The Echelon 4.0FC is the latest iteration of the superlative Springfield Armory Echelon service pistol. Featuring a full-size frame for optimal control and bountiful magazine capacity mated to an abbreviated slide, the 4.0FC offers proper packable power in a hybridized intermediate-sized package.
Easy to carry and shockingly accurate, the Echelon 4.0FC strikes that elusive perfect tactical compromise between small gun agile and big gun mean.
Origin Story
Guns evolve over time in response to technological advances and market forces. HK introduced the first polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol back in 1970. Their VP70 had much to commend it to include a whopping 18-round double-column, double-feed magazine.
However, the trigger pull was measured in short tons, and HK didn’t go to any great effort convincing us that it was awesome. This ultimately doomed the design.
Twelve years later, Gaston Glock introduced his revolutionary polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol. That first Glock 17 legitimately changed the world. Then most everybody followed suit.
Springfield Armory launched their Echelon combat pistol in July of 2023. Amidst a sea of polymer-framed, striker-fired defensive handguns flooding the market at the time, the Echelon was indeed one of them.
When first I heard the news, I figured it was just another variation on the old theme. Then I actually shot one. I live in this space, and I found the Echelon to be a cut above the competition. I bought the first one I touched.
When Springfield Armory made the Echelon, they perfected the genre. Every single aspect of this gun is optimized to produce the ideal fighting pistol. I’m pretty picky when it comes to my combat handguns, and I really cannot find fault with this one.
Genetic Hybridization
A genetic hybrid is the term used to describe the offspring between two disparate plants or animals. Hybridization is a highly refined science the goal of which is to tease out optimal traits in certain creatures and use them to produce an end result that is even better than the source material.
Examples drawn from the animal kingdom include the mule that results from a horse and a donkey, the liger produced from a lion and a tiger, and the pumapard which is the product of a cougar and a leopard. Beefalo, jaglions, wholphins, zorses, and zeedonks are a few others.
Hybridization can be manifest in the world of firearms as well. In the case of the new Echelon 4.0FC, the slide and barrel assembly are drawn directly from the superb Echelon 4.0C Compact.
The frame sports the full-size grip along with an abbreviated dust cover so as to accommodate the compact upper half. The end result indeed captures the best of both guns in something that is easier to carry without sacrificing tactical efficacy.
Springfield Echelon 4.0FC Features
For starters, the grip-to-frame angle replicates that of the esteemed 1911. There are two broad schools of thought here. The Glock mimics the general morphology of the Luger. The Echelon apes John Moses Browning’s timeless masterpiece. Your mileage may vary, but I grew up with the 1911. That’s what best suits me.
The Echelon orbits around its patented COG or Central Operating Group. This modular fire control assembly is the serialized bit. Snag one of these puppies, and you can mix and match components to make whatever gun you want out of it. It’s like Garanimals for gun guys.
What separates the Echelon from literally everybody else is that every single bit of the thing is tweaked to perfection. The slide is flared slightly in the back and festooned with deep gripping grooves for easy purchase when you might not be operating at your best.
Adaptive Grip Texture locks the frame into your skin the tighter you squeeze it. There are little parking pads to help keep your fingers where they need to be when they need to be there.
The tactical rack U-notch rear sight serves in concert with a tritium front dot. If life goes truly pear-shaped, you can even hook the rear sight on a handy table edge and charge the gun one-handed. I’ve tried them all. For what it’s worth, I think this is the best iron sighting system there is.
Everybody bolts electronic red dot sights onto their tactical handguns these days. Springfield Armory makes that shockingly easy.
Their Variable Interface System includes a series of self-locking pins that let you mount more than 30 common optical sights directly to the slide without the use of special mounting plates. Just studying the elegance of that thing is adequate to make you say, “Wow!”
There are three different grip sizes available, and the gun includes three different interchangeable backstraps. The slide stop and magazine catch are perfectly replicated on both sides, and the fire control system is completely drop-proof.
The Echelon is even available in California-friendly versions, which is borderline miraculous given how onerous the California state government makes that process.
If you study the Echelon holistically, there’s just nothing left to tweak. The freaking thing is perfect.
The Echelon 4.0FC: Mixing and Matching
The latest version of the Echelon is the 4.0FC. This is a factory variant that combines the full-size frame attributes of the original Echelon with the abbreviated slide of the 4.0C Compact version.
What this brings to the table is the superlative control and magazine capacity of the plus-size gun along with the maneuverability, carry comfort, and rapid draw of the abbreviated heater.
Magazines pack 17+1 flush or 20+1 with a finger extension. The Echelon 4.0FC comes with one of each and a spare extended baseplate. If twenty-one rounds of 9mm Para won’t get you out of whatever bind you might find yourself in, you might want to rethink your life.
The front dust cover is naturally railed for accessories, and there is the tiniest bevel to the magazine floorplate that you can use in the highly unlikely event that things get sticky. Every Echelon I have ever hefted spit its magazines out like prunes through a toddler.
The flat-faced trigger includes a manual blade safety that disengages automatically when you touch it. Redundant internal automatic safeties ensure that this gun will not fire until you actually put your finger on the trigger and squeeze.
For those of us who like to color coordinate our ordnance, the Echelon is available in FDE, OD Green, or Basic Black.
Trigger Time with the Echelon 4.0FC
Full disclosure, I really do love this pistol. Springfield Armory is the American-owned family business that brought us the M1A battle rifle, the SAINT line of top-end AR15’s, and the superlative Hellcat concealed carry pocket gun. These guys know how to build a tactical firearm. The Echelon 4.0FC is the tip of that spear.
The gun drops into your hand beautifully and shoots majestically straight. The trigger leads the genre with a gentle predictable take-up and a nice break. The reset is intentionally short for fast follow-up shots. Magazine changes are as smooth and fast as any on Planet Earth.
The grip tapers ever so slightly as it approaches the slide. This seats your strong hand nicely on the gun and facilitates a low bore axis. I could easily keep my rounds in a juice can lid at typical CQB engagement ranges. Those groups shrank to a quarter when I really did my part.
Range Results
| Ammo | Group Size (inches) | Velocity (fps) |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hills 100-gr HoneyBadger | 1 | 1,240 |
| Remington 124-gr FMJ | 0.7 | 1,087 |
| Winchester 147-gr Defender JHP | 0.5 | 1,006 |
| Hornady Critical Defense 115-gr FTX | 0.7 | 1,152 |
Group Size is best four of five rounds fired off of a sandbag rest at 12 meters. Velocity is the average of five rounds measured by a Garmin Xero C1 chronograph.
A Word on Philosophy
We independent freedom-besotted Americans purchase firearms for a wide variety of reasons. We tell ourselves that includes competition and target shooting, and those things are indeed fun.
However, at its heart, the real reason we drop our hard-earned cash on a gun like the Echelon is to keep ourselves safe in a world characterized by terrorism, crime, and caustic political acrimony. The Echelon is literally the perfect tool for that.
The Echelon 4.0FC is plenty big and powerful to sit in your nightstand or ride in the glove box of your car and keep the goblins at bay.
Mount up a decent red dot and a tactical light, and you have a reliable counter-chaos vaccine day-or-night. You won’t be better equipped at any price.
Wear some baggy clothes and invest in a decent carry rig, and the same Echelon 4.0FC will make a superb concealed carry companion. Concealed carry nowadays is equal parts utility, lifestyle, and religion. It takes discipline to do it right, and there is the perennial trade-off between portability and practicality.
Tiny little rimfire wheelguns are easy to carry but not much use in a proper fight. Your favorite tricked-out black rifle is proof against most any bipedal threat, but it is a beast to hide underneath shorts and a t-shirt.
By contrast, the Echelon 4.0FC is as effective as any full-size service gun while remaining sufficiently stubby to carry and present expeditiously.
It's a buyer’s market for tactical handguns these days. When it comes to a proper service pistol that you can also conceal, you can spend more and you can spend less. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find better reliability, effectiveness, and features at any price.
The H&B Bottom Line
The “H&B Bottom Line” is a rating system based on seven criteria. Each category is worth five points (or ampersands) for a maximum score of 35.
Ergos and Handling: &&&&&
Perfectly interfaces with the human form. There are smaller options, but the Echelon 4.0FC balances packability with tactical performance.
Recoil: &&&&&
Soaks up recoil while remaining both comfortable and quick.
Action and Reloading: &&&&&
Literally nothing is faster.
Sight Mounting Ease: &&&&&
The Variable Interface System is a universal mounting solution that places the optic directly onto the slide.
Intended Purpose: &&&&&
The mission of the Echelon 4.0FC is to strike a balance between service pistol ergonomics and concealed carry. In this regard, the gun is literally ideal.
Overall Versatility: &&&&&
Whether in the nightstand or on your hip, the Echelon 4.0FC packs well and runs great.
Value-Price Point: &&&&&
There are admittedly cheaper options. However, if you want it done right, the Echelon 4.0FC represents great value for the money. This is a custom-grade gun at a working man’s price.
Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Action: Short Recoil
Barrel: 4 inches
OA Length: 7.25 inches
Weight: 24 ounces (empty)
Grips: Polymer/Adaptive Grip Texture
Sights: Tritium Front/Tactical Rack U-dot Rear
Finish: Melonite
Capacity: 17+1/20+1
MSRP: TBD
