Like many of the readers here, I’m very set in my ways. I have my preferred everyday carry items, meals, exercises, movies, and vacation destinations. I’m also very set in my preferences for striker-fired pistols. I’ve owned more than a few from some of the major manufacturers out there.
While I’ve owned 1911s from Springfield, I never spent much time with their Echelon series of pistols. When the opportunity came up to test one out, I couldn’t resist. There was also nothing to lose if I didn’t like it or if it experienced failures of any kind.
Even though I’m set in my ways, there’s always some wiggle room for anything that meets my needs and matches my likings. I deliberately used the Echelon in ways that could have caused problems.
Design and Specifications
When I transferred the Springfield Echelon Alpha from Ed’s Gun Shop in Vass, NC, I received it with a single stainless steel magazine, trigger lock, plastic chamber flag, and corresponding documents.
I was a little surprised the pistol came with a single magazine, as almost every other pistol I’ve purchased came with at least two. The pistol also comes with a single backstrap instead of multiple interchangeable backstraps like the other Echelon models. However, this minimalist packaging makes sense upon closer look. Springfield clearly intends the Echelon Alpha to be a more affordable, and thus more accessible, entry point into their modular system.
Thanks to Ammunition Depot, I had a good amount of ammunition to run through it. If you want a math problem, the magazine holds 15 rounds, and I loaded it 44 or 45 times.
Quick Specs
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action: Striker-Fire
Weight: 24 ounces
Length: 7.25 inches
Height: 5.125 inches
Width: 1.2 at grip
Capacity: 15 plus 1
Sights: White dot front. Rear “Tactical Rack U-Dot”.
Optics Mounting: Variable Interface System (VIS) — supports 30+ direct-mount pin configurations (includes a polymer cover plate)
Country of Origin: Croatia
MSRP: $599
Initial Ballistics and Accuracy
I used nine different types of 9mm ammunition in varying quantities for the review, with the bulk of it being full-metal-jacket range ammo. I used a Garmin XERO to assess the velocity of each.
During this extended time, I took note of the ergonomics, and I found the pistol comfortable to fire. Controls are ambidextrous, and the grip angle helps the pistol point very well. In hand, the ergonomics of the Echelon feel comparable to a popular German striker-fire pistol, and the approximate size is that of an Austrian compact pistol I’ve carried for years.
When all the testing was done, the Hornady American Gunner 124 gr +P XTP had the least standard deviation with a low velocity of 1182.5 feet per second and a high of 1187.1. The average was 1185.1 out of the hammer-forged barrel. The rest of the 10-shot averages are below with feet per second in bold.
Nosler Assured Stopping Power 147 gr. JHP 932.9
Winchester Ranger T Series 147 gr JHP 974.9
Speer Gold Dot 147 gr JHP 958.3
Federal Premium Hydrashok 135 gr JHP 1027.8
Federal Premium HST 124 gr +P JHP 1195.4
Hornady Critical Duty 124 gr +P JHP 1163.4
Hornady American Gunner 124 gr +P JHP 1185.1
CCI Blazer Brass 147 gr FMJ 979.3
Speer Lawman 124 gr TMJ (total metal jacket) 1085
Using the back bullseye side of two VTAC targets, I labeled them counter-clockwise “1” through “7.” I wanted to see which ammunition performed the best with reasonable consistency. Keep in mind, on the day I ran this test, it was 95 degrees, and I was on the range for 6 hours when it was all said and done.
I rested the pistol on top of a backpack and took carefully aimed fire from 10 yards, trapping the trigger after each shot and working the reset. The sights were very easy to use, even though I am used to a single front dot and a blacked-out rear. I must admit, I found the rear “U’ easy to pick up and line up.
Out of the seven defensive rounds, the best accuracy came from the Federal Premium 135-grain JHP. That 5-shot group came in a little high, but I attribute that to a bad hold on my part more than the firearm or ammunition. Still, the widest spread was only 1.5 inches and 1.15 inches when you subtract the diameter of the bullet.
I don’t like staying in slow and smooth mode for too long, and I knew the plate rack was coming up. I decided to run the pistol fast. Using a shot timer, I checked my splits and was able to consistently shoot .25 seconds and then .2, and my fastest was .17, but not sustainable for very long. I could maintain very acceptable accuracy.
I put a lot of rounds downrange, and part of me wondered if I’d experience a jam. I didn’t have any with at least three boxes of Lawman 124 gr TMJ. For fun and maybe because I was sweating and a little delirious, I even tried limp-wristing and couldn’t induce a malfunction. I wiped the pistol down, let it cool, and then took it to my car for some center-console red-dot mounting.
Springfield Echelon Alpha with Vortex Defender ST
When I knew I had a new pistol to review, I reached out to my contact at Vortex, who sent me the Defender ST to mount on the Springfield Echelon Alpha. The VIS system from Springfield and the multiple footprint options of the Vortex Defender matched up like the couple you introduce to one another who happen to get along perfectly and have everything in common.
Seriously, I just had to remove the cover plate, swap out the pins for one of the included sets, and torque it down to spec. Thankfully, the Defender ST comes with a longer bit that makes it easy to get clearance for my Fix-It Stick limiter.
I sighted in the red dot at 25 yards and tried out the defensive ammo again. I had noticeably tighter groups with each. I failed to measure the size of the groups this time, and I’ll own that mistake, but they were tighter across the board. It was during this time that I took the pistol apart and wiped it dry. Note: I didn’t say “clean”; I wiped it dry to see how it would function if someone didn’t maintain it.
I put more and more rounds down range. I was hoping to get a malfunction because I didn’t want to admit how much I liked this pistol and needed something to be upset about. Nothing. It simply kept running.
Steel Plate Range Performance
With the balance of the ammunition, I drove over to the steel plate bay at Coleman’s Creek. I needed a break from the sun, and the bay was covered. The six-plate rack was 10 yards away, and I could practice running it at my leisure as no one else was in the bay.
I started conservatively, getting the feel of the recoil impulse of the Echelon Alpha. It is a soft-recoiling pistol and predictable. As I learned where the dot would settle and how hard I could drive the pistol, I started dropping my six rack time. Starting from a 45-degree low ready angle, I shortened my first-round shot time and eventually my total time. I kept burning the reps and pushed faster with some missed shots. I finally settled on trying to get sub 3.5 seconds.
Plate racks aren’t something I shoot regularly, but they are fun. After dumping a lot of rounds on those plates, some between them, and some on the stand itself, my best clean run with the Echelon Alpha came out to 3.48 seconds. Goal met.
Final Thoughts
This pistol grew on me the more I used it. Any number of things can go wrong in a review, and there is always a part of your thought process that lets ideas seep into your mind, like broken parts, failures to extract, and failures to fire.
What could have gone wrong did not. The single pistol magazine held up despite being the only one used for all the rounds. I can’t say the same about my thumb. The trigger is…cough…cough…better than what I normally shoot with a very short reset. I may be crazy, but I think the pistol broke in and developed an even crisper trigger press the more I used it, which isn’t uncommon with striker-fire pistols.
The Vortex Defender ST fits the pistol perfectly, and it balances well with the slide. The forward cocking serrations are super aggressive for press checking while keeping your hand free of your optic. Sounds crazy considering I write for a holster company, but I didn’t request a holster to use with this pistol in the review. I would have liked to see how well the Melonite finish would have held up with repeated draws from the holster. I also would have liked to play around with different setups using the removable Central Operating Group.
I still have time left on my media loan with this one, and I will genuinely take it out again and put more rounds down range. I can’t say for certain if it would ever replace my well-established preferences, but I can say I don’t have anything bad to say about it. It is definitely a contender in the top 3 pistols I’d recommend for a newcomer, and that is saying something.
I didn’t know much about the Echelon Alpha prior to this review, but I certainly do now. From the comfort it provided in hand to the features it comes equipped with and the reliability it demonstrated, I have no problem saying it is a fine pistol worthy of your consideration. It’s accurate, reliable, and durable, and an upper-echelon choice for sure.
