I have a black model and another in flat dark earth.
But the one thing Ive been missing is a two-tone model with a stainless slide.
Or at least I was.
Springfield Armory’s latest addition to the Hellcat line features a stainless steel slide in both optics-cut OSP and standard models.
These new Hellcat and Hellcat OSP pistols from Sports South make a great option for CCW and self-defense.
If youre not familiar with the company, let me catch you up.
Sports South is a firearms distributor that works with dealers all over the country.
The author’s stainless Hellcat was the OSP model, to which he added aShield SMSc red dot sight.
Lets talk about the new pistol.
Stainless Hellcat
Functionally, the new two-tone Hellcat is like the existing versions in other finishes.
And, wow, that stainless-over-black look is incredible.
Striking good looks match the incredible performance of the Springfield Armory Hellcat. The pistols are available now.
Ive always liked the look on Springfield pistols.
Fundamentally, the stainless Hellcat is a micro-compact 9mm pistol.
you’re able to also purchaseSpringfield Armory 15-round magazines for these Hellcat pistols.
Adding a red dot optic to your Hellcat OSP is easy. First, remove the protective plate using a T10 driver.
On the Hellcat, Springfield uses U-Dot sights.
In my opinion, these are the best factory defensive handgun sights in the industry.
Up front is a post with both a tritium insert and a photoluminescent ring.
Red dot sights with a Springfield Micro footprint direct mount to the Hellcat slide. Two screws and a pair of rubber washers are all it takes to secure the Shield SMSc to the gun.
The tritium glows in the dark, while the ring is very visible in bright lighting conditions.
As a bonus, the ring absorbs ambient light, which it emits in low-light parameters.
The result is a front sight that is bright and easily seen in all kinds of environments.
Direct mounting an optic can allow for the co-witness of the sights with the red dot on the Hellcat OSP stainless.
The rear sight is a U-Notch sight.
It uses a generous U-shaped notch that makes finding the front sight fast in stressful conditions.
I recommend readingmore about the Hellcat sights here.
The stainless steel versions of the Hellcat and Hellcat OSP pistols feature the Hellcat’s excellent trigger.
The stainless Hellcat pistols use a 3 hammer forged barrel.
Springfield would never call the Hellcat a match gun, and I wont do that either.
Nevertheless, I get great accuracy and precision when shooting mine.
The Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP Stainless proved completely reliable with a variety of 9mm ammo, including high-pressure defensive loads.
I suspect I get great performance due, in part, to the high-quality barrels.
Since the Hellcat is a defensive pistol, you may wish to add a light to it.
Anticipating that need, Springfield Armory designed the handgun with a non-proprietary accessory rail.
Springfield Armory’s Adaptive Grip Texture helped the author hold onto the gun with sweaty hands on a hot Florida afternoon.
This allows you to add a variety of lights such as theSurefire XSCwithout worrying about will it fit?
While the weather was stifling, shooting the gun was a cool breeze.
With inexpensive FMJ to premium hollowpoints, the gun functioned perfectly from trigger press to ejection.
The Shield SMSc and U-Dot sights worked in perfect tandem to provide a fast and accurate sight picture.
Ive been able to get 400-ish rounds through the gun so far.
I look forward to putting a lot more through it in the coming weeks.
As with my FDE version of the Hellcat, this model is an easy shooter relative to its size.
Yes, 9mm in a micro package like the Hellcat can be a touch stout when shooting self-defense ammo.
Nevertheless, the recoil is manageable and not what I would describe as abusive.
With the aggressive texture on the frame, the stainless Hellcat stays firmly in my hand during recoil.
CalledAdaptive Grip Texture, this is the same surface treatment that is on the other Hellcat models.
Final Thoughts
The new stainless slide Hellcat is a welcome addition to the Springfield Armory line.
The guns are not functionally different from the existing Hellcat micro-compacts but thats a good thing.
Existing Hellcat pistols are tough as nails and extremely reliable in my experience.
For me, thats what I want in a defensive firearm: utter reliability.
What we have, then, is another great option from Springfield for concealed carry.
