I can get my xds9 to choke on old steel cased wolf ammo but that's the only thing I've found to be unreliable. It also seems to have a strong preference for heavier ammo. Probably not worth the $100-150 premium over the S&W Shield unless you have a strong preference for the xd but mine has given me no reason to try anything else. My only experience with the xds45 was also positive, although not very thorough.