Firearm: Springfield Armory Echelon Desert Flat Dark Earth (MSRP: $719)
Springfield Armory’s full-size Echelon deserves another look here, and not just because it’s now available with two new finish options: OD green or the desert FDE model we have in today’s kit. The Echelon is a solid, striker-fired, polymer-frame pistol with plentiful capacity and a full-size grip that makes range time pleasant. There’s a lot to like about this choice, and we haven’t even gotten to the best part, the VIS setup that makes the Echelon about the most accommodating pistol for mounted optics on the market. Add in both a flush-fit 17-round magazine and a slightly extended 20-round version, and the Echelon has a lot going for it.
While, yes, the Echelon is on the larger side for a concealed firearm, it’s certainly not too big for consideration. It’s not that much larger than most compact-size handguns: 8 inches long overall with a 4.5-inch barrel, height of 5.5 inches with the flush magazine, 1.2 inches wide and weighing 23.9 ounces. That’s only 1.4 inches longer, .2-inch thicker and .7 inch taller than Springfield’s own micro 9 mm double stack Hellcat Pro. Honestly, anything larger than the original SIG P365 or standard Hellcat is going to be indistinguishable from the Echelon with the right gear.
While any pistol’s feel in the hand is going to vary from shooter to shooter, I have to admit that I like the Echelon more and more every time I take it to the range. The grip and frame have the slightly aggressive texture first seen on the Hellcat that anchor the Echelon in the hand, but it’s not so sharp that you run the risk of abrasion in a longer range session. Multiple backstraps allow the grip to be tailored to the individual, and I found that the large backstrap fit my hand best. The magazine and slide release are both ambidextrous and easy to reach without requiring extra-large hands. It’s setup well and comfortable to shoot, which means you’ll be more likely to practice. That’s a good thing.
Rounding out the attractive features of the Echelon, we have to bring up the Variable Interface System, or VIS, for mounting optics. What Springfield Armory has smartly done with the VIS is to use a series of removable pins to match various optic footprints, along with two sets of screw holes to mate the optic to the slide. In a nutshell, the pins go into the appropriate slots, the optic goes on the slide, then two screws secure the setup. It’s intuitive and allows the optic to sit as low on the slide as possible, not to mention keeping things much simpler. If you’re a fan of pistol-mounted optics, you definitely want to take a look at the Echelon and the VIS setup.
Holster: Tulster OATH (MSRP: $79.99)
To illustrate that the Echelon is not, in fact, too large to effectively conceal without heavy outer layers, we’ve opted for the OATH appendix-carry holster from Tulster for today’s kit. Standing for Optic-ready, Ambidextrous Tuckable Holster, the OATH works for right- and left-handed shooters, can be tucked in under a cover garment and has a cut to accommodate slide-mounted optics. Constructed of a single sheet of Kydex with screw-adjustable retention, the OATH can make even a full-size handgun like the Echelon easy to carry and conceal.
The OATH is also setup to accommodate taller front sights, which often are installed to allow co-witness with electro-optics. There’s a Mod wing with two sizes of inserts to help tuck the holster into the body to reduce printing, and additional methods of attaching the OATH to the belt can be purchased separately. A handful of finish options are available, ride height is adjustable and the OATH has an open muzzle for threaded barrels or compensators.
Optic: Meprolight MPO-Pro-F (MSRP: $359.99)
As you probably surmised by the VIS on the Echelon and the “O” in the OATH rig, the last piece of gear in today’s kit is the Meprolight MPO-Pro-F red-dot sight. This brand-new, enclosed emitter optic is one of the first wave of pistol-mounted optics available from Meprolight, long known for its self-illuminated M21 reflex sight for rifles and carbines. With the skyrocketing popularity of pistol-mounted optics, Meprolight has put its considerable engineering talent behind a line of optics specifically designed for handguns.
The MPO-Pro-F enclosed-emitter sight offers three possible reticles: a 3-MOA dot, a 33-MOA circle or the circle and dot together. Ten brightness settings, including two compatible with night vision, are available, and the MPO can be set for automatic brightness adjustment or manual. Power comes from a single CR1632 battery located in a side-mounted compartment with an estimated run time of 20,000 hours helped by a power-saving sleep mode. The unit meets IP67 standard for water resistance in addition to the standard environmental protection afforded by the enclosed-emitter design. This particular optic attaches to a plate that uses the RMR footprint, and other footprints are available.
