Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm Concealed Carry Pistol

Springfield created a new striker-fired pistol, it’s called the XD-M Elite. This model comes with Iron sights with a suppressor, an the slide stop is ambidextrous, with improved serrations, and a 22+1 capacity magazine that is compact in size.

The XD-M Elite also sports an interchangeable backstrap mechanism that comes with three inserts. It is able to be fitted to a variety of hand dimensions.

Eyes with Optical Lenses

The XD-M Elite series is the latest version of Springfield Armory’s their popular line of polymer frame striker-fired pistols. The XD-M Elite has features that competitive shooters demand in a carry-ready package. The XD-M Elite features a match barrel with improved serrations as well as it comes with the Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly.

The barrel is Springfieldstore made of hammer and finished with a Melonite match grade finish. Its compact frame grip offers concealability and security for your daily carry. The combination of capacity and efficiency makes it the ideal EDC choice.

Out of the box, the XD-M Elite comes ready for use with any red dot sight you choose. This angled dustcover has the Picatinny Rail that could be used to place light sources such as lasers or tactical ones. You can use this pistol to backup your primary firearm when the illumination has gone out or is hard to spot.

The XD Elite model is equipped with all the usual XD Elite options, such as slide locks that are ambidextrous and a magazine release designed for those who are southpaws. Also, it comes with improved serrations for the slide to provide an extra level of traction. The gun also comes with an extra magwell, which allows you to get 22+1 rounds from the magazine.

The model, as the others in the XD Elite series, is compatible with ammo that has +P. In fact, hot loads may wear down important components quicker than standard pressure ammunition.

The front and rear ambidextrous sights are among its best attributes of the firearm. It’s easy to use for left-handed people or anyone else.

Alongside the two magazines that come with it You’ll also find the flat basepad that can be used to replace the hooks used on the magazines as well as the black nylon carry case. The front sight will include substitute fiber optics. you can switch out for green ones if you want to. The new rods will need to be set up by you given that they’re not shipped with any instructions or tools.

Trigger Pull

There was a time when the time you needed a large polymer striker-fired pistol inside the United States, your choices were just the Big Three — Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P as well as Smith & Wesson M&P and the Springfield Armory XD. This has changed since there are more manufacturers of these kinds of pistols, but in terms of the XD series, this is among the top options the manufacturer has to offer.

The Elite comes with a number of advanced features that set it apart from the original XD and XD models, such as the hammer-forged barrel and a loaded chamber indicator located on the back of the slide that acts as a both visual and tactile signal of gun’s condition. An extended magwell that can be reversible with an adjustable rear sight as well as red fiber optic front sights add to the totality of the features. The Elite includes a bigger slide and barrel with an ebonite finish designed for long-lasting use and enhanced precision.

The XD-M is no instance. Both the XD-M, as well as XD are renowned for their crisp trigger pulls. It’s actually a bit crisper than some of the competition-ready XD guns available from Springfield. This is good news if you’re shooting a lot of targets, or taking part in bowling pin shoots. Springfield offers an XDM extremely trigger kit the firearm that can reduce its overtravel, takeup and reset.

On my tests with an Caldwell Matrix rest, the Elite’s first three shots clipped the 1.1″ the aiming point at 25 yards. Next, the two shots fell into a four-inch circle, and the final shot failed to hit the target. This is pretty impressive for a pistol of this size, especially considering the eyesight and age of this old man. The ammunition was Federal’s 180-gr. Trophy Bonded, a hard point load with a jacket that delivers 1,275 fps of velocity and 650 ft.-lbs. of energy in the muzzle.

I was able to observe I did notice that the slide stop has the lever that is bilateral, which makes it ideal for lefties, however isn’t as efficient like the other guns I’ve tried. The lever on the right is more difficult to release as opposed to the left. In time, this will probably become more smooth.

Accuracy

Springfield’s XD line of striker-fired handguns have evolved through the years. The current XD-M Elite series debuted in 2020 and offers many features which gun lovers are looking for, including interchangeable backstraps high-quality triggers and an optics-ready gun. In the same way, the XD(M) Elite OPS is not a different model, offering a few key upgrades making it an excellent choice for IDPA (or USPSA shooters competing in competitions.

Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, or META or short for “match-enhancing trigger assembly,” is one of the modifications that can be built. META is the most effective polymer pistol trigger available for sale. The META’s trigger faces are flat and have a built-in blade safety feature and an integral overtravel stops improve trigger feel, reduce duration of the trigger cycle and offer a more predictable trigger break.

META will also lead to a shorter trigger reset distance and more consistent precision. The average of my five shots was 4.3″ with Federal Syntech 124gn targets to check the XD (M) Elite Ops. This is a remarkable outcome, particularly considering it was shot off the gun using a bench rest, standard magazines and a steel handgun.

The second major upgrade is an ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. This makes this XD(M) Elite OPS very user-friendly for both lefties and righties. This means you will not have to break your grip only to drop magazines. The slide’s serrations are designed to be angled, allowing you to manipulate the weapon regardless of cold or wet hands. They also help to prevent from slipping the gun off the intended target when recoiling.

The XD(M), Elite OPS comes with an XD(M) muzzle that is threaded for 1/2×28 pitch suppression devices. The thread protector is factory installed and can be easily removed for installation of the wide variety of sound suppressors.

Springfield comes with four mounting plates, each numbered to make it easy for you to identify they belong to. These mounts are specifically designed to mount directly on your gun and allow you to effortlessly switch between red dots sights, without the need to take off the slide.

The XD(M) Elite OPS has the standard 4.2-inch barrel, which extends to the front of the slide. However, you can replace it with a shorter barrel in the event that you want. The side of the muzzle includes 1/2×28 pitch threads making it easy to mount any suppressor you want to use when not competing.

Bottom Line

Since concealed carry firearms have increased in popularity guns manufacturers have been working at reducing them in terms of size and weight, but remaining able to fire. Springfield Armory’s XD Elite 9mm is a great illustration of this. They’ve taken their well-known XD collection and added an 10-millimeter version Springfieldstore that includes every feature people who carry guns want are the ability to swap backstraps (this model has three) easily-to-operate controls as well as the best trigger on an optics-ready platform.

This magwell funnel is also integrated into the XD-M Elite. It’s designed to channel magazines when reloading while under pressure. It is important to remember this while under pressure as you will be at risk of self-defense. This gadget keeps the magazine in line with the frame which allows it to be placed easily and fired.

Another feature that comes with this XD-M Elite that I really like is an ambidextrous slide stop, as well as magazine release. It is much easier to use this pistol if you’re left handed, especially in gloves. Springfield makes sure that the pistol is as easy to use as it can by including a grip safety with depressions across both sides of the pistol grip that allow for the placement of fingers. This minimizes the chances of accidentally engaging the safety on the slide while holding the gun for firing.

It is the XD M Elite has an Enhanced META Trigger that was specifically created for shooters who wish to get to get the best performance from their handguns equipped with striker firing. The META trigger comes with an overtravel stop built into the trigger that prevents the trigger from traveling over the limit and allows you to maintain control in competition shooting.

For accuracy in terms of precision, this XD-M Elite did very well in my test. It shot four shots into smaller than 30mm, using the 124gn Federal Syntech ammo which is very impressive. The only negative I could detect was that the pistol has a little bit of a wideness in order to feel comfortable with concealed carry and it is slightly heavy for certain users.

Any person looking to purchase either a concealed or range gun should think about taking a look at the XD-M Elite. It is extremely impressive. The XD Elite is a striking fired handgun that has numerous features that are crucial to any gun enthusiast that wants to carry. The gun is available in 2 sizes. Additionally, there is a tactical version that includes an opto-optics-ready slide, for those that might want to use it in a tactical capacity.