The HS2000 Pistol, AKA: The Springfield Armory XD40 FIrearm Review

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a particular fan of Glock or even polymer frame pistols. I don't like the balance of weight and the feeling of the plastic. However, I am surprised every once in a while. That was the case with the Springfield XD series. It first happened not long after I bought my Hi Point C9. My good friend (who owns the gun in the picture) and I went shooting with a coworker of ours. Up to this point we only had experience with a Hi Point but the guy brought his Romanian AK and Springfield XD9 to the party. Out at the cold, snowy range in New Castle, IN, my buddy and I got a taste of the XD.

Compared to the Hi Point, which jammed every other round, the XD was a sweet piece. While, I was dead set on obtaining a Beretta 92, my buddy wanted to purchase an XD. The subject of this post is the Springfield XD40 that ended up in my friends hands. Let's do it to it.

The Springfield Armory, Inc. is not the actual designer of this pistol. If you jump across the ocean and next door to Italy, you will land in the country of Croatia. This is the home of the XD, or as it is known at home, the HS2000. Originally designed by the industrial company, I.M. Metal, as the PHP or Prvi Hrvatski Pištolj, translated as First Croatian Pistol. The initial design, despite being a solid one, had many quality control issues due to the Yugoslavian War and manufacturing difficulties. This did not stop Marko Vuković and his team from updating and improving the design, leading to the introduction of the HS95 in 1995 and later the HS2000 in 1999.

The HS2000 was found to be a very reliable sidearm and was thus adopted by the Croatian military and law enforcement, a role it still fills to this day. HS stands for Hrvatski Samokres or Croatian Pistol and the 2000 is, of course, celebrating the new millennium. The pistol found a following in the U.S. thanks to the importing efforts of HSAmerica and Intrac. It didnt last long though, as the U.S. arms company, Sprinfield Armory Inc., bought the rights to the imported pistols and rebranded them the XD series. XD is short for eXtreme Duty.

Initially the pistol was only available in the 9x19 Parabellum round, thus the designation "XD9". Since then, the gun has been designed for 3 calibers and 5 different cartridges with several lengths, colors and features. In this review, I will focus on the XD40 Service Model with the 4" barrel.

The Sprinfield Armory XD40 is a striker fired, short recoil operated, semiautomatic pistol in the mid-range .40 S&W cartridge. Striker fired means that, unlike traditional firearms, it has no actual hammer. The firing system is entirely internal and has a simpler mechanism compared to exposed or even internal hammer systems. Another benefit (or drawback, depending on how you look at it) of the striker fire action is the consistent weight of the trigger pull. With a double/single action, you have a very heavy initial pull and a very light pull every shot afterwards. In a crisis situation, consistency can be beneficial when the change in trigger weight can cause accuracy problems. The XD doesn't have a bad trigger, roughly a 5.5-7.7 pound pull according to factory specifications. I have linked a video from GlockWorld.com of a Glock striker fire action in action below. I apologize as I couldn't find an XD animation but this is as close as it gets.

The XD40 takes a 12 round stainless steel box magazine plus 1 round in the chamber. The gun has good ergonomics. The slide lock is easy to reach from a shooting stanceThere is checkering on the front and back of the grip, as well as the fore-end of the trigger guard for those with large hands. The grip also has contours for your thumb and index fingers as well as a very nice curve on the upper rear portion of the grip which protects your thumb web from slide bite. The slide has serrations on the front and back to satisfy any method of slide actuation. The frame also features an accessory rail to accommodate most underslung lights and lasers. You can even purchase bayonets for this kind of rail. You know, in case you want to go all Wesley Snipes in Blade and gut some vampires like a fish. Before I go off on a nerd tangent, the pistol features the ever popular dovetail, 3 dot sights which provide for good accuracy. It is easy to upgrade these sights to night sights if desired. The finish of the gun is excellent, with HS Produkt (the Croatian company that currently designs and builds the pistols) utilizing the Melonite finish which is a very hard (almost industrial created diamond hard) and very corrosion resistant material. For this reason, the XD series is a great weapon for carrying as the perspiration doesn't affect it. The gun comes in several colors, including black melonite, OD green, FDE and bi-tones as well with a nickel plated slide.

As for the safety features, despite not having manual safeties, the XD utilizes several active safeties to prevent accidental discharge. The first safety measures are the loaded chamber and striker pin cocked safety. In both cases, you can verify both visually and by feel. The top picture, below, shows the striker cocked indicator. It is the silver nub protruding out of the hole in the back of the slide. You can compare it with the photo of the sights above where the gun is not cocked. You can also see, in the bottom photo below, the chamber loaded indicator with the tab tilted up. Don't worry, I was using a snap cap for this demonstration.

Two more of the external safeties that you might notice are the grip and trigger safeties. The grip safety is very 1911A1-esque and the trigger safety is similar to what you see on a Glock. Both of these levers must be depressed to allow the weapon to be fired. These make the gun somewhat safer to carry with a loaded chamber as numerous pressure points must be pressed along with the trigger pulled to accidentally discharge the firearm. You can see both of these levers in the below images.

The last of the safeties is internal with the striker fire action. There is a firing pin block that prevents the gun from discharging accidentally when dropped or impacted. The block is removed only when the trigger is pulled.

Now, personally, I prefer a positive, manual safety. But all of this should definitely make you feel better about utilizing this firearm as a concealable weapon, particularly the XD(S) series. In fact, I almost passed up the Bersa Thunder 380 for a XD(S) in 45 ACP but I didn't have $500 and my preference lies in double/single actions with manual safeties.

Anyhow, moving along, before another tangent, I wanted to bring up another cool, and little known, feature of the XD series. This gun was designed, with this feature, to be a good scuffle gun or jam-it-in-someone's-gut gun. If you look at the front of the guide rod in the picture below, you will see the large, flat head that protrudes. This is a "muzzle protector" and it is meant to protect the slide from being unlocked when pressed against someone or something. The design of the gun does not allow the round to be fired unless full battery is achieved. Full battery means that the breech and slide are locked together to prevent any backfire and allow the gun to function properly. When the protector is pressed against, say, the back of a man becoming violent, it helps to keep the slide in place and allow for proper function. A note about the image: the barrel is farther back from the muzzle protector than in actuality due to the slide being locked. When the slide is in place, the protector still protrudes, just not as far.

The last thing we will go over is how to break the gun down for maintenance and cleaning. Before doing so, make sure that the gun is without a magazine and UNLOADED to prevent any accidental discharges. Taking the gun down is a very simple process, similar to a Sig Sauer P220 in some aspects. With the gun in the position shown above, with the slide locked back, find the takedown lever. It will be the lever just above and forward of the trigger. Rotate it counterclockwise to the 12 o'clock position. You will see the gap in the slide bevel that allows it to go through. I will show you how it should look in the pictures below.

Next, with the takedown lever in the up position, unlock the slide and let it move forward. The slide will not come off of the frame until the trigger is pulled to "decock" the firearm. Once you've pulled the trigger, the slide should come free of the frame.

From this position, you can separate the captive recoil spring from the slide. Simply press the guide rod forward, toward the muzzle, and lift it away from the slide. The barrel should also come free from the slide at this point. The pistol is now completely field stripped and ready to be cleaned after a long day at the range. If you want to see what that looks like, check it out below. You can see the striker mechanism in the bottom most picture.

The barrel in the top left picture. You can see the large locking lug on the bottom of the chamber, as well as the feed ramp. The recoil spring is a two spring, captive system that helps reduce muzzle climb and felt recoil, particularly towards the back end of the slide movement.

I'd say that this is near the end of the road for this edition of Blued Barrel. I have to say that the XD has appealed to my interests which is difficult for most polymer frame pistols. In addition to the XD40 Service model that I reviewed today, there are numerous other models to choose from. There is also the line of XD(S) pistols, a deep concealment "Slim" pistol in 9mm and 45. ACP, that I mentioned before as well as the XD(M) series, M is short for Match, built for competition shooting. In addition to these product lines, Springfield Armory runs a very popular Custom Shop that allows operators to outfit their firearms with all sorts of extra upgrades and features.

The XD is a very popular line of firearms for a reason. It is rugged, accurate and reliable; giving the revered Glock a run for its money. If you want an alternate choice for your polymer carry or duty pistol, I strongly suggest the Springfield XD40. You will not regret it!

Until next time, Remember: Don't go for the biggest, baddest gun in the grizzliest caliber available for self defense. When the chips are down, you want control just as much as power. Just another reason the humble 9mm is one of the most popular defense rounds, NOT the .500 S&W Magnum. (Even if it is fun as hell to shoot :) ) God Bless our America!

Constitutionally Correct: The History of The Second Amendment.

The Bill of Rights of The Constitution of The United States of America.

One of the most unnecessarily argued amendments of the Constitution.

Greetings everyone. I am going to start getting things rolling here by discussing the history surrounding the Constitution, specifically the Second Amendment. As a gun owner and an avid supporter of the right to own guns with minimal interference, I wanted to help enlighten those who rarely see beyond the above transcription from the document that helped establish this country. We will discuss where the 2nd Amendment came from, who was key in authoring it and why it is important, even in today's "civilized" society. A word beforehand: I don't claim to be an expert on American history. I am doing my own research and showing how I, and many citizens of this country, have come to the conclusions we have. Now, with no further gilding the lilly, let's dive into this thing!

The Consitution of the United States of America was drafted on August 6th, 1787 after the Constitutional Convention debated back and forth over the balance of power. As you may know, some in the Continental Congress believed that there was a need for a strong federal government while others believed that the State governments, which had taken the majority of control following the end of the Revolutionary War, should retain their measure of strength. Several plans and compromises had to be made which led to the Constitution that we know today. For more information regarding the Constitution, you may visit Archives.gov

Now, the leaders of the new United States had a big issue on their hands. The Constitution, as it was ratified on January 9th, 1788, was seen by those in congress calling themselves Anti-Federalist as laying the groundwork for a strong, and eventually corrupt, Federal Government. After their, shall we say, "disagreement" with Great Britain, who could blame them? Alternately, the Federalists, seeing the troubles of each individual state as well as issues between states, believed that a strong central government was the way to go. Indeed it was a significant rift between parties and as the Constitution was ratified by only 5 of the 9 needed states, a major compromise had to be made.

Enter James Madison. A statesman from Virginia and oftentimes referred to as the Father of the Constitution as well as the Father of the Bill of Rights. As such, this man was instrumental in helping the young United States become the country it is. Before all of that, however, he considered himself a Federalist, strongly opposing the idea of such a Bill. One reason he gave was that, at the state levels, such Bills amounted to little more than paper barriers. Another was that enumeration of specific rights could be construed that only THOSE rights were protected and others were not. However, thanks to the wise words of his friend, Thomas Jefferson, he was taken by the idea that, as much as a strong Federal Government was necessary, it made the State Governments weak by comparison through the existing form of the Constitution. He also faced pressure from the Anti-Federalists who claimed they would call on another Constitutional Convention in order to satisfy the needs of the people. As the government was in a state of construction and couldn't wait for another convention to convene, Madison was convinced to introduce the Bill of Rights so that the needs of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists could be served. He wrote, on October 17, 1788 that such "fundamental maxims of free Government" would be "a good ground for an appeal to the sense of community" against potential oppression and would "counteract the impulses of interest and passion."

James Madison: 4th President of the United States of American and "The Father of the Constitution"

Originally, the Bill contained 17 amendments or articles and was slimmed down by the First US Senate to 12. At this time, the 2nd Amendment that we all know and love was actually the fifth article in the original bill. It read:

"A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep an bear arms shall not be infringed, but noone religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person."

A partial picture of the Original 17 Amendments, featuring the 5th Article which would become the 2nd Amendment.

A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person. - See more at: http://www.sethkaller.com/item/182-First-Draft-of-the-Bill-of-Rights:-17-Amendments-Approved-by-the-House-(SOLD)#sthash.PE2MmCBM.dpuf

After the Senate slimmed the Bill of Rights down to 12, a more familiar language for the 2nd Amendment was adopted.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Upon the acceptance of the Bill of Rights, and more importantly the acceptance by Anti-Federalists, the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified and signed on September 17, 1787. Since then, the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights has been the law of the land, protecting those that bear arms in the name of defense of their life, liberty and property. It has been said that the 2nd protects the 1st (Amendment that is) but it is also true that the 2nd Amendment is there to protect the entire Bill of Rights.

Now that we have discussed HOW the 2nd Amendment came about, we will talk about the WHY.

We could look as far back as the first guns but for the interest of brevity we will start at the early settlers of America. These settlers believed in numerous reasons for having and bearing arms, among them include bearing arms for personal and community defense, organizing militias in defense of the state and, in a last resort, as a means of insurrection against an oppressive government.

Pre-Revolutionary War conflicts were fairly often. Even European conflicts spilled over into their American interests. An excellent example would be the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Year War, which pitted French forces against English colonials (and later English regulars) over frontier land. English colonials on the edge of the frontier faced aggression from French forces without much early assistance from British Parliament. If firearms were not available to these colonists, they may well have been even harder pressed to defend themselves and their communities from French invasion.

Incidentally, due to financial depletion, Parliament began to pursue means of generating additional revenue following the French and Indian War. One way that the British used to generate this revenue was to tax the American colonies. This "Taxation without Representation" was a combination of several acts by the British government passed into law which the colonists felt were oppressive. With British threatening to enforce laws though military strength and Patriots threatening to fight and die rather than live under the tyranny of British rule, tensions reached an all time high. As a result, Royal Governor, General Thomas Gage sent British regular military to confiscate gun powder from colonists whom he believed would rebel. Furthermore, Parliament passed laws preventing importation of firearms and powder to the colonies to stem an uprising.

General Thomas Gage. This is why we can't have nice things.

The Patriots, however, did not respond well to the threat of force. As the British attempted to exert more control over the colonists, the more the colonists fought back, thus sparking the Revolutionary War.

As we can see by the issues faced by the American colonists, it was very important that they retain their right to bear arms. If they had allowed the British to confiscate their firearms, then who knows what exactly would have happened. I can guarantee that this country would not be the same one that we enjoy today. Because the colonists chose to not just follow what they were told blindly, they fought off the oppression that threatened to contain them.

It is in that spirit of protecting their right to defend themselves against all enemies that the 2nd Amendment was born. The Amendment that defends all of the others and ensures safety for all. Sadly, it seems that some don't see it that way. Ever since 1822 (and probably earlier) the individual right to keep and bear arms has been challenged in court. Specifically in the Kentucky court case of Bliss v. Commonwealth, the right to bear arms was "limited" by the Kentucky legislature. The original court case defended the right of the state to prevent citizens from carrying weapons in a concealed manner and thus found Bliss guilty and enacted a fine on him for $100. (A big deal at the time) Bliss appealed the decision, however, and it was shown that Kentucky's own constitution contradicted itself on the grounds that, while it said that citizen's could not carry concealed weapons, it also stated that "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms in defence of themselves and the state shall not be questioned". The court ultimately accepted that the act of restraining concealed weapons was null and void. Thus the first court battle over the right to bear arms, concealed or otherwise, was won.

Since then, the battle over the right to keep and bear arms has been slowly increasing. Many of the same arguments are used against the 2nd Amendment today as were used almost a century ago. "Why do you need  __insert firearm type here__?" or "That's why we have police and the military, so you don't need this, that and the other thing." and even "We want to get rid of this or that so that they dont fall into the hands of criminals or, if it does, they cant massacre all kinds of people at once". In another post I will answer each of these questions, but I am already getting long winded. Forgive me lol.

Anyhow, the need for firearms in the hands of citizens is just as important today as it was in the Frontier days of the colonies and the Revolutionary War. While, of course, we in the United States have not had a serious armed conflict since the Civil War, the possibility of conflict always exists. As long as there are those who wish to do harm to the country and her people, the threat exists.

Even though open war has not existed on our soil in a long time, we still deal with violence on the streets, usually on an individual level. FBI data shows that, in 2011, there were 12,664 murders in the US. Of these, 8,583 occurred with a firearm. Before we go crazy over the fact that the majority of murders are committed with a firearm, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control) found that "almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals with estimates of annual uses ranging from 500,000 to more than 3 million per year." So, if we are conservative with the estimates, it still means that guns are at least as useful for defense as they are in the commission of a crime (considering all crimes in which firearms are involved in an offensive manner)

Right there is one of the best reasons for the Right to Bear Arms: Self defense and self preservation. As sad as it is that people are the victims of violence involving firearms, there is no proof that warrants placing limitations on the right of responsible and law abiding people to own and use a gun in self defense. Ultimately, that only leads to the criminal having the ability to acquire a gun and utilize it to take from another person. Meanwhile, the citizen who does not want to get in trouble with Law Enforcement will do his best to put up an adequate defense but, lets face it, a bat is not a good enough substitute for a pistol when defending the home.

I always loved this little pearl of "wisdom"

 I will leave this post at that for now as I could find myself rambling LOL. I hope you enjoyed this segment discussing the How and Why of the Second Amendment and if you have any questions/comments/concerns please voice them. Until the next episode, Remember to keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. God Bless our America!

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/cdc-study-use-firearms-self-defense-important-crime-deterrent#sthash.bbvMEsMJ.dpuf

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/cdc-study-use-firearms-self-defense-important-crime-deterrent#sthash.bbvMEsMJ.dpuf