As any gun retailer can attest, first-time gun buyers are not necessarily heading straight to the AR and AK rack.

A large part of what drives sales for all gun shops is handguns. While a large part of handgun sales are driven by the ever-expanding interest in concealed carry, plenty of folks are interested in full-size tactical handguns for personal or home protection as well as competition and “contingency planning.”

It's this market the Springfield XD MOD.2 Tactical pistol is intended to appeal to most.

Evolution

Springfield first introduced the XD (based on the Croatian HS2000 and still made there) in 2002 and has been making improvements and adding options ever since. The MOD.2 Tactical is the culmination of years of user feedback and innovation.

This recoil-operated, striker-fired, polymer-framed, semi-automatic, full-size pistol is chambered in 9mm NATO and features 16+1 capacity. The 5-inch barrel is made from hammer-forged carbon steel and Melonite coated for corrosion resistance and longer barrel life.

The slide is also Melonite-treated carbon steel and features wide and aggressive serrations with a forward slant at the rear and front of the pistol for easier and faster slide manipulations.

The long slide allows for an extended sight radius (more than 7 inches) that helps improve sight picture and accuracy. The front sight is a bright red fiber optic that is lightning fast to acquire and focus the eye. The extremely low-profile and snag-proof rear sight features two high-visibility white dots and is serrated to prevent glare. As both front and rear sights are dovetailed into the slide, they can be changed without much fuss and customers can be easily sold on aftermarket target or tritium night sights.

Internally, the nearly full-length recoil spring guide rod is not captive, unlike other XD models, and the pistol also has a drop safety to prevent discharge in case of a shock to the gun. External safeties abound and include a trigger face latch that must be depressed for the gun to fire, a grip safety at the rear of the frame that must also be depressed to fire or manipulate the slide, a visible striker at the rear of the slide that indicates if the pistol is cocked and ready to fire, and a loaded chamber indicator at the top of the slide that provides visual and tactile confirmation of a round in the chamber. 

Handling

The polymer frame on the XD MOD.2 Tactical features a fully ambidextrous magazine release — an easier sell for left-handed customers — as well as an elongated accessory rail on the dust cover, which makes it easier to install larger tactical lights or lasers. At only 1.2 inches wide, it is also among the slimmest frames and slides for any double-stack pistol in this caliber. The slimmer and more streamlined disassembly lever also allows for increased comfort when carrying.

The frame has also been completely re-engineered with a new high-tech design to improve comfort and shootability. The area of the beavertail is raised to position the hand higher on the grip. The area at the rear of the trigger guard features an undercut to also help raise the grip of the hand. In conjunction, these two design features place the hand more in line with the axis of the bore so that recoil is directed straight backward where it is more controllable instead of upward and off the target. This makes shooting more comfortable and more accurate and allows for faster follow-up shots on target.

The most notable improvement, however, is the new Springfield GripZone. The entire grip has been redesigned by Springfield engineers to make it more ergonomic and improve grip and comfort. The circumference of the frame has been reduced to give shooters greater purchase. This also helps accommodate shooters with smaller hands. From a sales perspective, this feature can appeal to couples or families being comfortable using the same gun.

There are three distinct grip zones designed for each part of the hand and where it makes contact with the pistol to keep the hand in place and prevent the gun from shifting. Zone 1 is located at the very rear and the very front of the grip to make contact with the palm of the hand and the second joint of the fingers with a heavily textured surface. Zone 2 features a slightly more aggressive texture next to Zone 1 both at the front and rear of the grip where maximum friction is needed. Finally, Zone 3 is at the sides of the grip and features the same slight texture as the rest of the frame for comfort.

Performance

On the range, the Springfield XD MOD.2 Tactical pistol performed flawlessly with no malfunctions of any sort.

I fired a mix of ammunition from ball ammo to jacketed hollow points in bullet weights from 115 to 124 grains. For accuracy testing, the pistol was fired from a sandbag rest at 25 yards for five-shot groups. Average group spread for all groups shot and all types of ammunition tested was 3.37 inches, however the best group was 2.45 inches.

The XD MOD.2 Tactical is almost identical in size to a standard 1911 pistol and suitable for concealed carry. The XD MOD.2 is also available as a sub-compact in 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP. Having owned and fired many Springfield XD pistols, and now the MOD.2, I have never experienced any malfunctions with any of them. They are well priced and excellently built and designed pistols. There is nothing worse than having a customer return with a gun that doesn’t work. With the XD, you don’t have to worry about that.

Springfield XD MOD.2 Tactical   

Caliber: 9mm NATO

Barrel: 5 inches

OA length: 8.3 inches

Weight: 29 ounces empty

Grip: Polymer

Sights: Three-dot fiber optic

Action: Semi-auto

Finish: Black

Capacity: 16-round magazine

Price: $608