Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm vs Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm

Both are full-size Springfield 9mms with 4.5" barrels and 1.2" widths, so the split is weight, capacity and optic mounting. The Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm is 5.1 oz lighter (23.9 oz vs 29.0 oz), is optic-ready where the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 9mm is not, and comes with a tritium/luminescent front sight; MSRP is $710.00 against $609.00, a $101.00 difference. The XD-M Elite holds three more rounds (20 vs 17), lists a 0.5 lb lighter trigger (5.0 lb vs 5.5 lb), is 0.4" shorter overall (7.6" vs 8.0"), and adds a grip safety to the trigger safety. Both ship two magazines and share the Tactical Rack U-Dot rear sight.

Pick the Springfield Armory Echelon if:

• You are mounting a red dot and want the factory optic provision
• You want the lighter gun at 23.9 oz, 5.1 oz under the XD-M Elite
• A tritium/luminescent front sight matters more to you than a fiber optic

Pick the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite if:

• You want 20 rounds instead of 17
• A lighter listed trigger pull, 5.0 lb against 5.5 lb, and $101.00 less at MSRP
• The grip safety and the 7.6" overall length suit you

Barrel length and width are identical, so this is capacity and trigger on the XD-M Elite against 5.1 oz and a factory optic cut on the Echelon. If you are running irons, the older gun gives you more rounds for less money.