Reviews

WE XDM Compact 3.8 Short GBB Pistol

Operator7

Just like its big brother XD-M, reviewed here in its Airsoft version by Moondog, the XD-M Compact belongs to the XD-M family from Springfiled Armory USA. These show an evolution of theirXD line of products which, as just acknowledged by Springfield and noted on Moondog’s video review, draws inspiration in a number of other popular guns but is presented in a ery well finished and innovative package.

The XD-M Compact is of course noticeably smaller and more compact than most .45 ACP caliber guns. It also carried its frame from the XD-M with slightly modified contours and its purpose is to offer a compact and light weapon, easy to carry and conceal, with just about the same features and ergonomics that are present on the XD-M.

The Airsoft version is very faithful to the real steel, and its aesthetics makes it indeed a very remarkable and unique gun produced by WE.

I would like to thank Robert from CWI Airsoft for making this review possible.

BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN

The whole body is made of polymer with the exception of the metal slide. Very rugged and durable is how I would best define the polymer used on this gun. I have been using it a lot for past 3 or 4 weekends and it endured quite well  all I've thrown at it, and just begs for more.

The frame features an angled grip that has been a heritage from the XD, but what stands out are really the deep and long grasp slide serrations, which are a joy to pull, and the texture on the grip which according to Springfield has been engineered to have the best angle and depth to offer maximum grip and control, which in real steel is very important due to recoil. Nevertheless these details make this GBB gun look very cool.

The slide is quite massive and heavy. This in my opinion makes the gun just slightly unbalanced when using the smaller mag. But once I picked up the XDM with the larger mag it felt right and balanced. 

Of course that someone with smaller hands might instantly have a different opinion when holding the same gun, but in weight terms it seems to me like it’s just more evenly balanced and comfortable when using the larger mag.

The grip is very good with the small indentations working as they should to help improve the grip when holding the XDM Compact. Of course, if you have a larger area to hold the weapon you will witness an increased grip, so the larger mag is once again better not only if you have large hands but also if you want better control and more accuracy. At least from my experience I preferred this combination which positively affected my accuracy.

FEATURES, ERGONOMICS AND ACCESSORIES

Although I’ve been saying I love the XDM Compact with the large mag, which is the normal mag from the regular XDM, having a second mag included in the package is a great bonus! I only wish more airsoft manufacturers would do this because having a second mag to me is very important. So congratulations to WE Airsoft for this, hope you guys start doing this with the non-compact guns. :)

Included in the package are some accessories that make this GBB much versatile and quite customizable: three different sizes of back straps and three different sizes of extended grips that work along with the backs traps. These will help you to adapt the best grip to your hand by adding or removing to the size of the grip, just like the XDM.

And again, just like the XDM these will be hold in place by a pin which is easily removed with a small screw driver. Each back strap comes marked with a size letter that will somehow correspond to the number of the grip extension you will choose: if you choose the smaller back strap “S” then you will have to use the “I” extended grip on the mag, and so forth. Also, there are two mag bases you can use for your mag: a flat one and an extended one which I totally advise using on the smaller mag.

Together, these accessories provide a multitude of options that I can customize the WE XDM Compact. Eight to be exact, six just as you can see in the following picture, being that you can achieve two more with the extra back straps.

Another great feature I love is the ambidextrous mag release which is much welcome since not only is it more user friendly, but it also helps decrease reloading times. The whole reloading process gets much less awkward and allows you to maintain your weapon pointed in the enemy’s direction during the reload process. So when you aim down again you won’t have to correct so much the gun position. For instance with Glocks and 1911s I have to twist my wrist to push the catch with my thumb. On the WE XDM Compact I just use my right hand middle finger to push and the mag is quickly released.

The trigger is very responsive and ergonomic, and the sights are easy to use and acquire targets, making it a pleasure to use on the field. Also security wise this gun is very complete, much like the real one:  you’ve got a loaded chamber indicator but it’s non-functional. Then there’s the striker status pin which is working and is very useful so that the user knows if the gun is cocked and ready to fire, since the pin will stick out.

A two-stage trigger safety just like the real one is also present and working, plus you’ll notice that there’s a grip safety, so only when these two safeties are used the gun will fire. Finally, under the barrel there is another safety system that is Airsoft specific since it’s a numbered plate that locks the trigger when pushed back.

If this wasn’t enough, you can accessorize the WE XDM Compact thanks to the rail system underneath the barrel with lights, lasers or lights with lasers.

The packaging comes complete with two mags, one with 21 rounds capacity and the other with 26 rounds capacity. WE also included a very small adapter to load you magazine with BBs which I really don’t use that much since I prefer to do the recharging process manually.

POWER AND PRECISION

Let me begin by saying that this gun has the strongest kick I have ever experienced on a Gas Blowback pistol. Perhaps due to the heavier slide, it provides a very satisfying response once you pull the trigger, and this is also noticeable on the sound that it produces when firing. Pretty nice indeed!

As for power, I got around 240 fps using .20g BB’s, which you might not argue it’s not much, but considering it’s a pistol which is meant mainly for close quarters combat and if I were to tell you that the hop-up unit does miracles in terms of range, then you would understand.

Once I had the hop-up correctly adjusted I noticed that the BBs fired from the XDM would easily reach the distances achieved in stock AEG rifles. It’s like you can follow the BB with your eyes without losing any sustentation for about 100+ feet!

When it comes to precision, grouping is pretty much consistent like you can see in the video where I fire from about 30 feet.

Field striping is done by pulling the slide back and pushing the locking lever up, thus revealing the inner barrel and hop-up assembly.

CONCLUSION

Overall this is a very balanced and unique Airsoft gun which is very realistic and gives me a kick using it thanks to its nice blow back. The only thing I suppose its missing now are more specific holsters for this gun which I heard are hard to find.

Well, manufactured, with a very good reach and quite precise, this is a perfect secondary weapon for any Airsoft loadout.

You can get a WE XDM Compact 3.8 at CWI Airsoft for $121.38.

Pros

  • Versatile and customizable
  • Great build quality
  • Nice kick
  • Two mags included
  • Ambidextrous mag release

Cons

  • Slide scratches easily
  • Finding specific holsters can be hard to find

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