For the past year or so, it seems everyone I know (who’s a gun person) is carrying a Hellcat. I had no doubt it was a great gun. Just about everything from Springfield Armory has “I want it” written all over it. Its quality is never an issue and its ability to create guns with mass appeal is almost beyond rival, but I can’t buy them all.
I was so busy when the Hellcat came out, I missed the opportunity to review it for any of the magazines or blogs I write for. Then came the Hellcat Pro, and I decided not to miss this one, even if it meant paying full price and being late to the game reviewing it. However, the editor was gracious and knowledgeable enough about Springfield’s contribution to the carry-gun community to offer me a chance. I want to give you this gun guy’s perspective on one of America’s favorite carry guns.
Spoiler alert! Like so many of you, I have joined the ranks of those who carry the Hellcat Pro. I’ll go so far as say that I’ve got an inkling that the Hellcat Pro may replace the Glock 19 as the number one choice as an everyday carry gun.
A New Breed of Features
After the era of the single-stack-nines, the manufacturers began creating something small but with more capacity. With the Hellcat Pro, we have a nicely sized carry gun with 15+1 capacity, optics ready, and an accessory rail. It’s only slightly bigger than the plethora of micro-nines being offered but not by much. However, it has the rail and a red dot, lots of folks will want.
At 21 ounces, with a footprint of 6.6 inches in length, 4.8 inches in height, and 1-inch width, we have a gun that is smaller than most of the mid-size carry guns without sacrificing the features shooters demand. The hammer-forged barrel is 3.7 inches long.
The frame has an adaptive grip texture that feels secure without hurting your hands. The finish on that grip is very interesting because it wraps around the grip and makes the front and back strap feel as though they were checkered. I like checkered front and back straps, so that grip finish puts a mark in the approval column for me.
Springfield calls it Adaptive Grip Texture. It’s made up of staggered pyramid shapes that are flattened on top, interspersed with shorter ones that are pointed on top. It’s hard to capture that texture on camera because the shapes are so small, but the way it feels is somewhat unique, almost like sandpaper but different.
There is a thumb rest high on the grip that guides your hand into the proper position. The beavertail is extended which aids in reducing felt recoil. The slide has a Melonite finish. Front and rear serrations to aid the shooter when racking the slide.
The sights are somewhat different. The front sight is a large luminescent tritium dot, and the rear sight is a tactical U-shaped notch. I found the sights easy to pick up and center. The trigger guard is undercut to give the shooter a high grip. The trigger has a flat front surface with a blade safety. The Hellcat Pro’s trigger pull averaged 7 pounds. There was about .5-inch take-up and a very smooth break.
Range Time!
I’ve shot this gun a lot since getting it. I enjoy sharing it with others. Everyone seems to have heard of it, and when any of my friends mention it, I’m quick to give them an opportunity to see what it’s like. I dissed the gun once, and I even wrote about that here. I had a bad shooting day and blamed it on the gun. That was premature.
The Hellcat Pro does present a somewhat unique shooting experience because of its size, grip, and sights. At first, I didn’t give it a fair chance. However, having read reviews from some of my favorite and trusted reviewers, it occurred to me that the problem was me and not the gun. I persisted and was rewarded with some great shooting. The more I shoot the Hellcat Pro, the better I was with it and the more I liked it.
The Hellcat Pro, like every Springfield I’ve ever shot, is very accurate. Those folks in Croatia certainly know how to make their barrels. If you clamp the gun in a rest, it’s an easy tack driver out to 15 yards and beyond. Any shooter with basic skills can do well with it. As I mentioned above, the frame is designed to be held in a manner that delivers accurate shots.
The Hellcat Pro comes out of the box ready for iron sight and an optic. The optic Springfield recommends is a HEX Wasp Micro Red Dot that sells for around $300. It’s a feature-rich 3.5 MOA sight with auto-on, long battery life, and a low profile that co-witnesses with the installed sights.
I have several pistols with red dot sights, and I’m okay with them. However, I currently prefer to operate my carry pistol with standard sights — especially with a gun that has such easy-to-use sights as the Hellcat Pro. Users shooting the Hellcat Pro with the HEX Wasp give it glowing reports.
Concealed Carry
Recently, at an event, I was introduced to a gentleman who was reputed to be a knowledgeable gun person who I might find interesting. As naturally occurs among such people, the conversation soon centered around the subject of “What are you carrying?” It turned out we were both carrying a Hellcat Pro.
I asked what he’d carried before, and he said, “A S&W Shield, but I liked the idea of more ammo. The Hellcat also fits my Shield’s holster.” My previous carry gun was a Mossberg M2C2 which is only slightly larger than the Hellcat Pro, but again the same carry setup works. For the last several years, I’ve used a Bianchi 101 Foldaway holster, which is universal in that it’s a simple holster that will hold most any gun to your waistline.
If you are one of the many who have carried a Hellcat, I think you’ll find the Hellcat Pro with its added real estate and optics-ready frame a sensible upgrade. If you’ve not yet made the move to one of the smaller class of pistols (collectively known as the micro-nines), you should take a close look at the Hellcat Pro.
The Hellcat Pro is approximately 85% the size of a Glock 19, which makes it surprisingly easier to conceal. It has the same capacity as the Glock 19. All in all, it’s a great carry gun that’s easier to shoot and manage recoil than some of the smaller guns. Yet, it is easily concealable. And, if you don’t care about concealment, it makes a great holster gun for duty use or general all-around pistol packing delight.
What’s your review of the Hellcat Pro? Does it stand up to or surpass the Glock 19? Share your answers in the comment section.