Your Privacy Choices
The concealed carry market is, in my opinion, the most diverse in the industry. Everybody is different, and due to their differences in physical geometry, preferences, and circumstances, many different types of firearms are needed. For me, I live in a place where I’m mostly concerned with two-legged predators, but I also don’t spend too much time away from home. A medium-sized, single-stack 9mm is what you’ll usually find inside my waistband. However, that pistol isn’t necessarily suitable for all situations. One of my jobs includes traveling around the state. This lands me in remote areas, as well as some…less desirable parts of the city. In these cases, something more capable is my preference. It doesn’t get more capable than a compact, high-capacity, heavy caliber pistol with a red dot. That’s exactly what this review is about. The Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP holds as many rounds of .45 ACP as it has words in its name, and I’m here to give you my take on its viability as a concealed carry option.
Springfield Armory .45 ACP XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP: The Specs
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Capacity: 9+1 rounds (double stack)
- Length: 6.75″
- Width: 1.2″
- Height: 4.58″
- Weight: 26.5 oz
- Finish: Melonite
- MSRP: $843
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed when picking up the XD-M Elite 3.8″ was not a good thing. Springfield Armory decided to add a flared magazine well to the grip of the pistol. While this is typically something I would welcome, the size and placement feel way off. The forward edge of the magwell lands in a very strange spot, right in the middle of my pinky finger. My hands are as medium and average as they get, so it’s not as if this won’t affect most shooters. I picked up the pistol at Centennial Gun Club in Centennial, Colorado, and immediately started dryfiring.
The gun felt solid in my hand. Tolerances are tight and the overall feel of the gun is that of quality. The weight was almost shocking. This gun looks really chunky but is actually very lightweight. I didn’t put it on a scale, and maybe I was thrown by the 43-ounce 1911 I had just reviewed, but I was very pleased when I picked it up.
The controls are simple and intuitive. The operation is what you’d expect to find on any modern striker-fired pistol. The buttons show some extra attention to detail as their contours are refined and comfortable to activate.
A Long Name For A Short Gun: Running It
I know I started this review talking about concealed carry. However, the overall size would make this gun a strong contender for security personnel or someone who wants to carry a .45 ACP on duty, and is okay with a smaller gun. I don’t have an inside-the-waistband holster for the XD-M Elite, so I slapped on a light and ran it in my Omnivore. I simply added a cover garment to add some concealment to the testing.
First things first, we needed to check her accuracy. From 15 yards, I shot a few three-round groups using Sellier & Bellot 230gr FMJ. The results would make this gun look bad, but none of it was the gun’s fault. It was 25 degrees out and this was the first task of the day. The short version is that the holes appeared where the dot was when I pressed the trigger.
I put around 200-250 rounds through the gun in about an hour. I ran a few Bill drills, some target transition drills, and incorporated some lateral movement into some running and gunning on steel. This is where the performance of the gun showed through. We had no malfunctions at all, and when I slowed down my cadence just a smidge, putting all my rounds in the head box from 15 yards was a simple task.
The magazine release was a bit stiff but I imagine this would loosen over time. It’s not the type that swaps to either side. Instead, Springfield Armory opted to have one button on each side. While this sounds like a good solution, I found that when pressing the release from the left side, the button on the opposite side ran into my hand. I had to break my hand away from the grip to allow the magazine to fall free.
Final Thoughts
What stood out most to me was the reliability XD-M Elite 3.8″. On a gloomy day, with sub-freezing temperatures, and some idiot dumping rounds through a brand new, uncleaned gun, there wasn’t even a hint of a hiccup. The thing kept chugging along.
This isn’t a review of the Hex Dragonfly dot, but I thought I’d mention it briefly. Before picking the gun up, I asked around and it seemed that a few people were not happy with it. Specifically, I heard was that it had a noticeably slow refresh rate. I didn’t find this to be true. I enjoyed running the Dragonfly. The window was a good size, the dot was clear, and I appreciated the simplicity of the one-button controls.
My favorite things about the XD-M Elite 3.8″ are the weight and slide design. Starting with the weight, a gun this size could be very uncomfortable to carry, but that was not the case. In fact, I really didn’t feel that much of a difference between carrying this gun and my Glock 19. The slide is also a win. The serrations are very deep and make manipulations comfortable and easy. They’re not so sharp, however, that you’ll regret putting the gun in your pants. I know most people wear an undershirt to block their carry guns from interfacing with their skin, but I usually don’t.
I found the magazine well to be the biggest disadvantage of the gun. Sure, I’m not going to care how comfortable my pinky is in a use-of-force encounter, but I am going to care while I’m out practicing, making me less likely to do so. Now, I’m probably being too hard on the gun, since the magwell is removable, but I tested it how I received it. With the magwell removed, the pistol should be plenty comfortable. I would just rather have it arrive without it installed and have the option to add it on myself.
Overall, I’d say that this is a reliable handgun and a good option for those who want to carry a .45 ACP pistol. Maybe it just didn’t fit my physical dimensions, and someone with larger or smaller hands would be more comfortable. The takeaway from this review should be that the gun runs. If you want to read up on the XD-M Elite 3.8″ in .45 ACP, you can get all of the details straight from the Springfield Armory website. Don’t forget to follow along for more on social media. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Additional photography by Bronson Eguchi.
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