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XD-M Elite 3.8: Best EDC 9mm?

I just started seeing ads for the new XDM Elite 3.8 Compact on some of the gun deals websites this week. It looks interesting, but at lease for right now, it sells for over $100 more than I paid for my 20+1 version a few months ago. The feature that drew me to the XDM Elite was the magazine capacity, even though I knew it would be harder to conceal. I have always preferred shooting guns with one solid grip rather than guns with pinky extensions or sleeves on the magazines.
My work often draws me into the city several times a week, and the footage of all the BLM/Antifa rioters was what convinced me that it might not hurt to carry a gun with some added capacity. As far as concealment, I'm guessing that the worst months of the current leftist temper tantrum will be in October/November/December when I can conceal the XDM Elite's full grip under a jacket (with an extra 22 round magazine in the pocket). I may consider picking up the smaller 14+1 version after the election, but I'm hoping to go back to feeling more than sufficiently armed with my P365 with a 12-round magazine after the election quiets things down.
 
I carry a G43x with a flush 15 rd Shieldarms magazine during the summer months. Shieldarms also sells a +5 mag extension to get to 20 rd. XDM-E is for all the other months when it is cooler. I carry the XDM-E because it is easier to shoot well.
 
Rupert1911 said:
Awesome little shooter! Seems like the grip will be a little hard to conceal. 21 rounds is pretty awesome though. I think I'll stick with my xd45 subcompact, it conceals really well with the 9+1 magazine. With the extra 13 round mag in the pocket that's 23 rounds of 45 in a package that shoots incredibly accurately.
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You have great taste in pistols...that's my edc too. If they offer the XDM elite in .45 I might be tempted..I'd like to try out that flat trigger.
 
Wish they would offer it with a 10 round mag option for us in states with a 10 rd limit. The overall size is just perfect for EDC.
 
Please come out with a 10 round version for those of us in states that only allow 10 round magazines !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Haha late reply, but I just saw this article now. I have one of these. IMO it is about the perfect EDC gun for open carry, but it's a little large and heavy and the grip is longish for CCW, mostly this makes it hard to conceal without printing - maybe if you're a bigger guy or live somewhere you can always wear bulky clothes, but not for a fit person living in Arizona. However, for open carry it's THE BOMB... the slightly shorter slide is much nicer than the full size ones for things like sitting in a vehicle and getting in and out. I have the tactical version as well, and this is noticeably nicer for real-life carry when you're not storming the Bastille or surviving the zombie apocalypse.

One more thing made it perfect - I sent it to Powder River to get an OSP cut added and put a Holosun 407C on it. For some reason, Springfield decided not to offer this in OSP, although they make the compact (short grip) version with an optics cut. PR does a really nice job and pretty much mirrors the factory cut, to the point that you can use the cover and adapter plates from Springfield on it.

As far as shooting goes, it's excellent and has never failed to go boom and cycle a round as expected, as with all of my XD-Ms (I have too many). Also note, you can use the 22rd mags from the tactical and they fit great and don't even look out of place. I wouldn't hesitate to carry them as spares.
 
jfmorris said:
Agreed, it should not be so hard to get a duty size EDC weapon that is optics ready, and you shouldn't have to spend $200 to get someone to mill the slide for one.

I would like a red dot on my XDM 5.25 competition pistol, and unfortunately, due to the adjustable rear sight that was a reason I bought it, the choices are limited, and none of them retain the rear sight. I will probably end up with the Springer Precision mount that replaces the rear sight with a plate that will hold a red dot. The other option would be to have someone machine the slide, and replace the adjustable rear sight with a fixed rear sight.
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The Elite slide fits perfectly on the 1st gen
 
jschmidt said:
The Elite slide fits perfectly on the 1st gen
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Do they sell just the slide? Or would this involve buying a whole 'nother gun anyway?

Edit: Wait a minute - the 5.25" Elite doesn't have an OSP cut anyway. If you could get just the slide from the threaded barrel version, as long as you don't mind your barrel sticking out, it should fit the competition model frame which looks identical to the 4.5" version. Oddly, that's the only longish 9 mm with an OSP cut they make.
 
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