Smith & Wesson M&P 40 M2.0 .40 S&W vs Springfield Armory XD Service 4" .40 S&W

The Smith & Wesson M&P 40 M2.0 .40 S&W and the Springfield Armory XD Service 4" .40 S&W share a 5.5" height and sit within 0.1" in overall length, 7.4" against 7.3". The gap that matters is capacity: 15+1 for the M&P against 10+1 for the XD. The M&P is also 1.1 oz lighter (28.9 oz vs 30.0 oz), 0.04" narrower (1.16" vs 1.2") and runs a 0.25" longer barrel at 4.25". The XD's trigger is the lighter of the two by 1 lb, 5.5 lb against 6.5 lb, and it adds a grip safety to the trigger safety both share. Neither is optic-ready. MSRP is $639 against $540.

Pick the Smith & Wesson M&P 40 M2.0 if:

• You want 15+1 rather than 10+1, five more rounds of .40 S&W per magazine
• You want interchangeable palmswell inserts to size the grip to your hand
• The 4.25" barrel and 6.5" sight radius suit you

Pick the Springfield Armory XD Service 4" if:

• You want the 1 lb lighter trigger, 5.5 lb against 6.5 lb
• You want a grip safety in addition to the trigger safety
• $540 against $639 — $99 less for the same caliber and size class

Dimensionally these are near twins, both striker-fired polymer-framed service .40s. The decision is five rounds and grip inserts on the M&P against a 1 lb lighter trigger, a grip safety and $99 on the XD.