FFL Unleashed: The XD is Springfield’s flagship brand. What drove the decision to redesign it?
Reese: Sometimes things just line up and it’s the right time to make changes. When we introduced the XD Sub-Compact in 2003 it was state of the art. It seems like only the blink of an eye and here we are 11 years later, and obviously a lot has happened. Since then the concealed carry market is more important and relevant than ever.
That was one of the major drivers why we decided to make this change to our XD Sub-Compact. We now call our new XD Sub-Compact the XD Mod.2 with GripZone. It’s available in both 9 and 40.
The 9mm Sub-Compact will be available first and is in good supply at all the best distributors right now. The XD Mod.2 name came from our desire to describe that we were doing the next big thing to our XD Sub-Compact pistol— sort of the next evolution.
FFL Unleashed: What new features are in the XD Mod.2?
Reese: The Mod.2 Sub-Compact is full of important features our customers expect in a top quality concealed carry pistol. Our engineers found ways to slim and contour our frame in ways that will make you smile. You really need to put your hands on one of our new Mod.2s to fully appreciate how small the pistol feels in your hand even though it has a double stack magazine. The increased magazine capacity combined with width of frame only two tenths of an inch wider than the slimmest single stack concealed carry 9s on the market is a huge advantage! Imagine one of our competitor’s single stack CCW pistols holding seven rounds of 9mm, and then, compare that to the Mod.2 9mm Sub-Compact having 13 rounds. Pretty amazing!
It also has a new fiber optic front sight and a low profile extended rear sight both greatly adding to the shootability. We have new grip textures on the surface of the polymer frame and other enhancements done to the pistol frame that best optimize the contact between the human hand and pistol. Our engineers call those improvements ergonomic science, but we call it the “GripZone.”
FFL Unleashed: Tell us more about the GripZone and the strategy behind its design.
Reese: The GripZone is a group of improvements to the pistol that make it more ergonomic and more comfortable to use even while shooting a 3-inch Sub-Compact 9mm or 40 cal. pistol. Additional features include a no-snag trigger guard. The frame has a high hand beavertail and high hand grip relief under the trigger guard enabling the shooter to position the shooting hand as high as possible to significantly reduce felt recoil.
Last but not least, there are 3 different grip textures on the grip frame. Zones 1 and 2 are the surface areas on the front and back of the frame. Zone 1 is a slightly less aggressive texture as it meets a more sensitive area of the hand and fingers yet is a crucial contact point for gripping the pistol. Zone 2 is a more aggressive texture designed to make maximum contact with the hand yet not too aggressive to the touch. Zone 3 is the texture on the remainder of the frame to provide the needed grip hold to compliment Zones 1 and 2. Overall, the pistol is gripped more easily, comfortably and consistently because the hand is less likely to slip from torque and flip under recoil.
FFL Unleashed: What’s happening with the original XD?
Reese: Well, it’s sure not being put out to pasture! The original XD line is now considered “The Essentials” family and is our price point market leader. That means the original XD 3-inch Sub-Compact, 4-inch, and 5-inch Tactical models all come with 2 magazines, a childproof cable lock, and lockable polymer case. Because we took out the added gear, the XD Essentials are now offered at a significantly lower price point that we believe opens a whole new market segment to Springfield.
By contrast, the XD Mod.2 Sub-Compact comes with a nice package of value added shooting gear. Retail value of the add-ons is $89, and the new shooter is typically surprised to find a polymer belt holster, double magazine pouch, magazine loader, and lockable injection molded pistol case included in the purchase for free.
FFL Unleashed: Great segue to our next question! How can the stocking dealer most effectively sell both the original XD and the XD Mod.2?
Reese: Easy! The XD Mod.2 is a Sub-Compact in 9mm and 40 caliber. It is not a full line of products like our XD Essentials family of pistols. Additionally, as I just said the consumer that doesn’t want or need the extra gear that comes with the XD Mod.2 Sub-Compact can go with the XD Essentials Sub-Compact and save about $100. That’s a significant savings.
Whether you buy an XD Essentials or an XD Mod.2 Sub-Compact they are both manufactured to the highest quality standards. Our barrels are all hammer forged, our slides are forged, and wear the latest in Melonite finishes, with completely interchangeable Mil-spec ISO quality parts.
Oh, I want to be sure to mention we have launched an aggressive November dealer promotion on the XD Essentials family of products. Retailers should call their favorite distributor to find out the details. The promotion ends November 30 and I want to reassure retailers not to worry when buying and stocking both XD Essentials and the new XD Mod.2 Sub-Compact for the coming Black Friday shopping rush. Their customers will be shopping for a great deal on an XD Essential pistol or buying the latest greatest XD Mod.2 new product from Springfield Armory.
We are also launching an aggressive consumer marketing campaign for the complete XD family of products in the most popular websites like GunBroker.com as well as print media to drive those customers to stocking retailers.
