Okay, it only took a total of 8 days for my background to pass and another 8 to find bullets... lovely but here is the Review
Springfield XDS
The first thing I noticed was that holy cow a company actually put some effort into packaging and presentation. The XDS comes in a cheap but attractive not to mention big plastic case with the following included, paddle holster, magazine carrier, two spare magazines, lock, manual, test fire casing, backstrap replacement, pretty cool. on the down side the holster is next to awful and sits way to low, the magazine carrier is bulky and V shaped for some weird reason I can't figure out but I do have to say I wore the XDS in the freebee holster for a few days while finding something better, it does work just not really well.
Upon inspecting the gun the first thing you notice and possibly why most of us buy one is... thin, really thin. Not the first time someone has made a thin .45 auto but this is outstanding. The grip is not way to short but short enough to conceal well, if you have large paws you may want an extension or the finger groove magazine base plate. The sights are just outstanding. Fixed rear two dot with a fiber optic front sight, good clear sight picture when holding the gun on target. The XDS does have a loaded chamber indicator but it's not as bad as the giant red flag on the Ruger LC9. The trigger comes off very Glock like but it is not, I'll get to that in a bit. The XDS does have a rail as well and overall the whole gun seems very well built.
Range time
I took a few types of ammo with me to the range for the XDS including some of my handloads. The gun functioned well with all types of ammo and with 200 rounds I had no malfunctions. The recoil is not bad but it is fairly difficult to get fast follow up shots and does take some practice in the small XDS frame the .45 ACP feels like a .40 S&W being that the recoil looses that nice lazy quality and in place has a sharp quick recoil. The aggressive grips help you hold on to the gun well but also tend to dig into the hand a little. (I have very dainty hands) Although, I was not exhausted after 200 rounds. As I said before the sights are very good, allowing a nice clean sight picture and quick acquisition of the front sight after firing a round. The gun itself is pretty accurate with my best group measuring 3" at 50 ft. offhand. The trigger caused me a headache and took a little while to figure out. The trigger pull is about 6 to 7 lbs and when it breaks it has some strange overtravel to it. Focus on pulling the trigger directly rearward is paramount with the XDS. In the process of shooting the first 30 rounds I fired were all about an inch left. I was treating the trigger like a Glock trigger which let's you get away with more. The XDS trigger is not nearly as refined and is very unforgiving.
Carrying the XDS
One word- easy. The XDS is light, thin and easy to wear. So far I have not been able to find an abundance of holsters and I do need an IWB sometime soon. I bought a Sweetwater Saddlery custom holster for my OWB and it feels so nice. The gun even when full of 230gr rounds is super light and comfortable.
I don't know if the XDS is the best carry option, I have yet to build really good confidence especially when drawing and firing fast and with this little dude it will take some time to get there. 5+1 capacity is really low firepower and I can think of some better options to carry that would be a little more comforting. For those hot summer days it is a great option allowing you to carry a good, accurate and heavy hitting gun while wearing your favorite T-shirt and shorts so big thumbs up there. For EDC I imagine I could do a little better. It is very well built and impressive accuracy for a little gun and I do feel good about wearing it.
Things I would like to see in future XDS pistols. 1) a better and lighter trigger. 2) an extended magazine without the stupid sleeve falling off all the time. Other than that the gun is very good. overall I would give it an 8 out of 10 in sub-compacts.
25 foot group
Springfield XDS
The first thing I noticed was that holy cow a company actually put some effort into packaging and presentation. The XDS comes in a cheap but attractive not to mention big plastic case with the following included, paddle holster, magazine carrier, two spare magazines, lock, manual, test fire casing, backstrap replacement, pretty cool. on the down side the holster is next to awful and sits way to low, the magazine carrier is bulky and V shaped for some weird reason I can't figure out but I do have to say I wore the XDS in the freebee holster for a few days while finding something better, it does work just not really well.
Upon inspecting the gun the first thing you notice and possibly why most of us buy one is... thin, really thin. Not the first time someone has made a thin .45 auto but this is outstanding. The grip is not way to short but short enough to conceal well, if you have large paws you may want an extension or the finger groove magazine base plate. The sights are just outstanding. Fixed rear two dot with a fiber optic front sight, good clear sight picture when holding the gun on target. The XDS does have a loaded chamber indicator but it's not as bad as the giant red flag on the Ruger LC9. The trigger comes off very Glock like but it is not, I'll get to that in a bit. The XDS does have a rail as well and overall the whole gun seems very well built.
Range time
I took a few types of ammo with me to the range for the XDS including some of my handloads. The gun functioned well with all types of ammo and with 200 rounds I had no malfunctions. The recoil is not bad but it is fairly difficult to get fast follow up shots and does take some practice in the small XDS frame the .45 ACP feels like a .40 S&W being that the recoil looses that nice lazy quality and in place has a sharp quick recoil. The aggressive grips help you hold on to the gun well but also tend to dig into the hand a little. (I have very dainty hands) Although, I was not exhausted after 200 rounds. As I said before the sights are very good, allowing a nice clean sight picture and quick acquisition of the front sight after firing a round. The gun itself is pretty accurate with my best group measuring 3" at 50 ft. offhand. The trigger caused me a headache and took a little while to figure out. The trigger pull is about 6 to 7 lbs and when it breaks it has some strange overtravel to it. Focus on pulling the trigger directly rearward is paramount with the XDS. In the process of shooting the first 30 rounds I fired were all about an inch left. I was treating the trigger like a Glock trigger which let's you get away with more. The XDS trigger is not nearly as refined and is very unforgiving.
Carrying the XDS
One word- easy. The XDS is light, thin and easy to wear. So far I have not been able to find an abundance of holsters and I do need an IWB sometime soon. I bought a Sweetwater Saddlery custom holster for my OWB and it feels so nice. The gun even when full of 230gr rounds is super light and comfortable.
I don't know if the XDS is the best carry option, I have yet to build really good confidence especially when drawing and firing fast and with this little dude it will take some time to get there. 5+1 capacity is really low firepower and I can think of some better options to carry that would be a little more comforting. For those hot summer days it is a great option allowing you to carry a good, accurate and heavy hitting gun while wearing your favorite T-shirt and shorts so big thumbs up there. For EDC I imagine I could do a little better. It is very well built and impressive accuracy for a little gun and I do feel good about wearing it.
Things I would like to see in future XDS pistols. 1) a better and lighter trigger. 2) an extended magazine without the stupid sleeve falling off all the time. Other than that the gun is very good. overall I would give it an 8 out of 10 in sub-compacts.
25 foot group
