Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm Concealed Carry Pistol

The XD-M Elite is Springfield’s advanced striker-fired handgun offering. The XD M Elite is an impressive handgun that comes with a high-intensity suppressor sight made of iron, an ambidextrous sliding stop as well as enhanced serrations. It’s available in a compact package.

The XD M Elite also comes equipped with a reversible system of backstraps. They come in three variants. The pistol can be comfortably set to fit https://springfieldstore.com/ a range of hand sizes.

The Optical Sight

The XD Series Elite is Springfield Armory’s upgrade to their popular line of polymer-frame striker-fired pistols. This XD-M Elite pistol has the attributes that competitors want and is designed to transport. This is a barrel that matches along with improved slide serrations as well as the firm’s Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly (META).

The 3.8-inch Hammer-forged, match-grade Melonite finish on the barrel is designed to maximize ballistic performance while the compact frame for grips provides the concealedness required for every day use. Its performance as well as high capacity makes it a great EDC option.

From the moment you open it, the XD-M Elite is ready for use using any red dot scope you like. The angled section of the dust cover of the frame includes a section of Picatinny rails, which allow the mounting of tactical lights or lasers. You can use this pistol to protect your main weapon when your light has gone out or is hard to spot.

Its XD Elite model comes with every one of the traditional XD Elite functions, which include the slide lock which is ambidextrous and a magazine release for southpaws. Additionally, it has upgraded serrations to the slide that offer an extra level of traction. The gun also comes with an extended magwell that enables you to put 22+1 rounds from the magazine.

The model, as those in the XD Elite series, is compatible with ammunition that can be used +P. However, using a diet of hot loads will make key components wear faster than using standard-pressure ammunition.

One of the best characteristics of this pistol is its ambidextrous fore-sight and rear sight. This lets shooters with https://springfieldstore.com/ left hands effortlessly operate the gun and also makes it simple to get the gun in hand and begin shooting.

In addition to the two magazines that come with it, you will also receive one black carry case made of nylon and a flat basepad to replace the fingerhooks. Also included are new fiber optic rods to replace the front sight. So, you can swap out the rods that are currently red for a green set if you’d like a different color. The new rods have to be installed by you, because they don’t come equipped with any directions or tools.

Trigger Pull

In the past, the only full-size polymer pistols offered across the United States were the Springfield Armory XD and that of the Smith & Wesson M&P, and Glock. The situation has changed as many manufacturers now make these guns. But, the XD is still the top of the line within the XD range.

The Elite includes a few advanced options that distinguish it from its predecessors, the XD and XD models, for example, the forged hammer barrel as well as a chamber indicator that is loaded located on the back of the slide. It is both a visual and tactile indication of gun’s condition. It’s complemented by a reversible, extended magwell with adjustable rear sights and red fiber-optic front sights. Additionally, the slide and barrel with A Melonite finish intended to ensure longevity and durability, as well as increased accuracy.

This pistol is not an one-off. Both the XD-M and XD are famous for their sharp trigger pulls. It’s actually a bit crisper than some competitors’ XD pistols that are available from Springfield. It’s a great thing when you shoot a large number of targets, or competing at bowling shoots. Springfield offers an XDM extreme trigger kit the gun that will decrease its takeup, overtravel and reset.

On my tests with my Caldwell Matrix rest, the Elite’s first three shots blasted the 1.1″ aiming dot in the 25-yard range. Two of the shots went into a four-inch circle, and the final one failed to hit the goal. It’s pretty impressive for a gun of this caliber. It’s especially impressive when you consider the old age of this individual and the quality of his eyes. Federal 180-gr. The ammunition was Federal’s 18-gr. of power at the muzzle.

I was able to observe I did notice that the slide stop features an additional lever for both sides, which is nice for lefties but not as effective as some of the guns I’ve tried. It’s much more difficult to unlock as opposed to the left. This is something that could be smoothed out and “break into” over time.

Accuracy

Springfield’s XD series of striker fired handguns have changed over time. The latest XD-M Elite series debuted in 2020 and features a number of options that gun owners are looking for, including interchangeable backstraps high-quality triggers and an optics-ready platform. The XD(M) Elite OPS is not a different model, offering a few key upgrades that make it an ideal option for IDPA (or USPSA competitive shooting.

One of those upgrades are a Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly (META) and it offers the top production polymer framed pistol trigger on the market. Its trigger is flat and has integrated blade safety, integrated stopper for overtravel, and an integral blade safety feature improve the trigger’s feel, and also reduce cycle time.

META result in lower time to reset the trigger and better quality. In my tests of my XD(M) Elite OPS my five-shot groups using Federal Syntech 124gn target load averaged 4.3 inches. It’s an impressive achievement, especially given that it was carried out off-hand with a bench rest, standard magazines, and a handgun made of steel.

A further improvement is the slide release as well as the magazine release which are both ambidextrous. Its XD(M), Elite OPS is an extremely simple weapon to use both for lefties and righties. You don’t have changing your grip to remove magazines. The angled slide serrations let you to operate the gun even in cold or damp hands and help prevent shooting off the target while recoiling.

The XD(M), Elite OPS comes with muzzle threads that can accept 1/2×28 pitch suppression suppressors. Thread protectors are installed by the manufacturer. provided, and can be taken off to mount a complete selection of sound suppression.

As mentioned, the XD(M) Elite can be utilized with various red-dot sights. Springfield comes with four mounting plates that are identified by numbers for easy identification. They are built to sit directly on the gun and allow you to switch easily between red-dot sights without needing to remove the slides.

You can choose to replace the standard 4.2 inch barrel with a shorter version should you want to. The top of the muzzle has 1/2×28 pitch threads, so you can easily mount a suppressor when you’re in a position to compete.

Bottom Line

With concealed carry guns having become more popular and more popular, gun manufacturers have worked tirelessly to make them smaller in size and weight while being able to still fire at a high level. Springfield Armory’s XD Elite 9mm is a perfect example of this. The XD-M Elite 9mm model from Springfield Armory includes all of the characteristics you’d expect from a carry gun, for example, adjustable backstraps (3 on the model) basic controls and a trigger that works well.

The XD-M Elite also comes with the “standard” magwell funnel that can be used to channel your gun when you reload under stress. It’s important to keep in mind that when you are under stress, such as when self-defense is involved. The device helps to keep your magazine flush to the frame allowing it to be used quickly and easily when inserted.

Another advantage of this XD-M Elite that I really appreciate is the ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. This will make it simpler for lefties to operate this gun, especially if you are wearing gloves. Springfield made sure that the grip safety for the pistol is as simple to use as could be. It comes with finger-friendly depressions located both side of the grip. It minimizes the likelihood of accidentally engaging the slide when grabbing the pistol to fire.

This XD-M Elite also has an Enhanced META trigger which has been intended for competitors seeking to get the best out of the handgun they fire with a striker. The META trigger has an internal limiter for overtravel which prevents the trigger from traveling over the limit and allows you to stay in control during competition shooting.

When I tested it I observed this XD-M Elite performed very well with regards to precision. The XD-M Elite shot four shots with Federal Syntech 124gn ammo into under 30mm of distance, which was impressive. The only negative I could discover was that the gun is a bit too wide in order to feel comfortable with carrying concealed and also it’s somewhat heavy for some shooters.

The XD-M Elite is an extremely striking striker-fired gun that anybody seeking a concealed carry or range gun ought to think about. It includes all the characteristics that a gun owner needs and can be purchased in two dimensions. It also comes with a tactical version with a barrel threaded and the slide is ready for optics.