Springfield Armory XDM-E OSP XDME94510BHCOSP Black Finish 10mm Auto

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

$575

Springfield keeps upgrading the XD line, and we grabbed one of the latest versions for our test. The XDM-E OSP stands for XD Match-Elite, Optical Sight Pistol. The name encompasses a number of improvements made to the basic XD platform. The “Match” upgrade brought a fully ramped, match-quality barrel as well as a fiber-optic front sight. To identify this pistol and separate it from the other XDM-E in this test, we’ll refer to it as Mr. Black. The other XDM-E with a green Cerakote slide will be called Mr. Green, befitting their different slide colorations. Also, because the two guns were virtually identical, we won’t duplicate comments between the two handguns. What we say of Mr. Black here first will also apply to Mr. Green. Where they differ, we’ll comment.

The introduction of the Elite series provided a change in the slide serrations and a removable, extended magwell. It also debuted their META (Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly) trigger. The new unit sports a flat face into which the trigger-safety bar fits and operates smoothly. The new contours make this trigger comfortable to shoot. The redesigned lever provides for a release point as the blade reaches the vertical. The new setup also includes an overtravel stop on the back of the trigger blade, thereby limiting movement after trigger break. We are avowed trigger snobs and 1911 devotees, and we still think Springfield Armory did a great job with the trigger on both Mr. Black and Mr. Green.

The slide had several more features we liked. The rear sight is a tactical U notch that provides a good aperture for and frames the front sight nicely. It is fit in a dovetail allowing it to be drifted left or right for windage. It also has that flat, front ledge, once again allowing for one-handed tactical manipulations. The rear face of the slide allows part of the striker to project when the unit is cocked. Note that the trigger system employed by the XDM-E partially cocks the striker assembly as the slide is racked to complete the movement of releasing the sear. This lowers the shooter’s effort. The top of the slide sports a lever that pops up when a cartridge is in the chamber. Curious to see if there would be a difference, we noted that the loaded-chamber indicators on the XDM-E 10mm pistols were much more visible when we inserted 10mm empty brass than when we first tried them with 9mm cases. Just sayin’.

The slide is also milled, drilled, and tapped for red-dot sights, as would be expected for a handgun bearing the moniker of “OSP” for Optical Sight Pistol. Readers of our reviews of various red-dot sights (see November 2021 issue) might have noticed our frustrations with the various manufacturers and the problems we have had trying to put their sights on guns. There are few standards in this industry, and everything seems to require a different mount. Springfield includes three different mounts for the most common sights, greatly simplifying our efforts to attach such an optic if we wanted to.

The frame of the XDM-Elite has also come a long way. The surface of the frame is textured to provide a good gripping surface. We greatly prefer the smaller projections present on this newer version. The XDM-Elite, as expected, provides for a truly ambidextrous magazine release and a manual grip safety. Note that the grip safety must also be depressed to operate the slide or disassemble the pistol. The current version ships with three different grip inserts to accommodate different-sized hands. These are easily changed via the removal of a single roll pin. That same pin also secures the magwell to the bottom of the grip frame. If the shooter does not want the magwell, for whatever reason, it is easy to remove. We would suggest that the shorter floorplates (included) for the magazines be installed if you take off the magwell to make the gun smaller in width.

Because the Glock 20 SF Gen 3 is not the optical-sights version (check out the long-slide Glock Model 40 MOS for that option), we did not test it or the XDM-E pistols using red dots. That doesn’t mean we didn’t install one on the Springfields. Our Swampfox Justice model mounted up easily and securely using the provided Trijicon RMR pattern adapter.

Our Team Said: Function of the Mr. Black XDM-E was 100% regardless of ammo tested. The best five-shot groups measured just over an inch. We continue to be pleased by some of the extra touches from Springfield Armory, such as the highly polished feed ramp. We love smooth feeding on a high-speed pistol. 

10MM Auto Range Data