Review of the Springfield Armory Hellcat
The Hellcat is Springfield Armory’s newest micro 9 handgun, and with it they lay claim to having the world’s highest capacity 9 millimeter micro compact. It holds 11 bullets, plus one in the chamber! Sig Saur was first to shatter the 6+1 ceiling in the micro compact world with their P365 by providing a 10-round magazine plus one in the chamber. Now Springfield has one-upped them with the Hellcat.
I’m a petite shooter and prefer to carry micro compact handguns; so I’ve enjoyed watching gun makers compete to advance the magazine capacity in this firearm category. Thanks to their innovation, the choice between concealability and magazine capacity isn’t nearly as vexing as it used to be.
Many thanks to Springfield Armory for lending me a Hellcat for evaluation. I’ve been anxious to see for myself what it’s like to carry and fire this handgun. After putting it through its paces I can assure you there is more to this gun than an extra bullet in the magazine.
FEATURES/SPECS
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 11 rounds, also comes with 13 round extended magazine.
Action Type: Semi-Auto/ Striker fired
Sights: Tritium U-dot
Length: 6”
Height: 4” w/flush mag, 4.5” w/extended
Grip Width: 1 in
Weight 18.3 oz w/ Flush Mag, 18.6 oz w/ Extended Mag
Price: Suggested retail is $569.00/ $599.00 for the OSP or “optics ready” Hellcat. But I’ve seen them priced by some dealers as low as $520.00.
Shooting Experience
When I picked up a Hellcat for the first time at SHOT Show, one of the first things I noticed was the U-shaped rear sight. It wasn’t what I was used to and my first impression wasn’t positive. However, after firing my first few shots I quickly changed my opinion. Although different than I’m accustomed to, I quickly adapted to the U shape of the rear sight which, combined with the luminescent front sight, made it easy to lock onto a good sight picture quickly.
This is probably personal preference, but I’ve grown to appreciate triggers with a very distinct pressure wall (I talk more about that in this post) and I was very pleased to discover the Hellcat’s trigger pressure wall is very crisp and easy to find on repeat shots. The second trigger behavior I prefer is a very short pull between the pressure wall and discharge. This distance of pull on the Hellcat is a little longer than I would like but is still within a comfortable range and I would say they have one of the better triggers I’ve tried.
When evaluating a handgun, I like to fire several hundred shots before finalizing my conclusions. Even though these shots are spread over multiple trips to the range it still amounts to some long shooting sessions. While shooting the Hellcat I was surprised to find my dominant hand started to tire and hurt during my second magazine. Of course, tolerance for recoil is a very personal thing; but I found the felt recoil (how it felt to me) and accompanying muzzle rise of the Hellcat to be higher than I’m accustomed to in other micro 9’s. I don’t mean to say it isn’t manageable, but I found it to be noticeably greater. In my case, it affected my ability to get back on target for a quick follow-up shot, slowing strings of multiple shots. Even so, I could achieve my normal level of accuracy at 10, 20, and even 40 feet.
The grip feels comfortable in my small hands. I love the placement of the stippling all around the grip, on the upper part of the frame, and on the finger pad near the front of the barrel. However, I would prefer the stippling be a little more aggressive.
An important point for me is that I’m able to press the magazine release button without breaking my grip. I can do easily with the Hellcat. Since the slide release is too stiff for me to press with the thumb of my dominant hand, my only option is to release the slide by pulling it back and letting it go (when changing a magazine).
I normally don’t have trouble pulling the slide of a firearm, but the Hellcat is one of the more difficult slides for me to pull. Not only does it have more tension, but I feel the slide serrations could be more pronounced to assist in getting a good grip. My slide test usually involves asking my mom to give it a try since she struggles with this operation on most guns. She didn’t do so well with the Hellcat.
Concealed Carry Experience
Holster: FDO Industries
Alexo Athletica Stealth Leggings
If you follow my blog or Instagram account, you know I like using “soft holsters” which allow me to carry with a larger variety of clothing styles (How to choose a holster for the outfit). The athletic leggings pictured above are a great example. However, to feel comfortable and safe using a soft holster, I like my carry guns to have a manual/external safety. Either that, or I refrain from putting a bullet in the chamber when using a soft holster (You can find more on that here: Is Your Firearm Ready When You Need It?).
The Hellcat does have internal safeties to keep the gun from firing if it is dropped; but the internal safety won’t prevent something from accidentally pulling the trigger through a soft holster. Because the Hellcat doesn’t come with an external safety, I prefer using a hard, kydex holster. This does limit my clothing options, but by switching my styling perspective to dress around the holster, I was able to pair some cute outfits.
The amount of ammunition you choose to carry is a personal choice; but since the Hellcat holds 11+1, I’m not as concerned about carrying a second magazine. By comparison, when carrying 6+1 in the Glock 43, I feel like I need an extra magazine, for a total of 13 bullets. This is just one more than the Hellcat holds in one magazine.
As far as size, the Hellcat is similar in comparison to other compact 9mm guns.
Hellcat (Left) & SIG P365 (Right)
Hellcat (Left) & Glock 43 (Right)
Break Down the Gun
It took some strength to break down the Hellcat; but I still consider it an easy process. Click here to watch me take it apart.
Conclusion
I love how the sights make it quick and easy to get on target; and the trigger design helps you reach the pressure wall and prepare for your next shot quickly. The grip feels comfortable and the placement of the stippling helps keep your grip secure through multiple shots.
I think it would be an even better fit for me if it took less effort to manipulate the slide, was easier on my hands when shooting, and included an external safety.
Still this is a great gun. It’s size makes it easy to conceal and it holds that extra ammo that may make all the difference in a desperate situation.