How to mount a red dot sight on a Springfield Armory Echelon

Did you decided to tackle the attaching of the optics yourself? Learn how to mount a red dot sight on a Springfield Armory Echelon properly to avoid common beginners mistakes.

About Springfield Armory

Springfield Armory, Inc. is a prominent US firearms manufacturer and importer, based in Geneseo, Illinois. It was founded in 1974 by Robert Reese and is unrelated to the historic U.S. government arsenal bearing the same name. The company adopted the iconic name to revive its legacy. Initially focused on producing the M1 Garand and the M1A, a civilian semi-automatic version of the M14 rifle, Springfield Armory expanded into a wide range of firearms, including 1911 pattern pistols, the XD series, and the Hellcat, a popular micro-compact 9mm pistol launched in 2019.

Springfield Armory, Inc. has introduced models like the SAINT AR-15 series and the polymer-framed XD-M Elite, catering to concealed carry, home defense, and competitive shooting markets. The company’s custom shop is renowned for high-end 1911s, like the TRP (Tactical Response Pistol), which passed rigorous FBI trials. Many of its pistols, namely all striker-fired models, are manufactured by HS Produkt, a Croatian company with which Springfield Armory keeps a close partnership since 2001. The company, now led by founder’s son Dennis, emphasizes quality craftsmanship and Second Amendment advocacy.

About Springfield Armory Echelon

Introduced in July 2023, the Springfield Armory Echelon is the latest edition to Springfield Armory’s striker-fired pistols. It is an innovative 9mm pistol designed for duty, concealed carry, and competitive shooting. Designed in collaboration with HS Produkt in Croatia, where it is manufactured, it features a serialized Central Operating Group (COG), allowing users to easily swap grip frames for a customized fit and finish. Available in full-size and compact (4.5-inch vs. 4.0-inch barrel) variants, the Echelon boasts an ingenious Variable Interface System (VIS) that employs special self-locking pins to enabling direct mounting of numerous popular optical sights without the use of adapter plates. All other red dot sights can still be mounted with appropriate interface plates. Pistol’s slide introduces a so-called “trench cut” in front and flares in the back for positive and easy manipulation. Ambidextrous controls and aggressive grip texture provide comfort and control, U-Dot or three-dot tritium sights and a short reset, single action trigger complete the package. Three grip frame sizes with three different backstraps are available for owners to choose from and adapt the pistol to themselves. The Springfield Armory Echelon Comp features an integral compensator with a single port on the top of the slide and barrel in front of the front sight. By redirecting gas upwards, it aids in reduction of muzzle flip. With its innovative design features, the Echelon has quickly gained traction in law enforcement and civilian markets, elevating standards for a modern handgun.

Springfield Armory Echelon comes prepared for mounting an optical sight and other after-market equipment.

Springfield Armory Echelon is factory fitted with a medium sized grip module (shown), but two other sizes are available to best fit different users, all modules come with three interchangeable backstraps to further fine-tune the ergonomics of the pistol.

Cover plate protecting the slide cutout is located in front of the rear sight of the Springfield Armory Echelon.

Optic ready properties of Springfield Armory Echelon

The Echelon has an optic cut that measures 47,2 mm in length and 26,2 mm in width (slide width). The Variable Interface System on this handgun is designed to accommodate over 30 different red dot sights without the use of mounting plates, enabling direct mounting and lowest possible position of the optics. Absence of plates enables co-witnessing with standard-height sights and reduces the number of components that are necessary for attaching an optical sight. Since the slide cut is universal there will probably be some gap in front and/or the rear of the optics when mounted. Special interface plates are available for some optics if you would like to eliminate that gap for aesthetic reasons. Other optic sights with different mounting standards may also be used with the Springfield Armory Echelon using appropriate mounting plates.

Springfield Armory Echelon Variable Interface System will accommodate direct mounting of multitude of different popular optics while even more sights may be attached via appropriate adapter plates.

Springfield Armory Echelon includes an accessory rail molded into the dustcover which allows mounting of many different accessories such as weapon mounted lights and lasers. The accessory rail will accept most of the standard accessories intended to be mounted to a Picatinny-type (MIL-STD-1913) interface rail.

Three sets of pins are included to allow for mounting of the sights that share either the Trijicon RMR, Shield SMS/RMS or the Leupold Deltapoint PPRO footprint.

Recommendations for mounting the optical sight to a pre-cut Springfield Armory Echelon slide

Never proceed with any firearm handling without performing the clearing/checking procedure – magazine removed, chamber clear.

Always clear the firearm and complete the safety check before proceeding with any work or adjustment on the pistol. Never attempt to install any type of sights with the slide on the frame.

Field strip the handgun removing the recoil spring and the barrel from the slide as indicated in the Springfield Armory Echelon Operation & Safety Manual. To facilitate easier mounting of the optical sight, place the slide of your pistol on a stable flat surface so that the recoil spring guide overlaps the edge of the surface.

Removing the slide from the Echelon pistol and placing it on a flat surface with the recoil spring guide over the edge is a good practice.

Remove the slide cover plate. Use a T10 Torx driver to remove the two screws that retain the cover plate. Be aware of the 2 removable pins that are already located under the cover plate and may stay in the slide or possibly be retained in the plate when it is removed. Make sure you don’t lose the pins and always store and use original screws for re-attaching the cover plate if you ever decide to use the pistol without an optical sight. Do not fire the Springfield Armory Echelon pistol without either the original cover plate mounted or an optical sight installed.

Removing the slide cover plate from the Springfield Armory Echelon slide (use a Torx TX10 wrench or bit to remove the screws from the slide cover plate). There are two removable delta shaped pins under it that may fall out.

NOTE: Pin and screw sets are packaged separately and intended for use with different optical sight footprints on the market. The pins which are already stored under the cover plate are exclusively used for the RMR sight standard.

Following manufacturer’s instruction for mounting a specific optical sight is always highly recommended. Before mounting the optical sight, clean and degrease the interface cut in the slide.

Note there is an internal slide component (extractor spring) visible through one of the mounting holes – optic mounting screw must not reach it.

Clean the threaded holes and mating surfaces thoroughly. Do not skip this task. The pins which are already in their front slots under the cover plate are intended for the sights with Trijicon RMR footprint.

When mounting an optical sight directly to the slide, without a mounting plate using Springfield Armory Echelon Variable Interface System, verify that the mounting screws do not protrude more than 0.110” (2.8mm) from the bottom of the sight prior to mounting it on the slide. Screws provided by the sight manufacturer may require shortening or might need to be replaced. Thoroughly clean and degrease the threaded holes and all contact surfaces in the slide cut. Once you cleaned and degreased everything, locate the provided pin and screw sets intended for use with your specific optic. The pins that are found stored under the cover plate (black) will fit the sights with the Trijicon RMR footprint exclusively.

Attaching sights with the TRIJICON RMR mounting standard

You will find the 2 pins used for the Trijicon RMR mounting interface under the slide cover plate when you remove it, they are black and unmarked (Pin Set 1). Install these delta shaped pins in the front slide cut pockets, flat side down. Place the Trijicon RMR sight (or any sight with the same footprint) onto the slide over the pins which will orient it for proper screw alignment. We are mounting the Holosun 508T X2 sight which has the Trijicon RMR footprint for the purpose of this article – skip to General mounting guidelines.

Attaching sights with the LEUPOLD DELTAPOINT PRO mounting standard

Use the Springfield Armory supplied pin and screw sets labelled for use with the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro optic footprint (Set 3). These should be the four shiny metal color pins. Insert the two round pins with the smaller diameter downward into the rearmost pockets in the slide cut then insert the left and right delta shaped pins labelled “L” and “R” in the front slide cut pockets. The visible “R” and “L” pin marks correspond to the right and left side of the slide when it is pointed away from you. Place the DeltaPoint Pro sight (or any sight with the same footprint) over the pins which will orient the sight for proper screw alignment.

Attaching sights with the SPRINGFIELD MICRO / SHIELD SMS mounting standard

Use the provided pin and screw sets labelled for use with the Shield SMS or the Springfield Micro optic footprint (Set 3). There should be the 4 pins that are black in color and labeled “L” and “R” on top of the post. Insert the two round pins into the rearmost pockets in the slide cut then insert the left and right delta shaped black pins labelled “L” and “R” in the front slide cut pockets, flat side down. The visible “R” and “L” pin marks correspond to the right and left side of the slide when it is pointed away from you. Place the Springfield Micro or Shield SMS sight (or any sight with the same footprint) over the pins which will orient the sight for proper screw alignment.

Mounting other optical sights using mounting plates

Other popular optical sights may be mounted to the Springfield Armory Echelon with the Variable Interface System using appropriate mounting plates available from Springfield Armory for several different mounting standards. Remove the slide cover plate in order to replace it with the plate that fits your particular sight’s mounting standard (ordered separately for a specific sight). Verify the mounting screws do not protrude from the bottom of the mounting plate by attaching the optics to the plate prior to mounting the plate to the slide. If they do, shorten the screws or replace them with ones of the correct length. Using screws that are too long will not anchor the sight properly and may damage the plate and/or may cause a malfunction. Install the mounting plate designed for your sight and secure it with the 6-32 screws that were used to secure the cover plate. If you are installing optic with the Holosun 509T mounting plate insert the two black and unmarked delta shaped pins (Pin Set 1) in the front slide cut pockets, flat side down and secure the plate with screws provided for it. Do not exceed 18 in-lbs (2Nm) of torque when mounting an interface plate. Install the optical sight to the mounting plate using the sight manufacturer’s directions.

General mounting guidelines

Verify the sight fits into the slide cut and thread the correct fasteners in until they seat, without torquing them down (screws you have tested for proper length beforehand). Use manufacturer supplied or other high-quality screws to secure the optical sight to the Springfield Armory Echelon slide. When mounting optical sights directly to the Springfield Armory Echelon slide, ensure the screws do not extend more than 2,8 mm (0.110”) through the bottom of the sight body prior to installing the sight. If the screws are too long for the specific optical sight, the sight cannot be mounted properly and they may cause damage to the pistol’s Variable Interface System. If the screws are too short on the other hand, the sight might also not be attached properly which may also cause damage to the slide when pistol is fired and/or may cause a malfunction. Manufacturer supplied fasteners might already be treated with a thread locking compound. If this is not the case or you choose to use additional thread locking compound, use it sparingly and on the screw threads only. Using too much thread locker will foul the mounting holes or possibly the mechanism within.

Insert the battery into the sight – observe polarity – and check its function (this step may be performed later if the battery is not bottom mounted – but it’s best to check the sight is working beforehand).

Verify the sight fits the slide cut by positioning it on the slide and pressing it down to ensure it can be pushed flat against the cutout without excessive force. If a gap remains between the sight and the slide, there might be a mismatch between the two components.

Insert the appropriate screws into the optic’s mounting holes and verify they do not extend more than 2,8 mm from the bottom of the optic body. Screws on the left are too long!

Do not use threadlocker yet. Carefully start the screws taking care not to miss-thread them. Seat them without tightening.

Check for any movement, gaps under the sight or uneven positioning prior to properly torquing the screws.

After seating the screws and prior to torquing them completely, check if there is any noticeable movement when trying to move the sight. If so, back the screws out partially, ensure the sight is positioned properly and reseat them. If the screws are seated all the way and there is still movement, they are too long. Replace or shorten the screws that are too long or use appropriate washers to ensure correct fit. If there is a gap between the sight and the slide, the pins might also be the culprit – if they are too long. Try mounting the sight without one or the other pair of pins and if the gap disappears, the pins you just removed are too long. Try rear pins from Set 3 since they are a bit shorter or shorten the prescribed pins (pins from Set 2 and Set 3 have different diameters). Consider the possibility that the chosen optical sight might not fit the slide cut or the Variable Interface System of the Springfield Armory Echelon pistol.

Remove one of the mounting screws and apply a small amount of non-permanent (blue) threadlocker to the protruding part of the screw covering the threads only. Replace the screw and seat it prior to removing the other one in order to repeat the process.

Tighten both screws gradually, alternating from one to the other until the specified torque is reached using a torque wrench.

If the sight has proven to fit, remove one of the fasteners and apply the recommended non-permanent threadlocking compound. Blue adhesive such as Loctite 243 or 248 is a good choice. If you use a permanent threadlocker, getting the optic off the slide at a later time is going to be difficult and might require heating the fasteners. There is no need for using excessive amounts of adhesive, just a drop spread across the threads will do. Rethread the fastener until it stops and repeat the process with the other one. Gradually torque both screws alternating from one to the other until the torque specified by the optic manufacturer is reached using a torque wrench (typically 1,5 to 2 Nm or 13 – 18 in-lb). You can also hand tighten each fastener by inserting the short end of the L-shaped Allen or Torx key into the socket head then turning it clockwise till slight flex is felt in the key. Do not overtighten. The pistol should not be test fired for at least a few hours after mounting, allowing compound to cure (check the cure time for the specific threadlocker used).

It is always a good practice to mark the heads of the screws and the optic housing to enable rapid verification for possible loosening of the screws that could lead to the optical sight failure.