AllOutdoor Review – Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote

The Springfield Armory Echelon has kicked in the door on the firearms industry, and all of the candidates for full-size pistol supremacy were put on notice. With a bevy of modern features, it does nearly everything well; whereas, competitors can only tout 75% of the abilities of the Echelon. So, now that we are almost 1 year into the Echelon being here, where does that leave us?… I am sure the secret elves at Springfield Armory‘s factory are conjuring up something new as we speak, but it is a good time to reevaluate my own high praise of the Echelon to see if the passage of time has changed my mind. Today, Springfield Armory announced new Cerakote variants of the Echelon with Desert FDE (Flat Dark Earth) and OD Green (Olive Drab Green) models now available, and we got our hands on one. So, this is a perfect opportunity to take a look at the Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote to see how it performs out in the field, and if it is still the top-billed attraction of the full-size pistol market. Let’s dive in!

Springfield Armory Echelon Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specifications – Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote

The Springfield Armory Echelon brings to the table a lot of the quality, legacy components from Springfield pistols that came before it. This includes the Tritium/Luminescent front paired with a Tactical Rack U-Dot™ rear sight as seen on the Hellcat. You also receive a hammer forged barrel which countless Springfield handguns utilize for their accuracy and strength. With the specific Echelon variant that we are reviewing here today, you also get an OD Green Cerakote finish throughout. The rest of the specifications for this new iteration can be read below as presented by Springfield Armory:

Cartridge: 9mm
Colorway: OD Green
Barrel: 4.5″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish, 1:10
Slide: Billet Machined, OD Green Cerakote® Finish, Optics Ready
Frame: OD Green Polymer
Sights: Tritium / Luminescent Front, Tactical Rack U-Dot™ Rear

Recoil System: Captive
Grip Width: 1.2″
Magazines: (1) 17-Round, (1) 20-Round
Weight: 23.9 Oz w/ Flush Mag | 24.3 Oz w/ Extended Mag
Length: 8″
Height: 5.5″ w/ Flush Mag | 6.5″ w/ Extended Mag
MSRP: $719

One of the other hallmark features of the Springfield Armory Echelon is the COG – their Central Operating Group – or, more plainly stated, the central piece that allows for this pistol to be a “chassis” gun. If you are so inclined, there a 3 different sized grip modules – Small, Medium, and Large – for you to choose from and swap in between because your Central Operating Group (COG) is the serialized portion of the firearm. So, the grip modules you can interchange freely.

CENTRAL OPERATING GROUP – The all-new Central Operating Group is self-contained and serialized, providing a robust housing for the patent pending operating system.
OD GREEN CERAKOTE® – Finished in Cerakote to exceed the most rigorous demands, ensuring your firearm stands strong when it matters most.
VARIABLE INTERFACE SYSTEM (VIS) – By utilizing a set of movable pins, the Variable Interface System on the Echelon achieves a low, direct mount optics solution for improved sight picture and intuitive alignment.

As always, in the rare event that you should ever need service for your firearm, Springfield Armory has a Lifetime Warranty that stands behind all of their firearms. One final snapshot into what the new Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol is all about can be read below in Springfield Armory’s Press Release statement:

Geneseo, Illinois – May 28th, 2024 – Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the release of two new color variants of the Echelon 9mm pistol. Now available in Desert FDE or OD Green, these two pistols continue the Echelon’s reputation as a highly adaptable handgun engineered with superior ergonomics and built to withstand the harshest conditions.
Both the Desert FDE and OD Green pistols feature a Cerakote® finish on the billet-machined slide that mates up with a matching color polymer grip module. Cerakote has become the gold standard for gun parts, with an advanced formulation that has virtually eliminated the need to oil the exterior for corrosion protection. This innovative coating not only enhances the durability and performance of firearms, but also offers significant benefits in terms of longevity and ease of care.
“The Echelon was engineered from the ground up to be today’s most advanced striker-fired pistol,” said Steve Kramer, Springfield Armory’s Vice President of Marketing. “With the addition of these two new color variants in Desert FDE or OD Green, shooters have even more options with this unparalleled pistol design.”

Optics Mounting – Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote

For starters, if you have gotten a brand new Echelon – whether it is one of the new Desert FDE Cerakote, OD Green Cerakote, or Black models – you will want to immediately deck it out with an optic. That process is easier than ever with Springfield’s VIS (Variable Interface System). Through a simple pin set and an assortment of already milled holes in the slide, you can directly mount a multitude of optics without the need of adapter plates and no need to worry about tolerance stacking.

If you don’t consider yourself very handy and have already fudged or lost some of the pins from your Pin Set, don’t worry because Springfield already has additional sets for sale. The 3 basic optic footprint patterns that the VIS (Variable Interface System) supports are for a Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint, and Shield patterned optics. The complete Pin Set contains all 3 pin sets at an affordable price of $19.99.

Echelon™ Complete Pin Set for VIS (Variable Interface System) | SKU: EC5076-SET | MSRP $19.99

The Variable Interface System (VIS) allows users to mount over 30 optics directly to the slide without the use of adapter plates. Simply configure the self-locking pins for the footprint of your desired optic to achieve a low, direct mount for improved sight picture and intuitive alignment.
The Variable Interface System (VIS) employs patent-pending self-locking pins to complete the most advanced optics mounting system on the market. As the mounting screws are torqued to spec, the pins exert lateral pressure on the optic’s interior mounting surface to eliminate variance and left/right movement. The result is an unparalleled fit between the slide and a wide variety optics.

I opted to mount one of the new Vortex Optics Defender-ST red dots as it has been performing awesome for me the past few months that I have been running one of those. We have a separate review of that optic that you can catch up on HERE.

Field Use – Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote

When it comes to the field use of this pistol, there is not much I could subject the Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol to that I have not already done with my personal Echelon (all black colorway). I have 2K+ rounds through mine, competed at the Tactical Games with it, carried it as an EDC pistol for 3 – 4 months in my family’s gun shop (The Guns And Gear Store of Waite Park, MN), and it has been a sidearm for me while hunting, ranching, and checking trail cameras. The only thing this pistol hasn’t endured is being drug behind a pickup truck down a country road (you came to the wrong website if you’re looking for that nonsense).

Tactical Games Competition with the Echelon
Deep-Dive of VIS (Variable Interface System) Mounting for the Echelon
- How to Mount a Red Dot on the Echelon Variable Interface System (VIS)
Original Echelon Review from July 2023
- AO Review: Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm – 500 Round Burn Down Test

So, with that much experience behind the Echelon already, what did I look to learn on additional trips to the range with the new Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol?… Essentially, I wanted to verify that the reliability, durability, and accuracy has not suffered, been altered, or changed by applying Cerakote across the Echelon.

But Adam, isn’t that a far-fetched conclusion or concern to jump to?…

Sometimes, if a firearm’s tolerances are so tight (like a Swiss watch), the smallest change in tolerances – even if it is in the thousandths of an inch – can throw everything out of whack! Springfield Armory utilizes actual Cerakote® coatings for their firearms so this should be a non-issue for gun owners (the concern about tolerances):

Now available in Desert FDE and OD Green, the Echelon comes equipped with a slide finished in Cerakote®. Excellent for firearm parts due to its durability and corrosion resistance, this ceramic-based coating is applied with minimal impact on tolerances, providing a sleek, customized finish.

So, let’s get down to brass tacks. How did this perform at the range?… I won’t bury the lead any longer… the pistol performed flawlessly, as expected. With the introduction of these new Desert FDE (Flat Dark Earth) and OD Green (Olive Drab Green) Cerakote® coatings, you simply have a kicked up aesthetic that looks cooler at the range, on your hip, and the pistol functions as good as ever.

I did not burn through another 2,000 rounds in this Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol, but I did feed it a healthy diet of FMJ (Full-Metal Jacket) and never witnessed a single issue in regards to feeding, ejecting, extracting, or accuracy. This all might be anti-climatic for the readers, but isn’t that exactly what we want in our pistols? No nonsense, auto-pilot reliability. Because that is what the Echelon is delivering.

Final Thoughts – Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote

So, what are my final thoughts on the Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol?… This pistol is as good as the original with a cooler curb appeal. If you don’t already have an Echelon in your safe at home, and have been looking for your next do-it-all, full-size pistol, then you need to give these new Cerakote® options of Desert FDE (Flat Dark Earth) and OD Green (Olive Drab Green) a try. At a full MSRP of $719, they are worth it.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Springfield Armory for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol is something worth spending your money on? Would you take one with you hunting? Shoot a league or competition? Potentially even carry for EDC (everyday carry)? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Springfield Armory and the Echelon 9mm OD Green Cerakote pistol in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Springfield Armory Social Media Channels

Adam Scepaniak