To compare the service compact gun with a (kind-of) micro-compact, I used guns from Springfield Armory, the Hellcat Pro Comp and the Echelon 4.0C Comp, both guns with optics. I already shot a precision course with them. For the less precision and more handling-oriented shooting, I elected to use a mash-up of shooting drills more-or-less linking to the first police qual I ever shot (1977). Without a course-to-course comparison, I’ll simply list what I did.

Big vs. smaller: the Hellcat Pro Comp with Galco Corvus (above) and Echelon 4.0C Comp with DeSantis Veiled Partner. Note the size of the Burris FastFire-E enclosed optic on the Echelon.

For the shooting exercises with the Hellcat Pro, the holster was the Galco Corvus. The Echelon 4.0C Comp was holstered in the DeSantis Veiled Partner OWB holster.

The “close” part of the original course I shot at 10 feet, altering the piece to six strings of fire. With any gun that holds six rounds or more, the drill is draw to a single, draw to a pair, draw to three hits, all in the “bent-arm” style of the ICE course (the original was “from the hip”). This is followed by a reload, then repeating the process.

The Hellcat Pro, shot first, tended high on this bend arm stage, with four hits up in the “8” ring of the B-8. The total time for shooting had to be less than 30 seconds, not including the reholstering, but including a reload. Each string for the ICE qual is three seconds, making total time at 18. That would leave a long time for a reload, which wasn’t used.

From seven yards, I elected to do two strings, each six shots from the holster. All hits were inside the 8-ring with the small gun.

At fifteen yards, I was supposed to do a “6+6,” but I broke it down as follows:

I started with a loaded magazine in the gun. On the signal for the first string, I drew and attempted to shoot. There was a dead trigger (empty chamber), so I performed the “immediate action” and made three hits. I followed that by a draw to three hits. A draw to a pair was next, followed by a pair from guard, then a pair of singles from guard. That made 12 hits from fifteen yards.

From 25 yards, I did the old NRA PPC string of six rounds in 12 seconds from the holster.

I ended with 42 hits on the repair center, handy as I’d used 42 rounds of Winchester White Box 115gr. FMJ with the Hellcat Pro. Two hits were in the 7-ring, 9 were in the 8-ring, there were six 9s and 25 in the 10- and X-rings.

If I were doing “qual scoring” – 8-ring and inside counting five points and outside but on the repair center counting as four points, I shot a 208 out of 210 with the Hellcat Pro/Shield SMSc.

Using the rings as marked, it was 383/420 – as best as I can make it out, the target’s a mess. That’s 92%.

The Echelon 4.0C Comp was mounted with the Burris FastFire E. I used the remaining supply of Winchester 115 grain FMJ, along with Federal 124gr. Syntech Training Match ammo, and Monarch 115 FMJ.

At the close distance from the bent arm shooting position, I had a high hit in the 9-ring and ended with a low hit in the 8-ring, the last round fired.

The seven-yard stage saw 12 rounds inside the 9-and better rings, but I dropped one into the 8-ring at fifteen yards. At 25 yards, all six hits were in.

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The Hellcat Pro showed a larger dispersion on the repair center than the Echelon 4.0C (below).

Scoring in the “qual scoring” – 8-ring and in counting five points and outside but on the repair center counting as four points, I shot 210/210. All hits were 8-ring and better. Scoring as the target is printed, the ending score was 407/420, 97%.

The larger gun easily won this standard of comparison and did so handily.

The group overall with the smaller gun was 7 1/8” high x 6” wide. The Echelon posted a group 6 3/8” high x 3 ¾” wide – using an assortment of left-over ammo. Without the two outriders, the group was only 4 ¾”.

That’s not bad.

Now the shooting wasn’t fast as precision got the nod over speed, but this exercise blended holster work, close-quarters work, clearing a stoppage and sustained fire. The mechanical accuracy of the Hellcat Pro was nearly identical to the Echelon 4.0C; the difference came in handling exercises.

You don’t get something (ease of concealed carry) for nothing; you pay a price.

The large optic on the Echelon using an “FBI-tilt” OWB holster presented another problem; the mailbox size optic printed – badly. In a vertical holster, an AIWB, or a shoulder rig – who knows? I didn’t try them.

The optics are a great help in shooting, just not hiding the gun.

Do we give up that much with smaller, more discreet handguns?

You tell me.

— Rich Grassi