{"id":405212,"date":"2023-07-31T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=405212"},"modified":"2024-10-07T15:59:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T20:59:12","slug":"springfield-echelon-a-practical-modern-polymer-pistol-that-makes-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/springfield-echelon-a-practical-modern-polymer-pistol-that-makes-sense\/","title":{"rendered":"Springfield Echelon: A Practical Modern Polymer Pistol That Makes Sense"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m admittedly not the biggest fan of Springfield\u2019s polymer pistols. The XD and XDm series pistols never offered what I liked in a fighting pistol. While economical, they just weren\u2019t a solid fit for me. Among others, one of my chief complaints was the long trigger press that lacked a positive and short reset. As a result, I found comfort in tried-and-true systems like Glock, Sig, and HK. I wrote Springfield polymer pistols off as a \u201cnice to have\u201d, not a \u201cmust have\u201d, in my collection. While reviews of Springfield\u2019s latest addition, the Echelon, are plentiful, I think it\u2019s worthwhile to discuss this pistol from the perspective of someone who was cautiously averse to a new Springfield polymer entry into the market. With the Springfield Echelon, I admittedly will have to re-evaluate my original impressions of their polymer pistols.<\/p>\n

Practical and Functional Modularity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The release of the Sig 320 was a huge advancement for the consumer by offering a modular pistol platform (I\u2019m choosing to ignore the Sig 250 for a multitude of reasons we won\u2019t get into here). While the 320 has not been without controversy since its release, the modular trigger pack was a novel and intelligent direction for the handgun industry to steer itself. Springfield has evidently agreed with this concept and introduced it to their lineup of polymer pistols.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll openly admit that I\u2019m preferential to Glock. However, Glock frames are still in the category of \u201cone size fits all\u201d, e.g. translation is that it isn\u2019t comfortable for most folks. Nearly every Glock I own has had the finger grooves removed with a backstrap reduction and stippling added. I\u2019ve added gas pedals to the frame and undercuts to the trigger guard to customize the frame and grip to my comfort and liking. It\u2019s extra work I\u2019m willing to put in to continue to run a setup that I know will perform under adverse conditions. The Springfield Echelon<\/a> is the first semi-auto polymer pistol I\u2019ve ever picked up that didn\u2019t need this.<\/p>\n

\"two
The aggressive texturing on the Springfield Echelon is properly placed and not excessive. The grip module is complete with textured gas pedals and trigger guard undercuts, as any modern fighting pistol should include.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Echelon I received came with their standard frame size and medium back strap. I have big hands and, as counterintuitive as it may seem, prefer a smaller grip size. I swapped the provided frame for their small backstrap and frame after a brief review of the manual of arms. The swap was relatively easy. It is somewhat different from the 320, but nothing crazy to accomplish. Once the small frame and backstrap were added, I was shocked at the feel of the firearm in my hand. I actually liked <\/em>it. Despite my desire to tinker with every firearm I own, I wasn\u2019t able to find an obvious feature that needed to be changed on the grip.<\/p>\n

The frame is equipped with arguably some of the most aggressive texturing I\u2019ve found on the market yet. During testing, a thunderstorm rolled in and soaked me and the firearm. I had no issues with controlling recoil or follow-up shots with wet and slippery hands, normally reserved for the aggressive aftermarket texturing I\u2019ve applied to my Glocks. The frame featured factory undercuts on the trigger guard that indexed well for my support hand while the gas pedals forward of the takedown lever were well-defined and easy to index.<\/p>\n

The slide contours on the pistol are reminiscent of the result of a one-night stand between a Glock 17 and HK VP9 with Zev or Agency as the midwife. The slide has wings machined into the rear that serve a purpose similar to the wings of the HK VP9 slide cuts. I was concerned about obtaining proper purchase on the smooth metal but didn\u2019t experience any grip lacking when racking the slide under wet or sweaty conditions. The slide serrations are inset into the frame slightly. From first impressions, I think this allows for slightly greater purchase when manipulating the slide while reducing (however slight) abrasion from the serrations catching on clothing during concealed carry.<\/p>\n

Operation and Handling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One complaint I initially had with the firearm was the slide release position. It was conveniently placed under my dominant thumb. Before even putting one round through the gun, I knew I was probably going to run into issues with depressing the slide release and causing the gun to not slide lock on the last shot. This fear was realized during the first few magazines. After about 50 rounds through the gun, I adjusted my thumb placement slightly and the issue stopped almost completely. As a matter of disclosure, this isn\u2019t a firearm design issue as much as this is an issue with adjusting to a new weapon platform. From my experience, most slide releases are a bent piece of metal with a rounded edge near the top. Some firearms, like HK and Sig, have the slide release with an angled contour. Occasionally, this curved or contoured surface can provide less than optimal purchase for slide release manipulation. The Echelon\u2019s slide release is flat and conducive to a very positive slide release. It was oddly satisfying dropping the slide on this gun because of how responsive and positive it felt.<\/p>\n

\"Springfield
The Echelon’s internals. Note the slide release engages the slide on both sides. This gun is fully ambidextrous and suitable for left and right-handed shooters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Earlier, I discussed my absolute disdain for the trigger of the HS2000, XD, and XDm pistol series. While the trigger pull weight was lighter than a Glock or M&P, it was long with an equally long reset for follow-up shots. This is most likely attributable to the striker design of the XD series, but was a sub-optimal reset compared to its peers on the market. Springfield\u2019s Echelon is not an improvement to the XD trigger; it\u2019s a completely different beast. The trigger pull weight is comparable to the HK VP9 or Walther PPQ with a similar reset. During shooting, I was shocked at the rate of fire I could achieve during drills. In my first Bill Drill with the Echelon, I ran it with an average .15 second split time (and one miss on steel). This gun can \u2014 and wants to \u2014 <\/em>be run fast.<\/p>\n

\"Springfield
The trigger on the Springfield Echelon is impressive \u2014<\/em> and fast. During a Bill Drill, the author has four casings in the air at once with a fifth one just out of frame.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reimagining Optics Mounting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The red dot pistol is the future of the fighting handgun. While some traditionalists may fight such change, the red dot pistol has established itself like red dot optics on rifles did in the \u201890s and early \u201800s. When red dot optics were first mounted to fighting pistols, the slide was frequently machined specifically to the optic. As manufacturers offered pistol lineups that were \u201cred dot ready,\u201d optics manufacturers expanded their lineups. Unfortunately, nearly every optic manufactured has a different mounting pattern. Firearms manufacturers adapted to this issue by offering a confusing and overwhelming variety of mounting plates to adapt the optic to their firearms.<\/p>\n

\"slide
The Echelon’s slide release and optics mounting system. Springfield’s Variable Interface System deleted the need for an optics mounting adapter while allowing for the mounting of 30 different red dot optics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The use of mounting plates generates some unique issues: (1) it\u2019s an additional point of failure where screws can back out or (as I\u2019ve experienced) screws can strip from the plate under repeated recoil and (2) it mounts the optic higher on the slide, requiring the shooter to use suppressor height sights in many cases. The Echelon has Springfield\u2019s patent-pending \u201cVariable Interface System\u201d for nearly 30 handgun optics. Using a pin system, the optic mounting platform for the Echelon deletes the need for a mounting plate while retaining the breadth of options available for pistol optics. During testing, the RMR equipped on the Echelon didn\u2019t lose zero nor did the optic work loose after 400 rounds. While a snapshot of what I\u2019d like to run the pistol through for testing, it was a satisfactory result. If it stands the test of time, Springfield\u2019s Variable Interface System could be the future of pistol red dot mounting systems.<\/p>\n

Trigger Time and Final Impression of the Springfield Echelon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While ammunition isn\u2019t cheap, it\u2019s worth it to get to know this gun from the initial impression. In total, I ran about 400 rounds through the pistol. While I would like to get more through the gun, this was graciously loaned to me by CrossBreed Holsters and I\u2019m sure they want it back. A huge thank you to them for putting this out on loan to me. If you haven\u2019t done so, I highly recommend perusing their products as they\u2019ve served me reliably for over 15 years.<\/p>\n

After some minor adjustments to the sights to my liking, I ran the pistol through some drills. This is a full-size handgun and is suitable as a duty or home defense firearm. I anticipate Springfield will offer more calibers and frame\/slide configurations with the release of this product that will be more conducive for concealed carry. For size comparison, it\u2019s nearly identical to a Glock 17 and has a surprisingly similar appearance.<\/p>\n

\"handgun
The Springfield Echelon is similar in size, appearance, and feel to a Glock 17 \u2014<\/em> except Springfield offers it with the comforts not afforded from the factory by Glock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pistol didn\u2019t have any malfunctions during testing and performed flawlessly. The biggest issue, as mentioned above, was my thumb riding the slide release. Nevertheless, mag changes were easy and smooth with the beveled mag well. It\u2019s not a competition mag well by any means, but is suitable for a combat and defensive pistol.<\/p>\n

The felt recoil on the pistol was what I expected from a polymer frame handgun. The bore axis sits low, very similar to a Glock, and has a comparable muzzle rise. In transitioning from a Glock to the Echelon, the change was seamless and comfortable. Frankly, the Echelon is how a lot of us in the Glock world wish our pistol came.<\/p>\n

At distance, I had no issues with making shots I routinely do on other pistol platforms and found the trigger to be easy to stack and break for precision shots. The wall is softer than a Glock but is crisp enough to remove slack and still know where the wall is on the sear. The reset is positive and crisp.<\/p>\n

Overall, the Springfield Echelon is a promising addition to the polymer pistol market today. Beyond the optics mounting platform, the pistol doesn\u2019t necessarily do anything ground-breaking. However, the pistol\u2019s features, ergonomics, modularity, and functionality are everything I ask for in a polymer duty pistol. It includes these features straight from the factory and requires no aftermarket modifications or accessories. The Echelon is the polymer pistol many of us have asked for \u2014<\/em> and it\u2019s like that straight out of the box. I\u2019m cautiously excited to see the reputation the Echelon line develops as it hits consumer markets. For now, well done Springfield Armory, well done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Echelon is the polymer pistol many of us have asked for \u2014 and it\u2019s like that straight out of the box. Frankly, the Echelon is how a lot of us in the Glock world wish our pistol came.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":405563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2333],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-405212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-firearm-reviews"],"small_media_thumbnail":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/springfield-echelon-review-300x225.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405212"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440630,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405212\/revisions\/440630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}