Posted: 4/25/2012 7:39:40 AM EDT
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hey guys, I put a layaway order for a xd-40 essentials package from cabela's, (yeah i know not the best or cheapest place but i rather not have to drive for 30 mins to find the cheapest place. Anyway put it on layaway, waiting for the sherrif's office to go through the background check and all that.
I would like to open carry, was going to get the P250 45 apc but they didnt have that in stock (im actually pretty glad), the gun feels way better in my hands. Anyway What type of holster would you recommend, flashlight or laser light, and what self defense ammo would you use. thanks for helping me out! |
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Well,I dont have the long post count or join date history of some of the other folks on here but since no one else is helping you out...
I have a XD in.40 and I love it. I bought a SERPA for it,fits great. I've read that Safariland is the way to go but those strain my budget. As far as attachments go... a buddy of mine who did 2 tours in Iraq,including house clearing in the battle of Fallujah says the only thing a weapon mounted light is good for on a pistol is attracting the bad guys gun fire. Instead, he would hold a light in his left and shoot with his right. This way he was able to have better control of drawing the bad guys gunfire. As for a laser you are going to need something that does not interfere with holstering. Your best bet are the lasers which take the place of the recoil spring assembly but those are pricey. I believe Insight makes them. |
Congrats on the xd 
I think you'll love it. I carry an XD9 service. As for holsters, safariland makes a great product. If you are going to open carry, I would STRONGLY suggest a holster with some sort of retention system. Level II or III, it's up to you. Check out the Safariland ALS and see what you think. The SERPA gets a bad rap around here, but I think it's perfectly fine for open carry. The main concern is that the release mechanism can bind up when dirty. Since I don't find myself rolling around in the dirt too often, I'd be ok with it. 
For lights, I'd suggest anything by Surefire. They make an excellent, strong product that will outlast anything else on the market. A bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. I don't have my light mounted for a few reasons. The poster above made a case for not having a mounted light, but that's an extreme scenario. One of the biggest reasons mine isn't mounted is because I find I have use for a flashlight fairly often. So it stays in my pocket, as I don't exactly want to draw down on anything that might need illumination  . Lastly, I carry IWB, and mounted lights make it nearly impossible for me to get to my wallet. On the upside, I do shoot better with a mounted light, due to the fact that I can use a standard two-handed grip. There are a few grips you can use with external lights that come close to a regular thumbs-forward grip, but they're just not the same 
I don't like lasers on carry guns. I think they're a bad idea. I have my reasons, but mostly they just don't work for me. I shoot much faster, much more naturally, and much more accurately with night sights. First order of business for you: Knock off those sights and get some tritium night sights. I have TruGlo TFO's on mine. Love em. They're easy to pick up and very bright at night. Second: Get a good flashlight. Third: Training class. Absorb, practice, and learn. Fourth: Holster Fifth: Acquire ammo. Take your pick out of these: Best Choices for Self-Defense Ammunition. All of these loads were extensively tested to confirm that they meet FBI protocol for performance. Find one that functions in your XD (I personally prefer the 9mm 147 grain Federal HST flavor). They will likely ALL function, but buy 4-500 rounds, shoot at least 300 to make sure they work flawlessly. Rapid fire as fast as you can pull the trigger, slow fire, any type of firing you can think of, you want to make sure it works. Sixth: Practice, practice, practice. *Warning: My XD took about 3-400 rounds to "break in." I had probably about 10 stovepipes, double-feeds, things like that in the first 400 rounds. Since then (7k rounds later) not a single hiccup. Make sure you break it in right
Good luck, and head over to the "Carry Issues" forum under the Handgun forum. Lots and lots of questions have been answered over there. |