No one thought 11 rounds could fit inside a pistol so small.
That gun was the SIG P365, and it rocked the shooting world.
Here was a gun that carried like a .380 but shot almost as well a full-size 9mm.
For the past few years, Springfield Armory has been hard at work to do just that.
Its newest pistol, theHellcat subcompact 9mm, is striker-fired, ergonomic and accurate.
The extended mag ups the Hellcats capacity to 13+1.
As such, it fits the diminutive magazine well without wasting a cubic millimeter of space.
No matter the capacity, a pistol is useless if it doesnt fit the shooter.
The frame of the Springfield Hellcat is textured polymer and just large enough to offer a solid purchase.
With the extended magazine, a full grip can be achieved.
With the flush-fit mag, the pinky finger rests at the bottom of the magazine well.
To achieve traction, Springfield stippled the Hellcat frame in a unique way.
Called Adaptive Grip texture, it is a surprisingly intricate process.
The seamless,pressure-activated grip texturefeatures a pattern of staggered pyramid shapes.
This creates a unique surface that is smooth to the touch yet firm when gripped.
And thats exactly what I found.
The Hellcats frame texture is soft on the surface and aggressive beneath that.
The harder you squeeze, the more it sticks in the hand.
Its the best balance of texturing Ive felt on a pistol.
This results in minimal muzzle rise during recoil.
As good as the Hellcats iron sights are, red-dot sighted pistols are quickly gaining ground for defensive uses.
Worried about a dead battery or, God forbid, sight failure?
I think anyone considering a Springfield Hellcat would be a fool to pass on the OSP version.
This is not the place to save the $30 upcharge over the standard model.
You might be wondering why Springfield chose this particular sight.
Thats easy: size.
The trigger features a safety blade, and the pull weight averaged seven pounds for our early samples.
Its consistent and clean, allowing speed and precision when required.
Reset is short and sweet.
At the front of the frame is a dustcover rail with standard-size slots for accessories.
Ease the slide forward and pull the trigger to remove the slide assembly.
Springfield Hellcat 9mm Performance
Enough of the details.
Howd the pistol perform?
The short answer is far better than I can.
But Ill never know, because I was unable to duplicate it.
One shooter-induced stoppage in 500 rounds is pretty impressive.
Whenever the target had a flyer, I knew the culprit was behind the trigger.
Even so, from 15 yards, the Hellcat shot great.
Best accuracy was achieved with Federals 124-grain Syntech Training Match load.
Four groups averaged one inch.
Keep in mind this is a subcompact pistol.
As a carry gun, however, the Hellcat blew me away.
Pull the trigger fast and it’s possible for you to spit lead into a cantaloupe-size cluster.
Shift into precision mode slow down, breathe, squeeze and T-zone head shots would be no problem.
After expending about 500 rounds, I have one complaint.
After firing large quantities of ammo, my finger got sore from contacting the trigger blade.
Recoil is soft, yet the terminal ballistics of this bullet are superb.
At less than $600 suggested retail, Springfields biggest issue will be making enough of them.
Will the Springfield Armory Hellcat replace my beloved P365?
Hell, it just might.
see to it you read Mike Humphriesfull review of the Hellcat.
Go to forum thread
