Lasers are doing the stippling now. The new Springfield Armory Echelon Pro Comp line arrives with a grip texture called LightForged, where precision lasers sculpt and reform the surface of the grip module to create a highly defined pattern with the look and feel of custom hand stippling, but with greater consistency and control. The process allows precise shaping of texture geometry and placement across the grip, and it debuts here with Badlands, an aggressive cracked-earth pattern engineered for confident grip and control. That grip sits under the second big change, an integrally compensated slide assembly finished in Springfield Grey Cerakote. The ported barrel and integral compensator work together to cut muzzle rise, and the slide is billet machined with a Melonite finish and an optics-ready cut. The rest of the Pro package includes a machined steel flared magwell, a captive stainless steel guide rod and a tritium front sight with an orange luminescent ring, paired with a black serrated rear for a front-focused sight picture. Three extended magazines come standard. Underneath, this is still an Echelon. The serialized, self-contained Central Operating Group houses the operating system and lets owners swap grip modules of different colors and sizes. The Variable Interface System allows direct mounting of today's most popular optics to the slide, and the platform remains fully ambidextrous. The flared magwell is removable, so flush-fit magazines can be used (note the screw below). All three variants use a 1:10 twist hammer-forged barrel with a Melonite finish, a 1.2-inch grip width and a Black and Springfield Grey color scheme. Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing at Springfield Armory, frames the Pro as a set of performance-oriented enhancements layered onto what the Echelon already does as a duty pistol. All three have an MSRP of $899, and come in a double-zipper handgun case. Springfield Armory Echelon Pro Comp key features:LightForged grip module with Badlands cracked-earth textureIntegrally compensated billet slide in Springfield Grey Cerakote H-304Ported hammer-forged barrel, Melonite finish, 1:10 twistSerialized Central Operating Group and Variable Interface SystemFully ambidextrous controlsMachined steel flared magwell, removable for flush-fit magazinesCaptive stainless steel guide rodTritium front sight with orange luminescent ring, black serrated rearThree extended magazines includedMSRP $899 Springfield Armory Echelon Pro Comp models:Echelon Pro 4.0C Comp (ECP9409BY-COMP): 4" barrel, small grip module, three 18-round magazines, 23 oz, 7.4 in long, 5 in high.Echelon Pro 4.0FC Comp (ECP9409BYFC-COMP): 4" barrel, full-size grip module, three 20-round magazines, 24 oz, 7.4 in long, 6.5 in high.Echelon Pro 4.5F Comp (ECP9459BY-COMP): 4.5" barrel, medium grip module, three 20-round magazines, 25 oz, 8 in long, 6.5 in high. Here’s a direct link with a few more details and images: https://www.springfield-armory.com/echelon-series-handguns/echelon-pro-handguns/ If this post has you ready to hit the range, head over to gunranges.com - a free directory to help you find shooting ranges near you, wherever you are in the United States.