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Springfield Armory isn’t known for bargain-bin guns.
So when they drop a $400 9mm, it raises a legitimate question:
What did they leave out to hit that price?
Today, we are zooming in on a pistol, a new model in the XD line. That series of guns is imported, made by HS Produkt. From the first XD (eXtreme Duty, a rebranded HS2000) coming ashore in 2002, Springfield Armory (SA from now on) has had a successful run with these polymer, striker-fired pistols. As I said, I’ve owned several, and I have not had to send any back for service.
The 9mm is the carry pistol of choice these days, and every manufacturer makes many models in that caliber. But two design factors have infiltrated the 9mm carry pistol world in recent years.
The first of those factors is to build pistols with a shorter, four-inch-or-so barrel, mated to a full-size (16-20 round) grip frame. I never did understand that CCW pistol philosophy, because I never had trouble hiding the pistol barrel while carrying concealed… it was always the grip that was the problem. A long grip stuck out. But, that’s just me… maybe it’s my “built for comfort, not for speed” body style.
It seems that the introduction of the Glock 45 in 2018 set the ball rolling on this new design feature. Its Glock-15-sized barrel and slide were mated to a Glock-17-sized frame, with its 17-round capacity. Now, many makers have brought out similarly configured pistols.
The second factor that has seemingly gripped the industry is an emphasis on budget-priced pistols. This is nothing new, of course… lesser-expensive guns have always been popular. It just seems that the industry has really gone overboard in producing cheaper guns. Taurus and similarly priced brands are very popular with a large segment of shooters who may not be able to pony up six, seven, or more Benjamins for a 9mm.
Enter the SA Mod 4 pistols. SA has, to this point, been a provider of mid-to-upper budget long guns and handguns. But this past March (2026), they brought out the Mod 4 and hit a price point that had prospective purchasers’ attention.
Mod 4 – What Is It?
The XD Mod 4 is a new design that combines a few features at a budget price point. Some of those features include:
–Optics Cut. The Mod 4 extends the available optics to several models, as it uses their proprietary OSP (Optic Slide Plate) system. That allows you to install many different red dots.
–16-Round Magazine. You get more than 15 but less than 17… I teach math! That puts this gun just above the compact capacity, and right at full-size. One negative about the magazine is that you only get one with the gun… that should never happen! A minimum of two, or even three, should be rule number one. You can get an extra one for $31here.
–Updated Grip Texturing. The grip texturing covers the front and back of the grip frame, but oddly not on the sides.
–Fiber Optic Front Sight. Visible in low light, the F.O. front sight is a welcome addition.
Let’s look at the Specification listing now…
- Caliber 9mm
- Color Black
- Barrel 4″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish, 1:10
- Slide Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish, Optics-Ready
- Frame Black Polymer
- Sights Fiber Optic Front, White Dot Rear
- Recoil System Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
- Grip Width 1.2″
- Magazines (1) 16-Round
- Weight 27 oz
- Length 7.3″
- Height 5.5″
- MSRP $399
While there is no Tritium night sight, or SA’s Adaptive Texturing on this gun (it does sell for around $400, remember), there are still enough “goodies” to cause a shooter to check it out. The slide serrations, for one thing, are very deep and sharply cut. The gun seems well-appointed for its price point.
Observations
OSP
The optic slide plate system is a good thing. You have the ability to mount several different brands and models of red dots out of the box. Here’s what the gun’s website says about this:
The XD® Mod.4 is equipped with a slide milled for an optic from the factory, allowing you to mount the red dot of your choice.
Grip Safety
I go way back to when 1911s had no “memory bump” on their grip safeties, so the inclusion of one doesn’t bother me. I got over that years ago. However, I know many shooters were not raised on 1911s, and the grip safety is a deal for them. I will say that, with the way it’s integrated into the frame, you probably won’t notice it. I remain in a neutral corner on this one.
Recoil Spring
The dual-wound recoil spring is an even distributor of recoil and isn’t very hard to draw the slide against while racking.
Grip Texturing
The fore-and-aft texturing is alright, but I also prefer something to anchor the palms of my hands when shooting. I wish they would texture the sides. I attribute the lack of this to the gun’s low price point.
Magazines (Or Lack Therof)
I griped above about the inclusion of only one 16-round magazine with the pistol. I would rather see them raise the gun’s price by the amount a second magazine would cost them and stick two of them in the box. You can’t train properly with one magazine… what if it goes down?
Cocked Striker Indicator
A rod protrudes from the rear of the slide when the striker is cocked, and there is a pivoting lever at the rear of the chamber when the chamber is loaded.
Sights
You have a fiber optic front and a white dot rear.
Range Report
My home range has been de-constructed, to put it mildly… I’m in the process of moving it. So, I stuck some targets up where I could get twenty uninterrupted yards, and grabbed a small assortment of Black Hills ammo. They supply ammo for my reviews, for which I am very grateful. It’s very good quality, reliable, and accurate ammo.
I had some of their baseline 115-grain FMJ as my go-to choice for any 9mm review. I also had some HoneyBadger 100-grain shredder ammo… if you haven’t experienced this “Phillips-Screwdrive-Tip” hyper-velocity load, you owe it to yourself to try a box. Their HB 9mm comes in regular 100-grain and subsonic 125-grain loadings. Typically, the 100-grain load blows most of the way through a Clear Ballistics gel block, with a large cavity upon entry.
The nice part about HB loads is that they tend to be among the most accurate among whatever caliber I’m testing… typically, hyper-velocity/light bullet loads tend to be erratic at best. Not so the HB. It seems to hit close to the point of aim and to produce decent groups, in whatever caliber I’m testing.
Anyway, here is a sample target. This was shot with the HoneyBadger load. I tried 115 FMJ as well, but this pistol evidently doesn’t like that. It was more of a pattern…
Note that the group is low/right, as are all my pistol groups. I’m left-handed and right-eyed… The HoneyBadger load is usually among the most accurate of what I try. It’s good stuff. At normal defense ranges, it would work well.
Here’s something I discovered that has really helped… the Caldwell Brass Trap.
This fancy net mounts on a tripod (either full-size or tabletop) and saves you the effort and time picking up brass. I’ve used some that mount to a rifle, but this thing is useful across the board. See the link below for information.
Summing Up
Are you in the market for a 9mm pistol that is easily carried? This twenty-seven-ounce pistol hides well. Do you want red dot compatibility across several brands and models of optics? There’s the Optic Slide Plate system. Want a pistol that’s a little “extra safe”? Here’s one with a grip safety.
This gun performed well for its $400 price point, but the lack of an extra magazine is not good. If you can order more from the website (link above), so much the better.
Overall, considering its low price, it seems to be a decent 9mm. I did not get a chance to put hundreds of rounds through it… I very seldom have that as an option… but the shooting I was able to do went well. There were no malfunctions, and the felt recoil wasn’t bad. If you are considering a Taurus or a Hi Point or similar pistol, this gun presents another low-priced option. You get a full-blown 9mm for about the price of a 380, and you have Springfield Armory’s lifetime warranty for the original purchaser behind it. That’s not a bad deal.
Links To Items Used In This Review
- Birchwood Casey Filled Shooting Bags, $40
- Birchwood Casey Eze-Scorer 8 Inch Bull’s-Eye Target, 26 Targets, $9
- Black Hills Ammunition
- Caldwell Brass Trap, $68
- Caldwell E-Max Low-Profile Hearing Protectors, $33
- Caldwell Ultimate Target Stand, $33
- Clear Ballistics Gel, various prices
- GPS Medium Range Bag, $150
- MTM Case-Gard High-Low Shooting Table, $160
- Real Avid Smart Drive Screwdriver 90 Bit Set, $110
- UpLULA universal pistol magazine loader, $35
- Wheeler Trigger Pull Gauge, $88
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