Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C Pistol Review: Top Shelf

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The folks at Springfield Armory are good at a lot of things. Resting on their laurels is not one of them. In the space of about two years, the company has introduced the double-stack Prodigy, refreshed the well-respected TRP, developed the AOS sight system for 1911s and, oh yeah, reimagined its polymer-frame striker-fired pistol with the Echelon. And that’s just on the handgun side of the business. Trying to keep up with them is enough to give a magazine editor fits.

One of the things Springfield is good at—aside from designing solid, dependable firearms—is building out a product line, and that’s what it has done with the new Echelon 4.0C. If you’re keeping score at home, the original Echelon was just called the Echelon. With the introduction of the Echelon 4.0C comes a new naming convention: a number corresponding to barrel length and a letter for size. So the Echelon 4.0C is a four-inch compact while the original model is now the Echelon 4.5FS, a 4.5-inch full size pistol.

Built in Croatia, the Echelon 4.0C retains all the features of the initial Echelon in a slightly smaller package. The Echelon is a modular design, one that has the company’s Central Operating Group or COG at its heart. The modularity offers the option of swapping out grip modules. While the 4.5FS ships standard with the medium grip module, the 4.0C comes with the small one.

These sizes are relative to model—as in there are small, medium and large for the 4.0C and small, medium and large for the 4.5FS. That’s because the grip length on the 4.0C is shorter than on the 4.5FS due to differing magazine lengths. The 4.0C’s height is 5.125 inches compared to the 5.4 inches on the 4.5FS with flush-fit mags.

Fit In Hand

For the shooter, the small module on the 4.0C is small where it counts, and that’s how it fits in the hand. Measured above the interchangeable backstrap, front to back the 4.0C’s grip is 0.2 inch smaller than the 4.5FS’s. Side to side it’s 0.1 inch thinner.

The grip itself features Springfield’s Adaptive Grip Texture. The company describes this as smooth to the touch until pressure is applied, at which point an underlying, more aggressive texture beneath the surface provides additional traction for good control. I initially thought this was just marketing hype, but the more I shot the Echelon, the more convinced I became that there’s something to it.

The texturing is applied without interruption completely around the grip, including on the three interchangeable backstraps that come with the pistol. Additional texturing is provided above a ridge molded behind the trigger guard, as well as on indexing spots along the front sides of the frame. Springfield has even textured areas on the front and bottom of the trigger guard.

The frame has a beveled magazine well, and there’s also an indented contour at the bottom of the grip that, combined with textured sections on the magazine base pad, allows you to get really good finger/thumb purchase on a magazine that might be stubborn about ejecting.

Simple Controls

At press time, there were no immediate plans to offer a thumb safety on the 4.0C, so the control layout couldn’t be simpler. The slide-lock levers are ambidextrous, as are the oval magazine releases.

The takedown lever serves a dual purpose. Aside from the disassembly operation, it’s also textured and has a small shelf molded into it. You might not notice this simply by looking at the gun, but if you put your thumb on it in a firing grip you’ll feel the shelf right away.

This feature has been likened to a so-called gas pedal. A Gas Pedal is actually a trademarked aftermarket part sold by GoGun USA. That company’s device has a more pronounced dish shape, and it’s designed to work with what GoGun calls its opposable grip concept—in which the shooter applies forward, squeezing-type pressure to the Gas Pedal.

Springfield’s takedown lever is not that because there’s nothing to put forward pressure against. However, it’s a terrific landing spot for your support-hand thumb, and it allows you to apply some downward pressure to help keep the muzzle flat during firing. To me, though, the primary benefit is the consistency of thumb placement it promotes.

Finish and Accessories

It’s not a control, but the Echelon’s external extractor has a small raised ridge at the front. When the gun is unloaded, the ridge is flush with the slide; when there’s a round chambered, the bump sticks up to the point you can feel it and, to a lesser extent, see it.

To go with the shorter four-inch barrel, the 4.0C’s forward accessory rail has three slots instead of the four found on the 4.5FS. However, it still has plenty of real estate for mounting lights and lasers.

Up top you’ll find a Melonite-finished, billet-machined steel slide. The front of the slide is trenched, with four aggressive serrations within the trench. This trench makes the forward part of the slide easier to grasp even if your hand should slip off the serrations during a press check.

The rear of the slide has three equally aggressive serrations, and the slide also flares at the very back, forming two cocking “ears.” This flaring has become a popular feature because it really does improve your ability to rack the slide.

Sights

The sights are Springfield’s excellent U-notch Tactical Rack rear paired with a tritium/luminescent front. But the big deal with the Echelon is the Variable Interface System or VIS you’ll find beneath the slide cover plate.

The VIS allows you to direct mount more than 30 red dots via a system of pins. A direct mount allows a sight to sit lower on the slide than when the sight is attached via adapter plates. The lower a sight sits in relation to the bore, the easier it is to pick up the dot, and the less you have to worry about point-of-impact variations at distances other than where the optic is zeroed.

The pin system is easy to set up for the three most popular mounting footprints that the majority of today’s red dots use: Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and Shield RMS/SMS.

The Echelon 4.0C comes with pin set No. 1 (Trijicon RMR) installed; when you remove the cover plate, be sure to look for pins that might have stayed within the plate. Sets No. 2 and 3 are in well-marked plastic bags, as are various screw kits. The Echelon manual includes a handy chart that lists which pin sets and screw sets go with which sights, and also which sights use their own OEM screws for mounting.

Variable Interface System

Not too long ago I was on a teleconference with the Springfield staff, and they talked about the VIS. During the development process, designers discovered how much movement is present in traditional sight-mounting systems—a “tolerance slop” of up to 26 m.o.a., which translates to just over six inches at 25 yards. Traditional systems, they said, are particularly vulnerable to being struck from the side and shifting position.

That doesn’t happen with the VIS, thanks to the self-locking, angled pins at the front. As a sight is tightened, these pins cam over and engage the sidewalls in the hole surfaces of an optic, reducing potential change from that whopping 26 m.o.a. to just one m.o.a., which is insignificant at typical handgun distances.

As I mentioned earlier, the Echelon 4.0C incorporates the COG chassis, a self-contained, serialized unit made of stainless steel. It is interchangeable with the original full-size, the 4.0C and any future Echelons.

While I didn’t do the swap between the Echelon 4.5FS I bought last year and this new 4.0C sample, I have removed and reinstalled the COGs, just to do it. The manual’s directions on this operation are pretty good, but there are a few tricks that will make life easier should you need or want to do this. I freely admit resorting to YouTube (thanks, XD Man) to figure out how to get the takedown pin back in and properly positioned. But have no fear: With a little study and patience, anyone can do it.

Swapping Components

While I’m on the topic of changing components, I also swapped out the medium backstrap that came with the 4.0C with the provided small size. Two quick notes. Springfield expressly instructs you not to change the backstraps with the slide on the pistol, so remove the slide first. Then reach inside the mag well and push in on the square projection about midway up the back of the well to slide off the backstrap.

When installing the new backstrap, I found that the square projection does not automatically snap back into place. However, there’s a cavity in the backstrap into which you can insert a tool—a small flat-blade screwdriver works nicely—and gently push on the projection until you hear it click into position.

Okay, back to the fire-control system. On the teleconference I referenced, Springfield told us the Echelon’s initial launch was delayed three times because the trigger wasn’t up to par. The delays paid off because the Echelons now have really good triggers.

In addition to a great pull—which on this sample averaged right at four pounds with a nice, short reset—the straight trigger employs a floating second sear that Springfield says dramatically reduces drop-fire potential.

Accuracy and Performance

For range testing I mounted a Vortex Defender-ST on the pistol. Bench accuracy at 25 yards was good with just about everything—and great in the case of Federal Punch, as you can see in the accompanying chart. After that I threw a bunch of different types of ammo into a can and loaded up magazines for both my 4.5FS and the 4.0C sample to run a series of El Presidente drills to see how the smaller gun compared.

Quite well, as it turns out. I was actually a shade faster and more accurate with the 4.0C, which I attribute to the smaller grip. I have medium-size hands, but I often find that cheating toward smaller grips works best for me.

In fact, after this exercise I decided to buy a small grip module for my 4.5FS. These modules are available at the Springfield Armory web store and other internet sources for around $60, and aftermarket options are starting to show up as well. For example, Icarus Precision and Sharps Brothers are producing aluminum modules for the Echelon, although they’re pretty dear at north of $300.

Size considerations aside, the Echelon’s grip has a lot going for it. The molded ridge behind the magazine release is perfectly designed, and my shooting-hand thumb rested there automatically. The little shelf on the takedown lever provided an ideal landing zone for my support-hand thumb, too. The combination of these two features promoted a consistent grip, which is crucial to handgun accuracy.

Grip Control

The undercut behind the trigger guard and the well-proportioned beavertail allowed me to get a nice, high grip for excellent control. Earlier I mentioned the Adaptive Grip Technology. The texturing does seem on the tame side in casual handling, but when the rubber meets the road and you’re crushing the grip as you should, there’s plenty of bite.

I often struggle with achieving fast, smooth reloads, but the Echelon 4.0C gave me some of the best reload times I’ve had with any pistol. I did have to shift the pistol a tiny bit to hit the magazine release, but a lot less than I have to do on other pistols. The magazine well has a good-size maw, and the bevel really helps funnel in the next mag.

All my testing was conducted with the Vortex red dot because I already have a ton of experience with Springfield’s Tactical Rack rear/day-night front sight setup. I think it’s the fastest defensive iron-sight system going.

One of the criticisms of the traditional white three-dot sight is that the rear dots fight for your attention when you’re trying to focus on the front dot. The Tactical Rack’s U-notch rear has a white outline that not only doesn’t compete because it’s a different shape than the front dot, I find it speeds up sight alignment. And if you are running a red dot, this sight system is high enough to co-witness.

Holster Type?

While I ran drills from an outside-the-waistband holster designed for the 4.5FS, I carried the 4.0C in a Safariland Incog X inside-the-waistband holster. While the 4.0C is a fairly light gun at 24 ounces, I’m short waisted and a little thick around the middle, and IWB carry wasn’t all that comfortable.

For my body type I think an outside-the-waistband holster would be the way to go, and I anticipate a lot of different holsters will soon be ready for the 4.0C. Mike Humphries at Springfield told me DeSantis, CrossBreed, BlackPoint and others should have holsters by the time you read this.

The model I tested came with two 15-round magazines. It’s also available with two 10-rounders for more-restrictive states. The standard kit is a 15 and an extended 18.

While I love the Tactical Rack/day-night sights, Springfield is seeing an increased demand for three-dot tritium sights, so that’s an option on the 4.0C as well. There’s also a version with a threaded barrel.

Sweet Spot

Springfield has high expectations for the 4.0C, and the company thinks sales will exceed those of the original. I agree with that prediction because this gun is suitable for duty, concealed carry and home defense. The size and weight are right in the sweet spot, and the gun is accurate and easy to shoot, as well as being 100 percent reliable. The swappable COG aspect aside, the gun is so easy to configure for hand size and sight-system choice it will appeal to anyone who’s looking for an all-around defensive pistol.

Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0c Specs

• Type: striker-fired semiauto centerfire
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 15+1 (as tested; other capacities available); 2 mags supplied
• Barrel: 4 in., hammer forged, Melonite finish
• OAL/Height/Width: 7.25/5.1/1.3 in.
• Weight: 24 oz.
• Construction: Melonite-finished steel slide; polymer grip module w/interchangeable backstraps
• Sights: Tactical Rack U-notch rear, luminescent/tritium front
• Trigger: 4 lb. pull (measured)
• Safety: trigger
• MSRP: $679 (as tested)
• Manufacturer: Springfield Armory, springfield-armory.com

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