Posted: 2/17/2026 12:59:38 PM EDT
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Attached File https://blackstoneshooting.com/springfield-armory-echelon-4-0c-9mm-black-melonite-factory-optic-equipped-includes-15rd-18rd-magazines-706397000950/ I was checking my junk email that I enter contests with and noticed an email that Echelons with the COA are available from a company called Blackstone. They have all 3 versions without comps 4.5, 4.0, and 4.0FC all with a COA. I checked SA's website and they aren't showing up there so I'm wondering if this is a Blackstone exclusive item. This is the first I heard about it except for the pic from Shot Show someone posted in another thread. I don't know if I like being tied to one optic. One of the things I love about the echelon is the optics mounting system and being to mount many different optics on it. Also it looks like the rear sight is screwed on. If you look at the full sized one, you can see the sight flipped the other way. |
The 2nd is not about hunting, it never was. It was put in place for one reason and one reason only. You can't have them, we won't give them up, so get over it.
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The best answer I received was from one of our contracted professional engineers (mechanical design) here at my employer; Rule #1 of mechanical design is never overconstrain a component with redundant locating features. (in the case of red dot pistol sights, it's between optic itself and the redundant recoil bosses either on the plate or on the slide directly) Rule #2 is never allow a fastener to experience a shear force. (in the case of red dot pistol sights, the two (or more) flathead screws attaching the plate to the slide, and sometimes the screws directly holding the optic to the plate) Yet literally every optics plate, and pistol red dot design out there is currently breaking one or both rules. Except the COA. I thought Firearms Jesus did a good job explaining this. He did it at last year's SHOT (2025). Skip to; 7:32  Aimpoint's New COA: Clever Optics Advancement And if I were to add a bit of my own color, check out the below video from James Reeves. I believe this was the genesis idea of the COA. It was born from the need for more reliability in high-volume shooting, and high-stakes government agencies took notice. It's ultimately why the Glock/COA combo has been unobtanium for the past year or so.  B&T's Ultimate Glock 19 is Made for European Spec Ops |
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Rule #2 is never allow a fastener to experience a shear force. (in the case of red dot pistol sights, the two (or more) flathead screws attaching the plate to the slide, and sometimes the screws directly holding the optic to the plate) Plates aside, I have never even heard of a direct mount optic failing and coming off the slide. Even then, I can’t imagine anyone shooting so much in one session that it could happen… And if you aren’t checking your screws every once in a while, that’s stupidity on your part. |
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I agree that removing the plate from the equation is certainly a step in the right direction. I also favor the lower mounting height which helps iron sight shooters learn how to transition easier. It's the main reason I loved the Echelon's system when it first debuted. And I see that now the Ruger RXM and the new CZ TS3 optic system have both copied it (and rightly so) That said, with direct mounting we are now comparing 1) a redundant, overconstrained recoil boss system versus 2) an unconstrained wedge-lock system. Given the choice, I still favor the A-Cut interface because it removes all possible tolerance gaps and/or competing interferences when the screws are properly torqued. It's anyone's guess what's actually happening between the optic and a redundant recoil boss direct-mount. IMO, small gaps likely exist (undersized bosses). These undersized bosses are what allow the optic to mount/dismount from the slide without sticking or the need to pry. But it's these same small gaps that allow the optic to eventually loosen and shift back and forth under continuous slide cycling. In other words, it is the reason the two screws need to be constantly checked and retorqued. The optic is relying solely on the friction created between the bottom of the two screw heads and the top of the mating optic surface. Your mileage may vary, but there's a reason COAs are being grabbed up by agencies worldwide. It’s bad enough that the world has evolved pistols to need batteries and electronics, so eliminating the constant need to check screw torque is certainly welcome. In our defense, we were simply playing the only optics mount cards the gun industry has provided us. Until now . . . |
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My issue isn’t the mount. I actually think the mount is pretty great, if unnecessary is 98% of circumstances… Tho I can certainly understand why risk adverse agencies looking for a dummy proof one-size fits all solution would desire them. My biggest issue is the optic is massive and makes the pistol look unbalanced. But I’ve never liked ‘mailbox optics’ on pistols. Couple that with never having even heard of a direct mounted optic failing at the screws, I just don’t see a reason for the COA personally. Though I wouldn’t be upset if the mounting system was available on other, non-mailbox optics. |
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My guess is the bandwagon will be here soon with plenty of other A-Cut compatible optics. Hopefully some will even be less, “mailboxy” Hell, I’m even reading some companies now are offering A-Cut milling services on older generation Glock slides The future is here |
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I have a standard echelon, and am still in a wait and see patter in adopting the COA. I think its a better solution that plates, but not sure i want to go all in on the aimpoint at this time. i am currently consider the new Steiner mps-c it has a slight larger window than the standard MPS but is on a RMSc footprint and has shake awake. |
| I just noticed on my Echelon FC COA that there's a visible gap under the rear sight that clamps the COA down. A few posts on Redditt said it was "normal", but I don't think so. Just comparing the Echelon COA to how the rear sight interfaces on a Glock COA, the Echelon rear sight system looks like trash. The Glock rear sight appears flush and looks like it clamps the COA down much better. Check your Echelon COA and tell me if you think the gap seems normal to you. |
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Originally Posted By GerryOwen: I'll be honest, I have never understood the excitement around the COA. It's ridiculously big and clunky, and I don't see what it does better as a pistol optic that other, less bulky, optics already do |
What it boils down to is that they fear an effective resistance to their power: So, Left in power=Guns bad, mmmmkay...?, Right in power=Guns good!-thskirk
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Originally Posted By srb10864: I just noticed on my Echelon FC COA that there's a visible gap under the rear sight that clamps the COA down. A few posts on Redditt said it was "normal", but I don't think so. Just comparing the Echelon COA to how the rear sight interfaces on a Glock COA, the Echelon rear sight system looks like trash. The Glock rear sight appears flush and looks like it clamps the COA down much better. Check your Echelon COA and tell me if you think the gap seems normal to you. |
What it boils down to is that they fear an effective resistance to their power: So, Left in power=Guns bad, mmmmkay...?, Right in power=Guns good!-thskirk
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Originally Posted By srb10864: I just noticed on my Echelon FC COA that there's a visible gap under the rear sight that clamps the COA down. A few posts on Redditt said it was "normal", but I don't think so. Just comparing the Echelon COA to how the rear sight interfaces on a Glock COA, the Echelon rear sight system looks like trash. The Glock rear sight appears flush and looks like it clamps the COA down much better. Check your Echelon COA and tell me if you think the gap seems normal to you. Seem normal...no. But mine has it too. As long as it doesn't come loose I don't care. |
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Originally Posted By srb10864: I just noticed on my Echelon FC COA that there's a visible gap under the rear sight that clamps the COA down. A few posts on Redditt said it was "normal", but I don't think so. Just comparing the Echelon COA to how the rear sight interfaces on a Glock COA, the Echelon rear sight system looks like trash. The Glock rear sight appears flush and looks like it clamps the COA down much better. Check your Echelon COA and tell me if you think the gap seems normal to you. How do you think the sight system works? Just from eyeballing the pictures of the system very casually, I would assume the following. The optic sits on the top of the slide and the front mating surface mates with the cutout at the front of the optics cut. The screwed-on wedge/rear sight then pushes on the rear mounting surface of the site and applies a specified force (within an acceptable range) based on the allowable/spec'd torque of the mounting screws. The gap would allow for greater variation between parts and still ensure the COA has a solid mount, no? |
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https://www.guns.com/news/reviews/review-new-springfield-armory-echelon-with-installed-aimpoint-coa Guns.com did a review one SA sent them. It seems like a decent setup. Maybe they'll add slides equipped with it to their website, that'd be the only way I would bite. I already have a couple and don't want to buy a third just for the slide/optic. I wouldn't mind grabbing another compact slide with it for my full size. They also dropped some info on versions coming for the XD and Prodigy. Besides the Echelon, Springfield tells us COA models are also inbound for the XD Mod 4 and Prodigy series guns in the coming months. |
The 2nd is not about hunting, it never was. It was put in place for one reason and one reason only. You can't have them, we won't give them up, so get over it.
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Originally Posted By Wolfhound76: https://www.guns.com/news/reviews/review-new-springfield-armory-echelon-with-installed-aimpoint-coa Guns.com did a review one SA sent them. It seems like a decent setup. Maybe they'll add slides equipped with it to their website, that'd be the only way I would bite. I already have a couple and don't want to buy a third just for the slide/optic. I wouldn't mind grabbing another compact slide with it for my full size. They also dropped some info on versions coming for the XD and Prodigy. Originally Posted By Wolfhound76: https://www.guns.com/news/reviews/review-new-springfield-armory-echelon-with-installed-aimpoint-coa Guns.com did a review one SA sent them. It seems like a decent setup. Maybe they'll add slides equipped with it to their website, that'd be the only way I would bite. I already have a couple and don't want to buy a third just for the slide/optic. I wouldn't mind grabbing another compact slide with it for my full size. They also dropped some info on versions coming for the XD and Prodigy. Besides the Echelon, Springfield tells us COA models are also inbound for the XD Mod 4 and Prodigy series guns in the coming months. Okay, I think I'll have to get a Mod. 4 now.  
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Originally Posted By NN300BLK: How do you think the sight system works? Just from eyeballing the pictures of the system very casually, I would assume the following. The optic sits on the top of the slide and the front mating surface mates with the cutout at the front of the optics cut. The screwed-on wedge/rear sight then pushes on the rear mounting surface of the site and applies a specified force (within an acceptable range) based on the allowable/spec'd torque of the mounting screws. The gap would allow for greater variation between parts and still ensure the COA has a solid mount, no? It looks flush on Glock pics I've seen, so a gap on the Echelon "seemed" off to me. I'm definitely not an engineer though, so the technical aspects of the physical forces impacting screws and mounting optics is above my pay grade. |
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Originally Posted By srb10864: It looks flush on Glock pics I've seen, so a gap on the Echelon "seemed" off to me. I'm definitely not an engineer though, so the technical aspects of the physical forces impacting screws and mounting optics is above my pay grade. It may be flush on the Glock, and it would likely be better to be flush as long as the tolerance stack up of the system enabled the optic clamping force to be within the acceptable range while considering all possible different fitments. |
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While I was looking for a SKU for the magazine thread, I saw SA finally put the COA versions up on it's website. https://www.springfield-armory.com/springfield-armory-x-aimpoint-coa/ |
The 2nd is not about hunting, it never was. It was put in place for one reason and one reason only. You can't have them, we won't give them up, so get over it.