I have had mine for almost four years now, and have put over 1000 rounds through it. It still looks new, and I have never had a misfire, FTF nor FTE. Though, I have had the slide fail to lock back after the last round, it was my fault for not cleaning the magazines after 1000 rounds.
This is a great gun for target practice (especially in the dark, due to the flames that come out of the ports), but that is about it. It is not very practical for home defense, or as a duty pistol. I say this because the ports not only vent gasses and fire, but also sound and hot flakes of the bullet’s jacket. During a home invasion, or in the line of duty, you are not likely to have earplugs, nor are you likely to be wearing eye protection. Having your ears ring after just one round is mostly annoying, but having a piece of the bullet’s jacket in your eye is not acceptable. If you want a great home defense .40 for about the same price, I would go with a Sig Pro; it is one of the smoothest cycling .40’s that I have fired. If you are willing to spend more, an H&K USP is beyond words and worth every penny. But if you would like a fire breathing target practice gun, a ported XD40 would be the right choice.
If you do end up with any XD model, I highly recommend a Hogue Hand-All (which will need cutting to clear the grip safety) and a Don’s guide rod. The Hogue grip just makes the handle more comfortable, and the new guide rod allows you to change spring rates depending on what loads you are using. This is especially handy if you get a 9mm conversion barrel, or use light loads. Oh, and the Don’s guide rod does not stick out past the slide in an awkward manner like the factory one.
By
jrtech from
Citrus Heights, CA