Springfield Armory’s XD Mod.4 OSP is something special.
When it comes to reliability and durability, it’s hard to beat the Springfield Armory XD series. In fact, I’m not entirely sure you can hurt one … even with the enthusiastic application of a ball-peen hammer. I’ve never seen one fail to function—unless it was being fed absolutely garbage ammo. (And even then, the malfunctions were few.)
But no one ever called the XD sleek—not at the start and not for a long time. Even when Springfield had slimmed it down some, it was still a bulky and, dare I say, not-pretty pistol.
The Mod.4 changes all that. In fact, it changes the XD so much that, when I first caught sight of one, I had this brief moment of “is that an XD-M?” confusion.
Springfield Armory XD Mod.4 OSP Specs
Type: Striker-fired semi-automatic
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 16+1
Barrel: 4 inches
Overall Length: 7.3 inches
Height: 5.5 inches
Width: 1.2 inches
Weight: 27 ounces
Finish: Melonite
Grip/Frame: Polymer
Sights: Fixed fiber-optic front and white dot rear
Optics Ready?: Yes
Trigger: 4 pounds, 6 ounces
MSRP: $399
Pros:
- Reliable and durable
- New sleeker slide
- Optics-ready
- Affordable
Cons:
- Utilitarian, nothing extra special or exciting about it
Xd Mod 4 9mm Luger Semi-Auto Handgun – Xdmod 4 9mm Luger 4””bbl (1)16rd Mag Black
$362.99
New, But Not
The new XD Mod.4 is what appears to be an entirely new pistol, but it isn’t. The internals are the same as they have always been, with improvements to details such as manufacturing efficiency and fit and function, and you’ll see the results of that later.
The frame is the same polymer shell with the internals fitted and pinned into place, with a bladed safety-trigger on the flat-faced trigger, and striker-fired mechanism. There is the grip safety at the rear, adding to the suite of safety designs internally, so the XD Mod.4 OSP is drop-safe and still ergonomic to handle and use.
The magazine button is still ambi, working from both sides, and the frame still has an accessory rail where you can mount a light or laser. And it has three slots instead of the two on earlier iterations of the XD for maximum versatility in fitting the light or laser of your desire in place.
And here’s another big thing: It uses the same XD magazines that have been in use since Day One. They hold 16 rounds each, and while you only get one of them, extras on the Springfield website are just $31 each. If you are overwhelmed by the choices, you are looking at XD5016 as the stock number, unless you live behind the barbed wire of a non-Free State, in which case you’ll be stuck with number XD0923. (Too bad, but them’s the breaks.)
If 16 rounds per magazine isn’t enough, there is no lack of extension basepads you can find and install.
The grip area of the XD Mod.4 has the expected non-slip texture and subtle finger grooves as well.
Personally, I dislike finger grooves—mainly because whoever designs them seems to not have normal human fingers. The grooves are always in the wrong place for me. On the XD Mod.4, they are subtle enough that I don’t notice them when handling or shooting it. So, they work, but they pass unnoticed, which is a big bonus here.
The trigger guard and frontstrap is undercut, allowing your hand to get higher on the frame than you otherwise would, not a new thing on the XD, but still a good feature and detail to have. So, Springfield kept it. The grip shape, texture and number of slots haven’t changed since the Mod.3 upgrade, but my impression of the people at Springfield is that they are firm believers in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Mod.4 frame contours and details arrived back with the Mod.3; they work great and didn’t need updating or upgrading, so Springfield Armory left what was good alone. Well done, Springfield.
The slide is where all the modern action happened in the Mod.4. Gone is the slide rail hump along the bottom edge of the slide where it meets the frame. When the first XD arrived in a carton for review (I don’t want to recall how many years ago that was), the first thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the box was the rails. “What’s that there for?” The engineer and gunsmith in me took one look and winced. It seemed like unneeded reinforcement, and it made the original XD blocky and kinda ugly. Oh, it worked, and of course I kept it (gun writers tend to do that), but it always bothered me.
Well, no more. From the Mod.3 to the Mod.4, Springfield Armory changed the slide contours. First, they went with a profile that is much more like that of the XD-M, where the top of the slide has angled sides that come down to flats at the top of the frame edges. But unlike the XD-M, which has wide cocking serrations that have a dogleg in them, the XD Mod.4 has deeper slots that are straight. Even as they are angled to the axis of the bore, each is straight, with no dogleg. The front edge of the slide has an aggressive bevel on it, to make re-holstering easier and smoother.
The sights are steel, with the front a blade holding a fiber-optic tube, and the rear a wedge with a square notch flanked by white dots. You might break the fiber-optic tube, but the blade and the rear wedge are going to withstand a lot more abuse than the fiber-optic tube would, before they fail. Below the rear sight, in the middle of the rear of the slide, is the expected and constant since the beginning striker status indicator. If the striker is cocked, you can see (and feel) it with the indicator. Up top, on the flat of the slide behind the chamber, there’s a loaded chamber indicator that you can also see and feel. Flush? Nothing there. Standing up enough to see and feel? Something is in the chamber.
The barrel is 4 inches long, machined to match dimensions. It has an integral feed ramp and thus a supported chamber, and like the slide is given a melonite treatment before a black finish. Melonite is a surface treatment that greatly reduces corrosion and makes the surface harder than a cheap Chinese file. Maybe even a good Chinese file (is there such a thing?).
Another big step up is that the XD Mod.4 comes optics-ready. Simply unbolt the cover plate, fit the adapter plate and bolt down the optics of your choice.
Four Benjamins
Now, remember when I said that Springfield Armory had been refining the manufacturing process of the XD? Well, if you make something for a long enough time, and you spend all that time looking to improve things, you improve things. And you lower the price, because the economies of scale kick in after a while.
So, the good news? The XD Mod.4 has a list price of $399. No, that’s not a typo. Four Benjamins for a ready-to-go hi-cap 9mm pistol with an impeccable record of reliability and durability. A pistol with an established base of accessories like magazines and holsters, and one that is ready for the optics of your choice (once you decide which one is the one for you).
As I mentioned, when I first spotted the XD Mod.4, I thought for a moment I was looking at an XD-M, and that’s saying something, since I own a few of those. The grip feels a lot like the latest Echelon from Springfield—and that’s a fabulous grip. It holds a lot of ammo, like many other Springfield pistols, like their SA-35 and the 1911 DS, while costing less than any of them.
So Many Talents
Wait, Springfield is offering a pistol that has all the features of some or all their other 9mm pistols, and yet costs less? In some instances, half the price or less? Are they crazy? Yes, crazy like a fox.
Someone who needs a pistol but doesn’t want to break the bank? The answer is the Springfield XD Mod.4.
Someone who is looking to get into competition, but doesn’t know just yet which type and what might be the best tool? The Springfield Armory XD Mod.4.
Someone looking for a truck gun or a barn gun, or something that will be exposed to the elements, has to work and doesn’t have to be a priceless heirloom? The Springfield XD Mod.4.
Are you seeing the pattern here? I am. A lot of people view a firearm as just another tool they are not going to be emotionally attached to and would prefer to have money left over for practice ammo.
Again, for the win: the Springfield Armory XD Mod.4.
I’m not one of those people, but the XD Mod.4 is not leaving here. Not unless it is going to go into the truck.
Springfield XD Mod.4 Chronograph and Accuracy Data
| Ammunition | Bullet weight (gr.) | Velocity (fps) | ES | SD | Accuracy (Avg.) | Accuracy (Best) |
| WW “White box” | 115 | 1,196 | 8.9 | 4.1 | 2.3” | 2” |
| Black Hills Honey Badger | 100 | 1,273 | 27.3 | 10.7 | 2.2” | 1.8” |
| Hornady Critical Duty | 135 | 1,019 | 28.5 | 10.9 | 2.4” | 2.2” |
| Federal Syntech | 147 | 1,029 | 26.3 | 9.7 | 2.4” | 2.2” |
9mm Pistol FAQ
Yes, and many experts would even argue that a 9mm pistol is the best choice for self-defense. It may not be as powerful as 10mm Auto or .357 Magnum, but cartridges that big are difficult to shoot quickly and accurately as well. For most people, their ability to make good hits with a 9mm will be more effective at stopping a threat than having a bigger bullet. Further, defensive projectile technology has progressed leaps and bounds, so modern 9mm self-defense ammo provides excellent, reliable expansion and penetration.
Yes, for the most part. Sometimes it’s best to start a first-time shooter with a .22 LR, but unless they’re small children, they should quickly be able to graduate to and handle a 9mm pistol. For able-bodied adults looking to get a pistol for defense, sport shooting or plinking, 9mm is the best choice.
Not particularly, but it depends. Somewhat simplifying things, a handgun’s recoil is mainly a factor of the pistol’s weight and the power of the cartridge in question. A very small, light 9mm pistol loaded with a powerful +P will definitely kick hard, but a full-size steel gun loaded with range ammo will not. Generally speaking, 9mm is not considered to be a hard-kicking round.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More 9mm Pistols
Read the full article here
