Glock 19 gen 4 or Springfield XD 9 pro/cons

TacticalMom · Post by **TacticalMom** » Fri, 04 May 2012 08:39:16

So I am itching to get my gun...=)

Narrowed it down to number 1 picks Glock, Springfield, then number 2 pick Ruger...

I know lots of people have lots of opinions, and I am counting on it. I just wanna know what people think of a Glock 19 Gen 4 vs Springfield XD 9.

Last night at work had me really wanting to let out some steam. GRRRR!

papasan · Post by **papasan** » Fri, 04 May 2012 08:44:56

the obvious answer is "whichever you shoot better".

personally, given only those two choices, I would go with the Glock. the grip safety on the XD is a big turn off for me. but Glock slides like to bite me, so that wouldn't be my first choice either.

Reca · Post by **Reca** » Fri, 04 May 2012 08:52:32

I favor the Glock not just because I own one but IMHO you have a lot more options with it. 33 rnd Mags are fun to play with not only to just shoot but to be able to put out dozens of targets & take your time to shoot all of them with out reloading. Both guns have lots of acc. readily available & weigh about the same. Both equally concealable. The take down & cleaning process is extreamly simple with the glock. Also have .22 conversions for it so you can swap out and practice for next to nothing. You can even swap out the barrel and mag to change the caliber for certain models. At the end it's really what you like most & thats why I choose the Glock.

Hope that helps

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Fri, 04 May 2012 08:58:48

Buy the one that feels the best in your hand and the one whose trigger you like best. Either will serve you well.

Chasbo00 · Post by **Chasbo00** » Fri, 04 May 2012 09:03:21

It's hard to beat a Glock 19 as an all-around defensive pistol/carry gun. There are some interesting insights in the below link regarding manufactures and in some cases gun models too. The IDPA World Championships are games, and as such, full sized guns are the norm - a larger gun is easier to shoot. A Glock 19 is essentially a Glock 17 with a shorter grip and a slightly shorter barrel that makes it easier to conceal.

http://www.idpa.com/tj.asp?ID=331

Reca · Post by **Reca** » Fri, 04 May 2012 09:14:12

Great link Chasboo00

TacticalMom · Post by **TacticalMom** » Fri, 04 May 2012 09:16:05

Thank you guys so far for your comments, and help. Great info. I really appreciate it.

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Fri, 04 May 2012 09:40:39

Let me add one thing...I am excited for you. I think its great you are getting into shooting. What ever you buy take that sucker home and learn how to take it apart and put it back together. Learn how to clean and lube it. Youtube has lots of good videos for almost any model. And if you find yourself wanting to just look at your gun and admire it...you are not crazy. And most of all...dont forget to have fun with it.

Reverenddel · Post by **Reverenddel** » Fri, 04 May 2012 13:07:54

I would suggest going to a gun range that let's you rent both.

Granted every gun is a bit different, but overall shape, trigger length, and trigger pull doesn't change. So when you rent them? Try shoot both off hand, different hands, and see which one suits you best.

I own a Glock 19, but I have Springfield XD's as well. I like attributes of both. One thing I like about the XD series is that the mag isn't so boxy, and it uses a metal sleeve, not plastic. So it drops free a bit easier.

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Fri, 04 May 2012 13:21:43

I've had a decent amount of experience with both guns, and here are some thoughts:

I flat out shoot better with the XDs. The grip angle just works with my hands. Glock has a significantly different angle, and there's no real way to tell which you'll prefer without shooting it. (Although I would point out that the XD is closer to traditional 1911 angle so if you like that one you'll probably be better with the XD.)

Glock, on the other hand, will last forever, and that's key to me. Yes, I would give up that natural pointing ability for the knowledge that my gun isn't going to break down after I put a lot of rounds through it. A lot of guys would disagree on that philosophy, but they apparently have money to put into repairs.

Good luck.

wbtrunx · Post by **wbtrunx** » Mon, 07 May 2012 07:05:06

A couple days late, but here's my two cents.

I've owned and carried both.
I originally went SA XD9SC because, like many, I picked it up and it felt much more comfortable than a Glock.
I wanted a gun that felt good from the start, not one that I had to adjust to.

The XD does have a higher bore axis. However, I still shoot just as well if not better with the XD than Glock.
This is not an issue with conceal carry either. The issue there is how far the grip sticks out, but some people
don't like that the slide is a bit bulkier on the XD. *shrug* Weird thing is that the Glock slide weighs more.

The grip safety is not a problem if you plan on spending more than a minute with your weapon.

On the flip side, the Glock grip is not a problem if you plan to spend many hours with your weapon before carrying.
Due to my work, I have become much more comfortable with Glocks, and the stock frame size on
the Gen 4s has greatly increased my comfort with the Glock grips as well.

The trigger on the Glock is a little better (Unless you go XDm, but then you're prices shoots up, too), and with my increased comfort with the grips this tends me to draw me towards preferring the Glock. Atleast with my discount. You can buy aftermarket trigger kits for the XD, but why spend more on a gun that I'm just going to spend another $80+ just to improve the trigger some if I'm comfortable with the all ready better stock Glock? I know some people
don't mind dropping paychecks into customization. I'm not one of them. I'd rather put that into ammo.

And as if it wasn't said enough all ready, go shoot some boxes through both at a friend's place or commercial range then pick the one you're most comfortable with.

scrubber3 · Post by **scrubber3** » Mon, 07 May 2012 08:23:06

Can I ask a serious question? What does a natural grip angle look like? Is this the angle that we were born holding a pistol with. Come on guys. It is a slight angle difference that requires a slight adjustment. Do you miss you mouth when you use a differently angled spoon?

GLOCK magazines are only covered in polymer to protect the metal inside from damage when it drops. Which is why they last so long.

State the facts guys.....Also no reason to be subjective as more military and police forces on earth use GLOCK than any other pistol. Must be doing something right.....

wbtrunx · Post by **wbtrunx** » Mon, 07 May 2012 20:59:49

scrubber3 wrote:Also no reason to be subjective...

From the original post:

TacticalMom wrote:I know lots of people have lots of opinions, and I am counting on it. I just wanna know what people think of a Glock 19 Gen 4 vs Springfield XD 9.

Can I offer you a differently angled knife to help you cut that up before you bite off too much, scrubber?

scrubber3 · Post by **scrubber3** » Mon, 07 May 2012 21:45:50

Bite off too much of what???? What do you mean by that?

Not trying to be difficult, I'm just saying how it just doesn't make since to me that something so easily adjusted can be a big deal. I know some folks don't know where I'm coming from with this, but with the amount of different weapons I have been trained with, it seems petty..... I mean cry me a river. Point and click you know?

BTW, Im no Internet commando. Just wanted to make that clear.

Post by **Palladin** » Mon, 07 May 2012 23:29:19

XD for me

M1A4ME · Post by **M1A4ME** » Tue, 08 May 2012 19:33:13

My first plastic pistol was a Glock. Its okay. I'm a little leery of the safety mechanism on it. It shoots okay. Nothing to brag about. My old 1911's shoot better groups, have better triggers, magazines that are easier to load, etc.

I bought a Lone Wolf barrel for it as the groups with the plated bullets (shooting lead in a Glock may be doable but its not recommended nor is it as easy as with other guns. Yes, folks will say shooting lead in Glocks is okay but I know shooting lead in my 1911 is okay, hundreds of rounds, one after another, no cleaning in between. Shouldn't do that with a Glock). Anyway, the plated bullets gave be groups like a shotgun pattern with the Glock barrel and the Lone Wolf barrel gives me groups comparable to the Glock barrel with factory ammo.

I recently bought an XDm. The trigger is as good or better than the Glock and the groups are better. It holds a couple more rounds than the Glock. The XDm has the grip safety but who cares? If you grab the gun to pull the trigger the grip safety is depressed. If you're just moving it from one had to another, or laying it down on the table, or picking it up from the shelf the grip safety is not depressed and you have one more safety.

Safety. Not something you think about till its too late. People make fun of safeties on guns and yet drive cars with seat belts and air bags. Mechanical things fail. Otherwise there'd be no need of spare parts or gunsmiths, car mechanics, etc.

If I buy a gun for my wife it'll be an XDm. I'd buy one for my youngest son but he's all hung up on that big heavy Beretta 90-Two. Maybe he'll wake up some day.

ShotgunBlast · Post by **ShotgunBlast** » Tue, 08 May 2012 20:28:21

M1A4ME wrote:My first plastic pistol was a Glock. Its okay. I'm a little leery of the safety mechanism on it. It shoots okay. Nothing to brag about. My old 1911's shoot better groups, have better triggers, magazines that are easier to load, etc.

I bought a Lone Wolf barrel for it as the groups with the plated bullets (shooting lead in a Glock may be doable but its not recommended nor is it as easy as with other guns. Yes, folks will say shooting lead in Glocks is okay but I know shooting lead in my 1911 is okay, hundreds of rounds, one after another, no cleaning in between. Shouldn't do that with a Glock). Anyway, the plated bullets gave be groups like a shotgun pattern with the Glock barrel and the Lone Wolf barrel gives me groups comparable to the Glock barrel with factory ammo.

I recently bought an XDm. The trigger is as good or better than the Glock and the groups are better. It holds a couple more rounds than the Glock. The XDm has the grip safety but who cares? If you grab the gun to pull the trigger the grip safety is depressed. If you're just moving it from one had to another, or laying it down on the table, or picking it up from the shelf the grip safety is not depressed and you have one more safety.

Safety. Not something you think about till its too late. People make fun of safeties on guns and yet drive cars with seat belts and air bags. Mechanical things fail. Otherwise there'd be no need of spare parts or gunsmiths, car mechanics, etc.

If I buy a gun for my wife it'll be an XDm. I'd buy one for my youngest son but he's all hung up on that big heavy Beretta 90-Two. Maybe he'll wake up some day.

I shot a XDm today and had no problem at all with the grip safety. Like you said, if you're looking to shoot, the safety is depressed and you're good to go.

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Tue, 08 May 2012 20:49:03

scrubber3 wrote:What does a natural grip angle look like? Is this the angle that we were born holding a pistol with.

Heh. Well said. I do maintain that there is a natural angle that someone has when extending their arms as if holding a pistol. Yes, you can make adjustments, and if you're a serious shooter it wouldn't be much of a problem.

For a good portion of people, however, they're not going to practice much so it simply makes sense to get a pistol with a grip angle that's natural for you rather than something you need to practice more with. (Yes, I know. We should all practice. Reality is that many don't.) Whether that's the Glock angle or the traditional 1911 is going to vary.

TacticalMom · Post by **TacticalMom** » Thu, 10 May 2012 08:41:03

This is all great info, thanks guys.

Jfost11 · Post by **Jfost11** » Fri, 11 May 2012 00:56:58

@ TacticalMom, check out Hickok45 on youtube. He's done some side by side comparisons of the Glock and XD.

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