Springfield XD40 vs Glock 22: Face Off Of Full Size Forties

Face Off Of The Forties: XD40 vs Glock 22

Want a full-size .40 but can't decide between the Springfield XD40 vs Glock 22? Let's go over them both.

Both of these guns have a lot going for them. They're big enough to easily handle shooting the .40 S&W, but totable enough for a person to actually carry them every day. Some people do!

So, which serious striker to source for your security? (Yes, we are an alliteration company with a holster problem.) Depends a bit on what you're looking for...

The Glock 22...But Which One?

There are two versions of the Glock 22 that are available from the factory. You have the standard version and the Glock 22 Gen 4. What are the differences?

Only a few, really. The 22 Gen 4 has Glock's Modular Back Strap System, revised grip texturing, a different magazine release button (a little bigger, also reversible) and a dual recoil spring. Other than that, it's the same gun!

In either case, the gun sports a 4.49-inch barrel. Overall length is 8.02 inches for the original or 7.95 inches for the Gen 4 as the backstrap is a tad shorter on the Gen 4. Overall height is 5.47 inches, slide width is 1 inch and overall width at the controls is 1.26 inches.

The Glock Safety System, tabbed trigger and about 6-pound trigger pull, of course, are standard, as are Glock sights.

However, the Gen 4 also has a trigger reach (distance between the back of the grip housing to the front of the trigger) of 2.76 inches vs 2.81 inches for the original recipe. Stock magazines carry 15 rounds of .40 S&W for both. Unloaded weight - with no magazine - is 22.75 ounces.

It's one of the most popular police guns in the nation, though the nation's cops are far more commonly carrying 9mm these days and sales of .40 S&W pistols on the civilian market are drying up. That said, both are excellent choices. While the full-size Glock pistols are big, they're slim and light enough for daily carry...and more people than you might think actually use them as CCW pistols.

Springfield XD40: A Slightly Different Striker

The Springfield XD40 is definitely a striker-fired, polymer-frame pistol...but Springfield's guns are a wee bit different.

One thing that the XD40 does is add a bit of material where it counts. Handling it, you'll notice that most of the weight - all 30 ounces with an empty magazine - is in the slide. That makes it quite top heavy, but it balances out nicely once loaded with the 12+1 rounds it carries.

The barrel length is 4 inches, and overall dimensions are 7.3 inches in length, 5.5 inches in height and 1.2 inches in width at the controls. Like the Glock 22, it has a dual recoil spring system and full-length guide rod. It also wears driftable three-dot sights on the slide.

Also like the Glock, it has a rail on the dust cover of the slide for mounting accessory lights or lasers as the owner may wish. The XD also has a tabbed trigger and a similar safety system, but also has a party piece that pretty much all other polymer striker guns lack.

On top of the tabbed trigger system, the Springfield XD40 has a grip safety, a feature normally only found the , old Smith and Wesson Lemon Squeezer revolvers, the Remington R51 and...that's about it. The pistol must be gripped in order for it to be fired, as well as a trigger safety requiring a trigger pull.

The regular version is pretty plain-Jane, much like the Glock. There are no swappable back straps and you don't get any other options until you get into the XD Mod2 series. Everything you need, nothing you don't and that's about it.

Springfield XD40 vs Glock 22...Which Should I Get

Between the Springfield XD40 and the Glock 22, there are a few little things that favor one or the other, but you are ultimately going to be the best judge of which to get.

The Springfield XD40 has a palmswell that's reminiscent of classic guns, so it's a bit more ergonomic. Don't let the grip safety fool you either; the beavertail of the backstrap actually lets you get a good high grip, which makes the grip safety no real obstacle to anything. Since the slide is a little beefier, it will also soak up recoil a little better compared to the Glock 22.

The Glock 22, however, gets you 3 more rounds per but adds almost another inch in length, meaning a bit more real estate inside the waistband if you carry either in a concealed manner. Some people find the polymer of the Glock frame feels a little better than the XD, though you know you have a plastic gun in either case.

The Glock trigger is also arguably a little better than the XD's, though - again - it's not like a crisp, clean, custom-shop Series 70 1911 in either case. The XD's trigger is mush until the last quarter-inch of the pull, when you hit a bit of a hard wall. It breaks easy (about 6 pounds) but the feel is different. The Glock trigger, which is hardly a world-beater (it's anemic at best) feels a little better without the pronounced stack at the end.

You may notice that, you may not.

Neither is the best CCW gun but both are manageable at the role. Neither breaks the bank (expect to pay around $450 for the XD40 and about $550 for the Glock, though it depends a lot on where you get it) so neither is the greatest bargain nor really that overpriced.

The Glock 22, obviously, has DRASTICALLY more aftermarket support. If you plan on adding bits, it's definitely the gun to get.