XDm .45 ACP 3.8″ Compact is the Tardis of Handguns

At first I though I would just take a few XDm 3.8″ Compact .45  v. Glock 36 Compact .45 pictures.  I’ve seen some side-by-side vs. Glock 30’s but not with the G36…

It’s shorter in the grip than my Glock 36 but the difference isn’t huge…

My G36 has the +0 Pierce Grip Extension because my little finger falls right on the gap between the mag base-plate and the grip without it.  The G36’s stock mag base is too thick to be flush.  It is also too thin and misshapen to rest a finger on.  The +0 Pierce Grip Extension made this situation right for me.  None of the dreaded G36 Pinky Pinch for my delicate little digit!

With the XDm .45 Compact, my little finger wraps up nicely under the 9 round mag.  It goes there instinctively and feels quite natural to me.

Not surprisingly, the grip on the Double-Stack .45 ACP XDm is wider than the grip on the “Single-Stack” .45 ACP G36.  There’ll be more on this subject later in another post.

Overall the XDm is wider than the Glock 36 but the XDm has a few tricks that reduce the feeling of that extra width.

The G36 slide is thinner than a G21 or G30, but it is still a Glock.  As is typical, the Glock slide is very squared, has a very smooth finish, and has some serrations at the back so you can grip it.  It’s block profile is really not optimized for concealed carry.

The XDm slide is about the same width as the G36, at the top.  It’s about the same width as a G30 at the bottom.  This is one of the XDm Tardis tricks.  The tapered profile does reduce the feeling of width in the slide.

The XDm finish is much improved over what was on the original XD line prior to 2006.  XD and Glock both use a salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing process to case harden and corrosion protect the metal.  Glock then uses a very slick, semi-gloss black parkerizing as the final finish.  XD completes its finish using a more tactile matte black parkerizing.

I could have lined up this next picture better but the slides are also the same length. According to Glock and Springfield Armory, the G36 is .03 shorter…  Anyone have a micrometer handy?

The slide serrations on both the XDm and the Glock are effective.  That said, the XDm serrations provide a better grip.  When combined with the more grippy finish of the XD line, manipulating the slide is just easier with wet sweaty hands or gloves.

The XDm also has front serrations.  Meah…  Can’t hurt so why not; but that’s not where I usually grab for.

Overall the XDm 3.8″ Compact .45 ACP is looking like an outstanding concealed carry gun and a worthy replacement for the Glock 36 that I really gave every possible chance to.  Sorry Glock, it’s not you…  It’s me.  I just need more and I don’t like your angle, even if you are a bit thinner.

Then the XD .40 Service Model started looking like it needed to be compared…  And it turned out that this little pistol is also a lot bigger than it looks.

If you slap in the 13 round full size mag, with the grip extension sleeve on it, the XDm is transformed in to a full sized duty gun.

The Compact XDm has a longer sight radius than the XD.  The controls are improved over the XD,  Both work great but the XDm is more refined.

With the Grip Extension, 3.8″ starts looking very close to a 4″ Service Pistol.

The XDm .45 also holds more rounds than the XD .40!  It should though, the grip is longer.

The Croation Tardis Pistol looked small a minute ago!

The finish also comes in to play here for me.  My XD .40 is pre-2006 and the finish on it is not nearly as nice as it should be.  I could have sent it in to Springfield before now to be refinished but I was unwilling to part with my service sized gun for long enough to have it done.

Now that the XDm is the big boy on the block; I guess I can finally send my XD off to be refinished in some superb Black-T.

Overall the XDm 3.8 fits in well for me.  It can fill the need for a Compact Concealed Carry gun and a Full Sized Home Defense and Open Carry pistol.

It’s not a slim sub-compact.  The XDm line still needs that to round out the offering.  I’m told that a single stack sub-compact XDs is coming.  I expect it to be a true single stack, more like the PPS or 1911 than a quasi-single stack like the Glock 36.  Gun development is not easy so nobody quite knows when it will be out yet.  I’m waiting…