Why I Chose a Springfield XDM Elite 10mm

A few years ago, in the early days of The Ghost Gunners, we stalked a group of feral hogs that included a huge boar we named “The Gray Ghost” because of its pale grey coloring. When I say huge, I mean it was as long as my Tundra truck bed was wide! 400 pounds at least.

As we always do, once we down these hogs, we gather them up and remove them from the field so that the farmer we hunt for does not have to deal with them when he comes to plow or plant. As we approached the Gray Ghost, thinking he was dead, he suddenly got up and appeared ready to charge. Austin pulled his Glock 9mm and proceeded to empty 17 rounds into this beast, which only made him angrier. We had to hit him with two more .308 rounds to put him down. At that moment, I realized I needed a 10mm as my hog-hunting sidearm. So began my search for the proper 10mm. Below are the top four reasons I chose Springfield Armory’s XDM 4.5” 10mm:

SAFETY

Plain and simple, I like that like many Springfield handguns, the XDM has both a grip safety and a trigger safety. I know there are differing opinions about this feature, but I have never had any difficulty firing any Springfield handgun (I have two others) with these dual safeties. All it requires is that you grip the gun properly and firmly and then pull the trigger.

Knowing that a 10mm would be a heavier handgun, I always planned to carry it in a Kenai chest holster (I highly recommend gunfightersinc.com for not only Kenai holsters but all your holster needs.) Carrying the 10 mm on my chest keeps additional weight off my belt, where I already have a .308 magazine case and a fixed-blade knife. This is a big plus when doing a quick march when stalking hogs. More importantly, the dual safeties give me peace of mind that as I draw the gun from the holster, especially if I need to do so quickly to take down a charging hog, I do not have to worry about an accidental discharge.

DEPENDABILITY

Part of my research included watching several review videos on YouTube. One in particular helped me seal my decision to buy Springfield. Granted, it was done by someone repping for the company, but he and some of his buddies took this gun to the range and fired 2,000 rounds in one day. It never misfired once! I have never come close to firing that many rounds through my 10mm, but it is nice to know that it is a dependable beast.

MAGAZINE CAPACITY

Springfield Armory has set the standard for high-capacity handgun magazines. My XDM 10 mm has a dual-stack, 16-round magazine, giving it a 17-round capacity. I hope I never need to empty 17 10mm rounds into a hog, but it is nice to know that I can hunt all night without worrying about having to reload, although the purchase price includes two magazines. The beauty of the design is that the magazine is high-capacity but still matches the length of the handle. As a side feature, the weight of the full magazine provides a nice counterbalance to the top-end weight of the gun, which also helps with stability when firing. I also like that the magazines are metal, as opposed to polymer.

MATCH-GRADE BARREL

If I am going to spend hard-earned money on anything, including a firearm, I look for features that add value, uniqueness, and quality. Springfield’s XDM line includes match-grade, hammer-forged steel barrels. While doing research, I learned that some of the competing 10mm handguns do not include match-grade barrels. Instead, several of the reviews I read referenced the option of purchasing after-market barrels to obtain the same match-grade specs and tight tolerances that Springfield automatically includes with the XDM line. Given that the purchase prices were almost the same, I saw no reason to buy the other 10 mm offering, knowing that if I wanted match-grade specs, I would have to spend another $200 or more on another barrel.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I purchased my XDM 10mm before the OSP line arrived. Now, you can purchase the upgraded XDM Elite line which comes with the OSP plate, allowing you to easily add a red-dot optic. Although I have no complaints about the grip pattern on the XDM line, I prefer a tackier feel, especially when hunting in warm weather when a sweaty palm may affect my grip. I added a rubber grip kit specifically milled for the XDM line by Talongungrips.com. For maximum grit, select their PRO line of products. I also added a Streamlight TLR-1 1000-lumen light on the lower rail, which you can purchase on Amazon.

The XDM 10mm is not for the faint of heart. It is a big, heavy pistol that carries a bit of a kick, especially when using 180-grain or higher ammo. However, if you want maximum stopping power in a handgun, one that can stop a hog in its tracks, and one that can safely be drawn from a chest holster, I recommend the Springfield XDM. Be safe, be informed, be equipped, and go get those hogs!

The Ghost Gunners

- Shanan b

Sources:

• Picture courtesy of https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/xdmelite-fde-10mm/470399