The 5.25 comes with a match barrel, loaded chamber indicator, and fully adjustable rear sight.
tridge loads. T e 5.25 model (at 29 ounces empty in 9mm) weighs just 1.5 ounces more than the standard 3.8-inch barrel full-size pistol (at 27.5 ounces). You get the advantage of a longer sight radius with very little additional weight pulling down your duty belt. T e “M” version pistol includes several features beyond the XD model, which is based on the Croatian HS2000 pistol. Springfi eld Armory has been importing their XD line since 2001 and the XDM is an extension of their polymer frame/striker fi red lineup. T e XDM is available in compact, duty, and extended length versions like this duty/competition ready 5.25. T ree included backstraps interchange as long as you have a hammer and punch handy, but most offi cers will only change the backstrap once. T ey’ll decide which of the small, medium, or large Mold-Tru inserts work best with their grip and then store the other two away.
Magazine release buttons are located on both sides of the frame, just behind the trigger guard on the XDM. Left-handed shooters have the pleasure of using their thumb on the button just like the other 90 percent of the human race. T e slide release lever is only on the left side, so the two-handed slingshot method will be necessary for left-handers to let the slide go forward after a rear slide lock. T e takedown lever rotates upward when the pistol is empty and the slide is locked to the rear for simple disassembly. T e slide then eases forward off the frame and the barrel and recoil spring/guide lift out for cleaning. T ere is no need to pull the trigger prior to fi eld stripping the XDM. For a police offi cer, it’s a price-conscious touch that each pistol is equipped with three 19-round magazines (16- in .40 and 13-round in .45 calibers) instead of just two. T e heavy-duty, lockable case that the XDM comes shipped in features foam fi tted to retain a plastic paddle holster, double-mag belt pouch, loading tool, the extra maga- zines, and a padlock. It also retains the extra backstraps and there is an open cutaway to hold a weapon light (purchased separately) for mounting to the XDM’s Picatinny rail.
Rounds Downrange T e Geneseo, Ill. fi rearms company states on its website that the XDM’s trigger pull will break between 5.5 and 7.7 pounds. T e test
15 The Police Marksman Jan-Feb 2014
The target rear sight is non-glare and as far to the rear as possible. The cocking indicator lets you know your weapon is ready to go. The grip safety is a secondary safety feature in addition to the trigger tab safety.
model was found to average a trigger pull weight of 5.8 pounds, defi - nitely on the low end of the scale. T ere was some take-up as the trig- ger readied the striker and moved the internal fi ring pin safety out of the way. After the trigger broke, there was a tiny bit of over travel. For a combat handgun, this is acceptable. However, for a competi- tion pistol, a spongy trigger and over-travel are not very desirable. T e trigger’s safety is a tab in its center that prevents the trigger from moving rearward unless the shooter’s fi nger is pressing it on purpose. Despite the trigger’s lack of extreme precision, the XDM 5.25 was found to be a terrifi c shooter. Accurate shots were easy to make at various distances. As a dual-purpose competition and duty pistol, the 5.25 worked well for both styles right out of the box. Various types of 9mm ammo were fi red through the XDM 5.25 without failure. 115-grain Federal and Remington ball, Winchester Ranger 124-grain ball, Winchester Silvertip 115-grain, Speer Gold Dot 124-grain +P, and Hornady Critical Duty and Z-Max ammo all performed with excellent results. T e red fi ber-optic front sight is quick to pick up in daylight shooting. Four-time World Champion Rob Leatham helped to de- sign the XDM 5.25 and he knows that fi ber optic sights are optimal for competition. However, in low-light settings, it becomes much more diffi cult to see for police use. A tritium front night sight can easily be swapped out so that the dot can be seen in darker settings for duty use. If an offi cer carries the XDM 3.8 on duty with night sights and then utilizes the 5.25 version for competition, the manual of arms remains the same. T e extra 1.45 inches of barrel and slide length will fi t in most duty holsters and the 5.25 can serve as a dual-purpose weapon all by itself. Practice and competition with the longer barrel pistol will still translate into better shooting with the shorter-length duty gun.
Loaded Chamber Indicator and Grip Safety A loaded chamber indicator pops up on the top of the slide just to the rear of the chamber when a round is ready to go. T is indicator is small, but it can be seen and readily felt for tactile confi rmation that
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