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Springfield Armory’s Echelon just landed a major international vote of confidence.
Spain’s National Police, the Policía Nacional, has officially selected the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC as the issued sidearm for its uniformed officers.
The Policía Nacional handles law enforcement in Spain’s cities and urban areas, along with counterterrorism, immigration enforcement and other national security responsibilities. In other words, this was not a casual range test.
According to Springfield, the Echelon competed against pistols from multiple international manufacturers and went through an extensive evaluation process. Testing included accuracy and high-round-count shooting, barrel obstructions, drops, parts interchangeability and operation in temperatures ranging from minus 4 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Echelon 4.0FC reportedly met or exceeded every requirement.
The configuration combines a full-size grip with a compact 4-inch slide and barrel. Capacity is 17+1 with the flush-fitting magazine or 20+1 with the extended magazine. That gives officers duty-gun capacity without the extra slide length of a traditional full-size pistol.
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Spain’s evaluators also reportedly liked the Echelon’s modular construction. Its serialized Central Operating Group is a self-contained stainless-steel chassis that can be moved between compatible grip modules. The Variable Interface System also allows users to mount a wide range of popular red-dot optics without relying on thick adapter plates.
“Springfield Armory and HS Produkt are extremely honored that the Echelon 4.0FC has been selected by the Spanish National Police,” Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese said.
Springfield developed the Echelon platform in partnership with Croatian manufacturer HS Produkt. Since its 2023 launch, the pistol has been adopted by several American agencies and earned a gold rating through the National Tactical Officers Association’s Member Tested and Recommended program.
Now it can add Spain’s national police force to the resume.
That is a serious endorsement for a pistol that has only been on the market for a few years. What do you think: Is the full-size grip and 4-inch slide the Echelon’s ideal duty configuration?
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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