Springfield Armory, Inc. has been around since 1968, designing and producing some of the finest weapons in the industry. And the Springfield Armory XD-S MOD.2 OSP is a shining example of the craftsmanship the company regularly provides.
Springfield Armory and the XD-S MOD.2 OSP
When people think of Springfield Armory, most think that it’s the same company that was around since the times of the American Revolution and Shays’ Rebellion. This is not so. Back in 1968, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced the closure of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts.
It was then turned over to the National Parks Service and designated as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Immediately following the change in status in 1968, the L. H. Gun Co. of Devine, Texas, was renamed Springfield Armory, Inc. In 1974. Springfield Armory was then sold to the Reese family of Geneseo, Illinois, and the rest, as they say, is history.
SA is extremely well known for its time-tested-and-true M1A and 1911 series of firearms. The company actually supplied various firearms to the U.S. Government for use in the Vietnam War. Fast forward to the present day, and Springfield Armory is still hard at work producing some of the best firearms in the industry, in addition to the M1A and 1911.
Back in 2002, Springfield Armory released the XD series of pistols. SA actually found a top-notch pistol called the HS2000. It was developed and manufactured in Croatia and adopted then by their military and law enforcement.
Revolutionizing the Striker-Fired Market
Given that other companies were offering striker-fired pistols to the market, Springfield Armory saw this as a chance to offer a truly revolutionary product to the U.S. market. SA acquired the licensing rights and imported this as the XD line of pistols.
The XD series of pistols (HS2000) isn’t like other striker-fired pistols. The XD incorporates a backstrap safety reminiscent of the M1911. You can’t fire the pistol unless the rear backstrap grip safety is depressed.
For those nervous about carrying a striker-fired pistol (way back when), the Springfield XD series was the perfect answer. Specifically by incorporating a grip safety in the rear of the grip that must be depressed in order to fire.
The XD Marches On
Around 2006, I was in the market for a small subcompact double-stack pistol that I could carry off duty. My department issue heater was a Sig Sauer P226 (.40 cal.) at the time. And I didn’t want to lug that brick around off-duty in the Midwest summer heat.
After some careful research, I was able to locate a barely used Springfield Armory XD Stainless Subcompact in .40 and jumped all over it. It was a faithful pistol that never did me wrong. It’s still in faithful service with a family member of mine and hasn’t given them any trouble to date.
Springfield Armory has expanded the line of the XD Series considerably since 2002. In 2012, they introduced a slim, single-stack line into the XD series called the XD-S. Some refinements were made after a safety recall, and then it was labeled the XD-S Mod.2.
Then Springfield Armory took it a step further and introduced the XD-S Mod.2 OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) with a 3.3-inch nitride barrel. The OSP version is just as it sounds. It’s got a removable polymer plate on the top of the slide, allowing for the addition of an optic.
An option directly from Springfield Armory is the OSP with a factory-installed Crimson Trace CTS-1500 red dot sight.
One thing I noticed that is different between the generations of the XD (XD-S) family of pistols is that SA got smart and lost the roll pins in the slide. Some of us want to be able to gut our slides and do a deep clean once in a while.
Well, some anyways, but personally, I clean everything when doing weapons maintenance. It’s something that was profoundly beaten into me a couple of decades ago as a young paratrooper.
Mod.2 3.3 Details
The XD-S Mod.2 OSP comes with two magazines. A seven-round mag with a pinky extension and a nine-round mag that will fit even people with larger hands comfortably.
Granted, on most, carrying with the nine-round mag in the mag well will probably make you print through your clothes. Personally, I’d carry the seven-round mag loaded in the mag well. And I would carry one or two nine-round mags as spares in a concealable mag caddy.
The pistol also ships with the obligatory gun lock, a cover for the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 RDS, and a nice little SA-branded zip-up soft case to store everything.
Springfield Armory changed the stippling on the Mod.2’s to a much less aggressive stippling than the original XD-S line. This one will be all about personal preference. I prefer moderately aggressive stippling. If it’s raining, I’m sweating, or God forbid, shot and bleeding, I want the purchase of the pistol to my hands to be like glue.
The backstrap safety of the XD line is rather nice, especially for those who are fans of the 1911. Not to mention for those that want a safety without having to consciously flip a lever.
It’s convenient having a magazine release on both sides of the frame. Having an ambidextrous slide release would have been a huge plus as well. Hopefully, the next generation of this pistol will incorporate this feature.
Us southpaws will just have to manage in a right-handed world. Learning how to shoot ambidextrous is a must for any serious shooter. One might not always have the luxury of using the dominant hand in a gunfight.
All in all, the XD-S MOD.2 OSP is still a great little pea shooter despite the lack of a slide release on the right side of the pistol frame.
Adding an Optic to the XD-S MOD.2 OSP
SA made a great choice by adding the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 RDS on top. Crimson Trace has been at the optics game for quite a while and has a great track record.
It’s actually an ultra-compact open reflex sight that presents with clear glass and a bright, crisp 3-MOA red dot. CT states that the CT-1500 RDS utilizes a high-efficiency LED for years of use.
Bummer that the battery is under the optic, resulting in the removal of the optic to swap out batteries. Honestly, though, there is no way possible to put a battery drawer on the side of this thing. It’s just too small.
That being said, this is considered a very compact pistol, so concealability is the name of the game. CT was really thinking when they designed the CTS-1500 RDS. They made this optic so small that it co-witnesses with the factory sights.
So, if, for any reason, the RDS stopped working, you still have your main sights to utilize. Want to save battery life? Use the factory cover that came with the sight when not in use, as it turns the CTS-1500 RDS off.
CT boasts a 20k hour use (or two-year) battery life. Remove the factory cover, and you will notice that the sight is on and ready to use. CT also included an ambient light sensor inside that auto-adjusts to lighting conditions rather than dialing up or down manually.
The XD-s In the Hand
On a personal note, the thing that bugs me about the smaller pistols on the market is that I hate not being able to get my pinky finger on the grip. I’ve got medium size hands, so pretty average.
I can barely fit my pinky on the extension of the seven-round mag, but it does fit. I have a feeling that if I took a Dremel to the underside of the triggerguard and slightly removed just a bit of material, I’d remedy that.
Doing a trigger guard undercut is not something I recommend one tries themselves unless you have experience in this area. You only get one shot at it. But I think it’s doable without damaging the triggerguard. Full disclosure, though, it’s not SA’s fault there, I tailor every firearm I own to fit my hand perfectly.
Shooting the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP was a fun experience. Recoil was very manageable, and that helped to get back on target quicker. Although, shooting this with the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 on it made things that much easier. Even with the small 3.3-inch barrel, it still didn’t bark too badly.
The Takeaway
All magazines dropped free with no issues. A few hundred rounds were sent downrange with no noted stoppages or malfunctions of any kind.
In this day and age, with ammo being scarce, I had no 147 grain to shoot through this. However, I did try a few different 124-grain loads and a couple of 115-grain rounds.
The best training ammo I used was the Federal Syntech Training Match 124-grain TSJ with a 1.4-inch grouping at 21 feet (defensive). The Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown 124-grain JHP netted a 1.5-inch grouping at the same distance.
For a 3.3-inch ultra-compact class of pistol, the SA XD-S Mod.2 OSP definitely held its own. If I had to pull it to defend myself or others, I’d be confident that the intended recipient of my message will fully understand the complexity of the situation. Right before their internal light is snuffed out.
The Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP is a great little heater that will conceal extraordinarily well and provide confidence in a reliable handgun. This one is a keeper for sure, I’m sure you will agree once you shoot one for yourself.
For more information, please visit Springfield-Armory.com.
Springfield Armory XD-S MOD.2 OSP Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 3.3 inches
Overall Length: 6.3 inches
Weight: 21.5 ounces (empty)
Sights: CTS-1500
Action: Stiker-fired
Finish: Black Melonite
Capacity: 7+1, 9+1
MSRP: $549 (w/optic)
Performance
| LOAD | VELOCITY | ACCURACY |
| Federal Syntech Training Match 124 | 1,091 | 1.4 |
| Federal American Eagle 124 | 1,109 | 2.0 |
| Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown 124 | 1,189 | 1.5 |
| Sig Sauer 365 Elite 115 | 1,130 | 2.2 |
| Hornady American Gunner 115 | 1,060 | 1.8 |
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps) by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 21 feet standing, unsupported.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Tactical Life magazine. Get your copy today at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
