SPRINGFIELD ARMORY ECHELON 4.0C

The Echelon 4.0C shares all of the premium features of the 4.5F but has a 4-inch barrel and a shorter grip. This reduction in overall size puts it right in line with your Glock 19, positioning Springfield for a serious chance to run for more of the concealed carry market share.

I’ve only had the 4.0C for a couple of weeks at this point, but having put so many rounds through my 4.5F and now a couple of hundred rounds this one, I have a pretty good feeling I know exactly how it will fare during long-term testing.

Before we jump into the review, I’d like to extend a shout-out to Springfield for sending the 4.0C out to make this review possible. As always, I like to remain transparent and remind you that all of the opinions below are my own!

With that out of the way, let’s go.

The 4.0C has accompanied me on two range trips so far, both of which have been indoors. The Outpost Armory’s range features 25-yard lanes that provide just enough space to really get a good feel for your pistol.

Sure, I enjoy “pushing my skills” and shooting farther outdoors, but I mostly do my first rounds of testing indoors and within defensive-type distances.

Despite the shorter barrel, it shoots very similarly to the 4.5F. It’s a well-balanced gun, and the trigger is crisp with a quick reset. And since you can use the extended magazines from the 4.5F, you don’t HAVE to sacrifice capacity if you don’t want to…you’ll just have the magazine sticking out further than the grip.

Reliability

I’ve put a total of 225 rounds through the gun so far, which consisted of 100 rounds of 115-grain Fiocchi Range Dynamics, 100 rounds of 124-grain Blazer Brass, and 25 rounds of 115-grain Hornady Zombie Max.

Each type of ammo proved no issue for the 4.0C, and I did not experience any malfunctions. I plan to put a few hundred more rounds through it sooner rather than later and will update the review if any issues arise.