Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5" .40 S&W
Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5" .40 S&W
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Springfield XD-M Elite 4.5" in .40 S&W carries 16+1 rounds — the highest factory capacity of any production .40 pistol, period. That's 1 round more than the Glock G22 Gen5, 2 more than the Sig P320, and the only sub-30-round answer to "what gun gives me the most .40 ammunition on board?"
The Elite trim adds the META trigger (Springfield's polymer-trigger-shoe redesign that breaks at 5 lbs with a noticeably shorter reset than the old USA trigger), fiber-optic front sight, Tactical Rack U-Dot rear, flared mag well, and Posi-Wedge interchangeable backstraps. The grip safety setup carries over from the older XD platform — owners coming from Glock or Sig need to get used to the additional handshake required for the gun to fire, which most reviewers describe as a brief familiarization period rather than a real impediment.
The catch is that Springfield discontinued the XD-M Elite line in .40 S&W as part of the broader .40 production wind-down. New-in-box stock exists on dealer shelves and the used market is active, but this won't be a model buyers can re-order indefinitely. For anyone wanting maximum capacity in a .40 service gun without going to a CZ Shadow 2 or a competition-only build, this is the answer — and grabbing one while new examples are still findable is the practical move.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- 16+1 capacity is the highest of any factory .40 S&W pistol — a genuine differentiator for high-round-count or competition shooters
- META trigger is a real improvement over the older USA system; owners describe the break as cleaner with a much shorter reset
- Fiber-optic front and tactical U-Dot rear sights are factory standard, not an upcharge
- Discontinued by Springfield as part of the broader .40 production exit — long-term factory parts and magazine availability will tighten
- No factory optic cut on the standard Elite model; the OSP variant is the only XD-M with milled slide
Category Rankings
How the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5" .40 S&W ranks among full-size .40 S&W handguns.
Ballistics Calculator
Calculate trajectory, drop, and energy for .40 S&W ammunition.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Springfield discontinue the XD-M Elite in .40 S&W?
Springfield wound down .40 S&W production across the XD-M Elite line as part of the broader industry shift away from .40 — most major manufacturers cut back .40 SKUs after the FBI returned to 9mm in the late 2010s. The 9mm XD-M Elite remains in production with the same META trigger and 22+1 capacity, and Springfield has not announced plans to bring the .40 back.
Are XD-M Elite magazines still available?
Factory 16-round .40 XD-M magazines are still findable on dealer shelves and through Springfield's parts catalog as of this writing, but stock is finite. Mec-Gar does not currently make aftermarket .40 XD-M magazines, so buyers planning to shoot this gun long-term should grab spare factory mags while available rather than waiting.
Will Springfield still service the XD-M Elite .40 under warranty?
Yes — Springfield continues to honor warranty service on the XD-M Elite .40 even though the model is out of production. Parts availability is the longer-term question; small parts like extractors and recoil springs are still in stock at Springfield, but caliber-specific items will become harder to source as inventory depletes.
