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At SHOT 2016 I discovered a then-unknown company from Greece witha promising product. Shortly thereafter I tried a couple of their kits (Walther P99 AS and AR-15 Kit) and was impressed, but at the time they had limited options and as life got busy they became systems I was happy I had, but I didn't bother searching for more.
Now, in 2024, DPM Systems Technologies offers kits for 38 different handgun manufacturers and offered to let me try out a few of their newer offerings including: (links are to short before and after videos)
Springfield Armory / HS Produkt Echelon (in this article)
Why? You may be thinking that most semi-auto handgun recoil is managable enough, and you'd be right. The fact is that handgun manufacturers have to make a big compromise when designing the recoil assembly that comes with your gun. They need the spring to be strong enough to strip the next round off the magazine, chamber that round, and close the slide, but also soft enough to make sure the slide can still travel far enough in the event of poor shooter form, weak ammunition, or imperfect maintenance. Beyond that, there's also consumers who handle the gun in a shop who may make purchasing deciscions based on how easy the slide is to rack.
The reality is most of the recoil you feel, and that knocks your aim off target, is not from the round firing, rather from the slide smacking into the frame at its rear-most travel. This "slide smack" as I call it is what causes the wrist to break and when you really see muzzle rise. I've filmed dozens of pistols at 950 frames per second and then slowed that footage and it's clear as day. I've included some of that footage in the "Part 1" video below.
How's It Work? DPM Systems Technologies has patended their design which is why you don't see others making anything similar. The kits include a new guide rod with a permanent spring pre-installed, numerous springs, and in some kits end plugs.
The springs are in labeled bags by strength, but it's easy to know that the longer and thicker the spring the more force it will have. The plugs function in a similar way by preloading the system. The longer the plug, the more preload.
Why not just go with the strongest combination? Starting "strongest" (longest, thickest spring and longest plug) is what I recommend, and if you've got a clean and lubricated gun, good ammunition, and good shooting form, it shuold work for you and you'll notice a dramatic difference in recoil. If that doesn't work step it down with either a shorter plug or shorter spring.
What Do These Cost? That depends on the particular model you're after.
Common models $70-170 at Optics Planet
Please not that when ordering direct you will be paying in Euros and product shipped from Greece. Orders via Optics Planet will be in US dollars and shipped from within the US.
What are the benefits? In my experience, by eliminating or reducing the "slide slam" you'll find you can track your sights better, tune a gun to run hot ammo but recoil like softer ammo, prolong the life of your firearm, and be able to shoot more accurately at speed.
You can watch my process in the "part 2" video below.
(Target in the video is 7 yards, target camera cropped to show A zone)
Are there any precautions? In theory, if you spring the gun too stiffly it might not run with weak ammunition, imprefect shooting form, and if the gun is in imperfect condition. I say, "in theory" because as demonstrated in the video above I ran some of the softest ammunition on the market (check how your range ammo ranks HERE) and limp-wristed the gun but it still ran. I could have gotten lucky, maybe DPM Systems Technologies has made sure their kits don't go too far, or maybe it was just that particular situation.
Having now tried DPM Systems Technologies in at least 8 handgun models I can say it seems these are most effective in guns with longer recoil assemblies. In the Sig P365 I didn't notice a significant improvement and in the BUL Armory SAS II UL 3.25 only a small improvement. In the Springfield Armory / HS Produkt Echelon and BUL Armory TAC there was a notable difference.
I'm not hurrying to purchase a DPM system for one of my guns but I am liking what I see. I definitely want to see the video of the other pistols you install a DPM system into.
This would also make sport shooting more enjoyable for new comers. Lots of advantages. Can you think of any pistol manufacturers that incorporate a system like this?
For several years I listened to your DPMS comments in various videos. Researched them, but never "pulled the trigger" on a purchase. Finally did today after reading your article. I will try it in my wife's pistol(s (she has two of the same make/model that she loves)). If we notice a difference, I see other purchases in the future.