Go with .45.
"Oh My that's a big one!"
Nice pick, go for .40 S&W manageable and lethal without a lot of fuss.
If your good shot go for the .45 ACP and practise, practise and then practise.
I like it.
If this is for fun or collection purposes, I'd say the .45. But the .40 is much more practical for defense purposes.... unless you live in a neighborhood with a lot of crazed PCP addicts.
I'm not much of a wheelgun kinda guy, but I just saw a .44 Magnum redhawk with a 4-inch barrel at one of the local gun shops. I'm seriously considering getting one.
.45 acp you can find them always in stock, and you'll have a choice of colors (types of loads).....40 is good also, but .45 acp is ALWAYS on the shelf...even at Wal-mart....OTJ
I have a .45 ACP revolver. Several advantages for me.
I don't have to shoot it so much because there is no operating spring-magazine spring match to be maintained.
The .45 ACP ammunition tends to be better with modern bullets than the .45Colt.
2 rounds of .45 makes as big a hole as 3 rounds of 9mm. Recoil is moderate.
Reloading is very fast with 6 round full moon clips.
If I want to carry different kinds of bullets I use half moon clips: half with higher penetration ball, half with expanding fmj or fragmenting rounds.
I do have to have a decent holster: I like flap holsters, as they keep a bit more mud off.
I hope you are happy with the XD. Keep in mind, .40 is an American thing. Carry your own ammunition for practice and business if you travel to foreign climes. 9mm is nearly universal, .45 will be found in fmj ball wherever the US military is around, but if you are not military, you can carry the 'flying ash tray' hollowpoints, if you have previously checked out their reliability in your pistol.
No..Noo..NOOOOOOO!
WTF are you thinking?
I have nothing against Springfield but if there is one constant in life, it is that you only buy signature products from any company: you don't get a Suzuki car, a Canon laptop or an HP digital camera.
SA makes great G.I. .45's, I have one myself (stainless), but if you want something in forty and with the lines of the XD then you should be looking at Sig.
As for caliber, .45 is much easier to find, rarely suffers from variances in market availability and will blow a serious gap in whatever it hits. .40 is just too close to being a euro-pellet (9mm).
One more thing, can this particular pistol have any more safeties on it??
A grip safety, a trigger safety AND a slide-mounted safety...do they even want you to fire this gun?
The 851 B Taurus suits my needs. If there is a higher quality alternative in a revolver, I'd be interested.
Unwieldy as it is, I already have a Model 97 Winchester shotgun for home defense.
I have a rifle and a six shooter that fire .22 longs for plinking tin cans when the mood hits me.
If the quest for a new firearm takes you into classic .45 territory, be sure to look at the Kimber 1911's. A wide assortment and some really great looking guns.
.40's plenty big enough. I shoot .38 Spl. in my Trooper, because .357 is punishing with that thing (4" bbl). I've become less and less a fan of big recoil over the years. Even my hunting rifles have gone from 7mm Mag to 30-06 to .270. I even use a .243 on Hill Country whitetails anymore. The 7mm only comes out for elk now.
There is such a thing as being over gunned. I have a friend who shoots a .300 Weatherby, and he wears a perpetual grimace. LOL!
I'd be perfectly comfortable with .40S&W. Get some HydraShocks or Winchester Ranger ammo, and you'll be fine.
I have the Springfield XD in .40, the Service model, and it's a great gun.
I'm in love with my Beretta PX4 Storm in .40 cal if that's any help.
The .40 caliber will knock anything down you come up against, and do it easily.
Who says you can have too much gun?
You can NEVER have too much gun.
I went out an bought a S&W .500 Magnum about two weeks ago.
Why?
Because it's the most gun I could afford to buy in that size package!
.45 is the all-arounder and you can't go wrong with it. I've had a Glock 23 in .40S&W for over 17 years - it's a good caliber, is an effective stopper.
Either one would be a good choice.
Congrats on making the decision. Buying guns is just the bestest.
And we all better get 'em while we can before the Obamamessiah gets in office...
About two months ago I was making the same decision you are now. I settled on the XD, and was trying to decide if I wanted the sub-compact three inch barrel or the compact with the 4" barrel. I ended up with the .45 4 inch, and it is fantastic. Really, I don't think you could go wrong with any model, but I wouldn't be able to look my father in the eyes if I were to get anything less than a .45. I love my XD.
I have 741 Springfield XDs in 30 models in 40 S&W and 1,013 in 24 models in 45 ACP at Traction Control from $469.99.
Let me know if you find one youi like.
Ah, something I can actually talk about.
1. The XD45c is the exact way to go (note my name). 
I've had mine about a year now and it shoots wonderfully. Read the 20,000 round torture test on the Springfield site to get an idea for reliability.
2. ONLY shoot NEW ammo in the XD - NO RELOADS OF ANY KIND. Yeah, sometimes that's a pain in the tail, but it's well worth it.
3. 9 mm, 40 S&W, 357 and all of those share one common trait. They don't necessarily knock some one down with one round. Remember, the SAS developed the "double tap" to overcome the weakness of the 9mm.
4. 45ACP will knock the bad guy down every single time if you can hit him anywhere other than a pinkie. Certainly, the knockdown power of the "big, slow stone" is far superior to any of the other listed rounds.
5. Load it with hollowpoints AND FMJ ammo. I use hollowpoints first (against personnel) and FMJ in the bottom half of the mag to use against car glass (Too many reports of lighter calibers pinging off windshields).
6. I hope you have a big hand. The XDs are all double stack and you need a good sized hand to grip them comfortably.
In short - It's unbreakable, safe, carries double the "standard" amount of ammo and knocks down the bad guys. Wonderful weapon.
BTW, If you're new at this...
NEVER put your bogger hook on the trigger until you're absolutely sure you want to kill what you're pointing at.
If I can offer you any other assistance... email me anytime.
People have used guns more often to stop crime then the liberal left-wing news media will ever tell you
The Springfield is a good choice, in my opinion. A nice step up from a standard 1911 Colt, though not as pricey as a Kimber. I have considered both in the past but settled on an H&K Usp Compact 45acp just because I thought it had the best feel to it.
get a colt .45
It has always worked, and it has stopping power.
Don't get the .40!!!
I was at a shooting where an officer shot a suspect with a .40. It was weird because it was on board a train in a rail yard. The officer chased the suspect onto an idling train engine and in the cab?? (where they drive the friggin' thing) the turd turned and pointed a weapon at him. They were about 4 feet apart. The officer emptied a clip into him and the guy kept coming. One of the .40 rounds struck the guy in the center of the palm of his hand (the officer was hip shooting and I think screaming like a little girl, at least that's how we were making fun of him anyway "eeeeeeek blam blam blam blam eeeeeek"). The .40 round didn't even penetrate! How thick is an average hand, 2" maybe?? It went 1/2 way through and looked like it stopped on one of those little hand bones. I think he was using the 165gr Gold dots, not sure though. A .45 would've definitely went crashing through a hand!! The magic round hit the guy in the eye and scrambled his head gear and stopped the incident. But, he took about a dozen rounds from 4 feet away.
He died a couple of days later. Note: Don't scare the bejeezus out of the po-lice!
Anyway....
The Springfield seems to be a good gun from all I've read, I've never shot one. I'm a Colt 1911 guy with a secret affection for the Glock. I have owned a Springfield M1A. Shot placement is EVERYTHING!!! Practice practice practice!
Nice pistol!
I've read all the comments. *the one about the safeties is kind of funny..I was taught in the military that the 1911 has 5, count em.. 5 safeties...and it's killed more bad guys than all the other pistols combined!!!
I will offer a word of advice and you can take it for what it's worth..I feel I'm qualified to do so..I've been in 2 wars and about 8 serious skirmishes and I'm still dry on the outside and wet on the inside.
-find a pistol you're comfortable with.(if you've done that already great! if there's something you don't like..keep looking)
- find a method of deploying it that works for you and will allow you to do so in the fastest manner possible.
practice both deploying your weapon and shooting your weapon...often!
A wise man once said that an amateur practice until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can't get it wrong.
as for the caliber war? trust me, shooting someone is just like real estate..its location location location! If you shoot someone center mass with a .45 or a .40 or even a .32 you're going to do some damage.
A fella I know said this about defending yourself :
"in a perfect world you're going to pull your pistol, take careful aim and squeeze the trigger...the reality is this: get off the X as fast as you can and shoot them into the ground."
Plus if the whole Serbs attacking our embassy thing upset you, you can take pride in buying a Croatian Muslim weapon and know that you are sending money to Muslim arms dealers that are anti-Serb anti-Christian.
As the wife of a military cop, we have the .40 S&W as our home protection. Good gun, full clip, something even the wifey can handle.
Get a CZ!!
I'll tell ya, the Sig 226 is the way to go in .40. They work every time in all kinds of conditions, they have a decocking lever, and strip down very easily. You can get a pre-owned one for a good price, too. If you really want a .45 the Sig 220 is the best choice after a 1911A1. Browse the auction sites like Gunbroker or Auction Arms for your best deals.
I don't know anything about Springfield's so I can't give you any advice there. I carry the Sigpro 40 on the job and it is an excellent weapon. Get the 40, you should stay away from a 45 unless you have plenty of experience with pistols. Carry 180 grain jacketed hollow points, either Winchester SXT or Remington Golden Sabre. They will penetrate with authority. The guy who suggested that you carry fully metal jacketed rounds must live in a rural area. You have to remember that once you fire a bullet you own it no matter what or who it hits! I've seen a lot of guys who carry 45's or magnum revolvers, and some of them were experts with the weapons. Most, however, were cowboys who spent a lot of time making sure they looked good with their weapon and much less time mastering their shooting techniques.
Excellent choice.
Our rentals have been through more abuse and more rounds fired than any personally owned weapons ever will. (Well, with one exception I can think of, but most of us can't afford to dump 45,000 rounds downrange in a month and a half... (Yes, that guy is a serious shooter and was getting ready for a competition.))
We have had four total malfunctions with our XD rentals. Our four inch nine lost it's cocking indicator, (the little silver pin that sticks out of the back of the slide), and the four inch forty lost a cocking indicator, (no biggie, it's more of a convenience than anything else), broke the tip off of the ejector, (dunno when it happened, it just started tossing the brass back over the shooter's shoulder, again, no biggie), and, finally, broke a locking block at about 25,000 rounds. That tied it up, but, since Springfield told us it was one of the first ones built, and had been to half the gun mags in the country before we got it, there was no telling how many rounds were fired beforehand.
And Springfield didn't quibble about any of the repairs.
And I don't want to start any flame wars here, but we don't tend to keep Sig or HK for rentals.
They break too much. (Yes, that includes the MP-5...)
We just keep the fees high enough on it to pay for the parts replacements...
A .40 not penetrating a hand? I call BS.
I own one - XD45 compact. I love this pistol. And it is accurate in spite of what someone said above. That being said, the smaller mag is a tad short for my hand so I got another larger mag at a gun show. Plus they come with a really nice set of toys with them. Carry case, holster, mag loader, cable lock and two mags - one extended and one short. It feeds even cheap ammo with no issues.
Go get it!
I went shooting with my dad and brother in-law today, and he has this gun, I had never fired a .40 it felt like a 38. The gun was great he said he's never had a jam or any problems with it, has very nice recoil its a good gun I'll give it that. You can break it down in like 2 seconds and put it back together in about the same time to. I just bought a .45 on Valentines Day, got a Highpoint JHP. Its basically a steal brick with a plastic handle and oh yeah it fires bullets. My JHP is heavy, but I actually really like the balance of it, plus it only cost me $200 with tax. fired over 160 rounds in it these past 2 weeks and no jams and my favorite part no empty shells flew out of the gun and into my face. I fired my brother in-law's springfield and the last shell came back and bounced on my head, the I fired his 1911 and two shells flew back and hit me. I can't stand it when weapons fling hot brass at my face. My JHP shots out the brass on the side no where near me, I love it. Maybe I'm just a brass magnet, cause every gun I fired with a top ejection or weird half top side type ejection thrown shells in my face, once I had one leave a mark on my nose. I know ejecting brass is probably the last thing you'll worry about when a bear or some crazed psycho comes after you but still its just a minor preference I have. My JHP will hold 10 rounds of 45 tho. I can't really tell much weight difference for all the extra ammo tho. Still has a comfortable ergonomic grip, nice colored sites, manageable recoil, and really nice balance, I fired my brothers 1911, and I jerked the trigger a bunch cause after I fired it it felt like all the weight was in the back, mine held a lot of it forward its fun to fire. If its your first a highpoint is a nice place to start if your cheap like me.
I also would go .45ACP, it has a great one shot stop rate with the remington 185+p load, second only to the .357 125 grain load.
I didn't think this pistol had a thumb safety, just a trigger safety (Personally, I don't believe in putting a safety on the trigger) and the grip safety. I would hate to snag the trigger fishing a pistol out of my waistband or glovebox... So the grip safety is cool. But then I am a 1911 fan anyway.
As far as supportable companies go, Springfield is a great company with great service.
Angus dei, I saw it with my own eyes! The guy's hand was swelled up like a softball and there was no penetration the back of his hand. The officer stitched him from his pelvis up to his right eye with several rounds. The fatal one struck him in the eye, he died later. His hand was put out in front of him, palm out and one round struck his hand in the center. There was no exit wound, I saw his hand, both sides. Nice round hole in the palm and none on the back. This was in the early 90's and the .40 round had just came out. Several guys were carrying weapons chambered for .40. The officer that did the shooting got rid of it. He got a Glock 21. Everyone got rid of their .40's and went back to .45 and two of them bought .357 Sig. I never had to trade my 1911.
no bs....
It ain't what a man shoots it's how well he shoots.
Oswald shot an old Italian Carcano he bought mail order for $6.95
Ya think he could have done a "BETTER" job if he had an Armalite SR-25?
Don't listen to whoever is telling you that buying a Springfield in .40 cal. is a mistake.
First, don't forget that it was Smith and Wesson who developed the cartidge not Sig.
Second, any service type pistol, in any service tyope caliber that is available from any major name brand manufacturer is going to be plenty functional and plenty reliable as a personal defense weapon. They pretty much have to be, otherwise they never make it in the market.
Personally, I love me them Sigs, over the years I've owned several and a 229 (in .40 S&W) is one of my main pistols.
But I've also owned a couple Springfields, and fired plenty more of them. Thay are all well though out and finely made. If you are looking for something with the functionality of a Glock, but the grip angle of a 1911 then the XD is a fine choice.
My only quibble with the XD is the grip safety. Combined with the glock type safety trigger it's unnecessary and one more thing that could go wrong when you least want it to. A heavy rubber band can solve that problem though. But I also deactive my 1911s' grip safeties, so maybe that's just me.
1911 is a very expensive weapon. I think that was one of his turn offs. I myself would love to have one but I also have to feed my family make my house payment etc.
Enjoy what you have. If you find you want to go bigger you can always sell the one you have and reinvest the change.
If this gun is going to be for concealed carry, I don't think that Springfield is the best choice. It looks a bit large.
For concealed carry, I prefer either my Beretta 9000S in .40 S&W (10+1) or my Sig-Sauer P228 in 9mm (13+1).
I'm guessing since you want to go bigger than a 9mm, the .40 S&W should at least split the difference and if you're partial to Beretta, than the 9000S is a good choice for a compact pistol.
If you're just stuck on .45 ACP, I think you're just better off getting one of the various Colt 1911-like offerings out there because even something like an H&K USP Compact can only squeeze out 8+1.
Excellent choice on the XD.
Myself and one of my co-workers are both in the process of getting one through our preferred FFL. It's his second XD and will be my first, I already have multiple side arms in varying calibers but I'm looking for word to the XD as a "larger frame" carry piece.
I haven't decided on 9mm or .45 yet, probably .45 just "because".
And don't listen to the "caliber snobs", 9mm with good ammo is perfectly capable of killing The Zombies™. I typically pack my carry guns with Remington "Golden Sabre" JHP's fwiw.
I have two 1911 pistols. A Kimber Ultra Carry II and a Taurus PT1911. Both in the .45 ACP. The Kimber is my carry piece and the Taurus is my range shooter. I'd have a real hard time giving either one up. Whatever you decide, being comfortable with your choice, in both carry ability and shooting ease are paramount. If you are't comfortable shooting a piece, you won't tend to practice with it either.
Commenting by HaloScan
