Shield vs XDs

Shield .40 vs. XDs? I've got both now and I'd have to say I like shooting the XDs more than the Shield. My Shield had the mag drop issue but no more, and I do like shooting it. My XDs has had no issues of any kind, 150 rounds in 2 trips to the range. I think the Shield has more barrel flip than the XDs and I find the XDs grip more comfortable. That's my .2 cents...

Man, you guys are going to make me spend more money. I'm more of a rifle, but bought the shield because of all the great reviews. Now, I find myself wanting the XDs.

At some point, I need to start working on my 300 blackout project.

The biggest down-side to the XD-S is that looks like Springfield's not doing their Gear Up program this year.
The Gear Up program used to get you 3 extra Free mags and Mag Pouch if you purchased between Sept and Dec. Considering how difficult it is to find spare mags for new pistols (like we've seen with the Shield), it would have been a nice little guarantee to having spare mags.
Oh well..

As fast as pistols are selling I wouldn't be surprised if they went back to paper cases and no extras.. Ron

Hohopelli said:

As fast as pistols are selling I wouldn't be surprised if they went back to paper cases and no extras.. Ron

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The sales guy told me the on their other XD pistols Springfield was offering a basic kit that didn't include the accessories

The XDs comes with a large, plastic case, two 5 round magazines, a double magazine holder and a paddle holster. I bought two 7 round mags from Springfield when I walked in to have the sights changed (from OEM fiber optic to Trijicon 3-dot tritiums).

I have over 400 rounds through it, and the only hitches were due to handload XTPs which were too long (1.260", the OAL needs to be 1.230" or less for XTPs).

Hohopelli said:

The sales guy told me the on their other XD pistols Springfield was offering a basic kit that didn't include the accessories

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Yes.. They're called the 'Essentials' package. The savings between the standard set and the Essentials set is only about $30 though.
What the Gear-Up program did was get you 3 extra mags, above & beyond the original 2 that comes with the pistol (so 5 total).

The holster & mag pouch that comes with the XD/XDM line are not top notch, but they're definitely good enough for the range if you frequent a range that lets you draw and fire and are good enough for novice USPSA/IDPA participation.

Range Report

Just made it to the range with two friends who wanted to try my new XDs. Friend number one brought his Shield 40 and friend two brought his M&P40c with his 357 Sig barrel installed. Between the three of us we put 300 rounds through the XDs. First off I have to report that the XDs was 100% reliable with everything we shot in it including some old left over ammo. The pistol shot perfectly to the POA with 230 grn ammo at 7,10 amd 15 yards. Here a list of the ammo we tried.
50 rnds Federal 230 grn FMJ
50 rnds Federal 230 grn FMJ Match
50 rnds Winchester 230 grn FMJ GI Ball
50 rnds Federal 230 grn HST
20 rnds Speer 200 grn JHP (this was the old flying ashtray load)
20 rnds Winchester 230 JHP Black Talon (old and expensive)
20 rnds Winchester 230 JHP Silvertip (old stuff)
40 rnds of assorted grab bag stuff from partial boxes we all had laying around.
The XDs was cleaned and lubricated the night before as I don't like shooting any pistol straight out of the box as they come from the factory.
Reliability...... Perfect, even with some 30 year old ammunition. It runs beautifully just like our M&Ps.
Accuracy....... We shot at combat distances starting out at 7 to 15 yards. At 7 yards we all shot one big ragged hole and we all really liked the sights on this pistol. The front fiber optic in daylight is so easy to pick up Ray Charles could see it.
Trigger........ The trigger was better than previous XDs I've shot with a very short reset. The pull I would estimate was between 5 & 6 pounds and crisp after a short takeup. The reset is similar to the Shields and definately better than the M&P compacts.
Grip........ The grip is aggressively checkered but it is not sharp. I did most of the shooting at about 175 rounds and the palm of my hand was a little red. But surprisingly the recoil is more of a shove than a snap. I thought it would be a beast, but it wasn't. All three of us were pleasantly surprised with the recoil, followup shots were easy. The recoil was obviously heavier than my Shield 9 but not as sharp as my friends Shield 40. The M&P 357c, now that was the least comfortable pistol we shot, that one really smacks you and is not something you'd want to shoot all afternoon. Any 45 this size is going to have a substantial recoil but again this one was more of a push back than a sharp snap like the 357 Sig. No +P loads were tried as we didn't want to punish ourselved and really I don't think they are necessary in a 45 ACP. I really like the Federal HST load and that will be used for carry.
Summary...... For anyone looking for a CCW in 45 ACP I recommend giving the XDs a look. All three of us liked the pistol and all were impressed with how accurate it was. This initial outing was mainly to see if the gun would be reliable and to get the feel of it. My next range session I'll settle down and really check the accuracy and do some bullet expansion tests. I demand 100% reliability in any handgun I'm considering carrying. Those old Speer flying ashtrays wouldn't feed through a lot of semi autos, especially small ones, but this XDs ate them and everything else. Cleaning the pistol was aided by the stainless steel slide, a wet toothbrush with Hoppes No 9 and everything wiped off easily. When you have this pistol apart the build quality is apparent with good attention to detail.
So there you have it. I found this pistol to be totally reliable, very accurate and surprisingly comfortable to shoot. I like the idea of a 45 in a package the same size as my Shield. I really like this pistol.

RobzGuns said:

Yes.. They're called the 'Essentials' package. The savings between the standard set and the Essentials set is only about $30 though.
What the Gear-Up program did was get you 3 extra mags, above & beyond the original 2 that comes with the pistol (so 5 total).

The holster & mag pouch that comes with the XD/XDM line are not top notch, but they're definitely good enough for the range if you frequent a range that lets you draw and fire and are good enough for novice USPSA/IDPA participation.

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I sold my last for sets of "SA gear stuff" on GB and have listed this set with the hard case as well. The stuff does work and would be OK for certain situations. Cheers.. Ron

Those xds's must have good and bad batches. I can't get my little brothers .45 to do **** for accuracy. And thats taking time to aim down the range and be sure its on target. Now if i shoot the whole mag, i surely cant get it to hit much. Maybe its just too much in a small frame for my small hands.

Both my shields (9mm and .40), i dont seem to have any problem with. Maybe it's the trigger pull, maybe its the grip, or maybe its just the .45 in a small frame. No matter what I try to do with it, it just doesnt work well enough for me to consider it as my carry weapon.

IMO, if i wanted something of such caliber and frame as everyday carry. I'd have to chose my more reliable, more accurate .357 snubby. I seem to have way better luck with it than i do with the xds. But as i said, it could be a number of things that just "isn't for me".

PS: Now if they ever consider making a 9mm (maybe .40, but i dunno). Then you may well see me grab one.

I think there is just a point of diminishing returns when trying to put larger calibers in smaller handguns. The obvious first sacrifice is capacity, followed by recoil. (Felt recoil is a subjective element, of course...some feel it more, some don't as much.)

While I personally favor the .45 ACP round, I prefer it in a 1911 (Commander or Full Size), a SIG P220, or a M&P 45 (FS or C.) I have looked at the XDs in a local shop, and it is just too small, IMO. For me, the Shield 9mm is the best concealed carry pistol I have ever had.

For home defense, or for times when I am just carrying in my car and not on me, I still prefer a .45 as mentioned above. However, for the right combination of round and size for a CCW pistol, I think the Shield 9mm is it for me.

I don't think you can go wrong with either caliber. The 45acp has a cult like following and the XDs just gives us another concealed carry option. To me the Shield 9 and M&P9c are near perfect carry options but I do like the idea of a small 45 also, and the XDs is an attractive package.

GKC said:

I think there is just a point of diminishing returns when trying to put larger calibers in smaller handguns. The obvious first sacrifice is capacity, followed by recoil. (Felt recoil is a subjective element, of course...some feel it more, some don't as much.)

While I personally favor the .45 ACP round, I prefer it in a 1911 (Commander or Full Size), a SIG P220, or a M&P 45 (FS or C.) I have looked at the XDs in a local shop, and it is just too small, IMO. For me, the Shield 9mm is the best concealed carry pistol I have ever had.

For home defense, or for times when I am just carrying in my car and not on me, I still prefer a .45 as mentioned above. However, for the right combination of round and size for a CCW pistol, I think the Shield 9mm is it for me.

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Not to cool here yet so I made another range trip and put another 150 rounds through my XDs. I have to say, the more I shoot this pistol the more I like it. As you can see the edges have been melted or rounded for ease of handling and comfort. I've been carrying the XDs in an IWB holster and lately been carrying it more than my M&P. This 45 has no real competition which is why I still think S&W with come out with a 45 Shield. I still plan on keeping my M&P45c as I love 45s, you can't have to many.

mag318 said:

Smitty,
I'll bet that has something to do with the price also. I paid $341 for my Shield 9

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Wow, I'd support that gun store for the rest of my life. The stores pay $325 for the Shield [I know because I see the packing slips at work] so he made $16 on that sale. A 5% mark up. How does he stay in business? GARY

Actually the store I bought mine has been an LE S&W distributor for decades. I heard that he charges 10% over his cost on all S&Ws.

UPDATE: After my XDS hit 250 rounds, all the malfunctions magically went away!!? What the? haha And I was just about to send it back to springfield.

Factory bulk packs from federal, atlanta arms reloads, hollow points, hornady xtp's...it feeds them all, and it is a TACK DRIVER!

I'm so glad I stuck with it. Rough beginning, but happy ending. Guess there really was a "break-in" period.



was shooting left on this one on my XTP reloads for some reason.



and a quick video of shooting it.

Test fire Springfield XDS 45 ACP with PRP trigger spring kit - YouTube

Haven't shot an XDs, but it's the only non S&W handgun I currently covet. I love my shield, but wouldn't mind adding an XDs to the mix.

The initial reason I went with Shield over the XDs was that Id be payiing 150 more for holsters I'd never use. Ever.

Shield 9mm = 8 rounds

XDS 45 acp = 6 rounds

Two extra rounds in about the same size weapon is enough to convince me to go Shield 9mm.

I have also read complaints with quick deployment if you don't have a good grip on the XDs you will not disengage the grip safety. (I find it real easy with a pocket size weapon when drawing in a hurry from the pocket to not grip the weapon properly. I have never missed sweeping the safety on my Shield even if I don't have a good grip.)

Russ

TRUST8383 said:

UPDATE: After my XDS hit 250 rounds, all the malfunctions magically went away!!? What the? haha And I was just about to send it back to springfield.

Factory bulk packs from federal, atlanta arms reloads, hollow points, hornady xtp's...it feeds them all, and it is a TACK DRIVER!

I'm so glad I stuck with it. Rough beginning, but happy ending. Guess there really was a "break-in" period.

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Yeah... With many (if not most) Subcompacts, it's kinda foolish to make a snap decision before putting at LEAST 250 rounds through them. Some manufacturers actually recommend 500 rounds, while others don't consider the pistol broken in before 1K.

While I was happy right off the bat with my Shield, I did notice that the trigger got even nicer after 300-400 rounds.
Makes me glad that I didn't spend the money on any trigger kits.