I bought my XD45 on an impulse because I liked the price ($500), the brand, the caliber, the capacity, the feel, the backstrap safety, and--believe it or not--the looks. All in all, seemed like a damn nice gun for a good price.

I have fired several hundred rounds of various kinds without a single hiccup--sometimes in marathon sessions of a few hundred rounds without any cleaning. I don't like the trigger much (which is why I rate it a 9), but the damn thing hits exactly where I want all the time--it's amazing. I prefer heine straight-8 sights, but these are good and get the job done.

- First and foremost, the backstrap safety. Call me paranoid, but it gives me piece of mind and functions flawlessly.
- High capacity (13 in the mag)