In today’s article, Jeremy Tremp reviews the Icarus A.C.E. grip module for the Springfield Echelon 4.5F pistol. This aluminum module offers a number of features that many shooters are interested in. But, how does it perform? Read on to get Tremp’s take on it. The grip module was provided to Tremp for review.
What if I told you that with just one simple aftermarket part for your Echelon you could instantly improve your shooting speed and accuracy? Would you be interested?
I am generally skeptical of “upgrading” my pistols until I’ve vetted the parts and pieces and put them through the ringer to know they are trustworthy and as durable as factory components. If I am to recommend something to a friend or family member, I must be 100% sure that it functions and does indeed fulfill a purpose.
This brings me to one of my all-time favorite upgrades for my Springfield Echelon 4.5F.
Hidden A.C.E.
Last year on a shoot, I got a sneak peek at the Icarus Precision A.C.E. aluminum grip module for the Echelon full-size pistol. I was totally geeking out. I’ve followed Icarus for a few years and, in the past, I purchased one of their grip modules for a different pistol of mine. While I loved a lot about it, the grip wasn’t as aggressive as I would have liked at the time. But this new Echelon grip module? It was, dare I say, perfect.
After that shoot, I pulled some strings and got an A.C.E. for the Echelon as a pre-release to test it out. I put the frame to use during a special class hosted at Gunsite taught by Rob Leatham which was all about squeezing as much performance out of yourself and your gear as you could muster. He had us drilling down into the smallest things that can shave 1/10 of seconds off our time.
I ran 1,500 rounds through the pistol with the Icarus A.C.E. Grip Module, and it was flawless. Reliability? Check.
What makes the A.C.E. frame unique is that it is CNC’ed from billet 7075 aluminum. This gives added weight and durability to the pistol and changes how you interact with your Echelon in an awesome way.
The A.C.E. is anodized either FDE, Black, OD Green or Stealth Gray. I’m a big fan of anodizing as it creates unique colors that still show the metal’s underlying character.
Handy Choices
The A.C.E. is machined for ergonomics and control. The grip to me feels and points naturally by keeping the grip mostly straight and bringing the backstrap “hump” up closer to the beavertail. This fills your hand while allowing a tight and high grip on the pistol. The Beavertail has been extended slightly and flipped upwards to ensure a proper high grip while protecting your hand.
The aggressive 360-degree grip texture is one of my favorite aspects of the A.C.E. It’s not too aggressive but, in my opinion, it’s perfect for controlling the Echelon and ensuring a tight master grip. The pistol does not slip in your hands, and it does not tear up your skin either. It’s comfortable and stays planted in your hands.
Aiding in that high and tight grip is a double undercut trigger guard that allows your fingers more room to move up the grip. The higher your grip on the pistol, the less muzzle flip you will experience. Reduced muzzle flip means more time on target, allowing faster and more accurate shooting.
Tied for my favorite addition to the grip is the built-in thumb ledge for your support hand. This really allows you to clamp down on your Echelon and control the recoil.
The Icarus Precision A.C.E. weighs 7.1 oz., which also helps in controlling the pistol. Icarus is also making tungsten rods you can insert into the frame to add even more weight over the factory polymer grip module.
The Next Level
After the Gunsite class, I decided to build out my absolute dream Echelon with the foundation of the Icarus A.C.E. frame.
Starting with the frame, which comes stripped — meaning you need your pistol’s Central Operating Group, mag release, and slide to complete — I decided to go wild and change practically everything.
To complete the frame, I picked up an extended aluminum mag release from Springer Precision, along with some new base pads. The mag release eliminates the right side release and gives you an extension of +.085” to the left-side release. The right side is flush to the pistol, which for me eliminates the chance of dropping the mag with a tight grip. The base pads are high quality and add a little more weight in addition to being easy to grip from my mag pouches. The mag release has a really nice and intuitive angle to it, creating a great surface to press without interrupting your grip. I decided to get these parts as black anodized to create some contrast with the FDE motif.
Next, focusing on the Central Operating Group that is the heart of the Echelon, I chose a Powder River Precision trigger kit. Holy smokes this trigger is exceptional. The feel, the slight take-up and the satisfying break is about all you could want in a precision trigger. It’s very predictable and completely consistent. I will warn you, though, installing it yourself is a bit daunting. I followed their video, and everything worked out, but it certainly took some time and skill. I opted to leave the stock trigger return spring in as I enjoy the tactile click back to reset that it offers.
On my previous pistol build, I used the Echelon Comp slide, and it convinced me that a ported slide with the A.C.E. frame was borderline cheating. This go-round, I sent my slide off to the wizard of porting himself, Jeffery Floyd of Floyd’s Custom Shop. I’ve been following Floyd’s for quite some time, and I’ve always wanted his slide work on one of my pistols. So, this was the one to pull the trigger on, so to speak.
I opted for the custom design and porting for my slide. Floyd’s porting utilizes two generous ports in the barrel and then a large opening cut into the slide to the 3 and 6’oclock positions. With the slide work, Floyd’s puts a slight upward angle on the slide ports so that the gases are directed outwards and slightly upwards. The result is an extremely flat-shooting pistol that has a perfect return to zero. After the first mag on the range, I was all smiles.
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I was also really impressed with the custom design Floyd’s does to the already great Echelon slide. The forward serrations are continued onto the top of the slide, creating a great aesthetic while also aiding in slide manipulations. Additionally, Floyd’s smooths out the serrations towards the muzzle to ensure you keep your grip while racking the slide, but they do not create resistance if you are to run your hands towards the muzzle. It’s a small and subtle design trait that I think is quite smart. Finally, the lightening cuts remove mass from the slide and show off more of the barrel, and get that sweet Floyd’s logo in there.
When I got the slide and barrel back from Floyd’s, I dropped it off to my favorite Cerakote service, Koted Arms. We looked over all sorts of color combos that would enhance the unique FDE anodized look of the A.C.E., which proved to be a fun challenge.
I really wanted the frame to stand out against the slide, so the slide needed to complement the frame rather than distract. We both felt the Cerakote should have some metallic property as well as be a lighter shade than the FDE anodized metal. We settled on a champagne color that would be lighter and have that slight metallic sheen. The result, in my opinion, is a gorgeous pistol that ties multiple shades of tan together creating a stunning and unique looking pistol.
Range Time
On the range, I shot with various flavors of 115-gr. range ammo and didn’t have a single malfunction with the pistol. Reliability continues to reign supreme with the Echelon. This set-up is perfect to run with my battle belt, which makes drawing and reloading much faster and a lot more fun. Drawing from my QVO Tactical holster with the Icarus Precision A.C.E. grip is incredibly easy and intuitive. Getting a proper master grip right out of the holster is natural and effortless with the ergonomics of the A.C.E.
This pistol set-up truly feels like cheating. Shooting fast and accurate is just how this pistol wants to be run. You just can’t help yourself but to shoot as fast as you can. What’s more? That super fast group you just shot will likely be tight since you can get such a good grip on this frame and can control your shots with ease.
It’s fun to watch the smoke vent out directly to the left and right of the slide. You can really see Floyd’s porting in action as well as feel that perfect return to zero for fast follow-up shots.
One thing to note: If you intend to use the A.C.E. with a holster, you will need either an A.C.E.-specific holster or an Echelon light-bearing holster. The reason for this is the thumb ledge, which protrudes from the left side of the frame. This small extension prevents the stock Echelon holsters from working. For me this was a non-issue as I always run weapon lights on my pistols.
Conclusion
Who is the A.C.E. for, and why would you want to pick one up?
I think anyone who wants to increase their performance with their Echelon would benefit from an A.C.E grip. The ergonomics, grip texture and thumb ledge all work in conjunction to keep you on target for fast and accurate follow-up shots. And, it just looks awesome!
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