Nockervision: Gun Companies and My Esteemed Opinions of Them - Volume 1: Springfield Armory
[Karma fronting]
Springfield, for the last few years, has just plain been weird. Not necessarily bad weird, but weird.
They introduce the XDM, a gun designed, they said, to be something of a middle ground between a Defensive Pistol and a Match Pistol. Higher capacity for those events where, apparently, a 17 round magazine just isn't good enough, match grade barrel (or at least has the word "match" stamped on it, take your pick), and more target style sights.... and then they release a shorter barreled - thus less accurate - version.... and then they release a shorter gripped - thus with less control - version of the shorter barreled version. Sure, maybe this was customer demand. But, still, this is like introducing the Corvette, and then making a 4 cylinder version of it, and then making a hatchback version of that. The XDM 3.8 and 3.8 Compact sell better than the 4.5. It's still weird.
And, more recently, they introduce an exciting new little slim subcompact, the XDS. Great little gun, by all accounts other than those pissed off about the recall (this stuff happens, people). So, what do they introduce next? A less concealable version of it, adding three quarters of an inch to the overall length. Were there really people saying, "This is a great carry gun and all.... but, I can't hit things 50 yards away very well with it..."?
I mean, I know that Americans have this weird desire for one thing to do everything, but it really doesn't work out well when you really try to achieve that. Besides, don't you *like* having reasons to buy more guns? ;)
On the 1911 and M1A side of things, they seem to be doing that annoying but profitable thing of sticking with what works. I can only complain about that in terms of wanting to see something more interesting from them. A new rifle (new, not an M1A with a different stock; a non-M1A rifle) or a real improvement of the 1911.
Springfield, for the last few years, has just plain been weird. Not necessarily bad weird, but weird.
They introduce the XDM, a gun designed, they said, to be something of a middle ground between a Defensive Pistol and a Match Pistol. Higher capacity for those events where, apparently, a 17 round magazine just isn't good enough, match grade barrel (or at least has the word "match" stamped on it, take your pick), and more target style sights.... and then they release a shorter barreled - thus less accurate - version.... and then they release a shorter gripped - thus with less control - version of the shorter barreled version. Sure, maybe this was customer demand. But, still, this is like introducing the Corvette, and then making a 4 cylinder version of it, and then making a hatchback version of that. The XDM 3.8 and 3.8 Compact sell better than the 4.5. It's still weird.
And, more recently, they introduce an exciting new little slim subcompact, the XDS. Great little gun, by all accounts other than those pissed off about the recall (this stuff happens, people). So, what do they introduce next? A less concealable version of it, adding three quarters of an inch to the overall length. Were there really people saying, "This is a great carry gun and all.... but, I can't hit things 50 yards away very well with it..."?
I mean, I know that Americans have this weird desire for one thing to do everything, but it really doesn't work out well when you really try to achieve that. Besides, don't you *like* having reasons to buy more guns? ;)
On the 1911 and M1A side of things, they seem to be doing that annoying but profitable thing of sticking with what works. I can only complain about that in terms of wanting to see something more interesting from them. A new rifle (new, not an M1A with a different stock; a non-M1A rifle) or a real improvement of the 1911.