Springfield Armory XDM 5.25 9mm Review

[Whoops!]

Hello all, I don't think previous reviews have covered all relevant topics for me about this pistol so I will do it now.

First,the package the gun comes in is great. The holster is outstanding because it is of an adjustable design that allows you to set tension. This, in my opinion, is much more important than cant or any other junk like that. You can get use to any cant, but a hard draw will always slow you down and a button will occasionally cause an issue. The mag holder is also adjustable for tension. I wish it was a straight vertical design, but oh well.

The gun's barrel to slide fit is excellent. The slide to frame fit is not in my opinion, but I have high standards. Vertical play is minimal, but all of the models I have played with have a noticeable amount of horizontal play. This is true for all XDs, not just the 5.25. All other fitments are good. Quality of finish is good for a service pistol and the design is good, very modern. The machining of the parts was also done well overall. I wish a bit of the weight was lower in the gun, but that's one of the reasons this particular model came out anyway. There is after all, only so much one can do with an already engineered platform.

The gun is sprung well for a production gun. Using minimum power factor loads with the 5.25" barrel leads to an extremely pleasant shooting experience. If I use factory 9mm fmj loads, I find myself having to muscle the gun down excessively to put quick double taps in the a-zone at 12 yards, but it is still doable. If I use dedicated 130 power factor loads I can put as many shots as I want into the A-zone as fast as I want. How best to explain the recoil experience . . . vertical but smooth. If you know or learn how to keep the vertical muzzle rise in check, you are good to go. The gun is not violent, just persistent in its desire to put the muzzle in the air. The recoil is fairly fast for a 5.25" barrel, which is good in my book. The faster it cycles the faster the overall shooting process.

Also, the slide is easy to manipulate in comparison to other service pistols. The magazines and magazine release are not however. They both require more effort than the average service pistol, especially the magazine release. The side benefit of the release requiring so much effort is that it does actually push out the mag, assisting in ejecting it from the firearm.

Reliability is outstanding, no issues through 1000 rounds and smooth feeding and consistent extraction. I have no reason to believe any issues will arise. It is not picky with regard to ammo selection.

Accuracy is acceptable. Approximately 2 and a 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards with 125 gr lead loads and 3 inches with 100 gr frangible ammo. I am extremely grateful for the adjustable sights. They are a good setup with the flat target sights in back and the red fiber optic in front. Adjustments to the rear sight are easily accomplished with a flat tip screwdriver and the increments are very secure and positive.

As overall packages go, I highly recommend the XDM 5.25 if you know how to and are willing to reload for it. If you go with factory loads I would suggest a shorter barrel so that you don't have to keep excessive acceleration in check. The longer the barrel is, the more the bullet accelerates down it, the more backforce is created. So, this gun is great for light loads, but there are better production options in my opinion if you buy all of your ammo at a sporting goods department.

Overall, as a package, highly recommended in my opinion if ammo considerations are taken into account. It's an especially good deal right now while the Gear Up promo is in effect. Initial purchase price gets the owner a grand total of 6 magazines and 2 dual mag holders. Also, included is the aforementioned holster and a magazine loader.

As far as service pistols for production competition go, I give the XDM 5.25 a full

4 out of 5 stars.

For reference, a CZ 75 Shadow Target would get 5 out of 5.

A Glock 17 would get 3 out of 5

A Beretta 92 would get 3 out of 5

A Ruger P95 would get 2 out of 5

A Kel-Tec P11 would get 1 out of 5

Edited November 12, 2011 by Whoops!

[underlug]

Hello all, I don't think previous reviews have covered all relevant topics for me about this pistol so I will do it now.

First,the package the gun comes in is great. The holster is outstanding because it is of an adjustable design that allows you to set tension. This, in my opinion, is much more important than cant or any other junk like that. You can get use to any cant, but a hard draw will always slow you down and a button will occasionally cause an issue. The mag holder is also adjustable for tension. I wish it was a straight vertical design, but oh well.

The gun's barrel to slide fit is excellent. The slide to frame fit is not in my opinion, but I have high standards. Vertical play is minimal, but all of the models I have played with have a noticeable amount of horizontal play. This is true for all XDs, not just the 5.25. All other fitments are good. Quality of finish is good for a service pistol and the design is good, very modern. The machining of the parts was also done well overall. I wish a bit of the weight was lower in the gun, but that's one of the reasons this particular model came out anyway. There is after all, only so much one can do with an already engineered platform.

The gun is sprung well for a production gun. Using minimum power factor loads with the 5.25" barrel leads to an extremely pleasant shooting experience. If I use factory 9mm fmj loads, I find myself having to muscle the gun down excessively to put quick double taps in the a-zone at 12 yards, but it is still doable. If I use dedicated 130 power factor loads I can put as many shots as I want into the A-zone as fast as I want. How best to explain the recoil experience . . . vertical but smooth. If you know or learn how to keep the vertical muzzle rise in check, you are good to go. The gun is not violent, just persistent in its desire to put the muzzle in the air. The recoil is fairly fast for a 5.25" barrel, which is good in my book. The faster it cycles the faster the overall shooting process.

Also, the slide is easy to manipulate in comparison to other service pistols. The magazines and magazine release are not however. They both require more effort than the average service pistol, especially the magazine release. The side benefit of the release requiring so much effort is that it does actually push out the mag, assisting in ejecting it from the firearm.

Reliability is outstanding, no issues through 1000 rounds and smooth feeding and consistent extraction. I have no reason to believe any issues will arise. It is not picky with regard to ammo selection.

Accuracy is acceptable. Approximately 2 and a 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards with 125 gr lead loads and 3 inches with 100 gr frangible ammo. I am extremely grateful for the adjustable sights. They are a good setup with the flat target sights in back and the red fiber optic in front. Adjustments to the rear sight are easily accomplished with a flat tip screwdriver and the increments are very secure and positive.

As overall packages go, I highly recommend the XDM 5.25 if you know how to and are willing to reload for it. If you go with factory loads I would suggest a shorter barrel so that you don't have to keep excessive acceleration in check. The longer the barrel is, the more the bullet accelerates down it, the more backforce is created. So, this gun is great for light loads, but there are better production options in my opinion if you buy all of your ammo at a sporting goods department.

Overall, as a package, highly recommended in my opinion if ammo considerations are taken into account. It's an especially good deal right now while the Gear Up promo is in effect. Initial purchase price gets the owner a grand total of 6 magazines and 2 dual mag holders. Also, included is the aforementioned holster and a magazine loader.

As far as service pistols for production competition go, I give the XDM 5.25 a full

4 out of 5 stars.

For reference, a CZ 75 Shadow Target would get 5 out of 5.

A Glock 17 would get 3 out of 5

A Beretta 92 would get 3 out of 5

A Ruger P95 would get 2 out of 5

A Kel-Tec P11 would get 1 out of 5

opinion as to stock trigger? Or is yours worked?

[Whoops!]

It is stock, it feels just like every other XD or XDM to me. Approximately 6 or 7 pounds is my guess. It's not a very crisp letoff, but I feel that helps some shooters prevent jerking the firearm prior to shooting. I can't complain about the length of the pull, it's not quite as short as a Glock's, but it is very similar to many other polymer powerhouses.

Also, in my experience with other XD's, they lighten up nicely with use.

I tried the trigger again when I got home, and I would actually estimate more like the 5 to 6 pound range.

Edited November 13, 2011 by Whoops!

[Aglifter]

I'm a but confused by the idea that a longer barrel creates more recoil than a short barrel...

[Whoops!]

Most people don't think about it. But, given identical explosions, the more resistance one explosion is given from moving out and expanding by virtue of a longer barrel for which a bullet is being pushed down, the more opposite direction force will also be created. Some of the recoil force will also be diminished by the longer barrel's weight, but a greater overall recoil will still be produced.

The more the explosion is used to push the bullet forward, the more backwards force will also be created by that explosion. You have to tune your reloads for barrel length not just to produce enough velocity, but also to prevent too much velocity from being produced. Otherwise, you're not taking full advantage of the platform.

[mindcrime]

Well that explains why a 2" revolver recoils less that a 6" one....hey wait a minute!

[Matt Griffin]

Longer barrels can feel like there is more recoil because the dwell time will be longer, the slide action will be slower, and the leverage is greater causing a slower, "pushier" recoil impetus. Ultimately the force will be the same if you're sending the same weight bullet the same velocity, but how that force is delivered can feel different to the user.

[Whoops!]

This is exactly why a longer barrel will produce more recoil, because it sends the same bullet at a higher velocity thans a shorter barrel. The leverage and weight will make a difference, but the overall forces generated are still greater because more gas is being used to push the bullet and all the gas that pushes the bullet also pushes straight back against the shooter. It depends largely on how a person and platform deals with them in regards to how the recoil is perceived, but numbers don't lie.

Once again, this is why you must tune your load to your gun instead of making some remark as if Physics don't apply to you.

[TGO]

Wow, I'm not sure I'm on board with these "explosions and barrel lengths" theories? I might have different explanations that might contradict what has been written. I present this as my opinion only, otherwise one of you forum members who is a physicist and or rocket scientist will take me to task.

In my experience, some of what is written here I have noticed also. But, a round being fired in a handgun does not explode. If it did, the gun could not contain the 25,000 and up PSI. It does not explode only because the powder charge burns progressively albeit quickly and pushes the projectile progressively through the barrel. Lots of physics here, but the bullet moving also increases the contained space... wait. I'm doing it! sorry.

A longer sight radius will always have the appearance of increased muzzle flip when compared to a shorter one, all else being equal as the sight is further from you when the gun is pointed up at the same angle. Also there has to be more weight at the end of the slide regardless of the total weight of the slide when compared to a shorter one. That weight causes an increase in torque as the muzzle moves vertically caused by the resistance of the rearward movement of the gun by your hand which is lower than the line of force. So yes, the longer slide will have more flip, both in actual and visual measurement. I am willing to accept the greater muzzle rise to gain the sighting radius which allows me to aim more precisely and quickly.

Recoil is another matter. A lighter slide will as written change the feel and energy transmittal of the recoil impulse. It changes from sharp and fast for a light slide to slower and softer as weight increases. I prefer the slower push to the faster slap usually. I am willing to accept this in some conditions to have the balance and sight radius that I prefer. This is of course subjective as many shooters do not like the slow push.

The feel and flip issue with regards to increased velocity from the longer barrel overlooks a couple things. The longer barrel with regards to the pistol makes little or no difference to velocity when you are comparing 4.5 to 5.25 inches when using most factory loads. That ammo is designed with many factors in mind, and lowest recoil is not one of them in nearly all cases. That is usually the result of one load being lighter than another. One barrel to the next due to bore and chamber variations can make a greater difference than the length alone to affect velocity in most instances. The longer barrel although this is minimal, allows the burning expanding gasses more time to expend it's energy, (giving more velocity) and then reduce the rocket nozzle effect caused by the powder gasses sudden relatively uncontrolled expansion as the bullet leaves the muzzle. I do agree that optimizing the load and reducing it's power factor greatly reduces all the effects of ignition and ballistically produced recoil and muzzle flip. Especially when an optimized powder and bullet weight are used to achieve the desired feel. This of course results in less power in most cases.

I'm glad the 5.25's have been so well received. I also very much like them. The gun has come a long way from it's humble beginnings as a rough and tumble service pistol.

Again these are just my opinions based on 40 years of watching such things. I might be wrong.

Rob

[bierman]

I might be wrong.

Rob

History would tend to indicate that you are not.

[Whoops!]

I agree that rounds do not explode in some definitions, I just like to state it that way because that's how it is most commonly thought of.

The point where I would strongly disagree is in saying that a .75" difference will not make a significant difference in velocity when, depending on the loading, it can make as much of a 10% difference in velocity which may be equivalent to more than a 10% difference in perceived recoil depending on application.

Overall, I would say your analysis is spot on, except in saying that the barrel length does not make a difference in velocity. Understanding the difference in velocity also helps to allow one to understand the difference in relative recoil.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Whoops!

[Loves2Shoot]

Whoops, you are getting 100-110 FPS variance from .75" in pistol with a barrel? That is an increase of power factor of 13. Those are much greater than the variations I get in my XDM's. Recoil wise, they feel about identical to the guys in our shop when set up the same. I can feel a difference in the balance but nothing in the recoil.

[Whoops!]

I said it depends on loading. The lighter the bullet and the higher powder charge used, the greater the variation in velocity. More common loadings in the 115 gr range would be approximately 50 fps in my estimation, but I haven't done any chrono work with two xdms.

[TGO]

I have done extensive chronographing, with a wide variety of loads including bullet weights from 95 to 147 grains, powders as fast as clays and as slow as N350 in all barrel lengths of XDm's from 3.8 to even longer than 5.25. I have seen the greatest velocity of any of my XD/XDm's from an old 5" xd with a factory barrel. The slowest I have currently is a 4.5 and the 5.25 I am currently competing with. I have a BarSto barrel in my oldest XD tactical that is very fast and another in a 5.25 that is slower than the factory barrel it replaced.

While I agree the fastest is one of the longer ones, when loading specifically for USPSA competition I have seen no more than a 25-30 foot difference from the fastest to the slowest on average with the same loads when using 10 round tests between the guns of similar length. 5.25 is no more than 10-20 feet at the most faster than the 4.5's I have tested. This data is with rounds loaded with Titegroup and N320. While I agree a slower powder and lighter bullets would give a bigger difference, I doubt even that would be close to 10 percent. Factory ammo of any type I have tested has been no more than 50 FPS between the fastest and slowest of the before mentioned combinations. Just not enough powder being burned in the little 9x19 case.

Rob

[TGO]

BTW, not trying to be a butt head, just wanted to weigh in with my experiences. I'm sure someone out there has an XDm that is faster than mine and another that is slower, but in the same gun, the same loads just don't seem to have all that great a difference from the .75 in barrel increase. Maybe the trick to test here would be to load up some of my old 9mm major loads and test in both guns, or maybe the hottest load I currently have which is the Winchester 127 grain ranger load popular with Law Enforcement. They might get bigger numbers than anything I normally come across.

Rob

[Loves2Shoot]

I pulled out the numbers and it is about a 1 PF difference with 125 and VV320 between the 4.5 and 5.25's we shoot as match guns with the stock barrel. This is statistically irrelevant to me, since I can see that variance within the same barrel length.

[Whoops!]

I appreciate you weighing in your experiences.

I can not believe the variation is so small with approximately a 16% difference in barrel length. That being said, Titegroup and N320 are relatively fast powders and if they are being loaded to minor then I could see how there may not be enough force to fully utilize the longer barrel length.

That being said, I would very much like to see chrono of Winchester white box or Remington UMC in 4.5" and 5.25" XDMs. These are the loads I had more in mind for the aforementioned velocity difference. To emphasize, 9mm factory loads not made particularly to make minor.

[SteveU]

[RobertAZ]

I'm fairly certain TGO and Loves2Shoot are correct.

I could be wrong, but I believe the same amount of energy (amount of gas) is released from the 9mm round, regardless of barrel length. The energy input into the system remains the same, but the gases are used more efficiently in a longer barrel. You merely improve the energy transfer into the projectile.

If I am wrong, please recommend a 9mm pocket pistol with less muzzle flip than my XDm 5.25.

[Whoops!]

By transfering the energy into the projectile, the energy is also being transferred back to the platform and the shooter as opposed to being wasted into the air around the platform.

As for a smaller pistol with less muzzle flip, I recommend the CZ-P07. Weight is similar, so that is a pretty fair comparison. In reality though, for the most fair comparison, I would have to recommend a Springfield XDM 5.25 with a 3.5" barrel. Extra metal would have to be welded into the slide to support the shorter barrel, but that would even out the weight from losing the last 1.75" of barrel. That comparison would be fairest because you would still have that weight further down the handgun to help negate the muzzle flip.

Actually I should add, muzzle flip is not my contention with this. My main point is less overall recoil force generated against the shooter.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Whoops!

[mpeltier]

By transfering the energy into the projectile, the energy is also being transferred back to the platform and the shooter as opposed to being wasted into the air around the platform.

As for a smaller pistol with less muzzle flip, I recommend the CZ-P07. Weight is similar, so that is a pretty fair comparison. In reality though, for the most fair comparison, I would have to recommend a Springfield XDM 5.25 with a 3.5" barrel. Extra metal would have to be welded into the slide to support the shorter barrel, but that would even out the weight from losing the last 1.75" of barrel. That comparison would be fairest because you would still have that weight further down the handgun to help negate the muzzle flip.

Actually I should add, muzzle flip is not my contention with this. My main point is less overall recoil force generated against the shooter.

[/qu

This has been a most entertaining discussion.

Edited November 26, 2011 by mpeltier

[Tac Ray]

Thanks for the detailed review.

How do you think the factory holsters compare to brands such as Comptech, etc?

[Whoops!]

I don't have much experience with holsters. All I can compare it to are the BlackHawk CQC Serpa, the Fobus, Most general purpose nylon holsters and an IWB from Galco I believe. Compared to all of these, it is better if you don't mind the slight forward cant. If you need cant adjustment, the Serpa is better, but the Serpa has a greater margin for error since you have to push a paddle for release.

Also I should add, the Fobus has way too much tension against the gun and wears the finish easily when drawing.

The general purpose nylon holsters are very fast when used without the clip, but don't stay in place as well as the paddle design of the stock holster.

It is faster than all of the holsters described if you adjust the tension correctly and are ok with the slight cant. It is not as good as any full race holster I've used with my other firearms as long as they are adjusted correctly. Also, the stock holster may not be legal with the division you plan to shoot in whatever competition you do.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Whoops!

[ErichF]

I tried a Serpa CQC positive retention holster for USPSA for a couple matches. I went back to the stock SA holster for the simplicity. It's definitely legal for USPSA and IDPA, but it does sit pretty high. The forward cant I like, since it does sit up so high on the hip. If I could find a DOH mount for the Serpa, I would try it again.

[Tac Ray]

Thanks guys. I'll plan to try the SA holster. This will be my first XD, it fits my hands very well.