REVIEW: Tokyo Marui XDM .40

[e-luder]

Hey guys,

I was recently down in Vancouver for work and had an opportunity to visit one of my old teammates. He had one of these and he kindly loaned it to me for the day to check out. Thought I might share my thoughts. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I only had it for a limited time so I kind of ommitted the pics.

Don't ask me how he got his grubby fingers on it. He has some business license or something in that nature. Anyways, here we go...

Introduction:

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Tokyo Marui is one of the most venerable airsoft replica creators on the market. Their products are renowned for excellent build quality and reliability.

That said, I found myself less thrilled and unimpressed when it came to their latest pistol, the Springfield XDM .40. Though being ergonomically sound, it lacked the consistency in both power and accuracy that most of Tokyo Marui pistols are known for.

First Glance:

I’ll admit that XDM .40 didn’t exactly strike me as the most attractive looking pistol. The gun looks like a mixture of several pistols all mashed up into one— a SIG style slide and barrel length married to a Glock style frame with a P99 shape/form (IMO anyways).

The box is what you’d expect from Tokyo Marui- nicely Photoshopped pictures with the weapon as the main attraction. It’s cool for a box.

The gun itself is neatly packaged. It comes with a standard magazine all chromed out, three backstraps for the grip (more on this later), a dry fire barrel plug, a sample pack of Marui BB’s and the usual Tokyo Marui paperwork (targets, warranty, manual).

Details and Fabrication:


As you would expect from Tokyo Marui, the craftsmanship of the XDM is superb. The external components of the gun are ABS plastic, like the its real steel counterpart. This includes the slides, outer barrel and frame.

TM-4952839142528-2L.jpg

The slide sports cocking serrations on both the front and back for easy gripping when racking. It has "XDM-40" marked on the left hand and “4.5” with a serial number on the right side. The chamber is marked with a serial number and ”40 SW” for added décor.

The slide also has a fixed little notch that, on the real steel, indicates whether the chamber is loaded or not (just like an extractor). Though, this feature doesn’t function in the airsoft universe, it was a nice little touch of realism.

The front and rear sights are plastic with three white dots. They are non adjustable. They take after the stock sights found in the Hi-Capas. It might just be me but these sights are horrible. I found it hard to acquire targets and equally difficult to re-acquire after reloads. I would have liked to put some aftermarket sights on it to see if they made a difference but it wasn’t mine and I didn’t want to ruin the slide…or maybe I’m just a bad shot.

TM-05-Springfield-XDM-40-E-620x310.jpg

Now then, the internals of the slide are the standard Marui defaults. They are metal, solidly built, and tightly fastened. The hop-up dial is the usual Marui. Not much to say here other than what’s already stated.

The frame is ABS. This includes some of the the hand controls. The frame has “XDm” with “Made in Japan” and “Tokyo Marui Ltd” imprinted on the grip. The trigger guard is serated for better placement of your off hand and is nicely holed tailoring to all trigger finger sizes (gloved or bare handed).

The frame also offers a standard underrail for lights and lasers for a tacticool look. Beneath this rail is a serial number plate as found in Glocks and USPs.

The internal structure of the lower frame is well made. It very identical Tokyo Marui's Glock internals. I was mostly impressed by how well all the parts were moving. They are very well married together and work cohesively to give fluent operation for handgunners.

TM-4952839142528-8L.jpg

For the most part, I don’t have a problem with the detailing and fabrication of the XDm. I feel that the renowned craftsmanship and attention to detail that Tokyo Marui is known for shines here. The lines are etched well and clearly defined on the slide and frame.

The ABS plastic of the XDm is very sturdy- moreso than previous Marui pistols like the Glocks and Sigs. The slide is very strong. We tried to bend it a bit on its sides and were happy to discover that there wasn’t any give. This is more than I can say for the latter stock plastic slides that Marui released previously, particularly the stock slide of Glock 18c where I can bend the sides easily (the grooves where the slide rail moves along). Overall, very good on the stress test.

I can’t say what problems in the future will arise. This pistol is very new on the market and there have been little to none reviews. It is less than a year old on the market so I can’t give you a longterm result. But I’m sure if you take care of the gun properly, it will take care of you.

The one real complaint I have is the “feel” of the XDm itself. It felt very "plastic-ky" like say... Marui's own Five-Seven Though the gun is very comfy and ergonomically sound (more on this later), the XDm felt like I was holding their more menacing Desert Eagle Hardkick (minus the weight differential, of course), which had a lot of plastic woven into it. Everytime I fired the XDm, it sounded like “plastic” more than the “ka-chink” of metal.

Not to say that this is horrible but they both (XDM and Deagle) felt like a Marui knockoffs more than an authentic Marui handgun. I hate that feeling.

Ergonomics:

As you may already have heard, the XDm feels like the more reputable Glock 17/18c. That being said, it does have some key differences that set it apart from the G17.

The first thing that I noticed when I first held the gun was how comfortable it felt in my hand. The grip is very nice. It has recesses for both the thumb and trigger finger for resting. The bonus is that these recesses are tailored for both left and right-handed users.

The grip also recreates Tokyo Marui’s interchangeable gripstrap system previously found in their PX4. These gripstraps address the ergonomic issue that some airsofters feel have been overlooked by certain manufacturers. These gripstraps give the wielder a chance to change how they hold the gun in relation to their grip sizes. The sizes cater to large hands, medium sized hands and small hands. I tend to stay with the smallest sized gripstrap since my gloves are humungus. With this size, I have a better pull on the trigger.

TMGBBXDMb.jpg

It doesn’t come apart like the push-button straps on the PX4 though. Rather, the straps are pinned in place and you have to push the pin out to remove the straps. I found this to be quite an annoyance. I mean, during intermissions in games, if you decide to adjust your grip by changing the strap, you’d need something small enough to push the pin out. The tool does come with the package but with its size, I can see a lot of players losing it. Plus, Marui has already integrated this cool technology on their PX4 by putting a button to remove the gripstraps. Why the hell didn’t they do it for the XDm?

Speaking of triggers, the controls of the gun are truly fashioned for stress-free handling. The magazine release and slide catch are conveniently located within the thumb radius and can easily be pushed. The slide catch mimics that of the Glock 17 but has a slightly higher raise, giving it a much higher chance for the thumb to catch.

The magazine release is also at thumbs reach. The recess is nicely rounded and the button checkered and raised to avoid any slip-ups.

The takedown lever is modeled after the famed SIG style swivel levers found on the P22x’s.

Features:

Tokyo Marui are excellent replicators.

One of the coolest features on the XDm is the striker indicator. On the real steel, this indicator lets its wielders know if the striker is engaged or not. There is a little notch on the back of the slide that raises itself when the striker is engaged. I was very happy to find this on Marui’s XDM. Whether or not a user will pay attention to it, the indicator is there.

Keeping its realism in-line, Marui’s XDm has the same safety system as found in the real steel. The first safety is of course the trigger safety. It’s the Glock patented trigger safety. The middle trigger must be completely pressed in order for the whole mechanism to engage. The second safety is the manual safety strategically disguised as the serial number plate. This safety can be found beneath the rail. Exactly like Marui’s Glock 17, the serial number plate can move side-to-side, locking and unlocking the trigger mechanism. There is also a grip safety found on the XDm and works much like the present day 1911s.

For the most part, the safeties worked very well. Though, I did find myself fighting with the hidden serial number safety quite a bit. It does take a little bit to move into the safe position. Minor annoyance. I don’t use this safety anyways, even on my Glock 18c.

Marui’s XDm also offers an ambidextrous magazine release. This is a nice feature, as you don’t see too many handguns with this installed. On the front side, there is also a standard rail with 3 notches so that the wielder can customize the look of the XDm with laser and weapon lights.

Function and Performance:

This is where I feel that the XDm fails to deliver. Though some might argue against some of the facts.

First off, power. The XDm is quite robust in terms of its brute force. On the indoor chronograph, the output came to around 293 to 312 range with green gas and .20g BB’s at room temp of 31 degrees (it was a hot day). There were some weird readings though. Out of 13 shots, 2 to 4 were out of its FPS range by at least 13 FPS under. We looked at it closer by disassembling the gun but came to a blank conclusion. Everything seemed in proper order.

The other problem I found was that the slide seems to stick quite a bit. The slides return to battery was quite sluggish even with green gas.. We sanded the slide guide rails a little bit to get the slide functioning like a dream. Seems it was more of a fitting issue. It’s odd to me that the problem appeared on the XDM since it is the newest Marui pistol on the market and I would think that Marui would have addressed this issue by now. It’s unbelievable.

The kick on this gun, I have to say, is very impressive. It’s very hard. When it did function properly and there were no sticking issues, the kick became much crispier, giving a very, very quick snap. I would even say that this gun could compare its kick to the Desert Eagle Hardkick (oh I went there…). It’s hard. At times, I felt like the slide was about to break under the heavy pressure of green gas but rest assured that it wasn’t an issue.

Accuracy is the where the gun fails the most, IMO. At 20 feet away, the groupings were quite sporadic. Some would veer to the left while others would veer to bottom right. I got about 6 consistent shots before the gun decided to take it easy and stop trying for the target. They measured roughly 8-10 cm apart (the good ones). We had to adjust the hop-up every time this happened. It frustrated me to no end since I couldn’t find a “default setting” to leave the hop-up dial in.

The hop-up unit is nothing we haven’t seen before in Marui handguns. You have to remove the slide to access it. Though I must say, I was impressed by how well the unit is married together. The inner barrel had close to nothing wiggle room and was held sturdy in place by a superb rubber.

The magazine is holds its own against the rest of the gun. The cool down on this thing is uncanny. Takes a while for the mag to get cold, a very long while. The magazine also has an automatic pressure release system as most would find on most of Tokyo Marui’s new magazines. What it is is that the magazine will automatically discharge gas to prevent you from overfilling. This is particularly useful in the preservation of the magazine, as it will preserve your seals, valves and anything else related to gas pressure in the magazine. It held gas very well getting about 1 and a half mags of BB’s before refilling on green gas. It is important to note though that the XDM’s magazine aren’t cross compatible with other Marui products. It’s not a Glock where every damn magazine can be shared throughout the different models.

Prospective Upgrades:

Being a newborn, I haven’t seen any upgrade parts available for the XDm. Though the simple fact of it being a Tokyo Marui product will surely attract machinist to create some after market parts.

I’ve already seen a metal slide replacement made by Detonator come into the market but with a hefty pricetag (some $240 USD on ehobby).

Just wait for it. I’m sure Guarder or Shooter’s Design will make something for the XDM soon.

Final Summation:

Pros:

-Lots of firepower with a strong kick (very crisp and snappy)
-Well detailed as per the real steel
-Strong material (the slide didn’t bend even after applying pressure on it)
-Very ergonomically sound making it easy to wield
-Very realistic

Cons:

-Out of the box, there were fitting issues with the slide
-Inconsistent accuracy and power
-Feels too “plastic-key”

Conclusion:

Overall, my experience with Tokyo Marui’s XDm wasn’t a pleasant one. It was marred by inconsistent accuracy problems coupled with weird fluctuations in power. Plus, having to sand the slide guide rails out of the box wasn’t a good way to introduce itself.

But it also impressed with me with the cool details replicated from the real steel. The material was very strong and all the internals seem to be very well placed and secure. But most importantly, the gun is very comfortable to hold giving you three options for grip sizes via its interchangeable backstraps.

Would I recommend it? I don’t know to be honest. Maybe my teammate’s XDm was one of the few that were let out of the factory prematurely. Thus, all the weird problems. I feel like I would just be using this to display and plink around with in my yard.

I’d say, if you want a field gun, stick with a Glock or something with a more tested reliability for now. Read a couple more reviews on the XDM. It is still fairly new.

Also, the pistol is sooo ugly….

[Styrak]

Originally Posted by e-luder

Function and Performance:

This is where I feel that the XDm fails to deliver. Though some might argue against some of the facts.

First off, power. The XDm is quite robust in terms of its brute force. On the indoor chronograph, the output came to around 293 to 312 range with green gas and .20g BB’s at room temp of 31 degrees (it was a hot day). There were some weird readings though. Out of 13 shots, 2 to 4 were out of its FPS range by at least 13 FPS under. We looked at it closer by disassembling the gun but came to a blank conclusion. Everything seemed in proper order

For a GBB pistol that's nothing.

[Cortexburn]

The TM's pistols for the last several years have all seemed to have very good accuracy and range, its surprising to hear this is an issue with this model.

Is it possible something got on the hop up? Or the barrel had something in it?

As for it being ugly...well.....it's all in the eye of the beholder I suppose.

[Short Round]

Impressive review

[e-luder]

Originally Posted by Cortexburn

The TM's pistols for the last several years have all seemed to have very good accuracy and range, its surprising to hear this is an issue with this model.

Is it possible something got on the hop up? Or the barrel had something in it?

As for it being ugly...well.....it's all in the eye of the beholder I suppose.

You were right. Turns out, the rubber was damaged a bit. He found it that there was some big hole or something in the middle. It's hard to explain.
But that should fix the problem if he can find the right rubber. I would have loved to have gotten a second crack at it. But unfortunately, I'm back in Ontario.

[jerryman692]

You going to love it more after you put this on!

[kbeckerton]

sorry to revive an old thread but does anyone know a good source for these pistols?

[Styrak]

I'm going to be bringing in some TM pistols, including the XDM.

[Leo Pham]

just curious if any of you has the stock plastic slide for sale (with all the rail pieces and screws of course)

[siggypoo]

See this topic for more info, "first post" excepted, lol.
You're age verified, so search the parts for sale and/or post an ad in the parts wanted.

Location: YYZ VOR 062 radial, 17.5 DME FL5280