the unique anti-slip texturing, undercut trigger guard, and extended beavertail built into the frame I could easily mitigate the mild recoil to remain accurate and on target. Add in the micro red dot (which I jumped on that bandwagon a long time ago), and regardless of the ammunition I fired – nickel, brass, or steel cased – and I was getting clustered group accuracy at will.

Carry Time: Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm w/ Crimson Trace Red Dot

As far as my time carrying this pistol, I had about 1 week before the announcement of the XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm to carry it. Again, I have already intimately reviewed the XD-S Mod.2 roughly 2 years ago for our sister-site in TheFirearmBlog.com and you can see that full review HERE. So, being short on time to carry this pistol did not bother me at all because I already knew what I was in for.

Even with the newer OSP slide this XD-S Mod.2 fit all of my former holsters. The placement of the optic cut on the slide of the XD-S Mod.2 OSP will not inhibit your selection of most quality holsters. It sits rearward enough on the slide that the bulk of the firearm can be adequately holstered, shielded, and protected yet allows for a micro red dot to be present – the best of both worlds.

The XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm is the perfect size in regards to carry because it is small enough to be able to easily hide for concealed carry yet it is large enough to still get a firm handle on the weapon to properly control and manipulate all of its functions. So, whether your preference is to carry it Outside-the-Waistband (OWB), Inside-the-Waistband (IWB), Appendix, Ankle Carry, Shoulder Rig, you name it, you will be able to easily carry it to your liking.

Final Thoughts: Springfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm w/ Crimson Trace Red Dot

So, what are my final thoughts?… If you are in the market for a stalwart, proven pistol and want to enjoy the benefits of a micro red dot then look no further. At a full retail MSRP of $549 you will not be able to find a better or even equal quality offering as this where it comes with a factory-configured micro red dot; there simply is nothing that can compete. There are multiple magazine sizes you can play with between the Flush, Mid, and Extended capacity sizes. Also, this is now a time-tested model that has resoundingly proven its salt. The only objective critic I have is that Springfield Armory makes an even better carry gun (depending on which fits your hand better) in their own portfolio with the Hellcat. So, it is a coin flip as to which might suit you best with your concealed carry needs.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Springfield Armory for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with a Crimson Trace Micro Red Dot. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP 9mm with a Crimson Trace Micro Red Dot is something worth spending your money on? Would you carry it while camping or hiking? Shoot a league with it? Use it as your everyday carry? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak