One evening not long ago, I received a call from one of the nicest guys in the firearm industry, Lane Pearce of Pearce Grips. He was designing some of his famous grip extensions for the newest, as yet unannounced Springfield Armory pistol, an imported polymer duty weapon. Lane let me take a look at the gun and I became one of the first to be impressed by the new Springfield eXtreme Duty pistol, the XD! History shows what an astute move acquiring the XD line was for Springfield Armory.

The XD line from Springfield has garnered quite a few fans in the past few years, and why not? It is loaded with all the features today’s discriminating handgunners want. From two effective visual and tactile ways to check the pistol’s condition to the Ultra Safety Assurance (USA) Trigger System, an equipment rail, and the trim ergonomically designed grip system, the XD is a true modern workhorse. Of course, nothing in life is perfect, time always reveals there are tweaks, no matter how few or small, for a potentially improved product.