Glock vs Springfield XD?

JK Knives

JK Knives

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I know BlakeB has a lot of experience with Glocks, but I was wondering about others who might own, or have shot, both of them. My personal feelings are that the grip of the XD fits me better, probably because of my history with Government Model .45`s. I was raised shooting Government Models (along with Commanders) and S&W revolvers, and to this day I shoot the .45`s better than anything else. My daughter, on the other hand, can kick my butt any day of the week with her Glocks. I know they are not as durable as a Glock, but properly maintained they function great. Let`s hear your thoughts.
 
Pictures are welcome! These all belong to me.

First up is a Springfield XD9 Tactical and Scout Jr.

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This is my favorite, Kimber first year production .45 ACP, with a Keychain Companion. I`ve put a steel backstrap, Wilson trigger, titanium firing pin, and Ed Brown slide stop in it. It has never malfunctioned on me. Connie bought me this one for our 10th anniversary.

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Grampa`s old S&W Model 15 .38 and 2 line 110

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S&W 637 .38 and 500 Duke

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Next is a custom Glock 17 and my old EDC. The Glock has it`s frame shortened to Model 19 specs, and Heinie Straight Eight sights. The work was done by me.

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You might want to throw the S&W M&P into that mix as well. They are very highly regarded these days. Personally, I prefer the Glock to the Springfield. I have shot both. I don't like the Springfield's weird grip safety, but otherwise they are fairly comparable weapons. I have a Glock 21SF in .45, but I can shoot my Sig P220 or my 1911 much better. The stock sights on the Glock aren't much good for precision shooting. 13+1 capacity does make the Glock a formidable pistol.

These days I'm looking at the HK45. They're a lot more expensive than the Glock or the Springfield, but they're very nice guns.
 
I had an xd9 compact and loved it. very accurate and easy to maintain. you can get 9mm ammo cheap for the range and high capacity mags. The Glock is also an excellent piece but for me it was not a accurate due to ergonomics. The xd
fit like a glove and was a true point and shooter. The latest generation Glocks
however have addressed this problem, haven't tried one though. I have to say hard to beat a good old smith and wesson 357 revolver!
 
I checked out both before buying and found that the Glock 23 was the best choice for me. I shoot it better than anything else that I own.

Jeff
 
The S&W Model 15 .38 Special I showed was my grandfather`s duty gun when he was Chief Of Police here in Mokena years ago. (he was also the only one on the force at that time!) It has the smoothest double action of any gun I have ever fired.
 
I like the Glock better. It has a lower bore axis and can have a much better trigger installed in it. Plus I find the grip safety on the XD to a potential shortcoming if not failure inducer.

I hear a lot of guys complain about the Glock grip angle. I used to be the same way. But I can promise anyone that it will stop being an issue after about 1,000 rounds. I now go from Glocks to 1911s without any kind of hangup due to grips angle. And I don't even really notice the angle anymore. To me it's just a gun.

I've personally seen more XDs break or malfunction than Glocks though that's just my personal experience. Plus I've watched friends try to get parts for their XDs only to have springfield insist that the gun be sent it. You can build a Glock from scratch by available parts online. Plus you can stock up on parts to fix your own glock.

I own some fancy 1911s and such... but for me the Glock is the best working gun out there period. I used to be a huge HK fan... but the bore sits a mile above the hand and the triggers are just horrible on them. The more I learned how to shoot... the more I fell in love with the ugly stupid lookin old Glock. I still think they're ugly as snot, but man they work like a champ.
 
No expierience with the newer SF. I have owned all of the Glocks, love them all.
 
The Springer XD fits my hands better than Glocks, so my firearm of choice is the XD between the two.

Come next month, I should be receiving my first JK Knives, so I will have to introduce them to my .45s and take a few "family pictures"...:D
 
The grip angle is not the only potential ergonomic problem on Glocks. Their insistence on making finger grooves integral to their grip frames means that if you have the EXACT right size/thickness of hands, then great. On the other hand, if your fingers are thinner or thicker than the arbitrary standard that Glock chose, then your grip is compromised. Does that mean that you can't use it? No, but you'll never be as good with it as you would with a pistol that fits you. That's the end of it. An option that exists, of course, is the removal of the finger grooves, though it requires alteration of a firearm which may affect warranty coverage, and which you may or may not be comfortable doing. Also, it does not address the grip angle. There are people for whom the Glock's ergonomics are perfect, and for them it is absolutely a good buy. If you're not among them, however, then their opinions really could not be much more useless to you. This thread could go on for ninety pages, filled with hundreds of variations on:

"I like this one!"
"Well I like this one!"
"Nah, forget what those guys told you based on their completely subjective opinions, but instead look at this one based MY completely subjective opinion."
"Go to Hell man! My opinions aren't subjective--and anyway, I remember seeing something somewhere where somebody was shooting the gun YOU like and it failed completely, causing he and his whole family to be eaten by wild boars. I can't remember any specifics which would allow you to verify this story, but it's true! :mad:"

And after all of this nonsense you wouldn't be any the wiser. Both pistols that you are looking at are tough, functional products from manufacturers who know a whole hell of a lot more about making guns than anyone who'll participate in this thread. The only real substantive comparison for your purposes is the gun in your own hand. I'm willing to bet I own and have experience with more different firearms from different makers than almost anyone else on these boards, and I can't speak any more intelligently about what YOU will like than I could about what your favorite song might be.
 
I've owned both makes,Glock 17,and the Springfield XD9.I liked the XD better,and still have it.To be fair though,I bought the 17 not long after Glocks first came out,and could'nt take a shine to it.I remember field stripping it,and holding the frame in one hand thinking, what the hell?!To be fair,it shot great,but I was used to the heft of an all steel pistola.
 
There are alot of good thoughts being brought up here. I think one MAJOR determining factor should be: what are your intended uses for the weapon? EDC accompanied by an occasional trip to the range? EDC as a police officer or security guard....again, with an occasional trip to the range or annual qualification course? A bedside weapon in case something goes "bump" in the night? After determining your primary need/use, I think picking the weapon should include such factors as caliber, frame size(sub-compact, compact or full size), and features. We should also take into consideration the area that we live in and the climate in the area. How you dress on a daily basis also factors in as well.
I basically carry and shoot a firearm on a daily basis to make my living. I shoot between 3,000 and 5,000 rounds per week on average. I tend to subscribe to the K.I.S.S. method......Keep It Simple, Stupid! For my purposes, a Glock is as simple as it gets. No decocker levers, no safety buttons, no grip safety. It has been proven that under stress, we lose a portion of our dexterity and fine motor skills. I do NOT wanna be subconsciously worried about all these buttons and gadgets when I am in a gun fight!! The Glock is the ONLY handgun that I would unconditionally bet my life on......right out of the box. The only part on a Glock that I have ever seen break is the slide stop lever spring. The fact of the matter is that you do not have to have a slide stop to keep the gun in the fight.
The only change that I make to a Glock is the SIGHTS. I use nothing but XS Big Dot Tritium sights, period. XS Sights are made for FAST Acquisition and EASY visibility. Frankly, they are the best sights available for killing people. The front sight looks like a golf ball and this makes for super fast shots. I have XS sights on my G19, on my AK and on my 870 12ga as well. I used all three while working in Iraq, Pakistan and Syria and I can tell you from experience that THEY WORK WELL. In humid environments, some skateboard tape(or ladder tape) applied to the grip panels can help with the firing grip if you have sweaty hands.
 
I really want to like Glocks but the grip just doesn't work for me. The finger grooves they built in are too small for my hand and line up in the middle of my fingers. The XDs ergo work well for me. I've heard many good reviews on it but none have been in regards to it as a service (duty) weapon. I have been also looking into the Smith & Wesson M&P as I have been hearing some good things about it lately. But what it comes down to the most is what feels good to you.
 
I bought the XD over the Glock and am happy with it. Obviously it's a personal thing: there's no ONE gun that's going to satisfy everyone. Period.
 
I think that a lot of people are thinking I need help choosing one to buy. Not the case at all, I already own both, along with the others pictured, plus a few more. I just wanted to discuss the merits of both. I`ve been buying guns since you could buy a Colt Government Model for $189, and Germade made Walther PPK/S for under $200, so I`ve owned a lot of guns in my time, and worked part time in a gun shop in the 1980`s, so I got to handle even more.
 
From an armorers perspective between the S&W MP series and the GLOCK The GLOCK wins. Although they appear the same when field stripped when you take them all the way down the S&W was a headache. During a re-cert class yesterday I spoke to
an armorer that attended the Springfield Course and he said parts of it were a PITA also.
 
BlakeB said:
There are alot of good thoughts being brought up here. I think one MAJOR determining factor should be: what are your intended uses for the weapon? EDC accompanied by an occasional trip to the range? EDC as a police officer or security guard....again, with an occasional trip to the range or annual qualification course? A bedside weapon in case something goes "bump" in the night? After determining your primary need/use, I think picking the weapon should include such factors as caliber, frame size(sub-compact, compact or full size), and features. We should also take into consideration the area that we live in and the climate in the area. How you dress on a daily basis also factors in as well.
I basically carry and shoot a firearm on a daily basis to make my living. I shoot between 3,000 and 5,000 rounds per week on average. I tend to subscribe to the K.I.S.S. method......Keep It Simple, Stupid! For my purposes, a Glock is as simple as it gets. No decocker levers, no safety buttons, no grip safety. It has been proven that under stress, we lose a portion of our dexterity and fine motor skills. I do NOT wanna be subconsciously worried about all these buttons and gadgets when I am in a gun fight!! The Glock is the ONLY handgun that I would unconditionally bet my life on......right out of the box. The only part on a Glock that I have ever seen break is the slide stop lever spring. The fact of the matter is that you do not have to have a slide stop to keep the gun in the fight.
The only change that I make to a Glock is the SIGHTS. I use nothing but XS Big Dot Tritium sights, period. XS Sights are made for FAST Acquisition and EASY visibility. Frankly, they are the best sights available for killing people. The front sight looks like a golf ball and this makes for super fast shots. I have XS sights on my G19, on my AK and on my 870 12ga as well. I used all three while working in Iraq, Pakistan and Syria and I can tell you from experience that THEY WORK WELL. In humid environments, some skateboard tape(or ladder tape) applied to the grip panels can help with the firing grip if you have sweaty hands.
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+1...
PS I'm glad I dont have to pay for your ammo;)...
 
Bare Rib said:
I really want to like Glocks but the grip just doesn't work for me. The finger grooves they built in are too small for my hand and line up in the middle of my fingers. The XDs ergo work well for me. I've heard many good reviews on it but none have been in regards to it as a service (duty) weapon. I have been also looking into the Smith & Wesson M&P as I have been hearing some good things about it lately. But what it comes down to the most is what feels good to you.
Click to expand...

A kmg knife grinder with a 120 belt takes care of those finger groves! I don't like Glock but my 30 was a gift with lots of accessories. So I just modded the handle to fit my hand better...
 
JK Knives said:
I think that a lot of people are thinking I need help choosing one to buy. Not the case at all, I already own both, along with the others pictured, plus a few more. I just wanted to discuss the merits of both. I`ve been buying guns since you could buy a Colt Government Model for $189, and Germade made Walther PPK/S for under $200, so I`ve owned a lot of guns in my time, and worked part time in a gun shop in the 1980`s, so I got to handle even more.
Click to expand...

Oh! Well in that case they're both soul-less and ugly as Hell. Give me a High Power or Smith 27 any day. :D
 
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