I am a new member to AR15.com. You guys have the best discussions on the internet about firearms (no one in college wants to talk much about them). Anyway, my brother likes shooting my Ruger P89, but he really wants to get his own 9mm semi-auto. He doesn't want the same pistol as me. How are Springfield Armoury XD's? I've done some research and they seem to be pretty good. Any suggestions?hug.gif

The XD's arent bad as long as you don't get a ported version.

Quoted: The XD's arent bad as long as you don't get a ported version.

whats wrong with the ported version? just curious

Would it be better to get the service or the tactical length barrel?

My brother has an XD and it has been, to our experience, an extremely reliable handgun.  He has a .40, and it's great; together we have put about 3000 rounds through it and haven't had a jam yet.  He has the tactical, and it is not only a lot of fun to shoot, but has relatively little recoil.  I am a woman, so that may not be as much of a concern to your friend.  On top of everything else, it is very well priced.

BTW, I completely understand your predicament; I am also in college and god forbid you say anything positive about guns whatsoever!

I love mine,  

check out

www.hs200talk.com     everything you will want to know.

Hang in there collegeboy, you can find people of like mind at college.  I just graduated from college and most of the guys I'm good friends with I met through discussions of shooting and fire arms, or paintball.  Find some 2nd amendment friends and inform the future liberal democrats that guns are good for the law abiding american public!

Polytech out

go glock!

Quoted: Quoted: The XD's arent bad as long as you don't get a ported version. whats wrong with the ported version? just curious

porting sux for defensive use.

kills night vision

can BURN you

Thanks for the info. There are some people here at school who go hunting, but no pistol shooters.

How hard is it to field strip an XD? My brother and I are use to Ruger firearms, which seem to be very simple to disassemble.

Quoted: Hang in there collegeboy, you can find people of like mind at college.  I just graduated from college and most of the guys I'm good friends with I met through discussions of shooting and fire arms, or paintball.  Find some 2nd amendment friends and inform the future liberal democrats that guns are good for the law abiding american public! Polytech out

Plus one on that.  I'm in grad school now, and there's a few people in my program who like guns.  I was introduced to AR15's by a guy in my class...  

They are out there, but most are "closet" shooters, and unfortunately many get pretty hushed about it when non-shooters are around (the girls in particular?  TJMZ have any insight?).  I've been surprised by some of the people who have "come out" to me.  A couple were the last ones I'd expect.  I'm not shy about the fact that I like to shoot anymore.  

Quoted: Quoted: Hang in there collegeboy, you can find people of like mind at college.  I just graduated from college and most of the guys I'm good friends with I met through discussions of shooting and fire arms, or paintball.  Find some 2nd amendment friends and inform the future liberal democrats that guns are good for the law abiding american public! Polytech out Plus one on that.  I'm in grad school now, and there's a few people in my program who like guns.  I was introduced to AR15's by a guy in my class...   They are out there, but most are "closet" shooters, and unfortunately many get pretty hushed about it when non-shooters are around (the girls in particular?  TJMZ have any insight?).  I've been surprised by some of the people who have "come out" to me.  A couple were the last ones I'd expect.  I'm not shy about the fact that I like to shoot anymore.

LOL.  Yeah, I keep pretty hushed, most of the time, about my gun fetish, but then, I live in SoCal.  I am very cautious about whom I tell, and I have to say that I have met only one or two people at school who were into guns; and they were marines who shipped out last year.  Women/girls are a big problem.  Most of them cannot, even if their lives depended on it, keep their mouths shut about anything!  I had a (ex) friend whom I had brought to the range a few years back, and had explained to her that I didn't like people talking about my business.  A month later she brought two guy friends over to my house, whom I didn't know, and the minute they walked in the door they wanted to see my pistols and my illegal rifle.  I told them I owned nothing illegal and asked why they thought I did.  They told me that my "friend" had told all of their friends that I owned a machine gun!  I have a mini-14, and she thought it looked sufficiently dangerous that it must be illegal and so on.  

I do make a concerted effort to bring girls in particular to the range; but I feel them out for a while before I do.  Every woman that i have brought to the range has at least changed their opinion from being anti to at least neutral, and one of my friends actually goes with me from time to time.  

However, I have run into an interesting problem, maybe it's unique to Cali?  I don't know.  I have never met a woman who likes to shoot, and the guys I meet are very hostile to the idea of a woman shooting.  Either they believe that women have no place holding a gun, much less firing it, or they get royally pissed when I shoot better than they do.  

yea, lots of folks in college are either too liberal or just dont want ot get flamed for bringing up guns

if you are getting a 9mm, go w/ :
(full size): glock 17 or sig sauer p-226, or old school browning hi-power

would not get a xd just because SA charges a lot for a gun imported from a 3rd world country of Croatia
i'd pay the extra for the sig

overall, i'd get a .45 1911

dont recomend ported bbls; they have cutins on top, which will cut down on muzzle flip, but increases muzzle flash A LOT, and it can burn as well be dirty

+1 for the XD


otherwise cant go wrong with walther 99

Anything other than a GLOCK 19 is unacceptable.

Get all.  And then get a second copy of each.

I have the ported standard length XD9.  It is an excellent weapon and a great deal for its price.  It fits my hand better than Glocks, but not as well as my Steyrs.  Muzzle flip is virtually nonexistent with the porting and there is no more noticeable muzzle flash than an unported weapon with the right ammo.  You can't go wrong with this choice.  Of course, you can also get a Steyr M9 or S9 (which I like even more than XD's) for over $100 less.

Quoted: However, I have run into an interesting problem, maybe it's unique to Cali?  I don't know.  I have never met a woman who likes to shoot, and the guys I meet are very hostile to the idea of a woman shooting.  Either they believe that women have no place holding a gun, much less firing it, or they get royally pissed when I shoot better than they do.

Don't want to hijack collegboys thread, but I have to say I think this is sad.  I've met a few women who liked to shoot, but I've never met a guy shooter who had any issues with girls shooting.  Most of the guys I know try to get there girlfiriends/wives/etc. to go shooting with them and it seldom works.  What ticks me off, and may be the reason why we're having trouble getting ladies into shooting, is that every time a girl shows up at the range, most of the guys circle like a bunch of young bucks fighting over an estrous doe.  It's pretty sad.

Girls with guns are sexy, but it's no reason to act like a jackass.

Thanks for the suggestions. My brother is debating between the XD and SIG P226. What reasons are there to spend the extra $$ for the SIG? I'm interested in the difference in life span of a polymer verse metal frame. Are there special issues in caring for a "plastic" frame?

It's good to know there are other college students out there who are interested in firearms.

Quoted: How hard is it to field strip an XD? My brother and I are use to Ruger firearms, which seem to be very simple to disassemble.

I can field strip it with my eyes closed.  It's that simple.  Easier than a Ruger.  No pin to worry about.   Make sure it's not loaded, lock the slide back, drop the magazine, flip the switch, release slide, fire the weapon to reset the firing pin and off comes the slide.

Easy as pie.

I posted this in the Springfield section, but I'll put it here too:  Stainless or Black XD?

Quoted: Thanks for the suggestions. My brother is debating between the XD and SIG P226. What reasons are there to spend the extra $$ for the SIG? I'm interested in the difference in life span of a polymer verse metal frame. Are there special issues in caring for a "plastic" frame?

I can't comment directly on the XD, but I can tell you some differences in the Sig and a Glock. The Glock has is a "safe action" handgun. The trigger pull is much lighter than the double action of a Sig. The Sig will have a heavier frame than the Glock (or XD) and IMHO, a more durable frame as well. All of these handguns are good. I would go to a shop and buy the one that calls to me.

Quoted: I posted this in the Springfield section, but I'll put it here too:  Stainless or Black XD?

Guy in gun store told me that stainless resists holster marks better than black.

Nonetheless, this does little to change the obvious answer of "Get both!"

I just got an XD 9mm 4 inch model. I have put over 500 rounds through it with zero problems. I will also state that this is the first weapon I have ever purchased/owned and it couldn't have been more of a breeze to field strip. I spent probably 90 seconds looking at the manual step by step to strip it down. When I was finished, I was like, yeah and next? is that it? hehe Never field stripped any weapon before....I'm 30 years old and never even held a gun before this one while growing up.

Anyway, I originally got the xd-40 all black but after about 50 rounds, I decided the 40 caliber wasnt for me. Like I said this was my first gun and I wanted to take it slow and learn how to shoot properly and accurately so I traded it in the very next day for the xd 9mm service model (4 inch).....less of a bite to it than the 40 for this newbie.

The firing is really smooth and accurate as hell ...well let me state that it isnt accurate for me yet since I still have not learned how to shoot properly :(  My younger brother was home for two weeks from the Army 7th special forces (NC) and he took that thing and had real tight groups at 25 yards every mag. He tried to teach how to breathe, not flinch, stand, etc etc but I still have a lot to learn.

It is black with the stainless steel slide. After owning both, I must say the bi tone black/stainless is my favorite....I have heard the word "sexy" to describe it from many friends and even my wife :)

I will also post a pic for ya here.

While I am posting, I have heard that there are 15 round magazines for the XD 9mm service....anyone know where I can pick up a couple of those?




http://198.31.134.93/xd9.jpg

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The XD's arent bad as long as you don't get a ported version. whats wrong with the ported version? just curious porting sux for defensive use. kills night vision can BURN you

I've had a magna-ported Colt Python 357Mag, and they don't put out much of a flash if you use low-flash ammo. Even using the higher flash ammo, it wasn't that bad, I was shooting in a semi-darkened indoor range. But it does make a difference in the muzzle flip and recoil. Cuts it down by a whole bunch.

Quoted: Anything other than a GLOCK 19 is unacceptable.

+1  

Get a XD, you won't be dissapointed.  I have put over 3500 rds through mine with zero problems, it has surpassed everything I could have expected.