XD pistol gets a shot in the arm; New Springfield XD Mod.2 design

9mm and .40 S&W offered in two-tone. (Photo: Springfield)

Springfield Armory has just launched a brand-new XD, the XD Sub-Compact Mod.2. Designed for concealed-carry, this double-stack pistol is more than an update, it’s a complete overhaul.

While a few features seem to come from the XD-M and XD-S designs, many of them are altogether new for the series.

Starting with the grip, the XD Mod.2 has a higher undercut trigger guard and slightly-extended beavertail. Compared to the original grip this lets shooters get a higher grip for less felt recoil, an important element with small handguns. High grips are also more repeatable for consistency and accuracy.

The grip has a completely new contour. Gone is the boxy square frame and in its place is a new, organic grip with subtle fingergrooves. The grip looks more Heckler & Koch than XD and that’s fine by us. It’s a slim grip with a slight thumbgroove that goes straight to the ambidextrous mag release.

Along with the contour the entire grip has been slimmed down for comfort. While this is intended to improve the pistol’s ergonomics it also makes it easier to conceal.

A run-down of the Mod.2 improvements. (Photo: Springfield)

Lastly, the grip has a new texture. Three new textures, to be exact. The grip has aggressive frontstrap and backstrap for a secure hold when shooting that tapers around the corners to a milder surface. The sides of the grips are smooth which is important for a concealed-carry pistol as it minimizes snaring and won’t otherwise cause discomfort.

What the update draws from on the XD-M and XD-S fronts are a new slide design and improved sights.

The two-step boxy slide has been replaced with a swept, smooth design with angled sides that taper upwards similar to the XD-M. Like the slimmed frame this will help prevent snagging and make it easier to conceal.

The new slide design has deep rear charging serrations to provide a better grip for charging the pistol. Small guns mean hard springs and this is welcome even if the XD Sub-Compact was already one of the easier double-stacks to rack.

…And matte black. (Photo: Springfield)

The slide is equipped with the same type of sights that come with the XD-S, a front fiber-optic sight for fast and easy acquisition and an extended rear sight that lengthens the sight radius to the absolute rear of the pistol.

Going along with the slim strategy the takedown lever has also been minimized.

With all the changes the XD Mod.2 design still sports all the features that have made the XD successful, including the grip safety, drop safety, trigger safety and out-of-battery safety. For all the changes it’s still an XD at heart, although we fully expect to see a lot of used XD Sub-Compacts turn up suddenly.

The new XD Sub-Contact Mod.2 will be offered with a matte black or two-tone satin stainless slide starting in 9mm and .40 S&W. The 9mm models have a 13+1 capacity with flush magazines and 16+1 when used with standard mags. The .40-caliber models are 9+1 with flush mags and 12+1 with the full-size mags.

Right now only the Sub-Compact models are getting the Mod.2 treatment but with Springfield Armory you can bet there’s more around in the pipe.

The original XD Sub-Compact has a lot of fans for good reasons, but ultimately it is just a very chopped-down service pistol. The new Mod.2 will get a lot of fans for better reasons, as it’s been redesigned from the ground up to be a concealed-carry pistol.

To learn more about the new Mod.2 pistols head over to Springfield Armory.