Today we’re taking a look at the Springfield Armory Hellcat’s big brother…the Hellcat Pro.
Springfield Armory released the Hellcat Pro on March 4, 2022. I knew “something” was coming from Springfield and picked it up a few days before the launch. It came in a nice promo box that had the Hellcat Pro and an appendix carry holster from Blackpoint Tactical.
When they told me they had something special they were launching, I had a feeling it was going to be a bigger Hellcat. It just seemed like the most logical next step for the Hellcat line. And I wasn’t disappointed.
I carried the original Hellcat for a long time. I even did a 10,000-round torture test with +P ammo with Brandon from Concealed Nation. In my opinion, it is a reliable gun, so I expected the same from the Hellcat Pro.
I brought the Hellcat Pro with me to the range a few times since but haven’t had the chance to put tons of rounds through it to do a real review until now.
SPECS
I’d like to thank GunMagWarehouse for sending me ammo for this review. I put roughly 750 rounds through the Hellcat Pro. Most of it was Winchester White Box 124 grain full metal jacket. I also put 100 rounds of Federal Personal Defense 124 grain pinch jacketed hollow point. That’s what GunMagWarehouse sent me, but I also put about 250 rounds of other ammo that I had on hand just to get some different rounds through it.
I didn’t have a single malfunction in the 750 rounds. I think once the slide didn’t lock back on an empty mag, and that was caused by me riding the slide stop. So that’s not the fault of the gun. Usually, I’m shooting 115 grain 9mm ammo, so I was curious how the 124 grain would feel, but I didn’t feel that much of a difference. It might be a little bit snappier but what I like about the Hellcat Pro is that it is a bigger gun. So, no offense to the original Hellcat, but it was much more fun to shoot.
My main carry pistol is a Glock 48, which is very similar in size to the Hellcat Pro, so shooting this felt pretty natural. The micro-9s can be a bit snappy. But having a longer grip and barrel, I felt like I was able to control the recoil better.
Comparing it to the original Hellcat, all I can really say is that it’s just a bigger version of it. And that’s not a bad thing. Grip texture, grip angle, slide stop, mag release… it’s all the same.
I also did a bunch of other comparisons to the Hellcat Pro, which you can see here.
If I had to pick between the two, I’d pick the Hellcat Pro. As I said, I’ve switched to carrying a bigger gun than the micro-9 size guns just because I’m able to conceal it just as well, or better, thanks to PHLster Holsters. They aren’t paying me to say that. I just love their holsters and what they are doing over there, so definitely check them out.
I’m actually carrying the original Hellcat with an extended mag that gives me 14 rounds because I sent my Glock 48 off to Stippgrips. Check him out on Instagram. He does great work. I planned on carrying the Hellcat Pro while he was working on it, but it didn’t conceal as well as I wanted, and that’s partly because of the holster and partly because I’m being lazy.
This Blackpoint Tactical holster has the wing built into the holster versus my PHLster Pro holster. The wing is further out, and I feel like that helps me get the rotation I need to conceal the larger grip. Now, I could have spent time making a wedge and dialing it in, but as I said, I’m lazy. So I just grabbed the original Hellcat with the extended mag and tossed it in the holster I used to carry it in, which is a holster from a local maker, Silk Custom Kydex. You can see in the video that it also has a wing that is further out and bigger. So I tossed the Hellcat with the extended mag in it, and it conceals great. So that’s what I’m going with until I get my Glock 48 back.
Ok, sorry, that was a bit long-winded, but I guess the point I’m trying to make is that the Hellcat Pro is definitely a concealable gun. You just need to get the right holster and make sure you dial it in for your body shape and where you carry it. But that’s the same with any gun you plan on carrying concealed.
I usually say whether I would carry the gun I’m reviewing or not, and I’d definitely carry the Hellcat Pro if that was going to be my daily carry gun. I’d either try to dial in the holster I have or get something like a JM Custom Kydex Holster. I just checked, and they make a holster for the Hellcat Pro that looks like it would do the job without many adjustments. I’d probably just add a wedge, and it would be good to go.
So if you are looking for something a little bigger than a micro 9, I’d definitely take a look at the Hellcat Pro. Go to a range where you can try one out. I think you’ll be pretty pleased.
