Springfield XD

The Springfield XD is a polymer framed, striker fired, semi-automatic handgun weapon system based on the HS2000 design by Croatian company, HS Produkt (formerly I.M. Metal). Springfield XD is the marketing name for the weapon that is manufactured in Karlovac, Croatia and is license and sold in the US by the Springfield Armory, Inc. The Springfield XD-40 was the first handgun owned by Kelly Crow and the Springfield XD-45 is Adam Amend's sidearm for duty carry.



History
The HS2000 traces its roots back to a service pistol known as the PHP (Prvi Hrvatski Pistolj or First Croatian Pistol), which was first produced in Croatia by privately ownedindustrial parts firm I. M. Metal in 1991. Designed by a team led by Marko Vukovic, the PHP was considered to be a solid desgn, but early versions were plagued by quality issues, due in large part to the difficulties of manufacturing during the   Croatian War of Independence. Vukovic's team continued to tweak and imporve the desing over the next decade, releasing the HS95 (Croatian Pistol) in 1995, and the HS2000 in late '99.

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 9mm as the HS2000.

In 2002, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Armory,_Inc. Springfield Armory, Inc.] negotiated licensing rights to the US market, and chenged the name to the XD-9 (X-treme Duty 9×19mm Parabellum . Springfield Armory has since expanded the line to include ten models in three different calibers and five different cartridges, seven barrel lengths, and four finishes (black, bi-tone, olive drabe frame and dark earth frame). In 2006, the industry press awarded the XD-45 the title of Handgun of the Year from both American Rifleman magazine and The Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence.

Design Details
The HS2000 is a short recoil operated locked breech striker fired semi-automatic pistol.

Most HS2000s have dual captive recoil springs; however the XDM and Tactical 5 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 stirker is cocked. A loaded chamber indicator pivots up on top of the slide when a round is in the chamber being both visual nad tactile. An ambidextrous mag release is also standard. Take down 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 very similar to the mechanism of take down as seen in pistols manufactured by SIG SAUER.