Alright, folks, let’s dive into the world of compact carry guns with the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0 C. Last year, I reviewed the full-size Echelon and set the bar pretty high. Now, gun companies love to shrink down their hits, but it’s always a gamble. Some become legends, others a lesson in compromise. So, where does the Echelon 4.0 C land? Does it live up to the family name, or is it just hype? Let’s find out.
First off, the Echelon 4.0 C comes in three cover identities: green, tan, and black. The frame is ergonomic with texture in all the right places, making it both functional and stylish. It’s got ramps along the sides and texture for your trigger finger when it’s indexed, as well as your thumb when you have a shooting grip. Plus, there’s a full rail for whatever light you prefer, which is a crucial detail for a carry gun.
The takedown switch isn’t ambidextrous, but it’s textured for right-handers. Lefties, don’t worry—the slide catch and mag release are ambidextrous without any action on your part. The texture is probably the best combination of grip and carry comfort I’ve seen. I’d love it if it was a bit grippier, but they’ve found the right balance. It doesn’t hurt your tummy or ruin your tuxedo but allows you to control the gun well while shooting.
Now, the slide is just like the full-size model, with deep, aggressive serrations that work well with bare hands and gloves. There are two wings on the back for another point of contact while racking the slide. The sights come in two flavors: a U-cut rear and yellow ring tritium on the front, or three-dot tritium sights. Great options for a self-defense gun.
This gun and its big brother feel like they were made to fit my physiology. They just feel right in my hand. But it’s important to mention there are three replaceable backstraps, so you can change the grip angle if it doesn’t fit you as well as it does me. The trigger guard is well-shaped and contoured for comfort and big enough to shoot with gloves.
Now, let’s talk about the magazines. The Echelon 4.0 C ships with a 15-round and an 18-round magazine. I’d love to see three for that price, though. They have different packages for those in mid-round and 15-round states, but they cost $45 each. And here’s something interesting: since I have the full-size Echelon, I took those magazines to the range. The full-size magazines do fit, but if you seat them like normal, you can jam the entire gun up. They over-insert, and you really have to rip them out. I think this is a problem. I love the compatibility, but being able to temporarily disable the gun is like blowing your cover.
Accuracy and ammunition compatibility are great. I shot from normal self-defense distances and even went out to 50 yards because, hey, if I’m not flexing my marksmanship, how can I be a gun tuber? I used a bunch of different brands of ammunition, including several self-defense loads. They all worked great and fed well. You don’t have to be a highly trained operative to hit your target with this gun.
The gun is reliable, with zero issues in over a thousand rounds. But let me tell you a story: when I first got the gun, I buried it in a bucket of sand. I mean, buried it. When I took it out, it was completely nonfunctional, which is exactly what I’d expect from any gun. It was super annoying, though, because it took hours to disassemble every single piece and get it cleaned up. Don’t bury your gun in sand as a joke—zero out of ten stars, do not like.
The safety-bladed trigger feels identical to the full-size model. It’s a 5-pound, thumpy break with a light reset. While it’s not a graceful trigger, it does the job, and I shot it well. Takedown is easier than cracking a villain’s safe: just lock the slide back, turn the takedown lever, carefully release the slide, and that’s it.
Springfield has created their own aftermarket, and just like I predicted, other companies have jumped in. On the Springfield website, you can get extra mags, threaded barrels, replacement parts, and more. They even sell a Sharps Brothers metal grip module, which, unfortunately, I’m not a fan of. The Echelon grips are just so good, and the Sharps just kind of looks and feels worse. But other companies are releasing grips regularly, and holsters are readily available. I have the Incog Haley Strategic appendix version.
The Echelon 4.0 C is 7.25 inches long, 5 inches tall, and weighs 24 ounces unloaded. It’s a bigger gun, so concealing depends on wardrobe and body type, but if you carry a Glock 19, you’ll be good to go. It’s only slightly smaller than the full-size model.
My setup on this is pretty basic, using the holster I mentioned. My advanced copy came with a Vortex Defender ST Red Dot, which I don’t like. I’ve had multiple issues with it, and the battery cover is the dumbest design I’ve ever seen. That’s going to be its own video. Normally, Vortex is good, but as I said in the last video, the Springfield warranty is only a lifetime for the original purchaser. I think it should be the life of the product, like High Point. They set the benchmark in this industry.
I’ve had a great time shooting this gun. I mentioned earlier that I really think they had something special with the full-size model, and this is just more investment into that ecosystem. It feels like it’s been designed by shooters, and well, it was. I wish that was more common, but so many releases from companies these days don’t feel as well thought out. Every feature I want, this gun has.
One note: if you have a full-size Echelon, you can put the slide on the compact frame just fine, and vice versa. Not that you’d want that, though, because the full-size frame sticks out under the compact slide and looks like it has an underbite.
Let’s talk cost. The Echelon 4.0 C comes in at the higher end or right around the guns in its category, with an MSRP of $679 and a street price of $629. I usually stay away from sharing my opinion on price because I want you to be able to make your own choices, but in this case, I’ve got to say it feels worth every penny. In the day and age of sub-$300 guns, when something exceeds the norm, I want to point that out. If you’re a Glock fan, brace yourself because Springfield checks a few boxes that Glock refuses to.
So, let’s break it down. The pros: the COG and VIS are game-changers. While drop-in FCUs aren’t original, this one is perfect and super strong. I love the full-size Echelon, and this is a slightly smaller version. If I didn’t like it as much, I’d actually be really surprised. Every detail combines to make it shoot well, and it does. Everything great about the full-size model is repeated here. For years, Glock did it the best, but the Echelon has, in my opinion, done it better in a lot of ways.
The cons: trying to find things I don’t like felt like an impossible mission, but I think it’s the mags. The mag price is high—the other accessories are all so reasonably priced, but are the mags made of gold? $45 each, and you only get two. I think we should get three. We want three, please give us three. And finally, over-insertion of full-size mags is a problem. I think they need to come up with a solution.
So, what do you think? Mission accomplished or mission failed? Let me know in the comments. Is the Echelon 4.0 C worth the hype? Well, after my testing, I’ve got to say the Echelon compact is a solid operator in the field and exactly what it needed to be. It’s accurate, reliable, and carries well, just like a good spy. Just don’t be surprised if mysterious organizations start trying to recruit you.
