First Look at the XDs 9mm 4.0

20140116-094811.jpgLast year at Media Day at the Range, I made a bee line for Springfield’s bay where I fell hard for the XDs 9mm. Truth be told, I was primed to love the 9, since I had been very impressed with the 45 months earlier. This year I wasn’t expecting any major announcements, but what I found may become the sleeper success of 2014. Meet the XDs 9mm 4.0. In comparison to last year’s release, the 3.3, this one has a longer barrel… (4.0″ vs. the original 3.3″) That’s about it. But, as we all know, that really isn’t it, that’s actually the tip of the iceberg.

While a nice slim body still makes the XDs highly concealable, the longer barrel brings more accuracy and the longer sight picture gives, well, even more accuracy. I still love the standard red fiber optic front sight, and the trigger is crisp (the right trigger for a CCW), but now a pinky extension on one of the two included magazines, turns the 4.0 into much more. I know we always say, “the right tool for he right job,” but I think Springfield may have actually killed too birds with one stone.

Without the pinky extension the XDs 4.0 is a more accurate concealed carry, with a bit less recoil. With the extended mag, the gun could be used for a beginner with small hands and as a pretty satisfying regular shooting target gun. I’m really impressed with the 4.0. Especially since it has been this balance that has eluded so many in the past.

5 Comments

  1. Increasing the barrel from 3.3″ to 4.0 won’t make the gun mechanically more accurate in any meaningful way. Some “full sized” pistols shoot 4″ groups, and some 1.9″ snub nosed revolvers shoot 2″ groups.

    The average distance of a SD shooting is 10 ft. When you can easily spit on the person attacking you, worrying about the accuracy of your gun is pointless.

    IMO, this is gun is a whiff… as in “swing and a miss.”

  2. As a guy with a middle-aged spread (belly), I’d like to point out that longer barrels are actually more comfortable in appendix carry. Shorter barrels tend to flip against the belt and dig in to your waist when you sit. Longer barrels sit flatter.

    I have found little advantage to really short barrels in concealed carry, except for pocket carry. I don’t necessarily want a 6″ revolver, but a 3″ micro is overkill, IMHO.

  3. I think longer barrels work better for any IWB carry, for the reasons WoodyTX mentioned. The combination of a slim single stack and a 4″ barrel sound to be spot on for when a double stack is difficult to conceal.

  4. Yawn :{} Hopefully this model does not have a recall. I guess it’s nice for folks w/ diff body types. I’m vertically challenged, the 3.3″ is nice.

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