HS2000

HS 2000 / Springfield Armory XD
The 4 in XD .45 ACP with 13 rounds of JHP
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Croatia United States
Service history
In service	1999-present
Used by	Croatian Armed Forces Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Production history
Designer	Marko Vuković
Manufacturer	HS Produkt
Produced	1999 (Croatia)
Variants	See table
Specifications
Cartridge	9x19mm Parabellum .357 SIG .40 S&W .45 GAP .45 ACP
Action	Short recoil operated
Feed system	Detachable box magazine
Sights	Fixed and illuminated night sights

The Springfield Armory XD is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured in the city of Karlovac, Croatia by HS Produkt (formerly I.M. Metal), and licensed and sold in the US by Springfield Armory, Inc. The HS2000 (Hrvatski Samokres (Croatian Pistol)), or XD (X-Treme Duty) series of pistols are polymer-framed and striker-fired.

History

A late model HS2000 service pistol

The XD traces its roots back to a service pistol known as the PHP (Prvi Hrvatski Pištolj or First Croatian Pistol), which was first produced in Croatia by privately owned industrial parts firm I. M. Metal in 1991. Designed by a team led by Marko Vuković, the PHP was considered to be a solid design, but early versions were plagued by quality issues, due in large part to the difficulties of manufacturing during the Croatian War of Independence. Vuković's team continued to tweak and improve the design over the next decade, releasing the HS95 (Hrvatski Samokres or Croatian Pistol) in 1995, and the HS2000 in 1999.

The HS2000 was adopted by the Croatian military and law enforcement as a standard issue sidearm and continues to fill that role today. The pistol was initially exported to the US market by Intrac and distributed by HSAmerica who sold the pistol in 9 mm as the HS2000.

In 2002, Springfield Armory, Inc. negotiated licensing rights to the US market, and changed the name to the XD-9 (X-treme Duty 9x19mm). Springfield Armory has since expanded the line to include seven models in three different calibers and five different cartridges, four barrel lengths, and four finishes (black, bi-tone, olive drab frame, and the newest dark earth frame). The industry press awarded the XD-45 the title of Handgun of the Year from both American Rifleman magazine and the The Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. The XD^M series of pistols won Handgun of the Year again in 2009.

Design

The XD is short recoil-operated, and striker fired (meaning the weapon has no external hammer). Most XDs have dual captive recoil springs; however, the XD^M and Tactical 5 in models have non-captive springs. They use a polymer frame with steel inserts, mounting rail and trigger-mounted safety. An indicator protrudes from the rear of the slide when the striker is cocked and the staggered-column magazines are polished stainless steel with a polymer basepad. A loaded chamber indicator pivots up on top of the slide when a round is in the chamber being both visual and tactile. An ambidextrous magazine release is also standard. Takedown of the pistol is through a lever on the left side of the frame that rotates up, allowing the slide to move forward off the frame. This is exactly the same mechanism of take down as seen in pistols manufactured by Sig Sauer.

XD .45 ACP compact with a 13 round magazine

Where the XD is unusual is in the presence of a grip safety that will not allow the pistol to fire without depressing a lever on the rear of the grip. This feature is present on some older pistols such as the M1911, however few modern pistols include a grip safety. The grip safety and CZ-75-style deeply inset backstrap are salient features of the XD. Other features include a function of the recoil spring guide rod that acts as a standoff device. The end of the rod protrudes from under the barrel and keeps the slide in battery when pressed against an object such as somebody's chest in contact-distance self-defense situations. This prevents the slide from being moved back because the device pushes the surface area of objects away from the slide, thus increasing the chance that the gun will function normally.

In addition to the trigger and grip safeties, there are three other safeties on the XD. The drop safety prevents the striker from releasing if the gun is dropped or exposed to a significant impact. An out of battery safety prevents firing unless the slide is completely in battery. Further, as of 2008, 4" and 5" XD .45 ACP Service models are available with an optional ambidextrous frame-mounted thumb safety. This option is only available for the 45 ACP XD at this time.

Variants

Custom Springfield-Armory XD-40 V-10, showing the ported barrel and slide.

Model	Barrel		Caliber	Capacity (rounds + 1)		Black	Olive Drab	Bi-Tone	Dark Earth
	(in)	(mm)		Standard	w. Sleeve
Sub-compact	3	79.5	9x19mm .40 S&W	10 or 13 9	16 12	X	X	X
Compact	4 5	102.5 127	.45 ACP	10	13	X	X	X	X
Service	4	102.5	9x19mm .40 S&W .357 SIG .45 GAP .45 ACP	16 12 12 9 13	n/a	X	X	X	X
Ported V-10	4	102.5	9x19mm .40 S&W .357 SIG	16 12 12	n/a	X	X
Tactical	5	127	9x19mm .40 S&W .357 SIG .45 GAP .45 ACP	16 12 12 9 13	n/a	X	X	X
XDM	4.5	114.3	9x19mm .40 S&W	19 16	n/a	X X	X	X X	X
XDM 3.8	3.8	96.5	9x19mm .40 S&W	19 16	n/a	X X	X	X X	X

• Other variations are available from the Springfield Armory Custom Shop.
• 10-round capacity magazines are available.

References

• Various archived articles at XD-HS2000.com.

External links

• Agencija Alan—official Croatian distributor for the HS2000
• HS-Arms - Information of the distributor for Europe
• HS2000 manual.
• US Embassy's profile of HS Product
• Springfield Armory's XD website
• Guide to replacing the trigger components
• Modern Firearms & Handguns - HS2000/XD Page
• Guns Magazine - Supported Chamber Q&A
• Guns and Ammo Magazine Action Profile - Inside the XD
• Springfield Armory's XD-9 A True 21st Century Pistol