4" XD 9mm w/ V-10 ported barrel

[tetsujin79]

I picked up a XD with SA's ported OEM barrel, here's some observations from some quick range time... YMMV

4" XD9 (I'll be using the Glock 19 for any comparisons, as I think it's an agreeable standard for plastic guns.)
-Not much wider then a Glock 19 in the frame where the slide rides, grip width is a wash, & slide is tapered-ish so thinner-ish.
-Trigger feels crisper then a stock Glock.
-Possibly safer to handle loaded w/ a round chambered then other polymer handguns.
-16+1 for about a thumb width longer grip, though slides are a wash compared to Glock 19. I was shocked how little in extra meat it had on my carry Glock 26 when it came to all dimensions.
-As for high bore axis, my wrists aren't broken or strained (Why doesn't anyone complain about high bore axis when talking about 1911s vs. Glocks?).
-With an ambi mag release and a rail for a light, it makes a handy home defense/truck gun.

V-10 ported barrel
-I just don't see you going blind at night. No more flash in low light with crap ammo then from a Glock 19 with the same crap ammo. Frankly, self defense ammo usually is made with low flash powder anyways, right?
-You will feel the heat/gasses, even when you punch the gun out fully.
-Ports don't do much for aimed "one shot" target shooting.
-Ports make one handed shooting as accurate as two handed.
-Rapid fire seems as accurate as aimed slow fire. (I used clays-on-cardboard, so I don't have definitive proof of tight groups as the cardboard gets mangled quickly.)


So, why should anyone buy a V-10 version when you can get the regular barrel in pimped frame/slide color combos instead?

If you ever plan to rapidly fire your gun or need to shoot one-handed, it makes quite a difference and is worth the extra coin. When I pick a holster, we'll see how it carries and I'll report back.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Nice! Though a more muzzle camera angle would be nice to see.
Did you purchase it this way or have a gunsmith do it?

 

[tetsujin79]

Nice! Though a more muzzle camera angle would be nice to see.
Did you purchase it this way or have a gunsmith do it?

Yeah, pic stinks. Going to snap some more and some comparisons to Glock 19 & 26 for size.

Ported at the factory. From what I could find, V-10 is Springfield's own system. If you browse gunbroker, they did some 1911 variations with it. Before the XDm came out, I think they had more guns with V-10 in the XD line. Right now, you're limited to the 4" in 9mm or .40. Even the Springfield site doesn't say much about the porting, which is kind of bizarre.

I couldn't find much about it on the internet, except for one dude that really loves it. I read a lot of forum posts about cracking slides, but not one post from an owner saying that happened to them.

I figure when I get a chance to really shoot it, I'll post some accuracy pics to prove or disprove my initial observations. I'd hate to add to the legend of the internet of just yammering and not adding anything real to the conversation.

 

[tetsujin79]

Here's some pics of the ports.

 

[tetsujin79]

Size comparisons to Glock 26.

 

[tetsujin79]

Size comparisons to Glock 19.

 

[tetsujin79]

And a frame & slide thickness comparison to Glock 9mm. This is the Glock 26 slide and frame, the 19 being only longer.

The XD is on the left above.

The XD is on the right above.

 

[snowwalker]

I have said that the high bore axis presents some flaws in 1911's and most European handguns, that is why I prefer a striker fired pistol. Physics.

 

[rmg200]

Don't usually like XD, but this is nice!