Springfield Armory has the Gear Up program. They package their firearms with goodies. Hmmm, that looks like a good deal. IS that the new Echelon I have been reading about, and seeing in all the videos? Not the Compact, but the full size one? Yup, and that's an awful big box for a handgun. "Oh, that's the gear up program." the owner said, "Comes with FIVE magazines and the Red Dot sight, plus a few other extras. A $320 value according to the paperwork... 
"You know, the Bass don't feel the see that hook in the worm before you set it either.
"Hmmm, let me see that."
Feels good in the hand, points well, though I'll have to get used to the nose down tilt to get the red dot on target. "Do you have a few more in the back?"
"Only one we got in, they don't send many out like that."
Miss T steps over. She is now watching and listening. "Why did you ask how many, do you want TWO?"
"If they have several, I wouldn't worry that they'd sell this one, while I consider it for a day or so."
Miss T: "Either buy it or don't, they have other things to do than stand here and watch you fondle the guns."
"Box 'er up."- gear up package.jpg (493.26 KiB) Viewed 922 times
(In addition to the goodies shown above, there was another small gun bag for storage, extra back straps to fit the gun to the shooter, tools for installing the red dot and adjusting the sight.... plus pins to fit other models of sights in case you wanted to change from the sight that came on the gun.)
Took it down to the range yesterday. I loaded up all five mags to test them all. No sense just shooting with one and discover later that one of the other four didn't work. Extended base plates for four of the five mags were included.
I fired the first five shots at the dot in the center of an 8" paper plate. Low and left. Made some corrections and fired five more. Got closer.
- first ten shots.jpg (655.66 KiB) Viewed 922 times
Loaded another mag and moved to a black dot on the cardboard and fired five more. A bit of an overcorrection on the last adjustment, so tweeked a bit and fired another five. Getting in there.
- second ten shots.jpg (532.51 KiB) Viewed 922 times
Another mag, and held steady and squeezed them out, one... after... another for ten shots.
- third ten tight.jpg (571.55 KiB) Viewed 922 times
Not a match group for sure, but not bad for a new gun, new dot sight, and only twenty warm up shots. I spent the last two mags rapid fire at the other two plates stapled to the cardboard, and those that didn't hit the plates were close. I think I am going to like this gun a lot. A couple hundred rounds downrange and it could become a favorite.
Notes?
Fifty rounds fresh from unboxing and not a single fail to fire.
Quick to learn the feel of the gun, and LOW recoil.
The dot sight on the gun is auto on when you bring the gun up, and auto off when the gun rests. (Battery saver.)
More the next time we come down to the range.
Looks like a good shooter and pistol after you got it zeroed in. Always FUN shooting a new one!
