Springfield Armory Launches Echelon 9mm Pistol: First Look

The Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm incorporates a host of patent-pending features, cutting-edge ergonomics, and hardiness in foul weather.

July 12, 2023 By Handguns Staff

Springfield Armory has announced the release of the Echelon 9mm, setting a new standard for modern, striker-fired duty pistols. With a host of revolutionary patent-pending features, this modular and highly adaptable handgun is engineered with superior ergonomics and built to withstand the harshest conditions.

At the heart of the Echelon lies the all-new patent-pending Central Operating Group (COG). Employing cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, the modular COG is an entirely self-contained and serialized stainless-steel chassis. The result is a system that is easily moved between available grip modules in seconds.

For maximum adaptability to the widest range of users, the COG can be installed in any Echelon grip module allowing shooters to create a firearm that fits perfectly in your hand. The pistol comes standard with the medium grip module and three interchangeable backstraps, while small and large grip modules can be purchased separately. The three backstraps are designed to fit all three grip module sizes. In addition, all controls of the pistol are fully ambidextrous.

The Echelon’s trigger harnesses the advantages of the COG to deliver superior performance. Entirely contained within the chassis, its critical components are machined from tool steel and highly polished for a clean take up, defined wall, crisp break and short, positive reset. The result is a trigger that redefines expectations. In addition, the Echelon is designed and tested to exceed SAAMI drop test parameters and features a unique secondary sear design in the COG for an additional layer of safety.

Further adding to the Echelon’s adaptability is its truly innovative Variable Interface System (VIS), which employs patent-pending self-locking pins to complete the most versatile optics mounting system on the market. As the mounting screws are torqued to spec, the pins exert lateral pressure on the optic’s interior mounting surface to eliminate left/right movement. This ensures you maintain consistent and reliable point of aim/point of impact. In addition, the pins can be positioned to fit the footprints of a wide range of popular optics, allowing for an unparalleled direct-mount fit between the pistol’s slide and optic.

The Echelon is offered with a choice of U-Dot tritium/luminescent or traditional three-dot tritium sights. The accuracy performance of the Echelon is ensured by the hammer-forged 4.5 inches barrel, while a 5.28-inch hammer-forged threaded barrel model is also available.

The ergonomics of the new Echelon are also equally innovative. Thoroughly tested for ease of manipulation, the Echelon’s slide features four distinct engagement surfaces. A trench cut forward of the action gives shooters a natural index location for press checks and charging the firearm. The back of the slide is flared for positive purchase, while deep forward and rear serrations are carried through the corners for a firm grip from any angle.

The Echelon employs a newly developed magazine for rugged durability, hard use and reliable operation. Blacked out in an all-new scratch- and wear-resistant coating, the two magazines included feature a capacity of 17+1 in its flush fit configuration and 20+1 with the extended base pad installed. A reduced-capacity 10-round model is also available.

“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.”

The Echelon. Unparalleled, and designed to take its rightful place at the front of the pack.