feature The XDM 5.25 By Steve Tracy
The Springfi eld Armory XDM 5.25 is an excellent choice as a dual-purpose duty/competition pistol.
SUMMARY
Springfi eld Armory’s Duty/ Competition Pistol
The XDM 5.25 offers a 1.45-inch longer barrel and slide length compared to Springfield Armory’s standard 3.8-inch- long duty pistol. The 5.25 also comes with a target rear sight, a fiber-optic front sight, and a lightened slide.
MORE INFORMATION
www.the-m-factor.com www.springfieldarmory.com
Steve Tracy is a 26-year police veteran with 24 years of experience
as a fi rearms instructor. He is also an instructor for tactical rifl es, use of force, less-than-lethal force and scenario- based training. He can be reached at
steventracy@hendonpub.com.
new trend in semi-automatic police pistols has developed where longer length barrels and slides are offered as competition ready models. The trend has sprung up not out of necessity, but out of practicality. Years ago, the standard double-action
A 14 The Police Marksman Jan-Feb 2014
duty revolver usually came with a 4-inch barrel. Heavy barrels with a thicker circumference added weight for rapid sight reacquisition when fi red, but gun-savvy police offi cers often had a 6-inch barrel revolver hanging from their duty belt.
3.8 to 5.25 Inches T ere are several advantages of a longer barrel on a duty gun, be it a revolver or semi-automatic pistol. Springfi eld Armory’s popular XDM provides a longer sighting radius with their 5.25 model, available in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. T e match- grade, select-fi t, Melonite®-coated steel bar- rel measures fi ve-and-one-quarter inches in length, giving this XDM 5.25 variation its namesake. T e fully adjustable (with a small screw- driver) rear sight is positioned at the ab- solute rear of the slide and melted into its top profi le. T e sight’s non-glare, serrated rear face takes advantage of the slide’s long length when lined up on target with the red fi ber-optic front sight. Spare fi ber-optic sight inserts are included (in both red and green colors) with each handgun. Weight toward a pistol’s muzzle is an ad- vantage that helps tame recoil and balances a handgun; however, the 5.25 pistol has a lightening cut on the top of the forged steel slide that reduces the slide’s reciprocating mass. Slide weight is removed so the recoil spring can work the pistol’s Browning-style action quickly and reliably with various car-
www.policemarksman.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48