Apparently wanting to emulate the success of SIG SAUER’s modular P320 and P365 designs along with the entire ecosystems of parts and accessories that have grown up around the guns, Springfield Armory has now gotten into the modular handgun business. You have to wonder why most other gun makers still haven’t done the same.
Like the SIG guns, the new Echelon 9mm pistols revolve around its serialized fire control group which is the legal “firearm” that requires a background check to purchase. Springfield’s calling it a Central Operating Group, but potato, potahto.
Beretta’s APX sticker-fired guns are also modular, but you have to pop a couple of pins and move a spring or two to release their fire control group. Not everyone wants to hassle with that. Like the P320 and P365, the Echelon’s internals can be removed without tools.
The full-size Echelon kinda looks like a “grown up” Hellcat. Like the Hellcat micro-compact and it’s line extensions, the Echelon is made in Croatia by HS Produkt for the Illinois-based company. It has a number of the same design cues as the smaller gun, plus the kind of aggressive slide serrations we wish the Hellcat had. Note also the flared “wings” that are machined into the back of the slide that should make gripping the slide easier using the rear slingshot style.
Springfield is also touting a new plate-less optics mounting system they’re calling the Variable Interface System. They say it’s “the most versatile optics mounting system on the market.” That’s a big claim to make given FN’s top-notch MRD system. We’ll see. We’ll also see if the introduction of the Echelon means the end for Springfield’s XD line of handguns.
Springfield’s only offering Echelon now with three grip sizes to start, but given its modularity, you know that’s going to expand greatly and probably very soon.
Here’s Springfield’s press release . . .
Springfield Armory is proud to announce 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” barrel, while a 5.28” 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.
Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ U-Dot | EC9459B-U | MSRP: $679
Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ U-Dot, 10-round | EC9459BLC-U | MSRP: $679
Echelon 4.5” 9mm w/ Tritium Three-Dot | EC9459B-3D | MSRP: $719
Echelon 4.5” 9mm Threaded w/ Tritium Three-Dot | ECT9459B-3D| MSRP: $739
For more information on the Echelon, please visit https://spr-ar.com/r/5608.
Is it bad I just hope the competition drives Sig prices down a bit? Looks like a good gun, would try it if the chance came up but would have the same questions on how could it be made to fail and what are the mitigating fixes as I did with the 320.
I do hope it drives down SIG prices. I like everything about this pistol, except where it is made. Glock, Beretta, SIG, etc. have setup shop in the USA, so I don’t see why SA can’t make them here as well. Apparently we are only good enough to buy them, but not make them.
kakvo je vreme?
bit ce sniga!
You know “made in the USA” just means “Enough parts assembled in the USA to legally put made in on the product”, right?
It’s like the 922R game with combloc rifles.
That means more American jobs which is a good thing. More assembly jobs lead to more peripheral jobs to support the factory.
Quality would probably go down if made here. Sigs certainly did 😆. Glock only makes a minority of their pistols here, likewise, Beretta only makes a few firearms here. CZ, Taurus, FN, etc, have limited production here. Not sure why it matters anyway as Springfield does make guns where, making them just like your listed examples with mixed foreign and domestic manufacturing. I personally care more about quality than where it’s made (so long as it isn’t an enemy). Apparently others agree seeing as how HK and Walther do fine with exclusively German made pistols. Finally, these aren’t made here because they are designed and made by HS Produkt of Croatia (a NATO member) and marketed in the US as Springfield. But the reality is, Springfield wasn’t even the the first company to import the “XD” (Springfield’s name for the HS2000 pistol), several companies imported them before Springfield signed them to an exclusive contract/branding scheme. The first ones were imported by a small company in Knoxville, TN and were still stamped with the actual manufacturer’s markings.
cool info.
It’s made in Croatia, a NATO ally. What’s wrong with Croatia?
I object to who’s marketing it- the UNREPENTANT gun-grab Springfield company.
I bought the Sig 320 in full size .45 some years ago, I’ve never used the modular functionality of it. Even thought it has a looooong trigger pull, I like this big, beefy pistol, like the way it shoots, so I’ve held onto it. It’s actually my bedside gun these days, with that looooooong trigger pull it’s pretty safe. It hits what I aim at.
Eh, it’s from Springfield Armory. Don’t live in Illy, but still not happy with their backstabbing years ago.
Anyone happen to know if the whole “Frame and Receiver” debacle with 80% lowers referenced what ATF did WRT pistol fire control modules as an example of their two-faced doublespeak?
One would hope those involved in the treachery are no longer employed there and the company has moved on. With that said the frame and receiver thing is of interest.
Until Springfield and RRA actively support Gun Rights interests via SAF, GOA, FPC or other 2A Civil Rights groups in their lawsuits, the company has not “moved on” and learned the errors of their ways. See Target, Bud Light as recent examples.
And being a member of the NSSF doesn’t count, as NSSF is for firearms manufacturers, not 2A Civil Rights endorsement.
I can agree with that, only followed it at a surface level as different issues were the pressing ones in my region.
Amen. Springfield still da suck. There are other horses in the stable.
If that incident is the only thing standing between you and a SA firearm you would otherwise like to own, buy used. They’ve made all the money they’re going to make on that one.
Already own a similar version in Sig so not really a high priority plus not known if it is going to be beta tested on new owners so bit deeper than a passing concern of previous politics.
Cool concept, but Springfield is dead to me. As they should be to all supporters of gun rights
+1000. The traitors still run the show at Springfield.
Do not forgive.
Do not forget.
Springfield delenda est!
Amen… ad inferos ire, Springfield!
OK, we have a Life of Brian moment here . . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lczHvB3Y9s
“Ire” . . . what is “ire”? You are giving a command, so you must use the . . . . imperative.
And the singular present imperative of the verb ire is . . . “i.”
We could pick nits as to whether “ad” + the plural ablative (infernos) is correct v. locative singular alone (infernum), but given that Seneca used your construction I’ll leave that alone.
So ignoring proper word order (which varied between Golden Age Latin, Silver Age Latin, and the various post Roman Empire dialects and vulgates, so I’ll leave it be), it should be:
Ad infernos i, Springfield!
or idiomatically just:
Ad infernos, Springfield!
“Now write that out a hundred times. If you’re not done by sunrise I’ll cut your balls off.”
Yep. They could redeem themselves but choose not to.
No grip zone?
I was going to say, I have no clue where to grip this firearm at.
Designing it with the ability to directly mount optics was a good move.
Don’t be VIS’in my COG as I fly my delta wing over the black site.
I’m surprised this concept is spreading so slowly. Tool your shop for one internal control group then license to 3rd party parts manufacturers. Tighter production, fewer SKU’s, money printing from somebody elses work feeding the endless consumer “individual” with all sorts of custom tidbits. Seems perfect the age of influencer marketing. Spend $$$ to make your gun look like his gun and it can all be shipped directly to your door.
Brand loyalty, market saturation, government contracts, pricing.
Lets see if Springfield can catch up to Sig and if Smith decides to modularize the M&P. I’m still waiting for a proper rifle chassis.
Springfield may have done something some don’t approve of, just as S&W did with the so-called Hillary hole on. Still, they make firearms, they support OUR RIGHT to bear arms. Not to start a fire fight, but what did the previous President do to improve our right to bear arms? None that I know of. If you have a list of benefits we gained with respect to the 2nd, I’d would appreciate hearing about them.
EFF Springfield. Trump gave us a pretty much pro-2A SCOTUS. And Bruen. And a multitude of pro-2A judges. Springfield gave $ to dims who signed wholesale gun bans in ILL annoy. And pass off HS Product stuff as their own.
RE: “daniel…but what did the previous President do to improve our right to bear arms?”
Stupid question when what matters is POTUS DJT did not do what Jim Crow Gun Control joe has done… Don’t you think not doing what joe has done across the board was doing something to improve “our rights?”
And do not respond with any bump stock ignorance. At the time had POTUS DJT tossed the matter to congress there were many more products on the congressional hit list than just bump stocks.
EOs can be undone easier than an act of congress…The bump stock EO has been overturned in court several times and because of that there is currently a congressional bill after bump stocks.
It is the mentality of people like you and oldshtgeoff who held the door open for biden…you two have no podium.
Bump stocks were not nonsense. You can dissemble and prevaricate all you want but when it came down to it Trump flinched, and you have to own that. Bump stocks set the stage for ATF to go after pistol braces and 80%s, as many predicted at the time, and we have to fight through these things because DJT did not stand strong.
We have successfully leaned on congress for years to stop gun control. We survived 8 years of Obama without them passing any new federal gun control. The whole “he had to do something or congress..” is a red herring.
Yes, Trump gave us a better SC which gave us Bruen, and a bunch of pro constitution judges, and that is important. Trump gave us reduced illegal immigration and other things as well. If he is the R nominee I will vote for him again, though I no longer believe votes matter, and not cleaning up the election process is another mistake he made. You have to admit to the mistakes as well as pointing out the good things, so the mistakes can be addressed and corrected. If you can’t do good analysis and process improvement then you are no better than the left.
To be fair, Congress has failed to clean up the election process (although there is some movement now… Maybe in my lifetime).
Having a President rule by fiat (Executive Orders) is terrible in general. Congress has been derelict in their duties for years, having failed to pass a balanced budget in over 20 years, as an example.
Federal Judges were within his power. And he delivered bigly. He did make mis-steps, ala bump stocks. I’m actually hopeful that one day, the bump-stock fiasco ends up getting the Hughes Amendment to FOPA declared unconstitutional (ie, GOV is not allowed to BAN arms in common use – they MAY be able to regulate).
“we have to fight through these things because DJT did not stand strong.”
You think we have a tyrannical ATF only because of Trump and the bump stock fiasco? You should take a look around at the other federal agencies when you get a chance. Spoiler alert: we have a tyrannical, corrupt executive branch. It has nothing to do with bump stocks.
“not cleaning up the election process is another mistake he made”
Elections are controlled by the states. Both Republicans and Democrats in PA really screwed you guys. It would be worth your while to spend your energy doing something about them instead of complaining about Trump.
In my opinion, no army or branch of any army uses or has used bump stocks. It in my mind is not an “Arm” such as frames magazines or Ammo. Be honest, the first I heard about them I thought although it might be fun, but how stupid, waste so much ammo. Just for Wannabe operators. .. Plus there are way better arguments to persue.,that will move us forward with the unconvinced voters. I can’t think of any reason in even a zombie apocalypse that I would use one in self defense. Guns are for hunting, Arms are for self defense. Ammo, night sights, suppressors ,sbr s , even body armour and full auto. All Arms under the constitution. Bump stock appears to be a destructive device. I realize that standing together means supporting the whole ball of wax, but in this case, I believe, this doesn’t even help our cause. It may even
work against it.
@Robert LoRusso –
“In my opinion, no army or branch of any army uses or has used bump stocks”
Until you realize that a bump stock was literally invented as a (at the time) civilian-legal workaround to the Hughes Amendment which prevents machine gun* transfers to civilians, and every army in the world is provided machine guns.
So, if MGs are Arms (they are), and are protected by 2A (should be IMHO), then there would be no engineering need for bump-stocks. In short, “life finds a way”
What have you done does not matter in what didnt you do.
I want home made chocolate chip ice cream but you didnt make make vanilla.
Im still waiting on ice cream.
Like FWW states, President Trump nominated, and got approved, 3 generally conservative SCOTUS justices. This, above all else, should have been sufficient for Conservatives to re-elect him, IMHO, even with all of his other faults.
SCOTUS and other Federal Judge appointments are the gift that keeps on giving, well beyond the Presidential timespan, and is in the President’s enumerated powers.
For the rest of it, Congress had a slim Republican majority for 2 years of his presidency, and during those 2 years, were largely against Trump.
The real question to ask is what has Congress done to advance Gun Rights over the years. HPA and other bills have been dead in the water due to the filibuster….
“but what did the previous President do to improve our right to bear arms?”
But, but, but WHAT ABOUT TRUMP?!?! That has absolutely nothing to do with Springfield. Nice try at deflecting. Trump wasn’t king. Congress makes the laws. Trump could sign it or veto it. Why aren’t you asking what Paul Ryan & Company did to improve your rights? Trump winning is why we have a decent Supreme Court.
Duh, I don’t know, maybe something to do with three Supreme Court Justices.
Other than no manual safety it’s not a bad firearm. That is unless you are onboard with throwing all at Springfield Armory under the bus over decisions made by one or a few bad apples and/or if you are bigoted to firearms Made in Croatia.
With all the complaints about Springfield/RRA getting special protection it’s ironic how there was not a problem with those tripping over each other to sign up with .orgs promising special temporay brace protection for members only.
https://gunstoday.com/why-is-everyone-boycotting-springfield-armory/
Boycotting companies for their decisions is well within a consumer’s interests for a capitalistic society. See Target and Bud Light.
The difference between Springfield/RRA and FPC/SAF is that FPC/SAF are Not-for-profit 2A Civil Rights organizations. Springfield/RRA are not. As such, their interests are not specifically aligned with 2A Civil Rights.
Until they are, Gun Owners have every incentive to boycott those companies. It’s not bigotry, racist or fascist to do so.
“one or a few bad apples”
You are referring to the CEO, who is still the CEO.
The 365 needs a tool to remove the fire control from the grip, have to drive the pin out with something.Not difficult, but it is a step.
Car/house keys work in a pinch depending on what kind you have.
In typical Springfield fashion – we’ve got a me-too gun with cringey marketing, made in a foreign country and sold by people who are actively hostile to our 2A rights.
Springfield should only make two kinds of gunms, the M14 and single shot rifles.
And they should only sale them to me for $150 apiece.
Then I could sale them to anybody with no forms to fill out for $200.
Did you get permission from .giv to drive to work or the gas station today?-Yes you did, .giv allowed you to have a drivers license.
Still waiting for a 30 carbine..
i need another 9mm pistol
like i need a hole in the head
having said that
ill probably ending up buying one of these damn things
A Production Gun That Looks & Feels Like A Custom Gun – Springfield Echelon Review
you know the episode of seinfeld
where george is having “male performance problems”
and then he eats the mango
and says “omg – i think it moved”
im having a similar physiological reaction
every time i look at this pistol
i think springfield could literally market this pistol as the worlds first pistol
that pays for itself
because its so cool
that you never even have to go shoot it
you can just look at it
and have as much fun as actually shooting it
Nice to see I’m not the only one who remembers the SA/RRA issue. We now have even worse unconstitutional gun laws than those once endorsed or “overlooked” by these two Illinois based gun manufacturers/importer. I’ll give Rock River Arms credit, they have come out publicly and on their homepage against the crappola being forced on IL rezidents. Springfield..? Nada.
I LIKE TARGET SIGHTS ON MY GUNS , PISTOLS .
STILL WISH COULD MAKE 1911 SA /DA , IN ALL CALIBERS ..
Saw Ian’s review last night when the embargo lifted.
Looks well designed for what it is. Not interested in a handgun with a trigger dingus.
Looks Great! I’m wanting this. The name is dumb though.
Comments are closed.