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SIG Sauer P320 X Ten Vs. Springfield Armory XD-M Elite OSP: Hi-Cap 10mm Review

Photos by Kenda Lenseigne

So you’ve decided that your life isn’t complete without a full-sized 10mm handgun to tote around the woods. And why not — it’s a solid choice for just about anything on two legs or four, bears included. 

Until a few years ago, the Glock 20 was the only game in town, should you want a double-stack magazine, polymer frame, and weather-resistant finish; otherwise, some flavor of 1911 was your other choice. Today, not so much. Smith & Wesson, SIG Sauer, and Springfield Armory all offer hi-cap tens, so we decided to cast a jaundiced eye over two of them.

SIG P320 X TEN

When SIG launched the P320 in 2014, it didn’t take them long to come out with a .45 ACP version, but it was another eight years before a 10mm hit the market. The .45 has been thoroughly debugged since then, and the 10mm end user benefits from not being roped in as beta tester, as the chassis and grip modules are the same. 

Where the 10mm differs is in its top end, featuring a chunkier slide with appropriately sized breech face, a fully supported barrel, and a beefy, captive recoil spring assembly. The slide is cut to accept a red-dot optic of your choice, so long as it’s a DeltaPoint Pro or SIG’s version thereof. Should you decide not to go down that route, the as-issued X-ray tritium-illuminated iron sights will give you almost 7 inches of sight radius. 

The X Ten’s grip module is surprisingly trim, given that it’s wrapped around 15 10mm cartridges, and its beavertail and undercut trigger guard serve to lock the shooter’s hand in place during recoil. If you’re familiar with a 9mm P320’s layout, then the controls will need no introduction. Sinister-handed shooters are well catered for with a swappable mag release and ambi slide release. 

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD-M ELITE OSP 

Springfield’s polymer 10 features all the refinements introduced since the advent of the HS2000 in 1999. Produced in Croatia for the past two-plus decades, the XD-M is getting a bit long in the tooth in comparison to other striker-fired designs, but can still hold its own, particularly in the niche 10mm category. 

While offering the same 15+1 capacity as both SIG and Glock, the Springer’s grip is noticeably taller top to bottom than either. Although the G20’s trigger guard opening has always seemed tiny, especially for a pistol that by its nature is likely to be carried with gloved hands, the XD’s is generously sized. 

Its grip has coarse, raised lumps on the front and back straps to enhance control, while the controls are both big enough to find easily and shielded to prevent inadvertent operation. Our test unit arrived with a magwell already installed, though it and the backstrap are easily removable, should you want to customize it to your tastes. 

Two of the features which separate the XD from its competitors, namely the cocked striker indicator and grip safety, are present on the 10mm, though it’s up to you to decide the utility of these. Sights are big, bold, and easy to acquire, with a fiber-optic front and U-notch rear. Want a red dot to make long-range shot placement easier? There’s a mounting plate system included in the box which allows you to install most sights with common footprints. 

The XD’s barrel is a half-inch shorter than the SIG, despite the slides being almost identical in length, and it too has a fully supported chamber — as both of these handguns will no doubt be fed some pretty stout loads, this should prevent the case bulge common with the Glock 20.

Rounds Downrange

Using a mixture of SIG 180-grain FMJ, Nosler 200-grain bonded JHPs, and some extra spicy handloads topped with Hornady’s 200-grain XTP, we shot both pistols at 25 yards using their respective MRDS and rested on our range bag. 

The Springfield punched consistent 1.5- to 2-inch groups with anything we fed it, while SIG wouldn’t group well with either of the first two loads on our list, producing vertical stringing with the company ammo, and 4-inch groups with the Nosler. It wasn’t until it was running on the edge of the performance envelope with our home-brewed ammo that things came together, and groups shrank to the 2.5-inch mark. 

In terms of controllability, the XD was noticeably snappier than the P320, and as you’d expect both are considerably harder to hang on to than an equivalent 9mm. So if you want to make the transition from your typical EDC carry gun, you’ll have to put some time in at the range. If your hands are XL or bigger, you may wind up regretting an extended session with the SIG, as the slide release is positioned in such a way that it collides with your thumb under recoil. 

After about 50 rounds or so, this becomes increasingly annoying such that it starts to induce a flinch. The easy solution would be to cut the release down, but at $800 retail we feel this should have been addressed from the get-go; a fence on the grip would help. 

The XD-M 10mm feels like it’s reached the end of road in terms of development, kind of like when a truck manufacturer is hanging on to last decade’s model while they get ready to launch the next-gen version. 

It’s bigger than it needs to be, a tad clunkier in appearance and it gives up half an inch of barrel to the SIG for the same slide length — in 9 mil, this isn’t a big deal, but going up a millimeter, especially in bear country, we’ll take all the velocity we can get. 

Left: Black Bear, Right: Grizzle Bear

The P320 is sleek in comparison, and were it not for the annoyance of its slide release and it being a picky eater, it’d be the obvious winner. It’s also about $200 more expensive, so the end user will have to determine for themselves whether the juice is worth the squeeze. 

Bottom line, both pistols will do the job, and we’d feel well equipped with either of them stuffed into a chest rig if we were carrying out an animal in the brush. Just make sure you put time into learning them. 

THE GUNS:

SIG Sauer P320 X Ten

  • Capacity: 15+1
  • Barrel Length: 5 inches
  • Overall Length: 8.5 inches
  • Weight: 33 ounces
  • Street Price: $800
  • URL: www.sigsauer.com

Springfield Armory XD-M Elite OSP 

  • Capacity: 15+1
  • Barrel Length: 4.5 inches
  • Overall Length: 7.6 inches
  • Weight: 31 ounces
  • Street Price: $600
  • URL: www.springfield-armory.com

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