Probably too soon for this as not many have likely shot both.
I've been shooting a 17 in USPSA (production) for three years, so I'm mainly interested in the opinion of those of you who consider yourselves experts.
I have read all the 17 vs 34 threads.
The 5.25 looks interesting to me and they have a deal on for 3 extra mags right now, so one could save @ $100 on mags. Any other glock-jocks tempted?
To me, the advantage of sticking with glock is the bullet proof reliability and ease of working on the gun.
I don't own a G34 or a Xdm 5.25 comp. However I do own a Gen4 G17 and a Xdm 4.5 so I'll give you my impression of the 2 for the basis of comparison.
While stock, neither the Glock or the Springfield trigger are anything to write home about, this changes dramatically once trigger work is considered. I know there are what seems like dozens of avenues to pursue in regards to modifying a Glock trigger, and many of the ones I have had the pleasure to at least dry fire are definite improvements over stock, they still are not quite as good as a worked over XDm trigger. I attribute this to the fact that the XDm has as close to a single action trigger as it gets in plastic pistols while the Glock still has manipulate the striker.
Reliability-wise I view this as a wash. My XDm has never failed me in thousands of rounds and doesn't seem to care if it is dirty or not. My Gen 4, on the other hand, had some teething issues that had to be addressed even shooting 135PF ammo. The XDm, however, was able to cycle reliably with 115PF ammo. The reason I view this as a wash is although my XDm has proven to be more reliable, there is one potential of failure and that is the striker retaining pin. There is a possibility, however small, that it can break and cause the gun to malfunction. Whether this happens or not is wholly dependent on how it was installed at the factory. Most go thousands of rounds and still look brand new. A few have had issues as early as 300 rounds. Mine never cracked on me but I elected to replace it with an upgraded pin from PRP that is much beefier and will probably last as long as the gun itself.
Parts and accessories are a huge win for Glock. There is just no way around it. Glocks have been out for decades now and the aftermarket has had plenty of time to beef up your available options. Hell, parts are so easy to get I wouldn't be surprised if I walked into a quickie mart and saw a spring kit next to the Doritos. The aftermarket for the XD line has improved greatly over the years but it still can't hold a candle to Glock. But then again, other than the 1911, nothing else really can either.
Working on the guns themselves is another win for the Glock. I'm not going to say that detail stripping a XDm requires an engineering degree but it does take a bit more time and care than the Glock. Frankly, I was amazed at how simple it was.
Regarding bore axis, I can't tell a difference in the slightest shooting them back to back. Yes, the XDm has a
slightly higher bore axis, bit it also weighs more so maybe that offsets any additional muzzle flip. In fact, the XDm feels like it shoots a touch softer. The only person I know who shoots regularly in matches and complains about bore axis also has crap shooting fundamentals to begin with. Honestly I think the whole issue is over blown to begin with. If the bore axis of the XDm was significantly higher then it would be a different story but it just isn't that big of a deal.
When it come to directly shooting them side by side I am more accurate with the XDm (by quite a degree) than I am with the Glock. I could say that it's because the XDm is just that much more accurate or it's because of the ergonomics but the simple fact of the matter is it's due to the trigger. My XDm has a PRP ultimate match trigger kit in it with a smooth 3.5# trigger pull. My Glock has a factory minus connector and a 25 cent trigger job due to GSSF rules. There just is no comparison between the two and it would be unfair to even try.
To be honest I love both guns for different reasons. I love the Glocks simplicity, ease of disassembly, cheap and abundant parts, and it is just a good shooting little pistol. The XDm is every bit the shooter the Glock is, has a better designed (i.e. non-ghetto) back-strap system, has the potential for a much better trigger and to me at least, also looks a lot nicer. I'm of the opinion that if you were somehow able to merge the two together you would have the perfect pistol.
Now having said that, I would suggest sticking with the G34 simply because you are used to it and have all the gear you need for it already. At the very least track down a shop that has a 5.25 available to rent before you decide to buy one.
