Mike Boyle
For either uniform or plainclothes carry, the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C sits squarelyin the winner’s circle.
Much has changed since the 1980s when law enforcement agencies began the mass transition away from traditional revolvers to semiautomatic pistols. At the time, double-action pistols ruled and that trend continued for many years. Double-action pistols had evolved to a point where earlier reliability issues had been resolved and, because of the fact that the US Armed Services had gone down that road, it was logical that law enforcement agencies would follow. Striker-fired, polymer frame pistols were relatively new to the scene and, in many quarters, there were questions as to their suitability for police service.
Traditions die hard in law enforcement and it took quite some time before the consensus was that striker-fired pistols were not only a great choice, but, in many respects, superior to the DA pistols which came before them. Perhaps the biggest reason why striker-fired pistols caught on is that the learning curve isn’t nearly as steep as with a DA pistol, an important quality when training large numbers of officers. Today, striker-fired, polymer frame pistols are the overwhelming choice for law enforcement and every major manufacturer has now gotten into the act.
Springfield Armory’s first striker-fired, polymer frame pistol was the XD®, first marketed here in 2002. The XD is a slightly more refined version of the HS2000 which was produced by HS Produkt of Croatia. Springfield acquired the rights to sell the gun here in the US and re-branded it as the XD (eXtreme Duty). It is currently available in several different size configurations and popular chambering, including 9mm, .40 S&W and .45ACP. In 2023, Springfield Armory introduced the Echelon, a next generation pistol also made by HS Produkt. To say the least, the Echelon is a highly refined pistol with features not found in competitive designs. Especially impressive is the slim grip, a quality often absent in other high capacity pistols. Once the service-size Echelon became established, it was inevitable that Springfield Armory would introduce a slightly more compact version. The new Echelon 4.0C is now a reality and it is indeed a standout in a crowded field of similar pistols.
Pistol Particulars
Generally speaking, a compact is a somewhat abbreviated version of a full-size service pistol with a slightly shorter slide and grip frame. The Echelon 4.0C is true to that formula and retains all of the positive features of the parent pistol. What makes compact-size pistols so popular is the fact that they give up very little, if anything, to a service-size pistol and can be utilized in a traditional police duty rig or discreetly carried by plainclothes officers.
On the Echelon 4.0C, the barrel has been reduced from 4.5 inches to four inches with a corresponding reduction in slide length. The total length of the pistol is 7.25 inches. The grip frame, too, has been cut back and this yields a height of 5.125 inches with a flush fit magazine in place. To some, this may not seem like that big of a difference when compared to the full-size Echelon, but, when it comes to getting under the radar, every little bit helps. With a 15 round magazine in place, the Echelon 4.0C weighs 24 ounces empty.
The quality which sets the Echelon family apart from most other striker-fired pistols is the self-contained Central Operating Group. This serialized unit is the fire control system of the gun and can be removed for cleaning or placed in other grip modules with little fuss. Crafted from stainless steel, it provides a robust housing for critical components with reduced tolerances. Components are made of tool steel and a second sear adds another measure of safety. The Central Operating Group also includes a set of rails on which the slide reciprocates.
Another outstanding quality is the patent pending optics mounting system. The Variable Interface System allows the end user to mount over 30 different optics directly onto the slide without using an adapter plate. Without question, plates are often the Achilles heel of a red dot optic and, by eliminating this potential issue, one is far better served. It also allows the optic to sit slightly lower in the slide and avoid the use of suppressor height sights. Considering the ever growing popularity of red dot optics in police service, this is a huge advantage.
The Variable Interface System employs self-locking pins which make this one of the most advanced optics mounting systems currently available. As the mounting screws are torqued down to spec, the pins exert lateral pressure on the optics interior mounting surface which eliminates left/right movement.
Springfield Armory uses a hammer forging process to create barrels for the Echelon family. The end result is a superstrong barrel which delivers excellent accuracy and a long service life. Both threaded and non-threaded barrels are available for the Echelon Compact 4.0C and the barrel and slide are coated with Melonite® to resist wear and defeat the elements.
The slide features deep diagonal serrations, both fore and aft. A trench cut forward of the action allows the user to easily retract the slide to perform a press check to ascertain the condition of the pistol. The careful eye will also note a flare at the rear of the slide for positive manipulation.
Standard sights of the Echelon 4.0C consist of a tritium/green luminescent front mated to a Tactical Rack U-notch rear. This is a very slick combination and, if you prefer “old-school” iron sights to an optic, there is nothing better. For those who march to a different beat, 3-dot tritium sights are also available.
The standard package includes a 15 round magazine, as well as an extended 18 round magazine. Packages with ten round magazines are also available for those who live in more restrictive jurisdictions.
Superior Frame Design
One of the flaws in some of the earlier striker-fired, polymer frame pistols was a boxy frame with subpar human engineering. Unless you had hands like an NBA center, for many users, the grip frame felt like you were holding a box of cereal. For the most part, that situation has been corrected with the widespread use of interchangeable backstraps and nonslip gripping surfaces, but the Echelon knocks it out of the park. Like many contemporary pistols, the Echelon 4.0C features interchangeable backstraps so the end user can optimize fit to the hand. Taking it one step further, alternate grip modules in small, medium and large sizes are also available. By mixing and matching the backstraps and grip modules, a perfect fit can be realized for just about everyone.
Another nice touch is Springfield’s proprietary Adaptive Grip Texture. At first glance, the textured grip frame appears almost smooth, but once you apply pressure with a shooting grip, it makes for a very positive nonslip hold. Unlike some grip textures which are overly aggressive and bite the hand, the “Goldilocks factor” comes into play here and it feels just right. For users who carry a concealed pistol, the Adaptive Grip Texture will not adhere to a covering garment and give you up. When shooting a pistol, I tend to use a thumbs forward hold and a textured indexing point just above the trigger guard helps me firm up my grip.
The Echelon 4.0C is totally ambidextrous with a dual side slide stop and magazine release. This, of course, makes this southpaw shooter very happy. Initially, I thought the ambidextrous slide stop was too small to quickly run when time is of the essence, but that has not proven to be the case.
The trigger guard is slightly oversize for use with gloved hands and, considering I have been shooting the 4.0C in the dead of winter, that is yet another frill. The trigger guard is slightly undercut and the frame extends just a tad beyond the rear of the slide to protect the hand.
As with most modern pistols, the Echelon is outfitted with a rail for affixing a white light or laser. I worked my Echelon 4.0C with units from SureFire, Streamlight® and INFORCE® Lights and there were no surprises.
Range Impressions
As this is written, I’ve owned my Echelon 4.0C for about three months and have been very pleased with its performance. This pistol has been 100% reliable with ball, hollowpoint and frangible ammunition, as well as some ancient reloads I put together during the second Reagan administration! When shooting from a stable rest, accuracy potential was on par or better with similar pistols from other quality manufacturers.
My informal performance evaluation of the Echelon 4.0C took place on a blustery March day and considering the less than optimum conditions, I was pleased with the results. Five shot groups were fired from a distance of 25 yards with the aid of a Hornady® Delta Rest. Groups were measured to the nearest 1/8 inch and the results averaged. As luck would have it, I was able to shoot sub two inch groups with both Winchester® Ranger 147-grain JHP load, as well as 135-grain Hornady FlexLock® Critical Duty®. My moments of brilliance faded ever so slightly when factored in with the other five shot clusters, but average group size under three inches with service quality ammunition is very good.
At some point in time, I might put an optic on this pistol, but, for right now, I’m sticking with the factory sights. I plan to use this pistol as a training aid and, with that said, I like to keep my gear similar to, or the same as, what our officers are using at the moment. I don’t feel the least bit handicapped as the Echelon 4.0C has among the best factory sights of any serious fighting pistol. In fast-paced dynamic drills, the sights proved very quick to pick up and obtain a reliable index on the target.
One of the issues when a new pistol comes on the market is getting the proper holster for it and I am not a fan of “almost fits.” Fortunately, DeSantis has produced their excellent Veiled Partner® concealment holster crafted out of KYDEX®. The Veiled Partner rides tight to the body and can be set up for either a 1½” or 1¾” belt. The fact that the end user can adjust ride height and rake makes this a good choice for discriminating users. Tension is also adjustable so one can set the desired level of resistance on the draw stroke. Like all DeSantis holsters, the Veiled Partner represents a best buy in a quality design.
Finding a light bearing holster for the Echelon 4.0C has proven a little more difficult, but, by the time you read this, I expect there will be several options out there for the taking. For the interim, I pressed my Blackhawk® Omnivore™ into service when conducting low light training. The Omnivore will accommodate just about all popular full-size and compact pistols utilized by law enforcement personnel when outfitted with illuminators. I ran the Echelon 4.0C with a Streamlight TLR-2 HL® which features an intense white light along with a visible red laser. As expected, I had no issues whatsoever and these combos proved very effective when shooting in reduced light.
Final Thoughts
Any serious handgun used for self-defense or defense of others must be reliable, reasonably accurate, fit the hand, have a good set of sights, and a decent trigger. This new compact from Springfield Armory gets high marks in all of those critical categories.
On my Lyman Electronic Digital Trigger Pull Gauge, a little more than five pounds of rearward pressure tripped the striker. In my book, this is about right for a pistol you might have to use to defend your life. As indicated earlier, the Echelon 4.0C was reliable and sights really grab your attention as soon as you drive the pistol to eye level. I would categorize fit to the hand and human engineering to be excellent.
Apparently, others have come to the same conclusion. Recently, the Echelon 4.0C received the prestigious Gold Logo recommendation by the National Tactical Officers Association.
Captain Mike Boyle served with New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, Bureau of Law Enforcement, and has been active in use-of-force instruction for over 40 years. He is an instructor in multiple firearms and less-lethal disciplines and has been a police academy assistant director, instructor and rangemaster. He is the author of three books; three training videos; and hundreds of magazine articles on firearms, training and tactics. Mike served 21 years on the Board of Directors of IALEFI and is a member of NLEFIA and ILEETA. He continues to work part-time as a law enforcement training specialist and resides in Forked River, NJ.
Performance Evaluation: Springfield Amory® Echelon™ 4.0C 9mm
Average Group Average Muzzle Velocity
Federal® American Eagle 3 ½” 1113 fps
124-gr. FMJ
Federal Hydra-Shok® 3 1/8″ 1199 fps
124-gr. JHP +P+
Hornady® Critical Duty® 2 ¾” 1062 fps
135-gr. FlexLock
Winchester® Ranger 2 7/8″ 1027 fps
147-gr. JHP
(Muzzle velocities were recorded by an Oehler 35P Chronograph placed ten feet from the muzzle.)