The Springfield Armory XD-M Elite is a full-size striker-fired 9mm built for range work and home defense. Springfield no longer makes it, so it's a used buy. Both magazines in the box hold 20 rounds, and a removable extended magwell is fitted to funnel them in.

The trigger is the Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, which Springfield puts at the top of its striker-fired range, and the slide stop is ambidextrous. Sights are a fiber optic front with a Tactical Rack U-Dot rear, the recoil system is captive, and the barrel is 4.5 inches of hammer forged steel with a 1:10 twist. The magwell unbolts when a holster or a competition rule needs it gone. The grip safety is a hinged panel on the backstrap that has to be fully depressed before the trigger will work, and it cannot be taken out without modifying the frame. The slide on this build also has no optic cut, so a dot means the separate OSP version.

If you are cross-shopping, the Springfield Armory Echelon has an MSRP of $710, weighs 5.1 oz less at 23.9 oz and mounts a dot straight to the slide, but it holds 17 rounds and has no magwell. The Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 Full Size OR matches the 29.0 oz weight at an MSRP of $699 and arrives optic ready.