About the Handgun:
Springfield's Croatian made XDM pistol is not intended to be a replacement for the company's XD series. Moreover it represents a high-end option alternative to the XD. This is seen in features such as its precision machined match-grade barrel and extremely short trigger travel and reset. The polymer grip has interchangeable palm swells and holds higher capacity magazines than the XD series. Features still common between the XD and XDM series are the loaded chamber indicator, the cocked status indicator and the 1911 style grip safety.
About the Manufacturer:
George Washington ordered the creation of the Springfield Armory in 1777 to store revolutionary ammunition and gun carriages. In 1794 the armory began to manufacture muskets for the US. For the next 150 years Springfield Armory functioned as the supplier for every major American conflict, as well as a 'think tank' for new firearms concepts. Due to budgetary concerns the US Government closed the armory in 1968. After the closure, the Springfield Armory name was used by a small company in Texas for several years. Those efforts were unsuccessful and in 1974, the rights to the Springfield Armory name were acquired by Robert Reese, who formed a new company to manufacture semi-automatic versions of the M14 rifle called the M1A Rifle. This firearm was what brought success to the business. The company then expanded its market into pistols, notably the M1911. After further success the company began to branch into many fields of firearms. Springfield Armory now manufactures dozens of different firearms of many styles and models.
About the Cartridge:
This cartridge was introduced along with the Luger semi-automatic pistol. The pistol and cartridge was first adopted by the German Navy in 1904 and then by the German Army in 1908. This cartridge has since been adopted by the military of practically every non-Communist power. It has become the most popular and widely-used handgun cartridge in the world. Performance wise, the 9mm cartridge has somewhat more power than the .38 Special but falls well short of the .357 Magnum.
