My new duty gun. Springfield Arms XDM-40. 16 round mags.
Went to go do some shooting with my old man in Ft. Collins yesterday..... had intended to sight in my AR-15 and my new-to-me Mini-14. The rifle range at the gun shop had just been shut down because some idiot couldn't friggin' shoot..... shot the track and the carriage that holds the target mount.... on both rifle ranges....... no I'm not kidding.
So, my dad needed some gun repair to the magazine release on his Remington 270 which left me with a bunch of time on my hands while we waited at the gun shop. I saw that they had numerous pistols to rent. This was my golden oportunity to shoot a variety of guns and see if I liked any of the tactical brands out there.
My biggest obstacle with making up my mind was that I have a serious sentimental attachment to my Sig Sauer P226. It was there and worked perfectly when I needed it in '99. I've had this gun since the academy in '91 and I'd hate to know the actual number of rounds I've put through it..... but it is REALLY showing it's age and wear. It's stove-piped on me a couple of times now recently as well....
I'd always wanted to step up in round size but can't seem to shoot the .45's with any kind of consistency and the low capacity is something I can't get past either.
Never shot a .40 and most people had been telling me that the recoil on these caliber guns is worse than a .45.
After shooting a few, I found that I REALLY liked the Springfield XD series guns. The 9mm shot awesome - smooth as butter and the 18 round capacity was a bonus.
The XDM-40 was pretty hard to beat as well. The recoil system/design of the XD series guns really did feel different than the others. I could handle the .40 recoil just fine. At 25 yards, I was able to put a 5-round group inside a 5" target circle. The same that I could shoot with my Sig 9mm. The trigger pull of the XD series guns is exceptional as well...... but then again, most guns are an improvement over the Sig's trigger pull..... :laugh3:
So, here it is, my new duty gun. Just under $680 with the Streamlight T-3. Love the fact that you get 3 high capacity mags, a 2-mag belt holder and a holster included with the XD's. (A Sig 9mm with the extra cost of a 3rd mag and the tac light would have set me back $1300.....

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