In today’s article, Richard Johnson reviews the Springfield Armory XD Mod.3 pistol. This new 9x19mm Parabellum handgun is an evolution of the original XD line with new features and an amazing MSRP: $325. At that price, can it perform? The XD Mod.3 was loaned to the author by Springfield Armory.
It’s hard to believe, but the Springfield Armory XD is approaching 25 years of service. The guns made a big splash when they first entered the market in 2001 and continue to be quite popular. But just because they remain great shooting pistols doesn’t mean the design cannot be refined and updated. A lot has happened in modern handgun design over the past two decades or more, and that’s where we find ourselves today.
Sitting next to my keyboard as I type this is the newest addition to the XD line: the Springfield Armory XD Mod.3. Spoiler alert: I think Springfield is really going to make waves with this gun. I don’t want to bury the lede here — this gun is a fantastic pistol and has an unbelievable suggested retail price of just $325. But why do I think it surpasses the original and is, hands-down, the best value in 9mm pistols on the market today?
What Is the XD Mod.3?
At its core, the XD Mod.3 is an expansion of the company’s popular striker-fired pistol line. You might be wondering about the Mod.3 designation. Obviously, the original XD was the “Mod.1”, while there was also a Mod.2 variant offered for several years with some aesthetic and feature modifications to the original platform.
However, the new XD Mod.3 represents a truly new and modern take on the XD platform, keeping everything that was good about the original and updating and modernizing it where needed.
The XD Mod.3 is a full-size, striker-fired pistol chambered for the 9mm cartridge. While it shares many features with the original pistol — such as compatibility with original full-size XD9 magazines — the XD Mod.3 has some truly notable upgrades.
Topping It Off
First and foremost, the XD Mod.3 is optics-ready direct from the factory. As red dots are now becoming the norm for handguns, this modification makes a lot of sense. The slide is cut to accept Springfield’s popular OSP plate system to fit a wide range of professional red dot sights.
The plates come in Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and NOBLEX (Docter) footprints. Compatibility with these footprints mean you can also use many sights from Burris, Vortex, HEX, Shield, Crimson Trace, Redfield and Holosun. In addition, they are readily available from the Springfield Armory Store and very affordable. The slide comes with a flush-mounting cover to keep things tidy if you choose not to run a red dot sight.
Speaking of sights, the XD Mod.3 also features a set of highly durable and rugged steel sights. The high-visibility front sight features a bright red fiber optic rod, and the rear sight has two easy-to-see white dots.
And while we are on the topic of the top half of the pistol, let’s discuss the slide serrations located at the rear and forward end of the slide. Wider and deeper than on the original, they offer a lot of gripping surface that works well with both bare and gloved hands. Good serrations improve your ability to run the slide under pressure, and I think those on the Springfield Mod.3’s slide are excellent.
Gripping Changes
The polymer grip frame of the Mod.3 also has some notable features. The undercut triggerguard and extended beavertail allow you to get a very high grip on the pistol. Also, more aggressive texturing on the leading and trailing edges of the grip is a noticeable change over the original XD.
In addition, the frame has reshaped thumb rests on both sides of the frame to offer a more natural angle when using a solid grip. Finally, the forward edge of the triggerguard is rounded, while remaining large enough to easily accept a gloved finger.
At the forward end of the frame on the dustcover, the Mod.3 carries over the accessory rail design of the original. However, it adds in an additional slot for more precise fitting of accessories like weapon-mounted lights. This can make a significant difference in how easy it is to activate a light due to its position.
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While all of the pistols in the Springfield Armory XD line employ a passive grip safety that is disengaged when you achieve a proper shooting grip, the Mod.3 enhances the design by adding a “memory bump” at the lower end. This ensures that the safety will be fully disengaged when gripped without decreasing its effectiveness.
The trigger design has also received some attention in the Mod.3. While the original XD had a traditional-style curved trigger, the new variant features the popular flat-style trigger. Similar in shape and contour to that of the XD-M’s “META” trigger, the Mod.3’s flat trigger helps ensure a consistent feel throughout the pull. The rear of the trigger has a stop to prevent overtravel.
Foundational Choices
While the XD Mod.3 has a notable number of enhancements, it also carries over many sound features from the original design. These include a loaded chamber indicator, striker status indicator at the rear of the slide, and an ambidextrous magazine release.
One of the best carryovers is the 16-round magazine in my opinion. Older Springfield Armory mags are 100% compatible with the new XD Mod.3 pistols. If you are like me, you have more than a few magazines for the original line, and these will work without problems in the new guns.
If you have run a Service Model XD, you will feel right at home with the XD Mod.3. It features a hammer-forged 4” barrel with a Melonite finish, housed within the forged steel slide that features a matching black Melonite finish. Weight of the pistol is 27 oz. Overall length is 7.3”.
Currently, there are two versions of the Springfield Armory XD Mod.3 offered: a standard Service Model and a low-capacity Service Model with a 10-round magazine. Other than magazine capacity, they are identical, and both pistols come with a single magazine.
XD Mod.3 Specifications
| Chambering | 9mm |
| Barrel Length | 4” |
| Weight | 27 oz. |
| Overall Length | 7.3” |
| Sights | Fiber optic front, white dot rear |
| Grips | Integral, polymer |
| Action | Striker-fired |
| Finish | Melonite |
| Capacity | 16+1 (one magazine), 10+1 (one magazine) |
| MSRP | $325 |
Range Time
My son and I headed to the range with the Springfield Armory XD Mod.3. Due to the thunderstorms we get throughout the summer in Florida an indoor range is sometimes mandatory, and it was required on this day.
I had decided to set up the XD Mod.3 with a Crimson Trace CTS-1500 red dot I had on an XD-S Mod.2 9mm pistol I had on hand. Mounting it with the appropriate plate proved simple and easy.
After setting up, we checked the Crimson Trace red dot sight I had mounted to the pistol to see where it was aiming. We dialed it in and set to shooting. Starting with commercial full metal jacket (FMJ) target loads, we began some presentation and rapid-fire drills to get a feel for the gun. Both of us liked the feel of the pistol and were quite comfortable while handling it.
Ammunition cycled smoothly through the system as we made hole after hole in the paper targets. After several hundred rounds of flawless operation, we set up a sandbag rest to test the pistol’s accuracy at 15 yards. I also set up a chronograph to check the bullet velocities of each shot.
All loads shot well and within what I would consider more than acceptable accuracy. All five loads I tested delivered best five-shot groups in the 1.5” range or so at 15 yards. The stark reality is that the shooter — me — is the weakest link in this accuracy chain. I suspect both the gun and ammo have even greater accuracy potential than I do with my aging eyes and increasingly arthritic hands.
As you might expect, recoil is quite manageable with this full-size pistol, even with the +P loads. While the 9mm is not an untamed beast, good handgun design can have a significant impact on how well one is able to absorb the recoil impulse and keep the front sight on target.
Out of the box, the XD Mod.3 is a nearly perfect fit for my hands. The rear grip and undercut triggerguard allow me to get my hand way up on the gun to minimize muzzle rise. Also, the grip texture does an excellent job of keeping the gun anchored in my hand.
The trigger has a similar feel to my original XD9, with a moderate amount of take-up and short travel to a clean break. There is no perceptible overtravel thanks to a built-in stop at the rear of the trigger. Reset requires a moderate amount of travel and has a distinct click.
Closing Thoughts
With an MSRP of just $325, it’s hard not to mention the word “value” when reviewing the XD Mod.3. With its combination of proven performance and modern upgrades, it offers a lot of gun for the money. But if you ask me, I think the XD Mod.3 stands alone as being a good option at any price point you might expect for a pistol of this type.
Consider what the gun offers. It’s a proven design with more than 20 years of history. In addition to being utterly reliable, the semi-automatic pistol offers a range of features including an optics cut, accessory rail, fiber optic front sight, superb front and rear slide serrations, and an enhanced grip that feels fantastic in the hand. And don’t forget that this gun is 100% compatible with the existing supply of affordable 9mm XD magazines.
I simply don’t know of a better deal on a firearm anywhere in the market.
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