SpringfieldA(R) Echelon 9mm Semi-automatic Pistol Good things come to those who wait, and while the Echelon isn't the first polymer pistol to feature a modular design, night sights, and optics mounting system-it might be the BEST. Like the SIG P320, the Echelon is built around a serialized chassis that Springfield calls the Central Operating Group-essentially the "skeleton" of the gun-which can be customized with small and medium grip frames. This allows you to effectively turn the Echelon into a compact or subcompact gun with optional slide/frame combos (sold separately, and available from Springfield soon). But unlike other serialized chassis out there, Springfield's Central Operating Group is considerably sturdier and more rigid, providing an incredibly robust housing for the operating system. Likewise, the Echelon's red dot mounting system is one of the best we've seen yet. Most modern pistols are designed for a particular optics footprint. If your optic of choice doesn't fit, you have to buy a separate adapter plate, which adds weight, cost and hassle. The Echelon solves this issue via the "Variable Interface System," or VIS. The VIS is essentially a pattern of holes in the slide that accommodate Shield RMSc, DeltaPoint Pro and RMR footprints via the included hardware-no plates required. The optics cut is uniquely deep compared to other pistols, and because you don't need an adapter plate, your red dot of choice rides significantly lower, allowing you to co-witness with standard height iron sights. That includes the Echelon's factory tritium 3-dot sights, which provide all-hours targeting and the perfect amount of luminescence so that the three dots are always easy to pick up. And while some guns claim to be "ambidextrous" via swappable controls, the Echelon skips over all of that by including controls on both sides of the gun. That's useful not only for leftie