Springfield Armory XDM 10MM

A new reason for 10mm fans to celebrate

Obsoleted in police work by the .40 S&W a quarter century or so ago, the 10mm Auto round has achieved new popularity as an outdoorsman’s pistol. Springfield Armory’s enhanced XD pistol, the XDM, has proven itself accurate, reliable, and ergonomic. The two are a natural fit in the new XDM-10.

In the 5.3-inch barreled long-slide configuration (also available in a fixed-sight, 4.5-inch barreled version), the XDM-10 has a lengthy 7.5-inch sight radius. Out back is a fully-adjustable, serrated-face rear sight, paired with a bright-red fiber-optic front. A tactile loaded-chamber indicator is positioned at the rear of the ejection port.

With its 5.3-inch barreled, long-slide configuration, the XDM-10 affords a 7.5” sight radius, and the pistol comes with an adjustable rear sight and fiber optic front. The longer barrel enhances the velocity and power that are the 10mm cartridge’s real raison d’etre, and the adjustable sight allows the shooter to dial in point of aim/point of impact for the very broad power range which today’s array of available 10mm loads affords. A 15-round magazine and one in the chamber gives you 16 chances instead of a revolver’s six if you have to defend against a wild animal attack.

Manipulating the XDM’s large, serrated magazine release, slide stop and takedown lever has always been exceedingly intuitive, and that hasn’t changed on the new 10mm version. The pistol’s tactile cocking indicator can be seen here protruding out of the striker plate at the rear of the slide.

The XDM comes standard with one of the better “street triggers” in the field of striker-fired polymer frame semiautomatic pistols. The Glock-ish safety lever on the trigger face does not punish or pinch the trigger finger. A very short, light initial take-up is followed by a short space of lighter resistance and then a long, rolling “wall” before the break. In use, it is somewhat like a light, multi-stage, double-action pull over a short distance when fired slowly, followed by a fairly long re-set. With a bit of practice, it is easier to manage than it sounds. Re-set is fairly long, minimizing the chance of an unnecessary second shot being fired unintentionally under stress.

On our Lyman digital scale, pull weight was very consistent. Measured from the toe (bottom tip) of the trigger as seems to be industry standard, average pull weight was 5.69 pounds. Measured from the center of the pivoting trigger, where the finger is likely to actually make contact during shooting, pull weight was exactly one pound greater due to reduced leverage: 6.69 pounds.

On the Firing Line

Testing was done from a Caldwell Matrix Rest on a concrete bench at 25 yards. Five shot groups were measured for an idea of what a stable position would offer for accuracy in calm conditions, and the best three measured again to factor out enough human error to roughly duplicate what a machine rest is likely to deliver for all five. Appreciating the 10mm’s power range, we tested with four loads.

The XDM-10 ships with three easy-loading and reliable stainless-steel 15-round magazines. The magazine well is moderately beveled to help facilitate expedient reloads.

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