10mm continues to make a comeback as Springfield adds to their lineup with the XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP 10mm.
Designed by Jeff Cooper in 1983, the 10mm cartridge was intended to be a harder-hitting replacement for 45 Auto. Many 1911-style firearms were redesigned to handle this new, more powerful, cartridge. The FBI was interested and placed an order for 10,000 Smith and Wesson 1076 pistols chambered in 10mm, which they later canceled because the recoil wasn’t manageable for the average agent. 10mm’s little brother, 40S&W was later created and became the standard for law enforcement in the US. Thankfully, 10mm has come back into popularity as multiple manufacturers have released new 10mm pistols in the last year.
Overall, the recoil on this 10mm XD isn’t that bad. You need solid fundamentals when it comes to your grip, but with that said it is quite pleasant to shoot. The gun cycles smoothly which helps to round out the recoil. Both FMJ and hollow points cycled reliably, and once the red dot was sighted in, I had no problem making good groups with either type of ammunition.
This XD offers Springfield’s flat match-grade trigger. The trigger has minimal creep and a clean break that is just below six pounds. I’m happy with it considering it’s a mid-tier striker-fired pistol.
The match-grade barrel measures 4.5” long and has been given a melonite finish to resist wear. Melonite is a fairly common barrel coating; it’s similar to chrome lining but a bit cheaper and has a slightly shorter lifespan. On the other hand, melonite is usually applied more evenly, leading to better accuracy.
The slide and magazine release are both ambidextrous without having to switch any parts around. Both of these controls are also in the perfect location to manipulate without adjusting your grip.
The grip texturing on this pistol is lacking. Texture covers the majority of the grip, but this texture has a smooth and rounded surface that mitigates its effectiveness. This gun feels a bit slippery once your palms get sweaty. I would recommend stippling this gun or applying some grip tape.
The elite models offer magazine extensions that add one round to the standard mag for a total of 16 each. It also includes a flared magwell. Standard magazine base plates are included as well just in case you want to switch back to the 15. I felt that the flared magwell added unnecessary length to the grip, so I decided to remove it. I also put the standard base plate back on one of the mags.
This XD comes with a slide that is milled to accept a red dot, but its footprint is exceptionally shallow. I assume that the internals in the slide prevented them from going any deeper. This makes any optic you mount on the slide ride pretty high. I like the stock sights, they consist of a fiber optic front and a horseshoe rear, but they are not nearly tall enough to be used in conjunction with a red dot.
MSRP for the XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP 10mm is $653 or $837 if you purchase it with one of their HEX Dragonfly red dots. The dragonfly is listed at $249 so you do save a bit if you buy the combo. It has a 3.5 MOA dot with one MOA adjustment. Its body feels robust and is machined from 6060 T6 aluminum. The battery is reported to last up to 100,000 hours but, unfortunately, it is also equipped with auto-shutoff. I wish optic manufacturers would stop including this feature. The optic is capable of running continuously for years but this feature forces you to press a button every 16 hours to keep it on. That’s not a step I want to take if I intend to use this optic on a self-defense firearm. I would recommend putting your money towards something that will stay on continuously.
My overall impression of this pistol is that it’s fine. It wouldn’t be my first choice if I wanted to run a red dot, but other than that, my complaints are few. You can visit SpringfieldArmory.com to see the full spec sheet or find a dealer near you.
***Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE!***