The world got hit pretty hard with the Springfield Echelon. The latest pistol from Springfield Armory and HS Produkt has been fairly well received, and we got our own to test and evaluate. I’ve never been super into the XD series from Springfield. They seem like fine guns, and I’ve admittedly never had a bad experience. Most of my experience comes from the longer barrel XD line, which I found to be very accurate and easy to shoot. Still, they were a tough sell to me in a crowded field of polymer frame, striker-fired pistols.
When Springfield brought the Hellcat out, I was impressed. So much so that I needed to own one. When looking at the Hellcat, I couldn’t help but think that Springfield should imitate the Hellcat’s design for the entirety of their XD series. Springfield did just that and maybe even a little more with the Echelon. The Echelon certainly appears to be an upgrade to the XD series. Today, we find out if the XD series can hit the road in the wake of the Echelon series.
Why the Echelon Stands Out
The general look of the Echelon series certainly has some Hellcat appearance to it. While looking cool is half the battle, what really sets the Echelon apart from the XDs and even the other striker-fired, polymer frame pistols? Well, let’s find out.
The Echelon features an internal chassis system with all the parts and pieces that make the gun fire in an easily removable system. Springfield calls it the COG, or Central Operating Group. Firearms like the SIG P320 also use a chassis system, as do numerous Berettas, the P365, and many more. The COG is the serialized portion of the gun and is technically the firearm, as classified by the ATF. It can be removed, and the user can swap grip modules.
Currently, there are three different full-sized grip frames to accommodate a wider variety of shooters and their individual hand sizes. There aren’t any compact or subcompact frames on the market right now, though I would expect them to show up fairly soon.
Besides the COG, we also have the VIS. The VIS or Variable Interface System is an optic mounting system that allows you to mount a variety of different optics. The VIS uses a series of pegs and threaded slots to allow you to customize the optic’s mounting portion of the slide work with 30 different optics. Better yet, it does not require a plate system, which means less tolerance stacking and lower sitting optics!
Plus, the Echelon comes with sights that will co-witness with most standard red dots currently on the market. They are a little taller than most, but I wouldn’t call them suppressor-height sights.
The Echelon’s Ergonomics
At first glance, it’s a very modern-looking pistol, but it gets even better when you pick it up. The Echelon’s grip is surprisingly thin and closer in size to CZ pistols than Glock models. It’s slender with a modern grip texture pattern, first seen on Hellcat-series pistols. The adaptive grip texture is quite aggressive but won’t rub you raw when carried tight against the body.
A nice overhang at the top of the grip allows you to tuck your gun up nice and high. The trigger guard is also relieved for a high grip and superior comfort. A nice surprise on the slide is some deeply engraved slide serrations. At the rear are some wings that make it easy to operate with an optic on the top. Those wings allow for a great grip, not only when you rack the weapon, but also when defeating malfunctions.
Controls-wise, it’s a simple gun. The Echelon series ditches the grip safety, which I am so happy about. Grip safeties are lame. The gun has totally ambidextrous controls, which allow you to control the magazine and slide release with either hand. The magazine release is a big button, making it easy to release the magazine.
It’s textured, and a quick shift of your thumb makes it easy to reach. The slide lock is small but is a bit different than most. The step that allows you to press it down is oriented upwards rather than outwards. What this does for me is keep my thumbs from pinning it down when I shoot, which means the slide will actually lock open, a rare treat for my thumbs and semi-auto pistols. While they’re small, they are still easy to engage and send the slide home.
Blasting Away
Now that we’ve given the gun the prom date treatment, let’s take it to the dance. The Echelon comes with one flush-fitting 17-round magazine and one 20-round, slightly extended magazine. Both mags have witness holes, and both top out at seventeen. Keeping both loaded is a challenge because the gun is pretty darn fun to shoot.
Recoil is what you expect from a duty-sized 9mm. It’s tepid and completely controllable. The gun is easy to stay on target with, and the red dot snaps back to the target between shots. Shooting quickly isn’t tough, and you can drill a target with round after round without feeling like the gun is getting away from you. Shooting drills like the 10-10-10 Drill proved very easy, and I could score an all-black run in about 6 seconds from the low ready.
The controls are nicely placed and easy to access. I really appreciated the wings when running some El Presidente drills. I could easily sling-shot the slide back into action without wrapping my hand around the optic. The magazine release is big enough that I don’t have to try and find it when I need to reload. It’s a good feeling when the gun is intuitive and controllable.
What impressed me was the accuracy of the platform. I could drill a B-8 with ease at various ranges. Drilling tiny groups in the center wasn’t hard to do. The trigger is about 4.5 pounds and is a flat design. This makes it easy to reach. The trigger has some light initial takeup, then a heavy trigger pull that results in a barely perceivable wall. I could take the gun out to 50 yards and land shots on an IPSC target regularly.
Forming an Echelon
The Echelon performed admirably on the range. It kicked brass all day and delivered more than adequate performance. It’s not a custom race gun, but it seems like it’s very well thought out. They accomplished a gun that’s brilliant in the basics of firearm design. The Echelon delivers excellent accuracy, great ergonomics, and a smooth recoil experience.
In the reliability department, it scores high. The gun never failed or faltered. My shooting was done entirely with brass-cased ammo, mostly 115-grain basic-range ammo. It ate through a 500-round can and impressed more than one shooter. I think Springfield’s importation of the Echelon and its potential Xd replacing design is a great step forward.
