Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm Concealed Carry Pistol
The XD-M Elite is Springfield’s advanced handgun that is fired by a striker. The XD M Elite is striking firearm with high-intensity suppressor sight made of iron, an ambidextrous sliding stop with enhanced serrations. It’s available in a small package.
The XD M Elite also comes fitted with an interchangeable set of backstraps that comes with three different inserts. The pistol is easily fit to different hand dimensions.
Eyes with Optical Lenses
Springfield Armory has upgraded their line of popular polymer frames, striker fired guns to the XD Elite. The XD-M Elite includes the features competitive shooters want in a carry-ready pack. The XD Elite has the match barrel, which has improved serrations, as springfieldstore.com well as The Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly.
The 3.8-inch gun, which is hammer-forged and match-grade, has a Melonite finish of the barrel enhances ballistic efficiency and the slim frame of the grip provides an easy concealability for day-to-day carry. This combo of performance and capacity makes it the perfect EDC option.
The XD Elite comes with red dot optics that you can choose. The dust cover is angled and has the Picatinny Rail which can be used for mounting flashlights, lasers, or tactical lights. This pistol can be used to back up your main gun when the lighting has gone out or is hard to discern.
This model is also equipped with every other feature that is typical of upgrades offered by XD-M Elite such springfieldstore.com as an ambidextrous slide lock as well as magazine release. These make the gun southpaw-friendly, and improved slide serrations that provide more grip on the slide. Additionally, it comes with the ability to extend the magwell which allows the user to carry 22+ rounds out of the magazine.
As with the other models in the Elite XD-M family this model is compatible with ammunition made by +P. The effects of hot loads could wear out key components more quickly than pressure ammunition that is standard.
One of the attractive characteristics of this pistol is the ambidextrous front and rear sight. It allows shooters who are left handed to effortlessly operate the gun as well as making it simple to get the gun in hand and begin shooting.
Alongside the two included magazines You’ll also find an elongated basepad to replace the hooks used on the mags and also a carrying case made of black nylon. The package also includes new fiber optic rods to replace the front sight. So, you could swap the rods that are currently red for an orange set should you’re looking for a new color. The new rods will need to be put in place by the user, as they are not supplied with any instructions or tools.
Trigger Pull
There was a time when in the past, if you were looking for a big polymer striker-fired firearm in the United States, your choices were just the Big Three — Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P and Smith & Wesson M&P and the Springfield Armory XD. This has changed since more companies make these types of firearms. However, for the XD series, this is the most popular that the brand has to offer.
The slide comes with a number of advanced characteristics that set it apart from. They include a built-in hammer and chamber, as well as the loaded indicator on the back of the slide. It serves as a visibly and tactile indication of the gun’s status. Reversible magwell extension that can be adjusted at the rear, as well as front-facing red fiber optic sights add to the totality of the features. The Elite comes with a larger slide and barrel with an ebonite finish designed to deliver long life and increased accuracy.
This pistol is not an one-off. The XD-M as well as the XD are renowned for their crisp trigger pulls. Actually, it’s quite a bit crisper than some other competition-ready XD pistols available from Springfield. This is great news when you shoot a large number of targets, or competing in bowling pin shoots. Springfield has the XDM extreme trigger kit for this firearm, which can decrease the amount of overtravel, takeup, and reset.
The Elite was tested on an Caldwell Matrix Rest. In the first three shots it hit at 25 yards 1.1″ dots. Two shots went into a 4 inch circle and finally the third shot failed to hit the target. The accuracy is quite good considering a firearm of the size it is, especially when you consider the eyesight and age of this old man. Federal 180gr. Trophy Bonded. It’s coated soft point that produces 1,275 fps velocity and 650 ft.-lbs. of energy in the muzzle.
It’s worth noting it’s slide stop features the lever that is bilateral, which makes it ideal for lefties, however isn’t as efficient than some pistols I’ve tested with. Furthermore, there’s a significant amount of force required for the release of the right-side lever than the left. In time, this could be smoothed out.
Accuracy
Springfield’s XD series of handguns fired by strikers have evolved through the years. The current XD-M Elite series debuted in 2020 and offers many features enthusiasts of carry guns need, such as interchangeable backstraps high-quality triggers and an optics-ready platform. The XD(M) Elite OPS is not a different model, offering several key enhancements that make it the perfect selection to shoot IDPA as well as USPSA shooters competing in competitions.
One of those upgrades includes an Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly (META), which delivers the finest production polymer-framed pistol trigger on the market. The flat trigger of META’s with an integrated blade safety feature, a with a built-in stop to prevent overtravel, and integrated blade safety enhance your trigger’s performance while reducing the time to cycle.
META leads to shorter trigger reset distances and improved accuracy. My 5-shot average was 4.3″ with Federal Syntech 124gn targets to try META’s XD (M) Advanced OPS. Considering this was shot from hand, with a steel bench rest, and using standard handgun magazines, this is an amazing achievement.
A further improvement is the slide release and the magazine release, both of which are multi-directional. This XD(M), Elite OPS is an extremely simple weapon to use for lefties as well as righties. There is no need changing your grip to get magazines removed. Its angled slide serrations allow the user to move the gun regardless of cold or wet hands. They also help to prevent sliding the gun off target during recoil.
The XD(M), Elite OPS features muzzle threads that can accept 1/2×28 pitch suppressors. Thread protectors are installed by the manufacturer. provided, and can be taken off to mount a complete assortment of sound suppressors.
Springfield offers four mounting plates that are numbered to make it easy for people to find them. These plates are mounted directly on the firearm and permit you to quickly switch between the various sights, without needing to unclip the slide.
The option is to substitute the original 4.2 inch barrel by a smaller one should you want to. Front of muzzle threaded 1/2×28. You are able to attach suppressors even when not participating in competition.
Bottom Line
Manufacturers of guns are working to minimize the weight and size of concealed carry weapons but still retaining their firing power. Springfield Armory’s flagship XD-M 9mm matches this mould. The XD -M Elite 9mm by Springfield Armory is loaded with characteristics you’d expect from the carry gun for example, interchangeable backstraps (3 for the model) as well as simple controls and a trigger that performs well.
This funnel also comes included with it’s counterpart, XD-M Elite. It’s designed to direct magazines through it when you reload when under stress. Remember this when under pressure, as you will be engaged in self-defense. It keeps the pistol aligned with the frame which allows it to be placed without difficulty and to fire.
Another advantage of the XD-M Elite that I really like is the ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. This will make it more accessible for people with left hand to use this pistol, particularly when you’re wearing gloves. Springfield has made sure that this pistol has the most user-friendly design by incorporating a grip safety with depressions on both sides of the pistol grip for finger placement. This decreases the possibility of accidentally engaging the safety slide when gripping the firearm for firing.
The XD M Elite has an Enhanced META Trigger that was designed specifically for shooters who want to get to get the best performance from their handguns equipped with striker firing. META’s overtravel-stopping mechanisms in the internal trigger prevent the trigger from traveling too much making it easier to remain in control when competing.
When I tested it I was able to see this XD-M Elite performed very well when it came to accuracy. The XD Elite fired four shots of Federal Syntech 124gn ammo into less than 30mm. That is quite impressive. The only negative I could find was that the pistol is a bit too wide in order to feel comfortable with concealed carry and it is somewhat heavy for some people.
Any person looking to purchase either a concealed or range gun should look into taking a look at the XD-M Elite. It is incredibly impressive. The XD-M Elite is a gun that can be fired by striking. It has several features that are vital for gun enthusiasts looking to carry. The gun is available as two models. There’s a specific model for the tactical shooter that comes with a barrel threaded, and an optics ready slide.
