How’d the pistol perform? The short answer is far better than I can. Springfield Hellcat 9mm PerformanceĮnough of the details. Ease the slide forward and pull the trigger to remove the slide assembly. At the front of the frame is a dustcover rail with standard-size slots for accessories.ĭisassembly for cleaning is accomplished by removing the magazine, ensuring the gun is empty, locking back the slide and lifting the takedown lever upward. It’s consistent and clean, allowing speed and precision when required. We did have one OSP model that had a considerably lighter trigger pull, coming in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The trigger features a safety blade, and the pull weight averaged seven pounds for our early samples. The Springfield Hellcat OSP ships from the factory with the ability to accept a Shield RMSc red dot sight (sight not included), and the iron sights co-witness with the red dot.īesides the lack of a grip safety - a departure from Springfield’s previous striker-fired pistols like the XD series - controls on the Hellcat are standard fare. The RMSc is currently the only red dot narrow enough, hence it was Springfield’s logical choice for the slide adapter footprint. Sights like the Trijicon RMR, Docter Optic, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and even Shield’s own RMS are too big to fit on the slide the size of the Hellcat’s. You might be wondering why Springfield chose this particular sight. ( I know because I forked over $125 to $150 to have slides on my pistols milled to accept a red dot.) While the OSP model doesn’t ship with the $400 Shield RMSc, it offers a much simpler, cheaper way to add one at a later date. This is not the place to save the $30 upcharge over the standard model. I think anyone considering a Springfield Hellcat would be a fool to pass on the OSP version. A port on the barrel hood serves as a loaded-chamber indicator. The tritium/luminescent-ring front sight is set in a dovetail, and the front of the slide has cocking serrations. Worried about a dead battery or, God forbid, sight failure? The iron sights on the OSP version of the Hellcat co-witness with the red dot, so you can simply use the irons if something goes wrong. Why? Because they are superior to iron sights, enhancing both precision and speed by allowing the shooter to place the red dot on target instead of focusing on the front sight. Grip angle of the Springfield Hellcat allows for instinctive sight alignment with the U-notch rear and front sight, which has a tritium vial and luminescent ring - as well as the Shield RMSc red dot that can be mounted on the OSP version.Īs good as the Hellcat’s iron sights are, red-dot sighted pistols are quickly gaining ground for defensive uses. The back of the frame has a generous beavertail. The Springfield Hellcat has a trigger lever safety, but unlike the striker-fired XDs, there is no grip safety. This results in minimal muzzle rise during recoil. A generous beavertail extends beyond the rear of the slide and enables a high grip that locks the pistol in the web of the hand. It’s the best balance of texturing I’ve felt on a pistol. The harder you squeeze, the more it sticks in the hand. The Hellcat’s frame texture is soft on the surface and aggressive beneath that. This creates a unique surface that is smooth to the touch yet firm when gripped.”Īnd that’s exactly what I found. “The taller pyramids have a flattened top to ensure comfort in the waistband and reduced wear on clothing while the shorter pyramids come to a point and are engaged when the pistol is firmly gripped. With the flush-fit mag, the pinky finger rests at the bottom of the magazine well. With the extended magazine, a full grip can be achieved. The frame of the Springfield Hellcat is textured polymer and just large enough to offer a solid purchase. No matter the capacity, a pistol is useless if it doesn’t fit the shooter. For the Hellcat 9mm subcompact, Springfield’s design team created a patented magazine that can hold 11 rounds in the flush-fit mag and 13 rounds into the extended version. As such, it fits the diminutive magazine well without wasting a cubic millimeter of space. Springfield achieved the larger round count by developing a patented stack-and-a-half magazine that tapers near the top to become a single stack. In my hand, the Hellcat feels a tad larger than the P365, but with that size increase you’re getting more capacity. Small and well balanced, with its three-inch barrel, the Springfield Hellcat standard weighs 18.3 ounces with an empty flush mag - half an ounce heavier than the P365.
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