As interest continues to grow in the 10 mm Auto as a hunting and self-defense round, so, too, do the handgun options for this fine cartridge. Recently, Springfield Armory added to the available 10 mm Auto pistols with the XD-M OSP. Polymer-framed, the XD-M OSP holds a hefty 15+1 rounds of 10 mm Auto, is very accurate and reflects another trend in current pistol manufacture: It’s an “optics-ready” model.
Springfield factory-milled the slide to accept various optics’ adapter plates. The XD-M OSP is sold with three adapter plates, one of which will fit most red-dot pistol optics on the market today, including the Burris FastFire 2, Burris FastFire 3, Leupold DeltaPoint, JPoint Sights, Trijicon’s RMR and new SRO, and the Vortex Venom.
Though it is optics ready, the XD-M OSP sports high sights for use with a suppressor, too.
The XD-M OSP also features a 5.3” barrel, is threaded for a suppressor, has elevated sights for use with that suppressor, and sports an integral accessory rail for the attachment of lights or lasers to the XD-M’s frame.
After several range sessions, shooting four different brands of 10 mm Auto ammunition and using two different optics, I found the XD-M was a very accurate pistol, features a nice, crisp trigger, handles 10 mm Auto recoil very nicely and weighs much less than many of the 10 mm Auto options available today. It’s a fine semi-automatic for home defense and hunting.
The author feels the XD-M OSP is a great semi-automatic for handgun hunting.
Concealed carry? It’s possible. But once the pistol is fully tricked out with optic and suppressor, I don’t think you have a carry gun. Those add-ons simply make the pistol too unwieldly.
Springfield introduced the XD-M Series of pistols in 2007, offering polymer-framed pistols with the same grip angle as Springfield’s standard XD and the 1911. The initial offerings were in 9 mm Luger, with 40 S&W and .45 ACP added later.
But it wasn’t until October 2018 that Springfield added the 10 mm Auto to the XD-M line, in the form of the XD-M 10 mm Auto with either a 4.5”- or 5.25” barrel plus all the standard XD-M features.
More recently, the XD-M OSP hit the market, and I received a new-in-the-box model for testing.
Following an inspection and cleaning of the XD-M OSP, I removed the optics cap so I could install a Trijicon SRO red dot. It was easily accomplished. The XD-M OSP came with the appropriate torx wrenches, so I simply removed the screws holding the cap, selected the correct base for the SRO, attached that base to the pistol, then secured the SRO onto the adapter plate. All of this took less than five minutes.
The first optic the author installed on the XD-M OSP was the new Trijicon SRO.
At the range, I used three brands of 10 mm Auto ammunition to test the XD-M OSP: Federal HST Personal Defense, with a 200-gr. jacketed-hollow-point bullet; Hornady’s Critical Duty with a 175-gr. Flex-Lock bullet; and Remington UMC range ammunition with a 180-gr. full-metal jacket projectile.
Accuracy was outstanding with all three brands of ammunition.
I first zeroed the SRO at 10 yards from a rest and then shot several groups to make sure I was on. I was. One five-shot group with the HST measured well under an inch.
I then shot the three ammunition brands from 10 yards offhand. Best five-shot groups included just under 1.0" with the Federal HST and 1.10” with the Hornady Critical Duty. Actually, it became pretty clear that at 10 yards, the XD-M OSP/SRO combination would essentially put every shot into a group under 1.0". Any deviation was on me, the shooter.
I then moved to the 25-yard lane at my outdoor range. My best group here was a four-shot cluster with the Remington UMC that measured just .679”. My fifth shot went a bit wide, but the total group still came in at just 1.74”. I was shooting from a rest, but I still consider that extremely good accuracy, especially as UMC is, after all, a range and practice ammo.
Using Remington UMC 10 mm Auto range ammunition, the author put four shots into a .679" group at 25 yards from a rest. Shot # 5 expanded the group to 1.74".
On average, for five-shot groups done five times, the 25-yard accuracy for the Remington UMC was 2.27”, with an average muzzle velocity of 1,055 f.p.s.
The Federal HST and the Hornady Critical Duty both pegged five-shot groups at between 2.0” and 2.3” at 25 yards. The average size of my groups, for five shots done five times, were 2.56” for the Federal, with an average muzzle velocity of 1,096 f.p.s., and 2.67” for the Hornady, with a muzzle velocity of 1,126 f.p.s.
Exceptional accuracy with the XD-M OSP was achieved with all four brands of ammunition McCombie used.
The XD-M’s accuracy is aided by a match-grade barrel with fully supported ramps, the later which are usually limited to customized competition pistols.
At my next range session with the XD-M OSP, I changed out optics. I removed the SRO and the Trijicon adapter plate and installed the adapter plate for the Leupold DeltaPoint. I did this on a table at my range and, despite wind and misting, the switch took less than five minutes.
Switching from an SRO to a Leupold DeltaPoint at the range took less than five minutes.
I zeroed the XD-M OSP and the Leupold with the Remington UMC ammunition, then switched over the new Honor Defense 10 mm Auto rounds firing a 125-gr. non-lead, frangible bullets. It was quite accurate at 10 yards offhand, easily punching 1.0" groups.
However, I wasn’t concerned with doing a more rigorous accuracy testing here. I really wanted to see how easy it was to change out the optic outside. That went very well, although I had to be very careful not to lose the tiny screws for the plates and the optics.
And the Leupold DeltaPoint zeroed quickly and stayed zeroed, with the red dot easy to see on my targets despite the overcast skies.
Recoil on the XD-M OSP was very manageable. Of course, it is a 10 mm Auto and I certainly knew I wasn’t pulling the trigger on a 9 mm Luger or even a 45 ACP. Credit not only the 1911 angle of the pistol grip for good recoil control, but the aggressive texturing on the grip and front strap that Springfield calls its “mega-lock” texturing. The pistol comes with three different sized backstraps, too, which are easily swapped out to better fit the pistol to the user’s hand.
Aggressive texture on the backstrap helps tame the XD-M’s 10 mm recoil.
Recoil is further harnessed by the XD-M SOP’s one-piece, full-length guide rod.
The trigger system on the XD-M OSP is of the striker-fired variety. And a very good one. The trigger has a short take up and a quick resent and doesn’t have the annoying spongy feel of so many other striker-fired triggers. My Lyman Electronic Trigger Pull Gauge measured the pull weight on my XD-M at a crisp 3.9 lbs., on average.
For added security, the XD-M OSP features a grip safety.
The safety system on the XD-M OSP includes a grip safety and a bladed trigger safety. The later meaning the blade in the middle of the trigger must be depressed or the pistol will not fire. The XD-M also features an internal firing-pin block to prevent the firing pin from striking a chambered cartridge unless the trigger is pulled.
The XD-M OSP also has a firing-pin-status indicator that protrudes from the rear center of the slide when the gun is ready to fire.
Dis-assembly of the pistol is very easy. First, of course, you remove the magazine and lock back the slide to make sure the XD-M is unloaded. Next, turn the take-down lever UP and into the vertical position, and simply pull slide and barrel assembly off the poly frame. Some striker-fired pistol require you to squeeze the trigger as you pull forward on the slide. Not the XD-M.
Also, there are no takedown pins that need removing or levers that must be detached. The XD-M OSP is ready for inspection and cleaning.
I really think the XD-M OSP will shine as a hunting pistol. I’ve hunted with a number of 10 mm Auto 1911’s with six-inch barrels, and fine pistol though most were, they were not light. Usual weights were between 38- and 42-ozs.
But the Springfield XD-M OSP weighs in at just 28.5 ozs. (unloaded) while carrying 15+1 rounds of 10 mm Auto power. That kind of fire power is just made for that next sounder of hogs I come upon.
The complete XD-M OSP 10 mm Auto package includes the pistol, two 15-round magazines, three interchangeable backstraps and three adapter plates to fit a wide variety of handgun optics.
The polymer frame and the Melonite-treated barrel also make the XD-M OSP able to shrug off wet and dirty conditions in the field. A salt-bath Nitriding process, Melonite leaves a thick, corrosion-resistant surface made to resist wear and environmental conditions better than black-oxide finishes.
Plus, for a hunting pistol, the XD-M OSP costs roughly half of many of the 1911 10 mm Autos hunters currently run. That represents a good deal of value for the hunter, as well as the person looking for a home-defense pistol.
Specifications (as tested):
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
Model: Springfield XD-M OSP with Threaded Barrel
Caliber: 10 mm
Auto
Barrel: 5.3” long, Threaded (.578x28), Hammer Forged
Finish
, Melonite
Sights: Co-Witnessed Suppressor
Height
Frame: Black Polymer
Slide: Forged Steel, Melonite finish
Recoil System: One Piece Full-Length Guide Rod
Length: 8.74“
Height: 5.5“ (without sights)
Width: 1.25”
Weight: 28.5 ozs. (unloaded)
Magazines Included: (2) 15-Round Magazines
MSRP: $695
