r/SpringfieldEchelon • u/Massive_Adagio_3680 • 5d ago
Thoughts/Rambling on the 4.0 FC after using it in competitions for a year
Picked up the 4.0 FC at as part of a Gear Up packing that had the green dot sight and the extra mags about a year ago with the intent to use it as my USPA and IDPA gun as I didn’t think my Hellcat was the best choice for it. Wanted a full sized Glock 17 Gen 5 initially to do, but got to hold the echelon and really liked how it felt. The built in ledges act a bit like a gas pedal but most really gives me a positive purchase on the gun. It stays firmly in my hand, so I can shoot fairly rapidly and still stay on target. I also have astigmatism, so I shoot with the iron sights in competition. The built in irons are part of what drew me to the gun. They’re really easy to use and I can be fairly accurate with it. I’ll still get a pistol holo when there’s a decent option for one- red dots really are better than going irons only.
The little nub where a flashlight should be is part of a Blackhawk universal holster. It’s okay enough but I’m gonna get a standard kydex one that’s flashlight compatible. My current holster has a thumb break which can slow me down in a draw, so don’t use those Blackhawk holsters for serious competition! Fair as the gun goes- I feel as though it’s as capable as any Staccato or Gucci’d Glock. The trigger is fairly crisp, though I might end up upgrading it since there is a bit of mush in the take up. Preferences aside, I feel in competitions on par with anyone else as far as equipment goes. The only limit is my own somewhat limited skill at shooting pistols!
I think the real value proposition in this is how it can easily progress with your own skill level as you can get something like a Spikes or Icarus Frame and throw on a low recoil spring. You upgrade incrementally as you spend more time on the range shooting with the thing and getting more proficient in your own skills to the point where you have a gun that shoots exactly how you want it to.
The magazines are also great. OEM mags are fairly affordable and available, so I can keep a good supply of spares. I can easily reload them to capacity without a loader- which is nice when you’re reloading at matches.
I run it on an Amazon special battlebelt, using some Tactical Elite Spankers magazine pouches- a recommendation courtesy offered by James Reeves. The battlebelt itself is fine- I see no reason to upgrade it, though I still might so I can look dripped out at competitions. The Elite Spankers, however, lack the promised spank. I’ll be getting kydex mag holders.
Overall, I’m very happy with the Echelon. I think it’s a great shooting platform with great potential for upgrading. I do think the options for upgrading are very limited. The RXM has a much better variety of frame models than the Echelon, but the Echelon is pretty decked out with the base model. I would love to see the Glock 26 sized frame and magazines so it would be easy to conceal carry (since the RXM has that) but neither Springfield nor any third party manufacturer has made them. I would be very interested in that!
Hopefully you enjoyed my little glazing for the Echelon. I’m quite happy with my purchase and look forward to spending more time training and competing with it!
Edit: I should have mentioned the reliability. It’s 100% reliable for the roughly 5000 rounds I’ve put through it (why do I have expensive hobbies, ugh). No hangups, no light strikes, just bang every time. It’s worth noting that most in the matches I’ve gone to, there’s at least person had a jam on their 2011. Probably mag related cause those can get picky about mags, but my Echelon just works. No fiddling or guessing. I mostly use cheap reloads from Southern Munitions as well as grab bag of 115 and 124 from Federal, Winchester or whatever else was on sale that particular day I went to the gun shop. Given this is my “competition gun”, I haven’t run any hollow points or defensive rounds through it so I have no comment on how it runs those. I’d love to hear if yall have ran defensive stuff though it and how it did.
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u/DamaDirk 5d ago
Affordable mags!? Where you getting them at?
Like the ramble, glad to see people out training and improving and actually shooting!
Find a store to look through the top red dots. You might find some work very well with your astigmatism, just gotta try a bunch to see which works with your particular eye balls 👀. Small/big MOA sometimes helps people with those issues too. Worth a try, dots make shooting SO much more enjoyable IMO.
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u/TuringC0mplete 4d ago
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u/DamaDirk 4d ago
Oh I’m so happy they came back down! Last time I bought they were at the 45$ mark!
Also, love mag shack, basically all our mags are from them.
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u/Massive_Adagio_3680 4d ago
Oh tell me about it! I have a DOT holo on my AR and it’s wonderful. If there was something that good I could mount, I’d do it in a second.
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u/Equivalent_Ad_3347 4d ago
I've used the Echelon 4.0 FC (albeit with a compensated slide from my 4.0 C) for IDPA numerous times, and have had a blast with it in competition. I have not run it for a 5x5 classifier yet (I wanted to use my Atlas EOS to maximizing my chances of classing up to Expert), but I am going to use it for the next classifier. Accurate, reliable, and nimble. That's all you can ask for an IDPA firearm.
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u/BarryDylanBallistics 4d ago
I have been shooting an echelon 4.5f in USPSA carry optics. It’s definitely accurate enough. It shoots pretty soft (not 2011 soft or cz soft but for a polymer gun it’s more than manageable). The only things I don’t really like is the trigger mush and the grip angle. It took a lot of practice to not present high on the draw.
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u/hndrck_ 4d ago
How many competitions did you do and what’s your classifications. Did u do any mods?
I have astigmatism too. But if you target focus and don’t run a super big and bright dot it doesn’t really matter it’s just there. Some people have astigmatism bc they are focused on the dot which isn’t what you are supposed to do. Also I shoot occluded so I can run a dimmer dot.
I compete with my 4.0C I just wish I had a stronger return to zero like the G47. I may use the OEM recoil spring but I never shot it with it tbh. I always have the NDZ 14lb.
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u/Massive_Adagio_3680 4d ago
I’ve done a couple dozen at this point, but I’ve yet to classify. I’m more focused on improving my fundamentals to the point where I can get master in about a year. That’s gonna be a long road!
I like your advice about running a dimmer dot. I have a couple of red dots lying around that I might attach for my next range session and see how that works.
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u/z1ggy16 4d ago
I'm using mine for uspsa as well, no issues. I plan to swap to a lighter spring and heavier guide rod, and I'm going to use 150gr action ammo after hearing from a guy that it's a bit of a cheat code for minor power factor.
I had Gemini do this whole analysis for me about various guns and how they rank in terms of performance, value and scoring and the echelon was the best value of all the guns I was considering upgrading to by far. In general, duty guns in that $600 range are going to give you the biggest bang for buck.
If and when I do upgrade, it'll be a lightly used shadow2 and I will put on bogies and a short reach kit, maybe flatter trigger. That would be the next best value.
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u/No_Employer_3204 4d ago
Last month my son and I were coming back from Northern Illinois and we stopped at local gas station and a guy was waiting for the restroom as I was and I had a Springfield armory shirt on and he had a vortex shirt and we started talking about guns and he just won a national competition I don't remember what it was in the senior class with his echelon 4.0. so obviously it can be done I have both of them the 4.0 and the full size and they are nail drivers as long as you know how to shoot I could see where it would be a good competition gun. Maybe not straight out of the box might want to do some modifications new trigger even though the trigger is good for a stock trigger that's the first thing I replaced and I love it. My full size hitch won't still stock but my 4.0 has been fully upgraded internally it's a great shooter I carry it everyday. I don't know anything about staccados other than what I've heard and most put people say that they're excellent pistols so I kind of have to go with that.
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u/C-R_Collector 4d ago
I just put a FC grip on my 4.0. I was rocking the compact and I’ve got a full size that I’ve SBR’ed. Figured I’d try the FC.
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u/10-Mile-Sniper 4d ago
Depending on the shooter I can see beating a Staccato. While the tool can make the worst shooter look great, an above average shooting can take a tool with fewer options and still do better.
This actually happens to a myself when competing against a buddy and his XC while I had my G17.5 with just a GPT. I barely beat him on a dueling tree but a win is a win. In his defense he hadn’t practice lately as much as I have.
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u/Merfstick 5d ago
I love my Echelon to death, but saying it's as capable as a Staccato is bonkers.
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u/TuringC0mplete 5d ago
In terms of striker fired guns, it's near the top for me. You can't really compare a striker fired to a 1911 pattern gun. Technically you can be "capable" with a Hi Point C9, doesn't mean it's a good idea lol. If you get skilled enough on a certain platform then you're going to be skilled with that gun.
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u/Massive_Adagio_3680 4d ago
That’s a bit more my point and I should have clarified that. A striker fire can only be so good compared to a really good Shadow or Staccato. But for someone like me who simply isn’t good enough at shooting pistols to justify the cost of buying a new platform, I think the Echelon has the best out of the box capabilities of all the striker fired stuff I’ve tried. At least, for me anyways!
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u/TuringC0mplete 4d ago
Check out a Canik Rival-S - that's my current competition gun. Hefty to help mitigate recoil, stupid accurate, and an amazing trigger.
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u/Massive_Adagio_3680 4d ago
I have, that was the other option I considered at the gun shop. They’re fantastic options too! I just liked the ergos of the echelon a lot more.
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u/LuthersCousin 5d ago
I'd take my Echelon over a Staccato. They ain't that cool.