I had the pleasure of taking a singleHellcat to 20K in an extremely demanding torture/survival test.
Plain and simple, the Hellcat family of pistols simply run, and can handle a lot of abuse.
In smaller guns with tighter geometry, this can be even more important to confirm.
TheHellcat Pro has proven to be an ultra-reliable performer. But can it defeat a demanding mixed ammo torture test?
It is sometimes helpful to make an analogy between guns and cars.
Put the most expensive premium unleaded in your diesel truck, and youre going to have a problem.
The same can be true with your defensive handgun.
The ammo for the test was provided by True Shot Gun Club, and represented an extremely broad mix of loadings.
Its important to confirm that your gun and the premium defensive ammo of your choice are compatible.
Next, I reached out to True Shot Gun Club, a great source for ammunition.
Fortunately, both were on board.
The Hellcat Pro is an outstanding CCW gun, combining full-size performance with compact dimensions.
The Test
The compatibility test in concept was simple.
Here is how we did it.
Projectiles weights ranged from 65 grain to 165 grain and everything in between.
The author split the 2,500 rounds into an evenly split mixed batch of 1,250 rounds, one batch for each gun.
Advertised velocities ranged from 800 feet per second (fps) all the way up to 1,800 fps.
Cases were of brass, nickel-plated brass, aluminum, steel, and even some two-part stainless cases.
Next, I took all that ammo and divided it in half.
While the gun proved to be up to the test, the author found the rigors of the mixed ammo testing to be quite a challenge.
Splitting it resulted in two equal 1,250-round groups.
Each half was made up of the same number of every specific round I had on hand.
I also shook the can with vigor to ensure the rounds were evenly spread out in the batch.
Finally, I shot.
I simply loaded up 18 of the 15-round magazines I had on hand and ran them.
Ill be honest, the shooting wasnt easy (more on that in a bit).
When it came to the guns themselves, all I did was shoot them.
No fancy cooling protocol, no cleaning, no lubrication.
I plain shot them.
In fact, one of the two Hellcat Pros is my personal carry gun.
Ammo Used in the Hellcat Pro Testing
Bullet weight measured in grains.
How They Performed
The Hellcat Pros didnt surprise me at all with their performance.
Plain and simple, they ate everything I threw at them.
These guns performed flawlessly under conditions that I, as a shooter, struggled with myself.
The Hellcat Pro never missed a beat.
It didnt matter what round the gun had just fired and what round it was loading next.
Both of the pistols just ran.
But for the guy pulling the trigger, it did matter.
Every time I pressed the trigger, I had a surprise waiting for me.
Sometimes the recoil was almost nothing and the gun stayed flat.
Other times, the recoil was significant, and the Hellcat Pro danced in my hands.
The report was different.
The muzzle flash varied.
I lost the dot.
I jerked the trigger.
I missed timing the recoil.
I dont want to sound like Im complaining.
Im incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to shoot 2,500 rounds like this to test out a pistol.
To the gun, the ammo simply didnt matter.
But that does not mean you should take my word for it.
When you select your defensive round, go test it in your gun.
Even if you saw yours in my list here.
Your Pick
Not all ammunition is created equally.
When it comes to defensive ammunition, this is just as true, and its vitally important.
Youre trusting your life to the compatibility of your ammunition, your gun and you!
Start out with a known quantity.
Select defensive ammunition with a track record of performance in both the FBI protocol testing and on the street.
It should run 100%.
But there is also more to it than simply reliability.
Is the ammo you picked compatible with you?
Can you manage the recoil?
Can you make rapid follow-up shots?
Is the muzzle flash reasonable?
If you are forced to shoot in low-light conditions, you want as little muzzle flash as possible.
If the answer to these questions is yes!, then carry on.
If not, head back to the drawing board and make another selection.
Conclusion
I really am lucky to get to run tests like this.
As difficult as the shooting was, there were lessons to be learned.
Go to forum thread
