Springfield Armory has expanded its Echelon line of handguns with a new 4.0C model that features a compact frame and shortened barrel and slide, making it even more compact and concealable for daily carry. The new offering is built with a shorter 4" barrel, shaving half an inch off the barrel length of the original Echelon. Additionally, the shortened frame reduces the gun's overall height from 5.5" with a flush-fit magazine to just 5.125".
Despite the gun's shortened slide and barrel, the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C still retains a three-slot Picatinny accessory rail on its dustcover.
Because of the gun's reduced frame size, standard magazine capacity has been reduced to 15 rounds in a flush-fit magazine, while the extended magazine that ships with the Echelon 4.0C holds 18 rounds of 9 mm Luger. While 17- and 20-round magazines are available for the Echelon 4.5F model, Springfield Armory recommends using the dedicated 15- and 18-round magazines for the 4.0C. In the past, the company has offered dedicated magazine sleeves for extended magazines in its other handgun lines to prevent magazine over-insertion, and it is reasonable to assume that the company will offer a similar setup for its Echelon magazines in the future.
"The full-size Echelon 4.5F 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. "The new Echelon 4.0C takes everything that made the original so popular, and sizes it down to offer users an exceptional and concealable duty-grade EDC pistol."
Models of the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C include a threaded models equipped with a 4.28" barrel threaded 1/2x28 at the muzzle and capped with a knurled thread protector. This option is equipped with a set of three-dot, tritium-illuminated sights, while the standard Echelon 4.0C is equipped with a tritium-illuminated front sight paired with a U-notch rear sight. A separate model without the threaded barrel is also available with three-dot night sights. Low-capacity models are also available for individuals living in states with magazine capacity restrictions.
Springfield offers a model of the Echelon 4.0C that comes equipped with a 1/2-28 TPI threaded barrel that protrudes slightly from the muzzle end of the slide, providing real estate to attach suppressors or other muzzle devices.
Like the original Echelon 4.5F, the 4.0C model is equipped with the Central Operating Group serialized chassis, as well as a milled slide featuring the Variable Interface System that uses a series of removable pins to accommodate a wide number of optic footprints for direct-mount compatibility. Other features include the mirrored slide-stop levers, as well as mirrored push-button magazine releases on either side of the grip frame. Suggested retail pricing on the new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C starts at $679. For more details, visit the Springfield Armory website here.
