Firearm: Springfield Armory XD 9mm (MSRP: $440) Springfield Armory XD OSP 9mm Slide Assembly (MSRP: $270)

While Springfield Armory’s Hellcat and Hellcat Pro micro-9 mm double-stack pistols have been garnering the most attention lately, the original XD is still available for those looking for a larger handgun for their carry pistol. With the Glock G19X and G45, there’s clearly a market out there for pistols with a slightly shorter barrel and a full-size grip, which is exactly what the XD we have today features.

With a 4-inch barrel, 7.3-inch overall length, 5.5-inch height and 28-ounce weight, the XD is a bit larger than the Hellcat or Hellcat Pro, that’s for sure. Check the specs, though, against one of the industry standards for a carry pistol, the Glock G19. The XD has the same length barrel and overall length, same width and is only half an inch taller. It’s a few ounces heavier than the G19, but that is most likely due to the larger grip which does hold one more round than the G19.   The reason we’ve opted for the XD in 9mm for today’s kit, though, has to do with a new offering from Springfield Armory, the OSP 9mm slide assembly. Owners of existing 9 mm XDs with 4- or 5-inch barrels can add red-dot capability to their pistols by simply field-stripping the handgun and swapping out the slides. It’s just that easy. Of course, all standard safety caveats apply, like making sure the gun is completely empty, as the XD does require pulling the trigger to disassemble. Check, double check and check one more time, just to be sure.

The slide comes with a plate for the RMSc footprint, and plates for other footprints like the RMR or DeltaPoint Pro are available separately from Springfield Armory. These OSP plates need to be attached to the slide, then the optic is attached to the plate, much like the MOS system from Glock. It means multiple sets of screws—three hold the plate to the slide, while two screws hold the optic to the plate. Just be sure to torque everything down properly and/or use Loctite and everything will be fine. Sure, you could have your existing slide milled, but a quick check reveals the price to be nearly comparable to the new slide, when shipping and handling are added to the gunsmithing fee.

Holster: Crucial Concealment Ambi Covert IWB (MSRP: $65.99) We’ve chosen the Crucial Concealment Ambi Covert IWB holster for this optic-equipped XD 9mm. We’ve used Crucial Concealment holsters previously and have found the company’s offerings to be an excellent choice given the capability for ambidextrous carry as well as adjustability for a wide range of cant. Add in the ability to increase or decrease retention with a single screw as well as an optics cut, and the Ambi Covert IWB offers plenty of options.

Single-sheet Kydex construction combined with a sturdy polymer belt clip yield a simple holster that will hold up to hard use. Rather than add a wing to help concealment in the appendix position, Crucial Concealment molds what it calls a Trigger Bump to help angle the holster in toward the body to reduce printing. A variety of fits for numerous handguns are available.

Optic: Bushnell RXC-200 (MSRP: $199) If the red-dot sight we’ve put on the XD looks familiar, it should. We ran Bushnell’s new RXU-200 a few episodes back; the dot we have today is its slightly larger sibling, the RXC-200. Designed to fit the popular RMSc footprint so common on these pistols, the RXC-200 offers a 6-MOA red-dot in a 7075-T6 aluminum housing with a glass lens coated in Bushnell’s proprietary EXO barrier coating to reduce dust and water accumulation.

Despite its entry-level price, the RXC-200 has an impressive list of standard features. First, it has an auto-on feature with automatic brightness detection to save battery life. Bushnell claims 50,000 hours of battery life on a single, easily obtained CR2032 battery. Second, it is tested and has exceeded MIL-STD-810 vibration standards as well as IPX7 standards for water resistance.

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