GLOCK OR SPRINGFIELD XD

[JustinM]

In situation where your fighting for retention, you may have a shot that can end the confrontation but the grip safety may not be engaged

Basically, simple is better.

[billt]

In situation where your fighting for retention, you may have a shot that can end the confrontation but the grip safety may not be engaged

Excellent point! And one that is constantly overlooked. Grip safetys rank up there with lawn mower blades that stop when you let go of the handle. Useless as tits on a bull. Bill T.

[MarcS]

Good point, i've seen it happen to 1911 users during close contact drills.

There's a reason JMB didn't have the grip safety on his future designs, it just wasn't needed.

[realdeal38]

As an owner of an xd9 I can tell ya it is awesome.Couple of selling points for me I have small hands [my wedding band is a womans size 8 they dont make mens rings to fit me]the Glock just didnt fit.Second I am not real handy about field stripping guns the xd is EASY to strip and clean.The price was outstanding I paid 350.00 for it used at Gander.
The best part of all was when I got to shoot it.I dont brag about stuff but I have always been a good shot[law enforcement guys that have seen me shoot say we want you on our side in a gun fight]I wasnt even really trying and was still hitting 1 and 2 inch groups at 25yards no joke...The only thing I dont like on this gun or the glock is once charged there is no decock but hey what ya gonna do?All in all I like the xd a whole lot better.....

[axmdr40]

In situation where your fighting for retention, you may have a shot that can end the confrontation but the grip safety may not be engaged

if you're fighting for retention and you can't grip your gun in a sufficient enough way that it would disengage a prospective grip safety, then you have no control over muzzle direction, and pulling the trigger most likely either impossible or you're going to be letting loose an errant round.

The fact is, I don't think less of the glock just because I like the XD more. My only complaint about the glock (at least the 23) is that it feels too light in my hand and the grip is a big awkward for me. I don't go around trying to say how shitty the glock is and how superior my XD is.

[Lycanthrope]

In situation where your fighting for retention, you may have a shot that can end the confrontation but the grip safety may not be engaged

It works both ways in that scenario. Your assailant may not be able to pull the trigger on you as well. If you're fighting for retention you have much bigger problems to worry about.

The one excellent feature about a grip safety on a fighting fiream is that it is harder to snag the trigger on a loose gun a cause a discharge. This has happened several times in competition when someone loses control and then tries to "catch" the firearm. Finger snags the trigger and.....

This whole argument is splitting hairs a bit. In having supervised tens of thousands of rounds coming out of both of these gun styles, I can say I only saw an XD lock up once. I've seen Glocks jam a bit more, but NEITHER have ever really faultered on factory ammo. All the failures I saw were handload or due to bad magazines. As I said before, the XD is offerred for those who want a polymer gun that favor the 1911 grip angle. The XD needs another safety (IMHO) because it is single action....the striker is FULLY cocked and in position. The Glock's striker is not.

Both guns won US championships this year in USPSA (combat style) shooting. Neither is found lacking and you can do a whole lot worse.

[RUDY850]

I have the glock 17 and 26.Also have the xd 357 sig and a xd 45 acp. They all feel good in my hand.I shoot the glocks better.I carry the g 26 or g17.As reliability goes. I never had any problem with the glock's or the xd's.

[billt]

One thing the XD is superior to the Glock in is handle diameter and that's only for people with short fingers. That's it. Other reasons given to the XD's superiority are subjective to opinion and nothing else.

A few of the given "reasons" XDs are better I've read:

Price. The Glock is about $80 more than the XD. I don't know many people who think $80 is something to worry about with something that protects your life.

Machining quality/manufacture. I have seen XDs go out for warranty work (sometimes complete replacement due to inability to repair). Cracked frames, ftf, stovepiping, chambers needing to be honed. The list goes on and on.

Durability. Like the aforementioned reason - it's false. Most people have this opinion based on only having a few thousand (if that) rounds through their XDs. At the indoor range I shoot at they are constantly having problems with their XD rentals (see previous reason problems) while Glocks usually run about 100,000 rounds through them before they cycle a new one into the mix. Those are 100,000 trouble free rounds. Consistently. Wait a few more years when all of these XDs get some real use.

Ergonomics. XD likes to tout this one in their advertising as well saying that when you point it the sights line up rather than having you look at the top of the slide. Glock went with their 105 degree handle angle for a reason: they tested, tested and did some more testing and found that it provided the best firing results for accuracy and following shots. The XD's handle angle along with its high barrel axis to the hand provide much more muzzle flip than a Glock which in turn means less accurate double-taps and a less control.

Single action vs double action. The Glock uses the double action for safety. It's one of the reasons it's called Safe-Action. If the striker spring isn't cocked - it can't fire! Just like a down hammer. The XD has a cocked spring. You can count on replacing the striker spring many more times in an XD than a Glock because of this. You also better hope your firing pin block is in proper working order or you're at the mercy of the poorly designed sear of the XD which, by the way, will fire out of battery. Try pushing back on the slide sometime while pulling the trigger. The double action might not be as smooth, clean or as short a pull of the single action, but these are service pistols not target pistols.

The slide lock. The slide lock on the Glock is designed to be tight against the frame and slide as to not be snagged on anything. They also wanted people to use two hands to release the slide because it's a more controlled manner than hitting the lock with your thumb. This isn't the movies! Release the slide the proper way. The slide lock on the XD also adds a decent amount to the overall width of the weapon - not very carry friendly.

Finish. People, Tenifer is not the outside coating. Tenifer is the metal treatment of the slide and barrel itself. It is .005 mm thick and is close the the hardness of diamond. The treatment of the metal itself acheives a 99.9% salt water resistance. Tenifer is also illegal in this country because the EPA. XD does not have it. Don't regularly oil the slide on your XD and carry it in a cold climate for a while. The in/out condensation will rust your slide in no time.

Warranty. Good thing Sprinfield has you covered here, you're going to need it.

Field stripping. The Glock actually uses a faster process which uses less steps than the XD. Also, many people rotate the take-down lever then pull the slide lock down putting all forward inertia of the slide to come to a halt against the sear (it's the only thing keeping the slide from going forward at that point) and cause damage to the sear, striker and frame.

Loaded chamber indicator. Glock has this as well. Wake up.

Cocked indicator. Glock has this as well. If the trigger is forward on a Glock, it's cocked. Also, how are you going to get a round into the chamber on either of these guns without it being cocked? It's not a Walther with a decocker.

Grip safety. How is a gun going to go off without your hand on the handle? Your finger should never be inside the trigger guard unless you have the weapon acquired and intend to fire. Are we forgetting some basic firearm rules? The grip safety is null and void.

Customization. If you can't find genuine Glock custom parts for your Glock at your local gun dealer, you need to find a new one. Glock holsters, parts and accessories are everywhere. Try to find a holster for your XD. It's much more difficult. Yes, it's newer and takes a while, but companies will be reluctant to make them because Springfield supplies you with one, albeit a horrible one with not one level of retention.

I felt the need to debunk these XD/Glock myths. The XD is not even close the being up to par with the Glock. The Glock is going on 20 years now and has changed the world of pistols - the XD won't make that sort of impact. Bill T.

[billamj]

I felt the need to debunk these XD/Glock myths. The XD is not even close the being up to par with the Glock. The Glock is going on 20 years now and has changed the world of pistols - the XD won't make that sort of impact. Bill T.

Honest to God billt, we've all figured out that you don't like the XD. We get it already, you can let it go at any time. I've got Glocks, an XD, BHPs, S&W, Rugers, Taurus, Llama and Barettas, I like them all, and I WILL NEVER be married to one brand/type. People who are (insert brand name here) snobs are just that, snobs. You use what works for your and that is the bottom line.

[billt]

Honest to God billt, we've all figured out that you don't like the XD. We get it already, you can let it go at any time.

I don't think you really do. I like the XD. It wasn't a bad handgun at all when it was the HS-2000 and cost $250.00. I just get tired of constantly reading about how much better it is than a Glock. It's not. Or how much Springfield has "improved" it. They haven't. Thats a fact, not an opinion. I love my 1991 Ford F-150. It has never once faild me, but I'm not going to compare it to something better and say it's got it beat. That would be foolish. The only reason I don't own an XD is because I already own a Glock, and I'm not into plastic guns that much to begin with. And because it's overpriced. Which we know to be fact and not opinion because an identical version sold for $200.00 less just a short time ago. When judging one firearm against another I like to read fact, not a bunch of hype, and or opinion based on people that have fallen for a six figure advertising campaign, thats all. If, in 20+ years, people are still touting the XD with the same amount of zeal that Glocks have established to date, then the opinion will no longer be opinion. It will have turned into proven FACT. A commodity that on this thread, has been in short supply. Bill T.