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My son-in-law is looking for a real good pistol. I have a Springfield-Armory xd45 acp 5" tactical. He has shot it and really likes it.

But i'm curious as to what you guys like. 5" barrell is great for accuracy , but terrible for concealed carry. .45 is great but more expensive to shoot than 9mm.

It seems a lot of folks like .40

Please share your thoughts.

Personally I prefer a 1911. My EDC is a Kimber Stainless II (with 5" barrel) and I have no problem concealing it. I've got 2 holsters that I use. My main is a Galco Small-of-back holster for a 1911 and sits about 5:30. It's extremely comfortable and completely concealed whether I'm sitting, squatting, kneeling, or standing. The draw is slightly more difficult from a seated position in a vehicle than when standing, but still pretty easy. My other is an El Paso Saddlery High Slide and sits about 3:00.

I have the same .45 you do, a Glock 22 .40 and a Rugar p89dc 9mm. My fav is the Glock. Feels right in the hand and accurate! None are concealed friendly but doable. Get a good holster and dress around the gun. I'm looking for a compact but money is real tight right now. Sig, kimber, Glock, SA, s&w m&p. Probably in 9mm.

george wrote:Anything except a 1911

Some people simply have no taste!

If your SIL likes the Springfield XD .45, but concealement is an issue, there is always the compact XD .40 or the XD 9 as well, which is what I chose since I really liked shooting the hubby's full size XD .40

Even this newbie is learned enough to know how to respond to this question.

TEN STEPS TO BUYING A NEW GUN

1) Decide upon what type of gun -- revolver or semi-auto;
2) Decide what type of usage it primarily will be used for -- CCW or other;
3) Decide on round type, i.e., caliber;
4) Hold, handle, feel and fondle -- for ergonomic comparison -- weapons that meet criteria 1 through 3 above;
5) Pare down to three different weapons using above, as well as opinions of friends and gun magazines;
6) Take the opportunity to fire, breakdown and reassemble models under consideration;
7) What do you want? How much can you afford? What static (if any) will a spouse/SigOther raise?
8)Wring your hands in indecision
9) Open your wallet and pay for your new addition.
10) Have fun; be safe; and be safe always as you are having fun.

longhornmike wrote:My son-in-law is looking for a real good pistol. I have a Springfield-Armory xd45 acp 5" tactical. He has shot it and really likes it.

But i'm curious as to what you guys like. 5" barrell is great for accuracy , but terrible for concealed carry. .45 is great but more expensive to shoot than 9mm.

It seems a lot of folks like .40

Please share your thoughts.

If he likes the XD45, there is no compelling reason for him to choose anything else. Just get the compact model rather than the tactical.

The XD45C has a 4" barrel and shorter grip which makes it pretty easy to conceal. (I carry one all day every day). You can also get the compact grip with a 5" barrel. For me, the grip length makes much more difference in how well I can conceal a weapon than the barrel length... but that may just be a function of body size/shape.

I own both of the XD 45 compacts and can conceal them equally well, but the 4" version feels better in my hands so that's the one I carry.

As for the cost of .45 versus 9mm... can't really help with that. Big holes cost more

IF you want a purely personal preference and opinion, I'd stay away from .40. Snappy recoil and pricier ammo for negligible ballistic gain. I speak as a former .40 owner of both an XD and a Steyr M40A1. Both were great pistols, but I can do almost twice the shooting in 9mm that I could with .40, I'm more accurate, and I have faster followup. I loved both of those pistols, but got rid of them due to caliber. I now have a Kahr CW9 and a Glock 19. I carry the Kahr 90% of the time because it is so easy to conceal.

I generally prefer .45 amd 9mm to .40 cal. It's just a personal preference thing. In 9mm, you can't go wrong with a Glock 19 or an XD/XDm 9, or an M&P9 or 9c. Actually, any of those platforms is good in .40 and .45 too. He shoot spend some time at ranges that rent guns, trying out a lot of different models, and try out friends' guns, before he springs that kind of cash on anything.

1911s need no justification. JMB got things right from the get go. Make mine a .45 please, but if your son prefers 9mm or .40 cal, he can have one in one of those flavors too.

LSL wrote:Even this newbie is learned enough to know how to respond to this question.

TEN STEPS TO BUYING A NEW GUN

1) Decide upon what type of gun -- revolver or semi-auto;
2) Decide what type of usage it primarily will be used for -- CCW or other;
3) Decide on round type, i.e., caliber;
4) Hold, handle, feel and fondle -- for ergonomic comparison -- weapons that meet criteria 1 through 3 above;
5) Pare down to three different weapons using above, as well as opinions of friends and gun magazines;
6) Take the opportunity to fire, breakdown and reassemble models under consideration;
7) What do you want? How much can you afford? What static (if any) will a spouse/SigOther raise?
8)Wring your hands in indecision
9) Open your wallet and pay for your new addition.
10) Have fun; be safe; and be safe always as you are having fun.

Rinse, Dry, and repeat again, go back to 1)

I own several... I have carried them all. Custom loaded Springfield 1911 to Ruger lcp. If he is looking for a handgun to fit multiple roles a mid sized 9mm or 40 should do as a good starting point. Find something that is easily operated, and accurate enough for the designated purpose

I really enjoy my Springfield XD9 Sub Compact, but I have shot a Springfield XDm9, 4.5" and that shoots very nice.
Depending on the cover, it may be just a bit big for comfortable concealment, but its doable.
As others have said, the 9mm is preferable to the .40 for many reasons.

I dont own a .45 so I cannot comment on that.

I have the XDM .45 in the 3.8 "compact" version. Accurate, conceals well, same ergos as my XD, better trigger.

Thanks for all of the great info / tips. He settled on a XD45 4" barrell.