Julie Golob: Springfield Echelon 4.0FC Review

Does the sweet spot between compact speed and full-size confidence actually exist? Pro shooter Julie Golob puts the Springfield Armory 4.0FC pistol through its paces to see how this hybrid Echelon rethinks balance, recoil and real-world performance. Springfield provided the loaner handgun for this review.

Julie Golob puts the Springfield Echelon 4.0FC through its paces in this comprehensive review. The pistol bridges the gap between compact carry guns and full-size duty pistols, offering shooters the best of both worlds.

Opening up the black box and unzipping the case, at first glance, I wondered if maybe I had made a mistake and grabbed the wrong pistol. For some reason, I expected Springfield Armory’s newest Echelon 9mm to look decidedly different from my full-size 4.5F. I even placed the two pistols side-by-side to make sure.

Side-by-side comparison shows the Echelon 4.0FC on top with its compact slide versus the full-size 4.5F below. That half-inch difference might not seem like much, but it can make a significant impact on holster clearance and how the pistol rides, especially for appendix carry. — Pictured above is the Echelon 4.0FC (top) and a 4.5F (bottom). What may seem like a minor difference in slide length can be significant when it comes to how well a pistol carries on the belt.

Sure enough, a close comparison revealed the dimensions were different. This pistol uniquely bridges the gap between compact and full-size duty-grade pistols. [Note: Be sure to read Massad Ayoob’s review of the full-size Echelon 4.5F.]

Echelon 4.0FC Details

The 4.0FC has all the features of the award-winning Echelon line-up of semi-automatic pistols. With a black Melonite finish on the exterior metal parts of the pistol, the 4” barrel is hammer forged steel with a 1 in 10 twist.

The Springfield Echelon 4.0FC pistol rests on a digital scale displaying its weight in ounces during the testing and measurement process. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review documents actual weight. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing measures unloaded mass. The pistol weighs 22.2 ounces empty. Loaded weight reaches 33.8 ounces. Full-size magazines add substantial mass. Digital scales provide precise measurements. Carry weight affects comfort levels. Balance characteristics influence shooter control. — With a fully loaded magazine, the Springfield Echelon 4.0FC weighs just over two pounds. This is very reasonable for both self-defense and duty uses.

Generous and usable serrations are incorporated throughout, along with a flare along the back of the slide, and a contoured trench forward of the ejection port. The flare and trench are designed to prevent slippage for slide manipulations.

Sights and Optics

As an optic-ready model, the cover plate is subtle and tightly fitted. The added grooves on the plate also increase usable grip surface for those who prefer irons. Whether you like to rack from the back or the front, you can maintain your purchase on the slide easily.

Detailed view of the Springfield Echelon slide shows the sighting system configuration with both iron sight components and optics mounting interface visible. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review details sight configurations. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing evaluates aiming systems. Iron sights provide backup capability. Optics mounting requires no gunsmithing. Red dot sight sits deeply. Slide serrations aid manipulation. Front sight features tritium insert. Rear sight allows tactical racking. — The optics-ready design of the Echelon 4.0FC lets you run it with iron sights or add your favorite red dot without custom milling.

The pistol’s U-Dot sighting system comes with a Tritium front sight and a U-shaped rear. The Tactical Rack U-Dot Rear Sight is designed for defense in bright conditions or the dark. The luminescent green-ringed front sight is fast to pick up with your eyes. It’s instinctive to center in the serrated U-shape of the rear. Even with these defensive-style sights, I was able to shoot consistent groups.

Three Springfield Echelon pistols are arranged side-by-side showing the full-size 4.5F, the hybrid 4.0FC in the center, and the compact 4.0C for comprehensive size comparison. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review compares entire lineup. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing positions middle model. Center pistol bridges sizes. Full-size grip provides capacity. Compact slide improves carry. Left pistol extends longest. Right pistol measures smallest. Hybrid design offers versatility. — Shown is the Springfield Echelon 4.0FC (center) sandwiched between the 4.5F (top) and 4.0C (bottom).

While some manufacturers offer plate systems to accommodate the mounting configurations of popular optics, Springfield Armory’s patented Echelon optic footprint, called the Variable Interface System, takes it to the next level. Designed to accommodate three popular mounting standards, the Echelon achieves the kind of fit once reserved for aftermarket milling services. The self-locking pins secure the dot into place at the front of the sight’s base. The cut is deep to allow optics to sit low on the slide, and even though the RMR has a smaller window, co-witnessing is possible with the stock sights. The optics that float on the slide make it easy to lose the dot, but because the RMR sits so deeply, acquiring the dot is fast and natural.

Gettin’ Good Grip

Moving onto the grip, the 4.0FC is built around the serialized Central Operating Group and uses the full-size grip module with a compact-size dustcover. It’s fast and easy to customize the grip to individual hand size to find the sweet spot for ideal trigger reach and recoil control with the three different backstraps. The Picatinny frame rail accommodates lights and lasers.

Professional shooter Julie Golob aims the Springfield Echelon 4.0FC pistol downrange during live fire testing at an outdoor shooting range. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review documents shooting performance. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing evaluates handling characteristics. Compact slide cycles faster. Full-size grip maintains control. Recoil snaps and settles. Adaptive Grip Texture increases purchase. Shooter experience validates design. Range testing proves capability. — Live fire testing reveals how the Echelon 4.0FC actually performs in the hands of an experienced shooter. The shorter slide drives quickly with a faster cycle rate that makes you want to push your transitions harder on multiple targets.

Adaptive Grip Texture is incorporated throughout the grip, providing a texture that isn’t rough on the skin but increases grip feel under pressure. The texture wraps around the entire grip beneath the magazine release button, accommodating a full range of hand sizes and finger lengths. It’s also strategically applied to the mag button, on the front of the square trigger guard and underneath the trigger guard for the support hand, and on the ledge built into the frame that serves as a thumb rest.

With a 1.2” wide grip, the 4.0FC takes full-size 17-rounders as well as the extended 20-round mags. One of each mag comes in the box. Weighing the 4.0FC on my scale, the weight comes in at 22.2 ounces. Adding 17+1 rounds of Federal’s 147-gr. HST defensive ammo, the weight is 33.8 ounces. Adding a red dot will add between 1 and 2 ounces, depending on what you choose.

Trigger

The trigger is exactly what I expected, with a consistent pull with appropriate weight for a defensive pistol. There’s the clean take-up at the front before you hit that wall and begin to apply that pressure, and the trigger breaks. Reset is both positive and firm, actively pushing the finger forward. There’s a tactile and audible click point indicating the trigger is ready to go. Using a Wheeler electronic trigger weight gauge, five presses averaged 5.43 lbs.

Adaptability of the 4.0FC

Everything about the Echelon is thoughtful and user-focused. It’s even a left-hand-friendly pistol. The magazine release is ambidextrous, and the slide release is accessible with the strong hand. The new 4.0FC offers full-size features with a shorter barrel, and though this will prove to be a desirable combination for many, some may not understand why.

Julie Golob demonstrates the slide serrations and grip texture features on the Springfield Echelon 4.0FC pistol while explaining its ergonomic design characteristics. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review examines user-focused features. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing evaluates grip adaptability. Slide serrations aid manipulations. Adaptive texture increases traction. Grip feel improves under pressure. Three backstraps customize fit. Front serrations allow varied techniques. Texture wraps entire grip surface. — The Springfield Echelon 4.0FC features thoughtful design elements that enhance usability for all shooters, including a contoured trench on the slide and textured surfaces wrapping around the grip.

First, for shooters with large hands, the full-size grip offers a comfortable and consistent grip. If you’ve ever tried a fast mag change with a micro-compact and experienced the dreaded pinch on the meaty portion of your hand, you immediately learn to adjust your hand position during a reload. Personally, I don’t have this problem with a compact frame, but for those gifted with large hands, the 4.0FC will prevent the pinch.

The shorter slide can be more comfortable to carry. When concealing, even small differences in dimensions can make a significant impact on holster clearance and how the pistol rides in the holster. It’s especially so for appendix carry. Admittedly, the 4.0FC is not a pistol I can easily conceal, but for larger builds who can hide a full-size grip, the compact-sized slide can be a comfortable and very capable option.

Competition helps drive research and development. Five and six-inch guns have dominated iron sight divisions in practical shooting sports for decades. When national championships challenged competitors with 50-yard standard exercises, the longer slide with increased sight radius allowed for the subtle corrections needed to hit center on the clock at the longest targets seen in the sport. As reflex optic reliability improved, with red dots becoming durable enough to mount onto slides, Production and Carry Optics became wildly popular among new competitors and experienced champions alike.

Even though slide-mounted optics have changed the game, longer slides still dominate practical and defensive-oriented shooting sports. I confess it’s my default, too; the balance and recoil feel of the longer slide is familiar, and so I automatically prefer longer barrels. The Echelon 4.0FC has me wanting to experiment.

Echelon 4.0FC Specifications

Chambering	9×19mm Parabellum
Weight	24 oz.
Overall Length	7.25″
Sights	Tritium U-Dot
Grips	Integral, polymer
Action	Striker-fired
Finish	Melonite
Capacity	17+1/20+1 (one of each included)
MSRP	$710

Range Testing the 4.0FC

The weight difference between the 4.0FC and 4.5F is minor, but the balance is different. The faster cycle rate produced by the short slide is something that those who prefer the faster recoil timing of lighter 9mm ammo will appreciate. The Echelon 4.0FC’s recoil snaps and settles quickly, while the weight of a fully loaded 17-round flush mag or the extended 20-rounder keeps the weight in the hand.

The Springfield Echelon 4.0FC pistol sits on a shooting bench alongside a white Lab Radar chronograph device used for measuring bullet velocities during testing. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review incorporates chronograph data. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing measures velocity consistency. Lab Radar equipment provides accurate readings. Ammunition performance varies by grain weight. The four-inch barrel generates adequate velocities. Federal loads exceed power factor minimums. Chronograph testing validates real-world performance. Range equipment ensures data accuracy. — Range testing goes beyond just shooting groups when you’re doing a proper evaluation. The Lab Radar Lite captures velocity data that helps shooters understand how this compact-slide pistol performs.

Shooting the 4.0FC made me wonder if I should revisit my default of choosing the longest slide possible, even when shooting with an optic. The shorter slide drives quickly, and the faster cycle rate makes me want to push my target transitions faster. I’m enjoying it and look forward to trying it on the clock on steel. Evaluating what matches to shoot in the 2026 competition season, I’ve decided to shoot more Steel Challenge. With a consistent course of fire that focuses on fast transitions, the sport offers an excellent way to test transition speed.

Ammunition Performance

As a pro shooter for Federal Ammunition, I tested three different factory loads at 15 yards — 115-gr. American Eagle, 124-gr. HST, and 147-gr. American Eagle. With the iron sights and cold, windy conditions, I averaged some tight groups at 15 yards with only slight point of impact variations for the different grain weights. As expected, my accuracy improved when adding a Trijicon RMR, with the best groups coming in at 1.2”. Though accurate with all three loads, my groups with the 115s were consistently better.

The Springfield Echelon 4.0FC pistol sits beside a paper target displaying tight bullet groupings from Federal HST ammunition testing. Springfield Echelon 4.0FC review documents defensive ammunition performance. Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC testing measures accuracy capabilities. Federal HST loads group tightly. Premium defensive rounds deliver consistent results. The barrel produces reliable velocities. Fifteen-yard groups demonstrate precision. Factory ammunition meets power factor requirements. Range testing validates carry reliability. — The Echelon 4.0FC delivers impressive accuracy with Federal HST defensive ammunition at 15 yards. Groups averaged 1.25 inches with the 124-grain jacketed hollow points.

Running these loads over the chronograph, the velocities were consistent. They also all comfortably exceeded power factor minimums for practical and defensive shooting sports. The Echelon 4.0FC allows you to put your shooting skills on the clock, and this pistol can go from carry to competition easily.

Parting Shots on the Hybrid Echelon

The Echelon 4.0FC, is a do-it-all kind of pistol. Full-size capacity with a slide length that carries comfortably, it’s a pistol you can trust on the range and every day. Check out it if that sounds like it checks all the boxes for you. It certainly has me rethinking things!

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