Xds pocket 45

American1776

American1776

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Just got one of these. I don't like polymer, but I need a small and light pistol, with adequate power.

I like the optic front site. It's small and light, hopefully it proves reliable.

Anyone else like this little gun?
 

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The Kahr PM45 is smaller and lighter (20 v 25 oz), but the XDs 45 (40, 9 mm) is a better weapon. It is easy to rack and load or clear, and I like the grip, which some find overly aggressive. The recoil is easily managed without re-adjusting, and the accuracy is superb, considering its small size. It would be a bad day if I couldn't keep rounds inside the 10 ring on a silhouette target at 10 yards.

It is near the limit for pocket carry in casual or dress slacks. I installed a Crimson Trace laser, which requires a custom holster from Detroit Holsters. This rig is literally my EDC, not just an alternative. I use a flush magazine (5+1), with a 9-round extended magazine as a backup spare.

If anything, I like the double-stack XDm compact better, but it only fits in CASUAL casual pants, always in a front pocket, not utility pocket. Chicago gang-bangers have been robbing people in the Chicago loop in groups of 3 or 4. 10+1 rounds in a flush magazine might be better in case the remaining perps decide to stick around rather than lose their Nikes running ;)
 
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Carry one everyday to work. The short thin grip makes it easy to conceal, and to draw from concealment, but use iwb holster. It is accurate, but takes practice and is a handful with 230 plus p.

Do not like the extended mags, due to recoil transference can dislodge the mag without an extremely tight grip each shot.

Did sand down the edges of the checkering in key areas.
 
gnystrom said:
Great gun in every respect. I feel calling it a pocket gun is a bit of a stretch though.
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thanks for the info.

It's on the large side for pocket carry, true. But then again, I've carried my HK P7 in a pocket holster frequently.
 
My wife has mine :(

I like the gun. Mine only chambers a round if you use the slide release; if you try to slingshot it the gun will jam. Weird but after hundreds of rounds it's 100% when firing.

But.....if I didn't trust the gun she wouldn't be carrying it. The gun is reliable, it's just getting a round in the chamber is oddly problematic.

I put XS Big Dots on mine; for its purpose these are appropriate sights.
 

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I bought one of the first ones when they came out (2011 or 2012?) and don't have one complaint about it. It will kill a possum I heard.

Edit:if I'm not mistaken the xds was designed around the .45 ACP cartridge from the start. It was later on they chambered them in other cailbers and offered the longer barrel versions. A marketing strategy I suppose?
 
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ChattanoogaPhil said:
I've got an XDs 45 3.3

I believe it's the thinnest autoloading 45 on the market and one of the lightest. Mine has been flawless in operation.

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I have the same one . I like the way it carries I W B .Mine is almost two years old I am still struggling to like it 100 %. The first 500 rounds where a night mare with fail to feed every magazine. I hear also my other issuse has happened to some as well. Slide bite with strong hand ( right) It can and does leave a mark
 
The Kahr PM45 is the most concealable of any 45acp pistol. Pricey, but it is utterly reliable, accurate and well made, in the USA.
 
alwaysoutdoors said:
I bought one of the first ones when they came out (2011 or 2012?) and don't have one complaint about it. It will kill a possum I heard.

Edit:if I'm not mistaken the xds was designed around the .45 ACP cartridge from the start. It was later on they chambered them in other cailbers and offered the longer barrel versions. A marketing strategy I suppose?
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That's what I recall as well. What sold me was the vid of Leatham shooting one with 255 gr SWC loads. Then he shot a mag full of mixed rounds, from the lightweights up to the 255 grainers, with no hiccups. To somebody who came up when 5" 1911s typically choked on anything but 230 gr Ball ammunition, that was near miraculous.

I bought one on the old SSE1, and really liked the way it felt in the hand. YPMV (Your Pants May Vary) but I found it easily pocket-sized. With some of those new(ish) dedicated CCW pants, even the 4" version wouldn't be a problem, even in a proper ankle holster. It's slim and trim, feels good in the hand, and pointed naturally for me. I've seen several times a seemingly insignificant size difference of a 1/4" or so here and there made a huge difference in concealability and carry comfort, and this gun was an excellent example.

With the extended mag and grip, and a 4" barrel, I think it may supplant the LW Commander in my mind as the ultimate all-around carry & home defense pistol. The one thing I hate about it is the ship's prow-looking cut on the front of the slide; apparently the designers wanted to make sure it had a feature to gouge flesh and create an obvious bump in your clothes. If I get another one, I think it'd be time for Attack of The Belt Sander.

My problem was that when I bought it, the SSE1 process was on it's way to being legislated out of existence, so I left it unfired, thinking it would go way up in value, which it did. I never got to fire the thing, as it rapidly got to the point I pretty much had to sell it! After I move out of CA, I should be able to replace it for less than half of what I sold it for.
 
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