Springfield Armory Rolls Out the 10mm XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP

There’s a reason Alaskan big-game guides like the 10mm platform. It provides the muscle to stop a charging bear in its tracks. But given its size and weight, few would consider it a prime candidate for concealed-carry. That’s the received wisdom, “wisdom” that the folks at Springfield Armory have just sent packing.

The company is unveiling a new XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) in 10mm, which it believes combines potent power with cutting-edge performance. Though the company’s well-received XD-M series has offered 10mm models, those guns are all larger and heavier than this new entry. The new gun has a 3.8-inch barrel (instead of 4.5 or 5.25 inches), and it also weighs less than the other models. With a capacity of 11+1, Springfield’s designers believe they have created an outstanding defensive pistol option. In addition, the pistol is also offered packaged with a HEX Dragonfly 3.5 MOA red-dot sight that features a rugged machined-aluminum body.

The XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP also comes with a removable, short magwell for ultra-fast and intuitive magazine changes. In addition to the flush-fitting 11-round magazines that come with the pistol, you can also employ optional full-size 15-round magazines with a “grip sleeve” by removing the magwell.

The XD-M Elite family 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm benefits from the META (Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly) system. “The META is designed to offer the finest factory trigger available in a polymer-framed pistol,” says Mike Humphries, media relations manager for Springfield Armory. “From a clean, crisp, and consistent pull to an integral overtravel stop to its flat face, the META gives you a high-end trigger right out of the box.”

When the company embarked on this project, it understood there would be some design challenges.

“While there is a lot of interest and demand for 10mm pistols for EDC, pistols designed for CCW and chambered in this powerful round are quite rare,” says Steve Kramer, vice president of marketing for Springfield Armory. “This is likely a result of the difficulties of making a pistol that can fire this round small enough for a CCW role, but still shootable enough to be practical.

“By starting with the XD-M Elite platform, which is an enhanced version of the popular XD-M pistol, the new XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP in 10mm is able to offer shooters a very capable compact 10mm that is packable and also shootable. Despite its small dimensions, the pistol has a controllable grip (enhanced further by the removable flared magwell), excellent sights, fully ambidextrous controls, improved slide serrations, and more. Further setting the pistol apart is the fact it is an OSP that can accept red-dot optics, such as the HEX Dragonfly, which is offered as an option.”

As the engineers got to work, they had to consider the nature of the 10mm on a compact package, namely recoil and muzzle rise. How did they fare?

Humphries admits that the physics of firing a round like the 10mm out of a compact pistol does mean recoil is a factor, but he believes the pistol has numerous features that make it very manageable to shoot. “These features include highly effective grip texturing, an interchangeable backstrap system for customizing the grip to each shooter’s needs, the removable magwell’s shape, and more. Simply put, the XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP 10mm is a pistol that is both easy to carry and easy to shoot well.”

Kramer says the initial dealer response has been extremely positive. “The 10mm chambering is consistently popular. So, when you combine that with our pistol’s compact size and red-dot capability, you’ve got a unique product. The result is a pistol that looks to be a very strong seller.”  SRP: $633 without optic; $818, with optic. (springfield-armory.com)