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longtooth wrote:I have always wondered how the .45 would compare but did not have one available to look at.

We need to go shootin'! I'm not sure what to attribute it to, but the 4-inch barrel XD-45 has a surprisingly controllable recoil, with an almost completely vertical muzzle flip. I imagine the 5-inch barrel would be even moreso. And there's just nuthin' comparable in a double-stack .45ACP that has the kind of grip ergonomics the XD does. Only thing I'd like to see Springfield change in the off-the-shelf model is the trigger reset. The trigger pull is a little long if you're used to a 1911, but it isn't bad. About half that distance is overtravel. The reset, though, is huge. The reset distance is longer than the original pull if you don't count the overtravel. It feels as if it's over 1/8-inch longer. Still a sweet shootin' gun even for that.

Oops. Didn't mean to hijack this thread. Did I mention that I personally prefer IWB when trying to carry a 1911 concealed? OWB is more comfortable and faster, but for me, having the gun pressed closer to my body by a belt makes it much easier to conceal in street attire...

packina40 wrote:I carry a bigger gun than a 1911...I pack an XD-45 these days. While the barrel/slide is an inch shorter, the overall size of the gun is much thicker than a 1911, especially in the grip with the double-stack 13-round magazine.

Actually, my XD-45 Service model is only about 1/10" of an inch thicker than my 1911s at the widest respective points...not measured with a scientific caliper, mind you. And that's not measuring across the 1911's ambi safety, the ones that have 'em.

It's the barrel, though, that's noticeably thicker on the XD, by about 3/10" of an inch. So the part that goes into an IWB holster and pushes out the pants and belt is thicker. But the XD Service model, fully loaded, is also noticeably lighter than a full-sized, steel-frame, 1911. With 14 rounds of FMJ (just for comparison), the XD weighs in at about 32 ounces, an even two pounds. The 1911 with 9 rounds at 43.5 ounces, or 2lbs, 11.5oz. 'Course, you go to 4-inch barrel, aluminun frame 1911 and you get a more valid weight comparison.

I don't mean this to sound overly picky. It just so happens that the venerable 1911 and the new XD are my two most favorite .45ACP platforms. So I'd already done some of my own comparisons. I'd choose one of these first out of any sized arsenal of handguns.

The good news is that I can own both kinds! I'll probably get a Tactical model XD-45 next month. And I your choice.