Duality of purpose—getting one thing that can do many things—is an attribute we all look for in today’s economy. When it comes to firearms for personal protection, duality of purpose is pretty much a given, as one gun can usually be pressed into service for a variety of uses, from concealed carry to home protection, but rarely does one gun offer the convenience and versatility of two. This is one of the “M” factors in Springfield’s venerable XDM 3.8 Compact semi-auto chambered in .40 S&W.

I have personally been a fan of Springfield Armory handguns for many years, dating back the days when all they produced were world-class 1911-A1 models. With the addition of the XD (which stands for “eXtreme Duty”) and XDM series of guns, introduced in 2002 and 2008 respectively, the company raised the bar on multi-purpose sidearms. While the larger XD pistols have found great acceptance within the general firearms community, the XDM series is even more in tune with today’s personal-protection and concealed carry needs. The latest XDM 3.8 Compact in .40 S&W, with an impressive 11+1 capacity, offers the same match-grade, 3.8-inch barrel as the standard XDM but with a shorter grip frame like those used on the XD Sub-Compact models, truly making this a dedicated concealed carry sidearm, at least in standard trim. This should pair nicely with Springfield’s latest CCW phenomenon, the super-slim XD-S .45 ACP. But there’s more.

Gun Details
Based on the popular 3.8 models—so named for their barrel lengths and commensurately shorter slides, which line up flush with the polymer frame, lopping off 0.7 inches of barrel and lug in the process—the latest 3.8 Compact ups the ante with the added firepower of .40 S&W (the most popular cartridge used today in U.S. law enforcement), and a shortened grip frame that measures just 4.75 inches in depth with the standard magazine.