The Echelon Deserves a System.
Not a Parts Bin.
If you found us through David or Christian's story — you already know why we built this. The Meridian is what happens when a Navy Corpsman machinist and a technology founder stop waiting for someone else to solve the Echelon aftermarket problem.
We are not open yet. But we are looking for the right people to help us get there.
The Echelon is one of the most capable striker-fired pistols available. The aftermarket has not treated it that way.Random grips from one brand. Magwells from another. Weights that rattle. Nothing that fits together as a system — because nothing was designed as a system.We built the Meridian because we were tired of the parts bin approach. Every component machined to match every other component. Carry weight. Competition weight. Brass. Aluminum. One grip module body that adapts to how you shoot — not the other way around.
Architecture. Not Aftermarket.
MERIDIAN GRIP MODULEYour Echelon's central operating group transfers directly into the Meridian grip module — no new serialized firearm required. One machined body accepts three grip panel profiles and multiple backstrap options, configuring instantly for carry or competition. The grip module is an unregulated accessory, giving you a purpose-built modular platform built around the firearm you already own.
BALLAST WEIGHT SYSTEMTwo discrete machined pockets per backstrap accept 12g or 20g tungsten weights — field-swappable without tools, O-ring dampened to eliminate mechanical play. Choose aluminum panels for a carry-optimized build or brass for competition-class weight and balance. One system covers the full range from concealed carry to USPSA competition without changing grip module bodies.
USA MACHINEDEvery Meridian component is precision-machined domestically to aerospace tolerances — the same standards applied to defense and aerospace components. Nothing is cast, nothing is imported, nothing is assembled from parts designed by different manufacturers for different purposes. This is what a system looks like when it is engineered from the ground up rather than a parts bin.
VETERAN-FOUNDED | USA-MACHINED | PATENT PENDING | 50-STATE COMPLIANT | AEROSPACE TOLERANCES
Two ways in...
We are building this the right way. That means a small group of serious shooters gets their hands on it first — before anyone can buy it.
MVP FOUNDER - APPLICATIONFive kits. Free. No strings except honesty.We are selecting a small group of Echelon shooters to receive a complete Meridian build kit at no cost. In exchange, we need your real feedback — what works, what does not, what we missed. Under NDA. Before anyone else touches it.This is not an influencer program. We are not looking for content. We are looking for critical shooters who will tell us the truth.→ Apply to be an MVP Founder
FOUNDING WAITLIST - FIRST ACCESSNot selected as an MVP Founder?You are still ahead of everyone.
When the founding allocation opens — 25 Carry kits and 25 Competition kits — the waitlist gets access before the public sees a single post. Invite only. No announcement. Just an email to the list.We are not manufacturing demand. We are managing supply.
Who built this
DAVID HYNEMAN
Co-Founder — Head of Design & ManufacturingDavid served as a Navy Corpsman before spending fifteen years machining gun barrels, aerospace components, and defense parts for some of the most demanding applications in the industry. He designed the Meridian from the ground up — every pocket, every tolerance, every interface. He closed his eyes, raised the first prototype to a firing position, and it came up perfectly horizontal. That is when he knew the system was right.
CHRISTIAN PRUSIA
Co-Founder — CEOChristian spent twenty-five years building and scaling technology companies before co-founding Vital Arms. He picked up an Echelon, tried to build it out the way he had built out his competition pistols, and found nothing in the aftermarket designed to work together as a system. That frustration became a product brief. That product brief became the Meridian. He handles everything that happens outside the machine shop.
Found us on Reddit or Facebook? That post was written by the people who built this.
There is no marketing team. There is no agency. There is David in the machine shop and Christian at the keyboard — and a product that is almost ready.
© 2026 Vital Arms, LLC — Idaho | [email protected] | Patent Pending