Not many pistols can be labeled an overnight success as Springfield’s XD. While more than a few raised an eyebrow at the post Cold War Croatian 9mm creation when it was first imported, I bought one of the first ones and was amazed with its performance.
Bill Ruger is reported to have once said that if the .223 Remington caliber Mini-14 had been developed a year earlier, the Department of Defense would have adopted it instead of the M16.