I decided to get a Canyon Creek 4P 5.25 inch XDM 9mm to mess around with for the following reasons:
1) it seems like almost everyone else around here is shooting one in Production.
2) Robbie Leatham shoots one well, and designed it for USPSA.
3) it points more conventionally than a Glock, and can have a better trigger.
4) I have no XD experience, aside from a bit with an XD .45 about ten years ago.
5) there is enough XD hate around, that I thought it would be fun to see for myself.
The XDM arrived, Production ready with a Dawson FO front sight, black adjustable rear sight, texture on the grip, and an outstanding trigger. I shot it for the first time today, in a 350 round session.
Here is the bad. I had a stoppage on round three. I also had one round that wouldn't chamber, with the slide out of battery, and unable to go into battery, apparently the cartridge was mis-sized. Not sure if the initial issue was break-in, as it ran otherwise, excepting the apparently defective cartridge. My 25 yards groups were somewhat larger than what I expect with the Glock 17/34. Could be real, could be my familiarity, could be ammo choice.
Here is the good. This pistol handled like a hybrid of the two pistols I shoot best, the Glock 34 and Mink'd SP01. It was just crazy easy to shoot well. Bill drills at 7 and 25, Garcia dot drills, shots to the 3x5, steel, 35 yard steel, one shot draws, and transitions. We had a target array set up, consisting of an eight inch steel at 8, three more at 12 yards, and three at 21 yards. I had a 3.44 clean run for the seven targets which is a def PR. For a draw to two targets at eight yards, four A zone hits, I was seeing 1.55-1.60 for 4A's or a 3A/1C run. The common denominator to the good results was very fast transitions with this pistol, which I attribute to its relatively light weight, but a very light, short trigger with some roll that lends itself to stop/aim/jerk.
I really liked the adjustable rear sight, and it was a delight to fine tune elevation and windage, using just a Leatherman. The slide stop is in a good place. I had no problems with the grip safety shooting, and liked that it was essentially auto Gadget when holstering. The metal mags dropped cleanly.
My wife who believes Glock is the answer to everything in a handgun, also shot it. She said "let me shoot" one mag, and then a number of mags later, I had to pry it out of her hands. She said that she felt like she could shoot it better than her 34 with a good Vanek trigger. Her opinion was I was shooting it better than the 34, and probably the CZ, despite it being the first time I shot it.
There you go, XD haters.