Springfield Armory just added a new polymer frame pistol to their lineup. Not an addition to the XD series, not a full-size Hellcat, but rather a whole new model. It’s called the Echelon. Here’s my honest and quick summarization then I’ll hit y’all with the specs and shooting impressions.

I believe the Echelon is Springfield Armory’s “dog-in-the-fight” for a duty pistol. Face it, we all look at the hips of police officers. No? Just me? Anyways, almost always the pistol of choice for police officers and police departments overall is some form of Glock, Sig Sauer P320, or something from Smith & Wesson’s M&P line. Sure every now and again I’ll see a private security guy rock a 1911 but I think we’re talking about style points now. Otherwise, it’s almost always going to be a polymer frame, striker fire, double stack 9mm. And seemingly never something from Springfield Armory. Sure there’s the XD series, but I haven’t seen those get picked up by the masses. And the Hellcat is certainly more of a conceal-carry pistol. So, I think Springfield Armory studied the field, took what most liked from the top dogs, improved on some key areas, and came out with the Echelon. That’s what I get from it anyway. Okay, that’s the summary, let’s dive into the specs and feature set.

Swappable polymer frame (Different sizes available)
Striker Fire
9mm
17 round capacity (flush)
20 round capacity w/ extended base pad (included)
VIS (Variable Interface System) optics mounting
Ambidextrous controls
4.5” barrel 1:10 twist rate (non-threaded)
Width: 1.2”
Length: 8”
Height: 5.5”
Weight: 23.9 oz
MSRP: $679 (Can be found for under $600 on PSA by Clicking Here)

Okay let’s break that down. The Echelon features a “COG” or Central Control Group. The trigger group is a serialized item that can easily be placed into different sized grip modules/frames. In addition, there are 3 different sizes of interchangeable backstraps so you can really get the sizing where you want it. This VIS system allows for use of over 30 red dots, (Trijicon RMRs, Leupold DeltaPoint Pros, etc.) without the use of plates and adapters. Thank goodness. There are currently 3 models to choose from. The standard is priced at $679 and features a U-shaped rear sight and tritium front. For $719 you can get 3 tritium dots, and for $739 you get 3 tritium dots and a threaded barrel.

Let’s talk about how it shoots. I wish I could give y’all more theater in this section but what can I say? It feels like a quality duty pistol to me. If you’ve ever shot a full-sized glock, the Echelon won’t feel foreign. I will say, I do like the trigger on the Echelon better but maybe that’s only because it’s on a flat face. Either way, I didn’t put a high round count through mine but for what it’s worth, it didn’t have a single hiccup. Mine is equipped with a Trijicon RMR Type 2 with 3.25 MOA dot and a Surefire X300-U. Equipping the Echelon with a quality red dot certainly helps get the most out of it. (At least for me anyways)

So there’s a quick look and unbiased first impressions on the new Springfield Armory Echelon. I went ahead and uploaded a video review on the ‘Gear’ channel, I’ll link that below