Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review: The Ultimate Compact 9mm Pistol

Newly Introduced: The Springfield Echelon 4.0C packs the same revolutionary technology in a compact, carry-friendly size.

Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review
With a 4” barrel, the Springfield Echelon 4.0C is three-quarters of an inch shorter than its big brother. In the family of modern Springfield pistols its footprint fits right in between the full-size Echelon and the Hellcat Pro, but with a much better trigger. The 4.0C is full width, and retains the textured flairs above the trigger guard for support hand thumb positioning, which is a feature I like.

Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review Compact 9mm with Vortex Defender ST Red Dot
Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review: The Ultimate Compact 9mm
The hand feel on the Echelon 4.0C is pleasant. It comes with three swappable backstraps, and I opted to install the thinnest option, as I generally like a smaller grip profile. I have average size hands, and my pinky just rubs the magazine baseplate when I grip.

The grip texturing is the same as on the Hellcat, with a medium sandpapery finish that provides a good grip without being overly unpleasant for concealed carry against skin. Everything on the Echelon 4.0C is ambidextrous, save for the takedown lever.

Installed on my pistol is a 3-MOA Vortex Defender ST. The pins of the VIS mounting system easily arrange to fit the Deltapoint Pro footprint without the need for a plate system. The rear of the optic is mildly trenched to allow a slight co-witness of the Tritium 3-dot sights. The self locking pins of the VIS system exert lateral pressure on the inner mounting surface of the optic as the mounting screws are tightened, overcoming slight variances in tolerance between manufacturers.

The Defender ST has large clear glass housed in 7075 aluminum. The front face is textured, and the electronics allow for adjustable brightness, and auto shut-off with motion activation. It’s waterproof, shockproof, fogproof, with a polimer ShockShield insert to keep impacts to the body from transferring to more sensitive internals. If it’s half as stout as it looks, I’ll be happy.

Springfield provided me with a IWB holster for the Echelon 4.0C which is a collaboration between Safariland and Haley Strategic called the Incog X. The first thing I noticed was the microfiber suede wrap around the body. It adds to the comfort level, especially when wearing in the appendix position, to have a softer feel versus the plastic against your skin. It also gives the holster a more-refined look.

Springfield-Echelon-4.0C in the Safariland Incog X Holster - IWB holster - GunBroker Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review
Springfield Echelon 4.0C in the Safariland Incog X Holster
The over-the-belt polymer clips are stout, and have little tabs on the bottom to help you get the clips over your belt. The Incog X has what Safariland calls a Concealment Enhancing Clip strut, which is the wing or claw that presses against the inside or your belt to help keep the grip pressed firmly into the body for better concealment. There are three different size shims that can be installed, depending on your fit and comfort. It’s built to accommodate both micro and full size red dots, and the retention has a positive snap without being overbearing, which is ideal.

I always like to start my range days with a few minutes of dry-fire. This gets me mentally ready to go through the motions without using excess ammunition. It is especially important when handling a new pistol. Making sure that your grip is correct coming out of the holster, and that you are quickly finding your point of aim with no wasted movement, while getting an idea of the trigger and its reset.

The trigger on the Echelon 4.0C is very nice, especially for a production striker-fired factory pistol. The wall is very pronounced, with a short break and a positive reset. Getting a feel for the reset will help you be more efficient and accurate when shooting doubles because you can keep pressure on the trigger through the process without slapping or short-stroking.

Trigger on the Echelon 4.0C with 3 MOA Vortex Defender-ST Red Dot
Echelon 4.0C with 3 MOA Vortex Defender-ST Red Dot
I shot a few boxes of 115gr Federal Target ammunition, then ran through a variety of defense rounds without any issues. During the test I was able to consistently achieve .15 second split times, with a few being as quick as .13 seconds, not that these times really mean anything without a good sight picture on target, but I definitely can’t shoot every production striker-fired trigger that quickly. Ten yard A-zone splits were easily accomplished within the .2-.25 split times, which tells me that I am getting a good and comfortable grip.

The Vortex Defender ST performed great and without issue. It was easy to pick up the 3 MOA dot in the large clear window, and it was plenty bright on a sunny day. I think it’s a winning combo on this pistol.

The slide was easy to manipulate as expected, and the ambidextrous controls were nice when running off-hand drills. I did have to remind myself a few times that I had an ambi slide release, as I am accustomed to dropping the slide using the rear sights or optic pressed off my belt.

I didn’t do any bench testing for accuracy for this Springfield Echelon 4.0C review, but if I can consistently hit a 15-in steel plate at 50 yards, that generally means that I can’t outshoot the pistol. I am usually faster than accurate anyways, and I have no doubt that the melonite-coated hammer forged barrel is doing its job.

Echelon 4.0C Review Conclusion
Overall the Echelon 4.0C is a well-built, comfortable pistol with a commendable factory trigger and great ergonomics. The VIS pin system seems to be a winner, and it’s definitely nice not to have to mess with plastic plates when installing a red dot. The stainless Central Operating Group is more than just a neat idea, the practical applications of being able to remove and swap the serialized “gun” between frames is appealing, not to mention the ease of cleaning the guts of the gun just by dropping out the controls for a nice bath.

It is a great carry size for larger-framed individuals like myself. I can’t speak for the bean-poll crowd out there, but I had no issues with printing when I appendix-carried in the Incog-X from Safariland. I am pretty picky when it comes to liking AIWB gun/holster combinations, but the Echelon 4.0C carried in the Incog X is a winner in my book, and combined with a great optic like the Defender ST, it’s a hard setup to beat.