northernwhitetail

I am going to get a springfield XD what caliber should i get?
Iam going to shoot alot but i want it to be able to use it for self defence.

Frank in the Laurels

Bea little cheaper for you in 9mm...I have the .40 S&W with the ported barrel....never shot the .45 acp, might be a little much in the recoil department...maybe the new .45 GAP may be the compromise...

harter66

If I were picking out a plincker for someHome Defense I'd go with the 9mm no doubt . If I were buying Home Defense to shoot some time I'd buy the 45 . Your are more likley to shoot it more if it's more comfortable to shoot the 9mm is much more pleasent in a lighter gun than the 45 . I have not shot the xd I did shoota competinggun and did not like it in 9mm as a carry piece it would be ok . As a plincker after a box I was done . I've been known to burn 2-3 boxes of ammo at a setting in my 357 45 colts and 9mm HP clone. Just me and an adiction to steel I suspect.

kdvollmer

Currently I have an XD Tactical in .40 and I think it is super, though I carrry a H&K compact in a 9mm. The 2 biggest advantages to the 9mm were cost for shooting, and the larger magazine capacity. However, now the XD comes in a compact 45 that will take a 13 round magazine, and one in the chamber. Kinda hard to beat there. there are alot of people out there that willtell you to buy the .45 for self defense, it has more stopping power....etc. I used to be a part of this school of thought. But think of it this way, go stand in front of me, and let me plug a couple of 9mm rounds in your hide, and see it that doesn't put you down. IMHO, buy the XD in a 40. Costs a hair more to shoot than the 9mm, gives you just a little more gas than the 9mm, and genereally not as $$ to shoot as the .45. I suggest that you stay away from the .45 GAP simply because I don't consider that to be a walmart gun, meaning, that you can't always go to walmart and find ammo for it. Ihave foud that the GAP ammo can be somewhat hard to find, and when you do, it is generally even more expensive than the standard .45 Auto.

Since you say that you are going to take it to the range, and for self defense, buy the full size gun, however, if you are going to get a permit to carry, then look into their compact or subcompact models. Whatever you decide to get in an XD, you will, or I expect you wil be very happy with it.

Good luck to you.

jester_s1

Having owned pistols in all three calibers by different manufacturers and having been an IDPA competitor for the last 6 years, I can say that other people's opinions mean squat when it comes to buying a pistol. Go to a range that rents guns and shoot at least one in each of those calibers. With a gun that fits your hand, some people find the .45 mild, while others think the 9mm is too much. It boils down to your preferences and your tolerance for noise and recoil. The $40-$50 you'll spend renting guns to try is very well spent when you consider the depreciation on a gun you buy then sell because it wasn't appropriate for you.
Of course, if you have friends that are shooters ask them to take you to the range so you can try out their stuff.

northernwhitetail

well iam young and i love noise and power. But also iam kind of cheap so i dont want to spend a fortune shooting it.

Matt / PA

I have an XD "service" in .40 and I know I probably won't shoot it as much as my new 9mm Firestorm just because of the $$ of ammo.
Its an AWESOME gun and I'll shoot it enough to stay proficient and it will be the main home defense weapon but I can pretty much guarantee I'll shoot the little Firestorm more.

I don't have the Firestorm (Bersa made) long but I would recommend it as a great buy in a 9mm. I found mine used for $249.99 and got it for $225. Worth every penny and then some.

The 2 guns compliment each other nicely, the 9mm for carry and the XD.40 for home. (I also have an M3 Tac light for the XD not seen in the pic)

If you can only get one and have your heart set on the Springfield, I'd say honestly get the XD 4" Servicein 9mm. You WILL shoot it more and some of the +P type loads like Corbon 125gr is not something a bad guy wants to get hit with either.

Rammer

I have an XD 40 Tactical as well. To me a 40 isa big step up from a 9mm in terminal performance. I've shot alot of skunks, coons, badgers, coyotes, and lots of other varmints with both, and there is no comparison between the two. I'd totally rule out a 45 if you are going to shoot it alot, unless you handload, cheap, good ammo is tough to come by. If you plan on carrying the gun concealed I wouldn't get a Tactical I'd get a Service model or the Sub-compact. I'm half tempted to trade my Tactical model in for a Service model or the sub-compact, you can conceal it but its tough unless you have on a coat or a hooded sweatshirt.

Yoter

Just my .02 but I would say go for the .45. I have the XD Compact with 4" BBL and I do not find the noise or recoil to be enough of a factor to even worry about. I don't find ammo to be all that much more expensive than 9MM in many cases. Bottom line, for self defense, especially for home defense, you can't beat the .45 IMO.

Buffinator

If you get the XD 4" .40, you wont be disappointed. There's something about the .40 that makes it deadlier than a .45. A DEA agent I know told me it was something about the motion of air surrounding the flying bullet that did even more tissue damage at the POI. Don't quote me on that one though. Recoil with the XD is a non-issue anyway.