After several years of only 9mm and .45 ACP, Springfield Armory finally introduced .40 S&W to the XD-S line of pistols. The new gun comes in the 3.3″ version, though I would expect a 4.0″ version to also be introduced later.
Like the original models, the new XD-S is a single stack pistol designed to be a good balance between concealability and shootability. The gun is small enough to carry on an ankle, yet is not abusing to shoot.
These guns are thin: 0.9″ to be exact. This is the same size as the original .45 ACP and 9mm guns.
Springfield Armory includes a normal sized fiber optic front sight on the gun. That is a lot better than some of the subcompact pistols hitting the market, and it helps you get on target fast.
The pistols have a grip safety, but do not have a thumb safety. In my prior experiences with the XD and XD-S lines, I have never encountered any problems with the grip safety.
Springfield Armory ships the guns with a flush fitting 6-round magazine and an extended 7-round magazine. According to the company, 8-round magazines will also be available.
The external dimensions are the same and the original calibers: 4.4″ tall, 0.9″ wide and 6.3″ long. Since both the .45 and 9mm fit the same holsters, I expect the new .40 to be able to fit all of the existing carry rigs as well.
Springfield Armory advised the guns should be available by mid-February 2016.
.40 S&W XD-S Specifications
| Caliber | .40 S&W |
| Capacity | 6+1, 7+1 with extended magazine |
| Weight | 22 oz |
| Barrel Length | 3.3″ |
| Overall Length | 6.3″ |
| Grip Width | 0.9″ |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 5.5-7.7 lbs |
| Sights | fiber optic front, two white dots rear |
| Finish | black or stainless slide, black polymer frame |
| MSRP | not given, ~$599 black and ~$669 two-tone |
I’ve had the chance to shoot all of the XD-S variants thus far, and I have been impressed by them. I think they make an excellent CCW and backup gun depending on your needs. The 4.0 version (reviewed here) is particularly good for inside-the-waistband concealed carry as the handle is chopped for less obvious printing while still retaining the longer sight radius and increased velocity that a 4″ barrel provides.
The XD-S series pistols go head-to-head with guns like the Smith & Wesson Shield, Walther PPS and Glock 43. While I like the XD-S quite a bit, of the thin, subcompact pistols, I settled on the G43 for my own needs. My wife chose the Shield. Frankly, I think any of the four are amazing weapons and would serve you well.
So, what do you think? Has the lack of .40 kept you from buying an XD-S? Or, is this really not of any interest to you at all? Sound off in the comments below.
Last Update: October 17, 2022
5 replies on “Springfield Armory XD-S in .40 S&W”
While I love Springfield (I own a 1911RO) none of the XD-S guns work for me primarily due to the size. Yes they are small, but not small enough for me. When you compare them to a Ruger LCP or a G42, they are significantly larger and heavier. Yes, I am also comparing apples to oranges in that the 2 guns I mentioned are .380s and not 9mm, .40 or .45. But for me to do EDC, I want/need a small gun and I am willing to give up stopping power for comfort/carry.
There is already a very, very, very small likelihood that I will ever have to use my gun. So for the 0.00001% (just estimating…) chance I will use it, do I want to inconvenience myself for clothing choices everyday? For me, no. I know other folks will say that it is no problem for them to carry a full-size 1911. Great for them. For me, it doesn’t work. I can wear anything short of a bathing suit and still carry an LCP. With shorts and a t-shirt I can carry my G42.
I even passed on the G43 because when I compared it to my G42 it was too big. For each his/her own. I’ve got nothing against bigger calibres. I have several full-sized guns in 9mm and 45acp and love them to death. but for EDC, its gotta be small and these are just too big for what I am willing to use. There is also the issue of shootability. Yes, I can shoot a XD-S 45 3.3 (and I have) but I wouldn’t want to put 100 rounds through one in a range session. No problem with the G42.
A lot of folks say a .380 is a wussy caliber and compared to the others, it is. But I still wouldn’t want to be shot with one and my hope is, neither would a bad guy. I can also put 6 in an 8-inch ring at 10 yards in rapid fire with the G42. Can’t do that with other large calibre compact pistols I have tried (I am sure others can, but I cannot, and I have tried as much as I am willing to try). I would even rather shoot the LCP than the XD-S 45 3.3. Not as fun to shoot at the G42 for sure. But with the mag extension and the Hogue wraparound, it is less painful than an XD-S.
Bottom line, I just can’t justify the benefit of the stopping power of a large calibre compact pistol for EDC over a .380. And I wouldn’t like to practice with them either, which you should do if you are going to EDC. Personal choice. YMMV.
Hi David,
While I have made a different choice, I would not fault you for yours. It is clear you have made a reasoned analysis of your needs and have armed yourself accordingly. I wish more people would put as much thought into it as you have.
I have had the benefits of non-normal jobs. As a writer, I get to wear whatever I like to the office. Prior to that, my office was a patrol car. In both cases I carried a gun much larger than what most people would. I tend to rely on my Glock 19 for most things. But, I also have a G43 and S&W 642 as my smaller options. I recognize that few people have the flexibility to carry a larger gun and most don’t want the added bulk/weight anyway.
That G42 is a nice shooter, and I did not feel bad at all carrying it around when I tested it.
Thanks for being a reader!
-Richard
I’m a fairly slender guy and have a G42 and a S&W Bodyguard (auto) that I call my “church weapons” because they are the only firearms I can conceal well in summer church clothes. Other than that, I won’t carry a .380 and always breath a sigh of relief when I change into my jeans and tuck my XDs into my waistband.
I’m not a big guy but I’m not small either and I can appreciate people who have no choice but to carry a .380 because the XDs is my absolute largest concealable firearm in summer clothes. Anything you can carry daily, conceal and shoot well is a fine firearm in my opinion, your larger, more capable firearm does not help you locked in a gun safe.
If Springfield made a durable XDS and XDM Grip Zone in bi-tone / Stainless 10mm, I’d own both of them tomorrow.
I’ve always been a Glock guy and in the winter carry a G23. For years I waited for them to come out with a single stack in at least 9mm and finally gave up hope and bought an XDs 9mm. At the time I considered it “settling” for something I needed but didn’t really consider top of the defence handgun food chain.
After shooting and carrying it for a couple years, I have evolved in my opinion. The XDs is now my preferred firearm over Glock and I am considering replacing my winter carry G23 with an XDM .40 for several reasons.
I bought a G42 when it first came out and I bought it for specialized carry when it was the only firearm I could conceal in certain situations. To make it reliable I first had to replace the recoil spring with a 10% lighter one just to get it to shoot 90 gr bullets. I then replaced the trigger with a ghost to make it somewhat acceptable, bought a plug for the ugly grip frame hole like I do for all my Glocks and then replaced all 5 of my magazine followers and springs with the Mag Guts kits to increase capacity to seven rounds. This all brought the total cost of this little .380 to over 700 bucks which is insane in my opinion.
When it came time to look at the new G43 I went in with excitement and walked out without buying one. Why should I? My XDs works perfectly right out of the box and I added nothing but night sights. It has more steel in it, it holds one more round in the mag, it feels better in my hand and has a much more secure hold with the aggressive grip texture.
I bought the new XDs .40 instead and although I’ve only put about 300 rounds through it so far, it will be my next daily carry soon and I’ll retire the 9mm XDs. The recoil to me is little different than the 9 even with hot defense loads and I consider giving up one round for the superior .40 performance a fair trade off. It uses all my current XDs 9 carry holsters and since I buy top of the line gear for daily carry, that is a significant amount of money saved.
Overall, I think this piece is the best single stack carry on the market -for me-. There is nothing wrong with the Shield or any other piece you happen to like and shoot well but if you are looking, I would recommend you give the XDs serious consideration before you purchase anything else.