A little more info I am 175 lbs so not real big and I would want to carry IWB.
Want to buy a XD subcompact and a full size so I have 2 similar guns but
thinking the sub compact is going to be to big to want to carry regularly.
Option B is a Shield

Its a SUBCOMPACT how small can you get

I carry a full-size XD45 from time to time. Of course I'm 280 and five-ten so that makes it easier.

I'd LOVE to have a compact XD to carry!

Its still a 13 round double stack gun no its not the smallest.

I would guess me carrying the subcompact would be like you carrying the full size.
They have them at a shop close to me for $399 with 2 mags and a mail in rebate for 3 more mags

It's not the size per se, it's how it's packaged.
It's a small heavy clunky package.  I had an XD45 Service.  Great for the nightstand, lousy for carry.  
I sold the XD and went back to a LW Commander.  The single stack Commander is a much better gun for packing around for hours.  Shoot's better too.
I'd test drive some compact and subcompact single stack guns before getting too attached to the XD subcompacts.

I currently carry an XD-40 subcompact in a Galco King-Tuk and personally I think for some situations it is a bit much.  Right now I have plans on selling it or trading it in on a .40 M&P Shield.  In the right holster I would definately prefer the single stack and even with the longer grip on the Shield I think it wall be more manageable than the XD.

I appendix carry an XD9 service model every day. I wouldn't mind a smaller carry gun but I don't have a problem carrying this one without printing even a little bit. After an hour or so I barely even feel it. I'm 5'11" and 275lbs.

Carried this a lot in the past.  Not the most comfortable carry but certainly not the worst.  The XDs, Shield or Kahr (had one, sold the POS) is thinner and thus much more comfortable to carry.   Been pocket carrying a J-frame.  Much more comfortable.

This should be the first post, so we could all just say "FPNI" and move on.
I'll expand a bit on the "packaging", if I may. The primary thing that makes for a comfortable concealed carry gun is lack of bulk (thickness), followed immediately by lack of edges. In this I'm not just talking about dehorning the gun, more the shape: blocky is bad, rounded is good. Think of the 1911 slide v. the Glock slide.
Take a thick, blocky gun and shorten it, and it becomes even more "clunky".
It's more comfortable and easier to conceal a flat, rounded gun than a thick, blocky gun, even if the flat gun has a longer barrel. Don't worry so much about length; worry about thickness and rounded edges.  

I am the same weight as you, and I do not wear oversized clothing. I also live in Florida and I am regularly able to carry my HK45c in shorts and a T-shirt. I have a friend who will regularly carry a G17 or S&W M&P 9 in the same Florida heat. I would say don't worry so much about the size of your xd, just get a quality holster and belt. I use an Aegis Armory Shield, my buddy likes his ICOG and Crossbread Supertuck.

I appendix carry a G17 and work outdoors, it is actually surprisingly comfortable. I carry my G17 at about 1 o'clock and a spare mag at 11 o'clock better than I ever could conceals G19 at 4 o'clock. There a number of other guys on here that carry full size pistols as well but at the end of the day it is up to you. If you don't think you'll carry the XD all the time then get the Shield.

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5'9" 145lbs.

eta carry at 3 o'clock and more comfy than my G19

Either are fine with a good belt and quality holster.

I appenedix carry a Glock 23 daily. I'm 5' 11" and 180 lbs.  PF9 or S&W J frame backup in the left front pocket if I'm at work.


When finding a carry gun, best question is, can I shoot it well and conceal it?

Go with what you can shoot well, and conceal. I don't really care if I print personally, since it's not a legal issue in my state like it is in some.

I carry a XD40SC outside of work since guns and knives are not allowed at work. When I carry, I have a 9 round magazine with a Pierce grip and a 12 round magazine for a reload. I carry in a IWB horsehide Crossbreed holster.

Normally I carry a MP9 FS w/TLR3 AIWB, a 642 as a bug, 3x20rd mags, SF Fury P2X tactical as a handheld.  Right now on vacation in bear country  I'm carrying a Glock 20 (10mm) AIWB, 1x spare mag, and the SF light.

XD is no problem.  I carried a XD45C a few years ago and never had any issues...well that were not related to the gun.

Both the guns I carry regularly, P7 or a Makarov, are about the same size as the XD you mention.  I am 6'1 145 and I can conceal both of those fairly easily

Carry a fullsize XD instead.  I am a lot smaller than you and carry a G19.

I've owned several XD models, including 3 subcompacts. They are thicker than the service or tactical models if IWB is your mode of carry. I'd personally go with a Shield or XDS since small chunky guns don't work as well for some. If I were to dress around a gun instead of wearing my normal sized clothes like I do with my XDS45, I'd carry a G19 and go all out.

What?  The XD SubCompact is exactly the same thickness as the Service or Tactical models.

That is the setup I carry, don't notice it's on.

No they're not. Take the supplied XD holster and tighten it so it's perfect for a service or tactical model, then try to put a sub-compact in it. It'll be tight and probably not even fit. My calipers confirmed it as well. I had the service, tactical and subcompact XD9s (not the M model).  The slide is thicker to increase the weight and it needs the extra weight for reliability.

Archived 2007 thread when I first noticed it. This was before I bought the Service model that was the same width as the Tactical: http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=5&f=34&t=45510

I agree with this as I think the belt and holster is more important to comfort and concealment than the size of the pistol.
Personally I like a bigger gun because if you ever need it no matter how big it is your going to be wishing you had something bigger.

I've owned 2 XDsc pistols, one in .40 and one 9mm.

I found them to be good guns, but ended up trading them off in a quest for an H&K.

I found them to be very carryable.

You can IWB a XD-SC easily. Quite frankly you could probably carry the full size just as easy. I have an XD9SC. A Glock 26 seems smaller and more refined though, but the XD is OK.

I came in here thinking this was a joke...

A Sub-Compact is easily concealable even on small framed individuals, I carry a G19 as my EDC in a MTAC hybrid holster at 5:00 with just a large t-shirt (6'1" @ 185lbs) and no one ever notices.

Concealing is about 75% holster choice, 15% wardrobe, and 10% gun choice...

Yeah my 1911 was the easiest to carry of all pistols.
pancake holster or IWB  and hid it under a T shirt.

Its all about the Height of the said pistol.
Striker Fired Pistol like G17/G19 are short in height and easier to hide.
The Grip is what I find hard to hide.
Not the 4-5inch barrel.

I hate sub compacts because they are harder to shoot.

I like 3.8 - 4inch barrel compact pistols like the G19, P229 with a height 5.4 and under.
BTW

I would rather go
VP9
G17/19
M&P 40S&W FS or compact
Over the XD

If you can give me a week or so, I can do some pics comparing the Shield and XDSC. I own a 9mm Shield and there is a 9mm XDSC at work in the safe. I don't work again till Sat, but it would be a few days after till I have the time to do the pics. I have pics comparing the XDSC to the G26 I carried at the time, so if that would help let me know. I don't know if you have ever handled a Glock subcompact, so I don't know if those pics would help any.

I have shot the XDSC and it seems to be a pretty good gun. Larger even than a G26 (but not by much) and pretty thick and blocky, though. If it is for concealed carry, the Shield would probably be better. The XDSC should be OK with a good belt and holster, but the Shield would conceal a lot easier.

Bub75

I carry either my XD40SC or my G19 in Galco Stow-N-Go iwb holster.

Been there done that. Switched to XDS love it.

haha, I call a fullsize XDm 4.5 .40....Although I will say that if I was gonna carry a gun that wide, i would go fullsize. Go single stack, or fullsize.

Hey, some folks CCW Mk23, surely you can carry a subcompact.

Still Carry one it's probably been to church more than some of you. Xd40

I am smaller (~152#) than you and I carry a mid size everyday IWB. Even when I was carrying a sub compact (G29) IWB, it was chunky and I had no problems doing so and being comfortable.

I'm not your size @ 5'11" 210 but I carry a 9mm sub XD. It is a touch thicker than my glock 19, but the grip is shorter and is invisible under a t shirt with my Old Faithful iwb. I agree with one of the previous posts talking about it being clunky, but I have learned to conceal it well and shoot it fairly well.

OK, here are some pics comparing an XD subcompact with a Shield. Both are 9mm, not that it really matters since, IIRC, the 9mm and .40 guns are exactly the same size for both of them.

This XDSC was a suicide gun that was forfeited to the PD I work for. The Chief at the time thought that someone might want to carry it for backup/off duty but no one has, so it has just been sitting in the safe for several years. I shot the gun a few years ago and, as I remember, it was accurate as hell! The gun only has 1 magazine so I didn't shoot it much, about 50 rds. Not exactly an exhaustive test, but it was reliable and I had no problems. The trigger is VERY NICE! If I had tried the XD series before I got into Glocks, I may well have been carrying them instead of Glocks. I didn't, though, and am now heavily invested in Glocks.

Mag capacities are as follows- this 9mm XDSC is 13+1 and the Shield 9mm is 7+1 with 8+1 extended mags as an option.

OK, on to the pics. They were shot in my VERY hi-tech, low speed-high drag kitchen table photo studio with an older point-and-shoot Casio 5MP Exilim camera. I'm NOT a professional photographer! I do this because I am interested and like doing it.


The subjects, the XDSC and my Shield. The Shield is due for its bi-weekly cleaning, so don't mind the dust bunnies.


Very close to the exact same length.


Very close in height. The Shield is a hair shorter, but not by much, probably not enough to make a difference.


Another shot of the height difference.


A shot showing the difference in thickness. More on this later.


A closer shot showing the thickness difference.


This is one of the main places where I judge carry guns, how long the butt itself is. Slide height really doesn't matter to me since most of it will be in my waistband. The butt sticks out and the length of the butt can make a real difference in concealability. The XDSC is about 2 1/2 fingers long.


If I REALLY jam my fingers up, I can get enough of my pinky on the butt to make a difference.


A pic showing the ledge on the front of the mag base plate. If it was my gun, I'd take my Dremel to this ledge. It is uncomfortable on my pinky, but it is not my gun so it stays.


The length of the Shield's butt. About 2 1/2 fingers, almost exactly the same.


Again, if I jam my fingers, I can get enough of my pinky on the butt to make a difference when shooting.


Now for the thickness measurements. The XDSC is 1.21" wide through the frame.


It is 1.32" wide at the widest, at the slide stop.


The Shield is .98" at the frame.


The Shield is 1.05" wide at the slide stop, the widest point. When S&W says the Shield is .90" wide, I think they measured only the slide, not the frame. Still, a CONSIDERABLE difference in width between the XDSC and Shield.


For reference, my issued Gen4 G22. 1.15" wide at the frame.


The G22 is 1.19" wide at the slide stop, the widest point.

Having said how much I liked the XDSC, I would hardly call it a subcompact. The butt is longer and overall it is quite a bit wider than even a Glock subcompact and, when compared to the Shield, there is literally no comparison, IMHO. I have large hands; I am only a hair away from being able to palm a basketball and my old, 2nd Gen G21 fits me very well. The XDSC borders on being too large for me. I can comfortably reach the trigger, but if it was only a hair wider or if the butt was only a hair deeper front-to-back, I wouldn't be able to comfortably reach the trigger. I could do it but it wouldn't be comfortable and my trigger finger placement wouldn't be the best. It is a BIG gun. It fits me very comfortably, but feels every bit as big as my G21, to me anyway. Not too good for a subcompact carry gun.

IMHO, there are much better carry guns out there nowadays than the XDSC. If you already have one, it can be done with a good holster and belt and, maybe, dressing around the gun. The real advantage to the Shield is that while it is as long as the XDSC, it is CONSIDERABLY thinner (a full 1/4" thinner), making it easier and more comfortable to carry and making it much more concealable. Yes, the XDSC can be carried; the Shield will carry easier in the same places.

In the end, it is, of course, your decision. Carry what you like and are comfortable with. Keep in mind, though, that if the gun is uncomfortable, you will be more likely to leave it home and are less likely to have it on you when you need it. Good luck.

Bub75

Nope.