[ART338WM]

A little back ground information first.
I finaly desided to address the fact that I had a considerable amount of $$$ invested in 45acp related items. Items like dies, 100s of of bullets and brass in storrage, as well as a 45acp automatic that I never grew to enjoy shooting. End result was alot of reloading components, as well as a gun sitting around doing nothing except literally gathering dust.
So I desided to buy another semi-auto in 45acp. As most know the field of 45acp semi-autos are dominated by eithor 1911s or poly framed guns.
I resurched both exasustively and desided that my purchase would be a Springfield XD not a 1911. The overwhelming reason for this was cost. All of the 1911s I looked at cost at least 50% more than the XD and most far more than that. My mat stainless slide with black poly frame Tacticle 5" XD45acp cost with tax $598.00. Factor in the gun store where I bought it gave me a $350 credit on my old 45acp and the XD only cost me $248 in cash. The store actually threw in 50 rounds of 230grn ball ammo with my purchase because I bought it X-Mass week.
The No# one source of my gun buying information comes from "Gun Tests Magizine" and they ALWAYS gave the Sringfield XD extreamly high marks in all the most inportant catigories of accuracy, handeling, quality, controlability, and shootability.
I handeled meny different XDs and they all felt like an extension of my hand. I instantly liked the XDs fit and how consitant and prdictable the trigger pulled and broke when I dry fired it in over a dozen different XDs in not just 45acp, but in all calibers it is made in. GT mag described the XDs trigger as the best example of a cross between a single action and DAO trigger they had ever seen, and I agree with that statement and evaluation 100%.
As I am no expert so take this next evaluation as my opinion, keeping in mind I am quite harsh and will not allow the fact I have $$$ invested in a firearm to alter or soften my opinion, it is still none the less my opinion.
I found the over all fit and finish of my new 5" Tacticle XD 45acp to be very good if not excellent. I disasembled the XD down to its basic parts of frame, slide, barrel, and recoil spring assembly. I then took a flashlight and a magnifing glass and painstakingly went over every single part inside and out. I could not find any imperfections or tool marks what so ever anywhere on any part of the XD. I reasembled the XD and checked it for any "slop" or looseness between the frame and slide and found only the "slightest" amount of side to side play, and I do mean slight. I will add the Springfield XD disasembles and reasembles dream like in its simplicity.
At the range I shot four different types of ammunition out of my XD.
<>100 rounds of Remington UMC 230grn JHP ammo
<>50 rounds of Winchester USA 230grn FMJ
<>25 rounds of my handloads featuring 230grn FMJ
<>20 rounds of Winchester 185grn Silvertip HPs
First I wished to test if what GT mag said about the 5" Tacticle shooting all types of ammo at 25yrds they fed it to the same basic POI as well as right where aimed. I shot my 5" Tacticle while resting on sandbags. Before I go any father I wish to inform all reading this that this was the first time I had shot any hadgun at all in over 10 years and I always have been of "hobby shooter" classification or abilities so to speek. So consiquently I kept my 25yrd shots to groups of three insted of five, and I am sure with more practice my groups will improve.
<>25 yard accuracy results Using Remington UMC 230grn JHP.
I fired 25 rounds first simply to get a feel for the new gun and learn its trigger and basicly learn how to shoot it for accuracy off of a sand bag rest. I used a "Score Keeper" bulls eye target designed for use at 25yrds. It has a bulls eye that is 9.5" in diameter with a black inner bull that is 5.5" in diameter. These first 25 rounds broke down like this:
The first seven shots I took formed a horizontal group 2.5" high of center bull, three landing just left of center bull, three landing just right of center bull with one dead center a little high of the rest. Group measured 4.299" center to center.
I could tell the way I was holding the XD while resting on the sand bags was causing the shots to impact high as well as far left and right. I adjusted my hold acordingly. The next 18 shots formed a group that measured center to center 3.66". All 18 rounds formed a nice group with 10 no more than 1.8" to the left of center bull and eight no more than 1.8" to the right of center bull. All 18 shots were well within the 5.5" black inner bull.
I only shot two of the other types of ammo I brought at 25yrds and the results were similar but not quite as good. I was able to keep all shots fired at 25yrds easly with in the 5.5" inner black bulls eye.
The Remington ammo turned in the best groups of the day at several three shot groups at or below 3" for three shot 25yrd groups.
<>20 yard off hand slow fire results.
I shot 14 rounds (13 round clip + one in chamber) as accurately as I could off hand using a two handded hold while standing. 11 of the 14 formed a 4" center to center group with nine landing 2" or less left of bull center and five landing almost in the same exact area but right of bull center. I had four called fliers, three high but still center of bull and one low but center of bull. 90% of the shots I fired at 20yrds landed evenly above and below center of bulls eye.
I then wished to see how accuately and reliably the 5" Tacticle would shoot different types of ammo loaded into the same clip. I loaded three each of the Remington, Winchester FMJ, and Silvertips, as well as my old handloads in this order:
Remington, 230grn Winchesters FMJ, my 230grn FMJ handloads, Winchester S-tips. I shot all rounds at 25yrds from my sand bag rest. Again the results were similar to all other shooting I did previously at 25yrds. All 12 rounds formed a 4" group with all shots nicely dispersed left, right, high and low of the center of the bulls eye. none were out of the 5.5" black inner bulls eye. The XD fed all 4 different ammo types flawlessly and perfectly.
I shot more off hand at ranges of 15yrds and 15 feet and I was quite happy if not over joyed with the groups I got, but I will not go into detail on them as I feel considering my lack of recent handgun shooting experience and I was unable to shoot off a rest at any range except 25 yards they would not be a true or fair example of what the XD is or maybe capable of in terms of accuracy. I will say after laying all the targets I shot at all ranges of 25, 20, 15 yards and even 15 feet, one on top of the other, it became evident in the extream that what GT mag said about the 5' Tacticle XD shoots where right you look and aim it with most any ammo you feed it is qiute accurate and truethfull.
Bottom line:
I feel that the Springfield XD45acp 5" Tacticle is a awesome gun for the money and the same can be said of the entire Springfield XD line of semi-auto handguns.
Gun Tests Mag got it right about the 5" Tacticle XD in 45acp. The XD was accurate, felt great in my hand, was easy to control and shoot, shot where I looked and pointed it, and shot different types of ammo all to acceptable accuracy.
It did everything you could want a semi-auto to do very well if not excellently, especially if you cinsider the price of the firearm.
For a hobby shooter such as myself who is looking for a fun, controlable, comfortable, and afordable 45acp that will easly shoot alot of different type of ammo accurately, the Springfield 5' Tacticle XD in 45acp will be hard to beat. I wont be parting with my XD any time soon. Anyone would be hardpressed to find a better all around 45acp semi-auto for under $600. If you will be happy with a black on black 5" Tacticle they can be had for around $550.