I have been carrying a S&W 642 for about 5 years. I absolutely love that pistol for concealed carry but I'm not in love with the .38 special. It also has quite a snappy bite to it with +p ammo or juicy reloads.
I wanted something a little more potent but recoil starts to be an issue with the really small pistols so I wasn't sure what to do.
I saw an XD-s the other day and it felt perfect in my hand and its size was just awesome for concealed carry. Wasnt too stoked about the magazine capacity but I figured 5 rounds of .45 was better than 5 of .38 special. I have to admit I was a little worried about recoil but decided to pick it up anyways.
Anyhow on to the range. I shot this little thing and I was FREAKING AMAZED how controllable and pain free this little thing was to shoot. I have a lot of pistols. I love them all but rarely get all gaga over a gun and have never felt the need to give a range report. This gun however deserves a long hard look if your considering a compact carry gun but are worried about recoil. I HIGHLY recomend you at least consider one of these little gems.
Oh, an afterthough. I ran 230 grn ball ammo, 230 grn lead round nose, and 185 grn XTPs they all ran great. It failed to go into battery twice on the first two mags but appatently these pistols are supposed to be run wet for the first couple hundred rounds to "loosen" it up a bit.
Give one a shot. Youll freaking love it.
