I’ve been a big fan of the Springfield XD pistol, particularly their XD-45, for some time.
It’s a fine service pistol, quite comparable to offerings from GLOCK in many respects. It is to this competitor that XDs are most often compared, and for good reason: they’re both high-quality polymer-based pistols, are reliable, accurate, durable, and modestly priced.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy pistols of all sorts, including GLOCKs, 1911s, and a whole host of other handguns. But the XD-45 is one of the better .45 ACP service pistols that I’ve used.
One of the things I like most about the XD series is the grip safety; having a secondary safety not related to the trigger makes me feel a bit more comfortable.
There are also many people who want something more than “passive” safeties (like a grip safety or the various mechanisms modeled after GLOCK’s “Safe Action”) — they want an “active” safety that they need to consciously actuate to bring the gun into a ready-to-fire condition.
If such a person has been interested in an XD but has been holding off because of the lack of such a safety, wait no more.
As a lefty, I’d like to point out that the thumb safety, like most features on the XD, is ambidextrous.
It’s nice to see a company making a good pistol, at a good price, and considering the concerns of those who like thumb safeties. It’s particularly nice to see them making guns lefty-friendly without charging more money.
Update: Well, I seem to be a bit behind the times. This pistol seems to have been out for at least a month or two, but I only became aware of it recently. Whoops!