Posted: 2/19/2026 4:50:29 PM EDT
[Last Edit: NN300BLK][Edited]
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I'm planning on getting an Echelon 4.0C in the near future (we've got a bit of snow here at the moment). I like the medium grip module with the large backstrap on the Echelon 4.5F-- the trigger reach is good, though I could have a bit more palm swell. My question is for those who have both, do you like the small grip module that comes with the 4.0C or should I plan on getting a bigger size? Then, based on the grip size I currently like and if I do get a larger size, should I just stick with the medium with large backstrap or should I consider the large grip module with a different backstrap? |
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I figure I'd update this with my findings so that if someone stumbles upon this thread in 6 months they may find it useful or benefit from my experience. After putting 200 rounds through the 4.0c, I determined that the small grip module was in fact too small for my hands even with the large backstrap installed (it didn't really seem to help at all). It's funny, I shoot it better than the 4.5f, but it is just uncomfortably and weirdly small. The trigger reach was too short, and the grip circumference was too small. I was not getting a consistent index on the grip. If this was not a modular chassis style gun, this would be a deal breaker. After researching hand sizes and trying to figure out the difference in size between the modules, I decided to order a large grip module. My logic mainly centers on my desire to have more palm swell on the medium module on the 4.5f even with the large backstrap installed. I'm hoping that I can get the desired amount of palm swell, grip circumference, and trigger reach using the large module with the medium backstrap or perhaps the small backstrap. The one thing I did read consistently was that the large module with the large backstrap is for people with very large hands. |
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Conclusion: The large feels analogously large as the small feels small compared to the medium grip module. The large is in fact for large hands, not medium-large hands. Here's where my theory fell apart: the large has more grip circumference, but not that much more palm-swell. I'm going to assume that most polymer guns are going to be relatively flat profiled compared to a more traditional design with removal grip panels (1911, Hi Power, CZ-75, etc.); I think the P320 may be one of the exceptions to this rule, which in fact does have a decent rounded shape that fills the hand. I do wish that Springfield had some kind of hand size guide to make this easier, but I really like the platform and this experiment was well worth knowing which the best grip module size for me is. |
| I only tried the medium in the full size and the small in the compact. I ended up preferring the Sharps Bros grip to the factory grips on both. But if I had to take the factory grip it would be the medium with the largest of the three backstraps. It felt the best of the two sizes I tried. My hands aren't super large. |
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: I only tried the medium in the full size and the small in the compact. I ended up preferring the Sharps Bros grip to the factory grips on both. But if I had to take the factory grip it would be the medium with the largest of the three backstraps. It felt the best of the two sizes I tried. My hands aren't super large. I was hoping that there'd be a $65 solution instead of a $325 solution to the quest for more palm-swell. Not to throw more money at it, but I might try adding some talon grips to the medium module before trying the Sharps. |
| The Sharps bros is a little smaller than the medium/large from front to backstrap. It is a little wider especially if you go for aftermarket grips. It's not for everyone. I think my grips were around 370 with the aftermarket VZ grips. I can get a few pics if you like to show the differences. |
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.
| I'm okay in terms of the pics but thank you for offering. I use the large backstrap with the medium module because it forces a high grip and consistent indexing (more or less perfect every time), but the Sharps Bros has an aggressive enough backstrap that I think it will achieve the same overall result. And I would also likely get the VZ grips after researching it. The problem I come to is that the factory polymer grip modules have like 90% of what I want and I'm not sure that I really want to spend XD Mod. 4 money for that 10% improvement (but that's a me problem, that I'll need to mull over). |
| No worries. If you change your mind, I keep all my old factory parts to reinstall if I ever have to send back for warranty work. |
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.
| Finally got the medium module and it feels just as good as the full-size medium module in my hand and I shoot it better than the full-size Echelon and better than the factory small module. An interesting note is that the magazine release button is now plastic, and the catch has different geometry (looks like lightening cuts). |
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Originally Posted By zutmeloda2003: So does the medium module feel much bigger than the small? I just noticed recently the grip feels a bit small. Got mine a week or so ago havent had a chance to take it to the range yet. I wouldn't say it feels much bigger than the small, but it kind of fills in the grip frame where it needs to-- except the palm swell, which is fine on the medium, but not as nice as a 1911 or similar metal framed gun. The biggest difference in feel was at the top back of the grip frame where the web of my hand contacts it. This feels much better on the medium instead of the small. The biggest performance improvement is now I have consistent indexing on the grip frame. I shot the size small just fine, but I had to readjustment my grip sometimes after drawing from the holster, whereas with the medium my hand goes exactly where it needs to every time. The large is a lot bigger than the medium, let alone the small, so I would be hesitant to recommend the large unless you have truly large hands. |
| My biggest issue with the small is there is no room for support hand. I guess those that order the medium have the same issue as it’s not that much bigger. I ordered both and will see which one works better. It seems like the large is more gen 3 glock 19 size so it might be more natural for me. |
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With the medium and using the large backstrap, there is a small area where the palm of my hand near my thumb joint engages the grip, but my pinky is not engaging the grip unlike on a full-size-- I'm mostly just bracing my strongside hand. This is better than on the small where I had no useful contact with my support hand on the grip even using the large backstrap. The large was too big for me, but it wasn't that much too big for me-- fingers didn't wrap around quite enough for me to consider it a good grip (not terrible though-- it was borderline in this regard), but the biggest clue that it was too big for me was that I had to break my grip to reach the magazine release, which should not be the case on a modern pistol in my mind. If Springfield released a medium-large grip it would likely be perfect for me. |
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Don't know how I missed this thread before but for anyone else that comes along: I to did not care for the size of the small grip - also coming from the 4.5F to the compact. Having purchased a large grip for my 4.5 and having it cerakoted (2 weeks before they released the OD green modules  ) that is what I was used to. so on my 4.0C I got a medium grip (about 99% sure that's what it is) in FDE and used the large back strap and was close to perfect. Not as perfect as the large in the full size but I think that's more to do with getting the more aggressive texture on the Large 4.5. My advice to anyone that's not sure is to purchase all 3 and try with a combination of back straps, send back the ones that you don't care for. This is a great platform and I hope Springfield keeps options coming. |
Will not shelter in place
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Originally Posted By right_rudder: Don't know how I missed this thread before but for anyone else that comes along: I to did not care for the size of the small grip - also coming from the 4.5F to the compact. Having purchased a large grip for my 4.5 and having it cerakoted (2 weeks before they released the OD green modules ) that is what I was used to. so on my 4.0C I got a medium grip (about 99% sure that's what it is) in FDE and used the large back strap and was close to perfect. Not as perfect as the large in the full size but I think that's more to do with getting the more aggressive texture on the Large 4.5. My advice to anyone that's not sure is to purchase all 3 and try with a combination of back straps, send back the ones that you don't care for. This is a great platform and I hope Springfield keeps options coming. Agreed. One thing that excites me about the Echelon is that, unlike the XD (which I really like to be honest), when they release the next gen, they could (and hopefully they will) make the new grip modules backwards compatible. That way any improvements in terms of grip module ergonomics can be added to existing Echelons by simply buying the new module. |