GunsAmerica’s managing editor True Pearce had a chance to put the new Springfield Armory Echelon through its paces. In the video above, you can watch as he puts 500 rounds down range and details all the features of this novel striker-fired pistol.
For those that don’t have time to watch the full review, below you’ll find a snapshot of some of the highlights.
Table of contents
The COG (Central Operating Group)
What is the COG? It’s Springfield’s proprietary Central Operating Group. It’s entirely self-contained and serialized and it allows users to swap between grip modules in a flash. Built from stainless steel, the “chassis provides a robust housing for its patent-pending operating system,” according to Springfield.
Variable Interface System (VIS)
A new way to mount optics!
The Echelon’s concealed optic mounting system, the Variable Interface System (VIS), directly mounts over 30 optics onto the slide without adapter plates!
Using self-locking pins, VIS provides a secure fit, eliminating movement and enhancing alignment with conventional sights. SA says it’s the most advanced optics mounting system available.
Slide Design: Serretions, Forward Trench, Flared Slide
The Echelon’s slide boasts four engagement surfaces. It includes a forward trench for secure press checks and charging, deep serrations along the slide for a firm grip, and a flared rear for additional engagement, offering improved handling in all conditions.
Fit For Any Hand
Given that the COG can be installed in any Echelon grip module (small, medium, large), users will have no problem finding the one that suits them best. Not to mention, the pistol also comes with three interchangeable backstraps for a more customized fit.
The Echelon ships with the medium grip module, so those with larger or smaller hands will have to purchase their desired one separately. Additionally, the pistol features an oversized trigger guard for use with gloved hands along with an ambi slide stop and mag release.
Capacity
The Echelon sports a new magazine design that allows for 17+1 rounds of 9mm in a flush fit configuration or a 20+1 with an extended base plate. For those who live in non-free states, a 10-round magazine is available.
Trigger
The factory trigger is impressive. Machined from “tool steel and highly polished” it promises to deliver “a clean take up, defined wall, crisp break and short, positive reset.”
Drop Safe, Disassembly
Prioritizing safety, the Echelon surpasses SAAMI drop test standards. It also features a unique second sear design to prevent unintentional discharges and allows for toolless field stripping without the need to pull the trigger.
Sights
Standard on the Echelon is a tactical rack U-Notch rear sight and a tritium front sight with a luminescent ring. There’s also an option for a tritium 3-dot setup. For those who prefer, suppressor height sights can be bought separately.
Statement from Springfield Armory on Echelon
“The Echelon was engineered from the ground up to be today’s most advanced striker-fired pistol,” said Steve Kramer, Springfield Armory’s Vice President of Marketing.
“This new firearm — with its precision-manufactured COG chassis, revolutionary VIS optics-mounting system, advanced slide design and enhanced ergonomics — is the culmination of years of intensive product research and development to create the ultimate duty and defense handgun,” Kramer added.
Echelon Pricing & Models
- Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ U-Dot | EC9459B-U | MSRP: $679
- Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ U-Dot, 10-round | EC9459BLC-U | MSRP: $679
- Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ Tritium Three-Dot | EC9459B-3D | MSRP: $719
- Echelon 4.5” 9mm Threaded w/ Tritium Three-Dot | ECT9459B-3D| MSRP: $739
To learn more visit SpringfieldArmory.com.
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I trust that there WAS a 500 round test with a nod toward reliability and function. and some mention of accuracy. The only reference to any of the above was a single -sentence pronouncement that the gun was accuate and very nice. The Author LIKED! The pistol
Good-To-Know
In the review, you mention that the Echelon is accurate — where are the specifics for accuracy testing (7 , 10, 25 yards)??
I opened this expecting there would be accuracy and reliability not to mention endurance data. While the review was quite long, enthusiastic and wordy, and the Expert Liked It! those attributes were not explored or made part of the video.
There is nothing new here, just typical gun writer A.K.
An imported gun from a company famous for under cutting our gun rights and a near criminal CEO. Whoo hoo.
Maybe than can add another “stylish” grip safety to this gun as well. Who doesn’t like the ergonomics of a brick?
Another gun from a company focused on selling more instead of maintaining the right to keep and bear arms.
You want your sales to increase? Then focus on the first Thirteen words of the 2nd, and Article I, Section 8, Clauses 15 & 16, for which SCOTUS ruled long ago was the purpose for implementing the 2nd.
I realize that almost all want nothing to do with those first 13 words for numerous reasons. Ignorance, ambivalence, and in many cases a costly ego.
The purpose of the 2nd, when you take into account the myriad of laws and statutes designed to keep all power in the hands of the people, is so that we would have law enforcement authority over all branches, and agencies of government. It seems to be to difficult for the 2nd amendment community to get that through their skulls. Does that even compute as to how we protect all our rights without being dependent on some government entity that might want us completely disarmed?
Interesting. The Croatians build sturdy guns and now you’ll have Sig like modularity. I wonder if it will take off?? Sig seems to be pretty much steamrolling everyone these days. I’d be excited about a new option. I have half a dozen Xd/XdM’s and close to a dozen Sigs, I love them all. My duty gun on Sheriff dept is a sig 320 AXG Pro but my nightstand gun is the older now discontinued XDm 10mm with the factory threaded 5.25 inch barrel I think it is off top of my head. So…like I said I love them both. I hope Springfield has good sales with this and can take a piece of the pie. It would be neat to see the new options that may arise from it. Looking forward to seeing one in real life. A wise early move may be a compensated model, that’s all the rage around here anyway.
Do you own a Sig P250?
If you like guns that twist your trigger finger like a corkscrew, you would answer in the affirmative.
I had one and hated it for what it did to my finger.
The trigger didn’t break until it bottomed out against the grip. That’s when the real fun began.
The muzzle rise caused the whole gun to rotate 45 degrees upwards taking my wrist and trigger finger with it.
It was like trying to open a pickle jar held horizontally in your support hand and twisting the lid counter-clockwise with your shooting hand. Thankfully, Sig ditched that firing mechanism when it came out with its replacement, the P320.