By: Friedrich Seiltgen
The Springfield Armory Hellcat made its debut in September 2019 and has been taking the micro pistol market by storm! This high-capacity 9mm micro comes with 11 and 13-round magazines, making it the highest capacity micro 9mm on the market.
The Hellcat is made in Karlovac, Croatia by HS Produkt, and they take pride in their ingenuity and craftsmanship. The company also produces the XD & XD-M pistols, imported by Springfield.
The Hellcat has a lot of features to help make the shooting experience both fun and safe. Adaptive grip texture, high visibility sights with an OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) option, hammer forged barrel, top slide serrations, a non-proprietary rail for mounting accessories, such as the E-Series laser from Viridian, a flat trigger profile that helps with consistent trigger engagement, and a reversible magazine release for you lefties!
A feature that I like on the Hellcat is the loaded chamber indicator. It lets shooters know if they have a round in the chamber. Since the indicator sticks up on the top of the slide, you can confirm the weapon is loaded both visually and physically. Many people prefer this system to a press check. You don’t want to be walking around with an unloaded weapon!
Specifications
Cartridge 9mm
Action Striker Fired Semi-Automatic
Magazine Capacity 11 & 13 Rounds
Barrel Length 3.0 in
Length 6.0 in
Width 1.0 in
Height 4.0 in
Weight 18.3 oz w/ Flush Mag, 18.6 0z w/ Extended Mag
Recoil System Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
Sights Tritium/Luminescent Front, Tactical Rack U-Notch Rear
MSRP $569
The Hellcat has great ergonomics. The Adaptive Grip Texture forms a stronger bond the tighter you grip. If you look closely at the grip, it uses a double layer of pyramid-shaped textures. The top layer is smooth, as the pyramids are cut flat at the top. This prevents the gun from snagging on clothing during the draw. The bottom layer pyramids are pointed, so when you grip, it locks into your hand, so it doesn’t move. The texture goes high up on the grip, which I like.
I find the sights on the Hellcat better than the Sig Sauer P365. Both guns have great sights, but I find the setup on the Hellcat better, as the U-Dot rear sight, and the yellow insert on the front sight, give the shooter faster pick up on the target.
The Hellcat has been vigorously tested and has proven its reliability. Springfield Armory put the Hellcat through a 10,000-round test, and it came out with flying colors! If that wasn’t enough, the same gun was put through another 10,000 rounds by a private company not affiliated with Springfield Armor. Altogether, the Hellcat ate up 20,000 rounds without an issue related to the shooter or ammo!
If you’re looking for a new CCW gun, take a look at the Hellcat. You won’t be disappointed!
That’s all for now folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article Ideas. And as always – “Let’s be careful out there!”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms, First Aid, Active Shooter Response, and Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations in Florida. His writing has appeared in The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected].
Photo courtesy of springfield-armory.com.