Springfield Armory Hellcat Review

Looking for a powerful new 9mm handgun? Look no further than the Springfield Armory Hellcat.

This sleek and stylish handgun is built with quality and performance in mind, and features a 3″ hammer forged steel barrel, 1:10 slide ratio, and black polymer frame with an adaptive grip texture.

The Tritium/luminescent front sight and tactical rack U-notch rear sight make aiming easy, while the dual recoil springs provide plenty of resiliency. The 11-round and 13-round extended magazines provide plenty of ammo, and the lightweight 17.9 oz weight with flush mag or 18.3 oz weight with extended mag makes for easy carry and recoil control.

Whether you’re a first time buyer or a seasoned professional, the Springfield Armory Hellcat is sure to please.

Springfield Armory Hellcat History & Origins

We think Springfield Armory would agree that the Hellcat represents their response to the Sig p365, which completely rethought the possibilities for a concealed carry pistol. Similar to the Hellion, the Hellcat is a Croatian-made import. Since around 2003, Springfield has been distributing firearms that they acquire by HS Produkt in Croatia. Initially, they were importing the XD line of pistols, which provided a fair value for a respectable handgun. We see a pattern here: after releasing the Hellion bull-pup rifle, they are now releasing the Hellcat handgun. The CDs were satisfactory, but the new material is much better. Just pick up a Hellcat and you’ll see what we mean; they’ve made a lot of improvements, and now, the Hellcat is a formidable opponent. The Hellcat offers a high-capacity micro 9mm pistol. With a flush magazine, it can store 11+1 9mm rounds, and with an extended magazine, it can hold 13+1 rounds.

Key Features of the Hellcat

Safety

Even though there isn’t currently a way to attach an external safety to the Springfield Hellcat Pro, we fully expect there to be one available in the near future. What they’ve done with the exterior safety, for this entire line, has impressed us greatly, and we have no doubt that the Pro will do the same. The gun’s back features an ambidextrous, low-profile thumb safety mount that’s big enough to rest your thumb while firing. As a result, the gun’s safety can be adjusted just as easily as on a compact 1911.

Trigger

Others have claimed that the trigger is superior to that of a Glock. It’s hard for us to determine whether or not it’s better, but it has noticeably shorter recoil and sharper trigger pull than a Glock. The Hellcat and Glock have similar triggers, in our opinion, but let us know if you feel differently. Also, the reset is too loud and too tactile for my taste.

Sights

The sights on this concealed carry handgun are excellent. We were not a full fan of the sights before we fired the Hellcat, but then we came to appreciate how simple Springfield made it to keep the sights steady. Additionally, red-dot sights are unquestionably the way forward for handguns. It’s awesome that the company is releasing an optics-ready model simultaneously with the pistol.

How Does The Hellcat Perform?

Accuracy

The gun’s portability and manageability make it ideal for carrying concealed. It’s not going to win any awards as a performance pistol, but it fires reliably. You could improve your accuracy, but it would slow you down, if you used smaller, more conventional sights.

Reliability 

We put the Hellcat through two days of testing. The weapon functioned flawlessly from standard shooting positions regardless of the load or bullet weight in the magazine. The only problem we had was when practicing firing in close quarters just at moment where the handgun clears the holster, and the slide jammed back after we fired it. 

Ergonomics 

To our hands, the Hellcat feels like a natural extension of our own body. Having the serrations on the back of the slide is also great. Also,  the red dot attachment is a nice addition, this feature is useful even if you don’t plan on purchasing one. Taking your Hellcat to the range? You’ll love the serrated slide’s improved grip. The handgun is so small that even the pistol grip wouldn’t be enough to maintain a stable aim without the serrations, so shooting Hellcat is a bit of a chore. Lightweight is another strength of the Hellcat. The handgun weighs only about 18 ounces, depending on how many rounds are in the magazine, so you won’t even notice you’re carrying one. Because of its light frame, this handgun is perfect for daily concealed carry due to its ease of use and manageability.

Pros

• High capacity magazine.
• Very reliable.
• Great grip.

Cons

• Odd trigger.
• Snappy recoil.