Springfield XD loaded chamber indicator

This photo blog will briefly illustrate the loaded chamber indicator on the Springfield Armory XD series pistol.

This is my "daily" firearm of choice. It is a Springfield Armory XD .40 Sub-Compact. The short magazine makes it very easy for me to keep on my person as my concealed carry, and the .40 is a good caliber to have. I can swap out the compact magazine (in place in the photo below) with an extended magazine so all my fingers can wrap around the grip, but that makes it a little harder to conceal in the holsters I have.


On top of the slide of the Springfield is a loaded chamber indicator. This is on all the Springfield Armory XD series pistols and is extraordinarily handy to have. In the photo below I have my thumb pressing against the indicator.


The loaded chamber indicator tells you if there is a cartridge in the chamber. When there is a cartridge in the chamber of a Springfield Armory XD series firearm, the indicator will raise above the base of the frame very slightly. When the loaded chamber indicator is up, that means there is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm, and the firearm is ready to fire. If the indicator is down, or flat against the frame, it means there is no cartridge in the chamber of the firearm.


You can visually see this indicator's position from a good distance, and best of all, you can tell by quickly brushing your finger over the slide if the firearm is ready to be discharged or if the slide needs to be pulled back to load a round. That's very handy for low-light situations and for keeping your eyes on the target.


Its also obvious form these photos that I need to clean my XD!

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