Springfield Armory Semi-Automatic Review

Gun Reviews By Women – Springfield XDS 45 – Valerie Tiffany

Manufacturer:  Springfield

Style: XDS Semi Auto

Ammo: .45 ACP

Primary Use: Conceal Carry

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Gun Review – Springfield XDS .45

Grip – It is somewhat larger than my medium sized hands feel comfortable with, but, not bad at all…compared to any full sized firearm, this is definitely better. I still have to turn the firearm just a tad in order to hit the magazine release. The checkering on the grip makes my hand hurt, but, nothing a good set of gloves can’t overcome.

Likes: it’s not huge

Dislikes: The checkering made my hand sore

Weight – It’s somewhat heavy for me, and after several magazines, I begin to tire…might just mean this old gal needs to start lifting weights… but, it seems heavy to me even to carry. I understand it needs weight to offset the recoil of a .45 and it does serve that well

Likes: recoil is manageable thanks to its weight

Dislikes: weight for body carry and to use for any length of time is heavy

Springfield XDS Trigger Pull

I’m not an expert here, as I’m not a professional shooter, just a gal learning… but, it seems the trigger has a long pull before it breaks (fires), you think maybe you are doing something wrong it takes so long before it breaks, but, it’s not a hard pull, doesn’t take much effort and when it breaks, you know it. Reset is good without being too easily shot (no accidental shots fired, you must still be deliberate) – some firearms I’ve shot…the reset seems to have a hair trigger.

Likes:  the break is not harsh or heavy to get it to break, reset is nice

Dislikes: long pull time before it breaks

Springfield XDS Sights

Standard three dot with a fiber optic front sight …but, smallish for my aging eyesight that has caused me a difficult time reacquiring site picture during multiple shots.  This is less of an issue with sites than my eyesight ( I guess)…I’m starting to have trouble with acquiring focus quickly … ie: our lenses when young can focus rather quickly…but, as you age, your lenses can’t do that as quickly and so, because the sights are small for me…that quick in and out of focus…as you shoot multiple times… makes it hard for me to refocus on them quickly. I’m not sure they can do anything about this, but, it’s something I think women my age may also want to consider.

Likes: The sights on this are accurate and good to go for most women I think

Dislikes:  With my old eyes, the small sights make reacquiring site picture difficult

Shooting The Springfield XDS

It “was” Accurate, I have to hold a little low, but, once you know where it strikes… you are good to go.  It’s LOUD and when I say loud, I mean … even through the ear protection it’s really loud (I sometimes wear plugs with a headset).  My shooting buddies, men included, comment on how loud it is.  The upside of that, it may also serve to put your assailant at a disadvantage as his/her ears will be ringing quite badly.  You will be used to it after forgetting your hearing protection a few times, but, they won’t have a clue and it would shock them.  LOL! Also, it kicks the shell a mile… good luck finding them… there is nothing consistent about where they travel…

       Likes: very accurate, consistent and reliable – loudness is extra bonus for taking your opponent off guard

                  Dislikes: Loud,  **(after recall work done – hasn’t been as accurate or reliable)

Racking The Slide On The Springfield XDS

Every firearm probably has its own slide stiffness when new and a different slide stiffness once broken in.  This is no different for the XDS .45.  I’m not certain how much was the slide breaking in and how much was my competence improvement, but, it was really, really difficult to rack when I first got it and now is quite easy. Arthritic hands will have great difficulty.

 

Likes: good grip to it with the serrations on the sides

Dislikes: very stiff initially – good luck with it if you have arthiritis

Cleaning and Take Down of the Springfield XDS

 What a breeze! Only thing you have to do is Get used to the stiffness of the disassembly lever… it’s pretty tight…but, once you have that down… take down is a breeze and cleaning it is quick and easy.

Likes: very easy to take down and clean – one of my most favorite things about this firearm

Dislikes: NOTHING – easiest gun to clean

Carrying The Springfield XDS

If you are not a person used to carrying – it will seem large and annoying. If you are used to carrying, it will be fine and perhaps seem small compared to say a 1911.   While lighter than some other conceal carry choices, it still seems heavy to me.  I wouldn’t recommend carrying on your body with a belly band holster or a magnetic holster…but, rather a shoulder holster or IWB holster for concealment.

Likes: a lot of firepower in a small package

Dislikes: heavy to carry (i.e.: no belly band holster or magnetic holster)

Overall considerations of The Springfield XDS

This was my first conceal carry firearm that a friend recommended to me. It is a great firearm; reliable, consistent, easy to shoot, easy to clean and enough fire power to take down any assailant. Having said that, had I known more about handguns at the time of purchase, I wouldn’t have purchased this firearm as my first conceal carry.  It has some drawbacks that could be an problem for some women who have arthritis, strength and grip issues.  Small or arthritic hands will have difficulty operating the firearm.  It is still very heavy for carrying, for me personally. Everyone is different, despite most men saying how light it is, I find it to be heavy.  If you are overweight (which I was at the time I bought it), it will dig in no matter where you put it, making it uncomfortable to carry.  Therefore you are likely to leave it behind and not carry it, therefore defeating its entire purpose.  If you are new to firearms or have arthritic hands, I recommend looking at another firearm as your first conceal carry. If you are more experienced, have strong hands, then, this would be a fine choice for conceal carry if you don’t mind the heft of it.

 

**Note: My XDS .45 was purchased prior to the recall. Before I sent it for recall, it worked like a dream (shot any kind of ammo through it – barely had one hiccup with it).  I could not have been more pleased with it. However, after it came back from recall, I was not so pleased with its shooting. It wasn’t as accurate, it was louder (if that was even possible) and jammed and stove piped constantly no matter what kind of ammo I put through it.  I was reluctant to send it back because I didn’t want to potentially be without a firearm. So, now that I have my new firearm, a Glock 43, I will be returning this one to Springfield for a tuning… see how it makes out.  If I’m not pleased, I will likely sell it and get something else.

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One thought on “Gun Reviews By Women – Springfield XDS 45 – Valerie Tiffany

  1. kenneth russell says:

    From what I just read you need to carry a ruger sr22

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