Thats exactly what Springfield Armory has just done with the Echelon 4.5F Comp pistol chambered in 9mm.
What Is the New Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp?
If youre new to the Echelon, its a 4.5-barreled striker-fired handgun chambered in 9mm.
Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp adds porting to the semi-automatic pistol to reduce muzzle flip during rapid fire. The handgun is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge.
Combined, these make the Echelon one of the most feature-rich, cutting-edge, technology-packed pistols on the market.
This allows co-witness through many optics without the need for suppressor-height sights.
The way the pins interface into the optic makes losing zero almost an impossibility.
The Echelon 4.5F Comp offers all of the great features found in the Springfield Armory Echelon, including the Variable Interface System for mounting red dot sights.
Besides the optics system, I am most intrigued by the Central Operating Group in the Echelon.
This way, you might select a different color or size with ease.
The Echelon is designed for hard use in mind.
The new compensated Springfield Echelon 4.5F Comp pistol uses the patented Central Operating Group that allows you to easily match the grip module size to your hands.
In addition, the mag release and slide lock are both ambidextrous for strong- and weak-hand shooting.
The Echelon ships with a flush-fit 17-round and an extended 20-round magazine.
The magazines are blacked out in a scratch- and wear-resistant coating.
The highly effective slide serrations on the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp enhance your ability to manipulate the gun under stress.
In addition, the pistol is offered in 15- and 10-round versions for restricted locales.
Those also come with two magazines.
This reduces muzzle rise and perceived recoil and puts you back on target quicker for fast follow-up shots.
The barrel and slide are cut with the integral compensator to vent gas upward to counteract muzzle rise during shooting.
On the Echelon 4.5F Comp, the compensator is built into the slide and barrel.
You will notice the port contours from the top of the slide and slightly down the sides.
To be honest, this is my favorite way to train at the range.
The author equipped his Springfield Echelon 4.5F Comp with a Vortex Defender-ST red dot sight and a SureFire X300 Turbo weaponlight.
Beyond basic shooting fundamentals, accuracy and handling, I wanted to test different types and weights of ammunition.
When I shoot a compensated firearm, my first thoughts always go to reliability and ammo preferences.
I set out to test 115, 124 and 147-gr.
The author used a variety of 9x19mm Parabellum ammunition when testing the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp semi-automatic pistol.
ball ammo as well as some defensive ammunition in the same weights.
There is also the fact that compensators need a specific amount of gas to be most effective.
For the ball ammo, I grabbed 147-gr.
Part of the author’s testing of the new compensated Echelon included plenty of time at the shooting range.
Fiocchi Range Dynamics, 124-gr.
off brand ammo I bought in bulk and 115-gr.
For the defensive ammo, I packed Nosler 124-gr.
Springfield Armory designed the Echelon 4.5F to be user-friendly. Here, the author is reloading the Echelon Comp during his evaluation.
ASP, Remington Bonded 147-gr.
and Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr.
I started with the 147-gr.
The Echelon 4.5F Comp performed exceptionally well on the shooting range with 100% reliability and reduced muzzle rise.
Fiocchi FMJ , and the first shots were actually quite surprising to me.
The pistol is easy to shoot fast, returning to zero quickly and keeping my sights on target easily.
Shooting hammer pairs on steel at 30 yards was near effortless.
The author stated that the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp provided one of the most enjoyable range sessions he’s had with a handgun.
I then moved on to the 124- and 115-gr.
As with the 147-gr.
load, they also ran without issue, feeding and extracting.
Overall, I would say that the Hornady Critical Defense 115-gr.
ammo had the greatest perceived reduction in muzzle rise of all the tested loads.
I then moved into one of my favorite drills, executing quick reloads from the battle belt.
Basically, the Echelon 4.5F Comp allows me to shoot quicker with more accuracy and confidence.
As always, tools dont make you a better shooter, training and time will be the great equalizer.
But having a high-quality pistol that can deliver is still an absolute necessity.
Get out there and brush up on those skills!
