Ever since the original Hellcat was released in 2019, I’ve been intrigued by it. One of my shooting buddies frequently brings his Hellcat to the range and I always find myself running several magazines through it. While I enjoy shooting it and shoot it well, having extra-large hands left me wishing for a longer grip. So, once the Hellcat Pro was announced, I knew it would be joining my collection.
Unboxing and First Thoughts
These days, it’s not uncommon for pistols to ship in a branded cardboard box from the manufacturer, so I wasn’t surprised the Hellcat Pro did. Springfield did, however, include a soft zippered case within the box which was a nice touch. In addition to the case, there were two 15-round magazines, a mag loader, and the typical literature and lock.
Out of the box, as soon as I picked up the Hellcat Pro, it felt great in hand. Springfield kept the same ergonomics and grip texture as the original Hellcat. The extra length of the grip allowed my pinky finger to rest comfortably, whereas before it did not. Even though it’s only 0.8 inches taller, it’s just enough to be a game-changer for me.
Hellcat Pro Features
As I mentioned, the taller grip features the same adaptive grip texture as the original Hellcat. The texture has tall pyramids with flat tops to avoid snagging on clothing, but shorter pyramids that come to a point to lock into my hands when pressed firmly. While the new grip had me very excited, it was far from the only feature I was looking forward to.
The Hellcat Pro’s accessory rail is long enough to accept some of my favorite larger weapon lights, such as the Inforce Wild1 and Streamlight TLR-7A. The ability to train with the same lights that I carry on other guns is a huge plus.
It’s also optics-ready, with the slide being milled for the Springfield Micro footprint. I wound up pairing the gun with a Hex Optics Wasp. No mounting plates were needed to adapt the footprint. The Wasp is a 3.5 MOA red dot, but for those of you who are not an optics fan, the stock U-dot tritium sights are more than adequate and offer quick target acquisition.
The two 15-round magazines that came with the Hellcat Pro sat flush, aiding in concealability. The magazines allow you to leave the house with 16 (15+1) rounds, without having to carry an extra magazine. Just a few years ago, that was something that wouldn’t have been possible with a gun this size.
There isn’t much that I would change, but I would have liked to see a 17-round extended magazine to go with the flush magazines. Not necessarily a con, simply something I would’ve appreciated.
Specifications
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 15+1rounds
Length: 6.6 inches
Grip width: 1 inch
Height: 4.8 inches
Sights: Tritium/Luminescent front, Tactical Rack U-Notch rear
Grip: Black polymer with Adaptive Grip Texture
Barrel length: 3.7 inches
Weight: 21 ounces
Range Time: Reliability and Accuracy
Over four range trips, I’ve put 240 nearly flawless rounds through the Hellcat Pro. Of those 240 rounds, 120 were 115-grain Winchester FMJ, 90 were 124-grain Federal American Eagle FMJ, and the last 30 were 124-grain Federal Punch defensive rounds. During my third range trip, I had one failure to eject while using the Winchester ammo but didn’t experience any other issues during testing. I’d consider that a success.
I found the trigger pull to be consistent and the reset to be nice and crisp. With the longer barrel and slide, flat-face trigger, and the ability to seat my fingers on the grip, I was able to see the type of accuracy I would expect out of a significantly larger pistol. Out to roughly 25 feet, I was able to place fist-size groups quickly and easily with the iron sights or HEX Wasp. When I shot outdoors, I was able to consistently hit a 6-inch steel gong at 25 yards. Once I pushed the gong out farther, my consistency decreased, but that was expected given my personal shooting capabilities.
Overall, I was pleased with both the accuracy and reliability of the Hellcat Pro. I enjoyed my time shooting it and see it accompanying me on many more outings.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have the original Hellcat or not, I believe the Hellcat Pro is worth checking out. It’s accurate and reliable, and its new 16-round capacity makes it great for concealed carry. By the time I was done testing the Hellcat Pro, I was more than confident to add it to my mix of concealed carry guns. Good things can come in small packages, and the Hellcat Pro is a great example of that.
Have you shot the Hellcat Pro or Hellcat? How did you like it? Share your review in the comment section.
The grouping on the left was the author’s first magazine through the Hellcat Pro, while the upper right was his last of several rounds of the first range trip. He found the stock U-Dot sights easy to get used to. Both groupings were at 20 feet, shooting at a medium pace. 
By the end of testing with the Hellcat Pro, the author felt confident enough to add it to his options of carry guns. He chose to go with a Rev-Con holster from Black Arch Holsters, which can be converted to use either inside or outside the waistband. Here you see it setup for inside the waistband carry. After the author dialed in the HEX Wasp red dot, he was able to quickly shoot fist-size groupings at 20-25 feet. The Hellcat Pro features a tritium front sight with a Tactical Rack U-Dot rear sight. The author found the sights to be intuitive and was able to acquire target easily. 
The HEX Wasp is a 3.5 MOA red dot that fits like a glove on the Hellcat Pro. It has an auto-dimming sensor which makes it easy to shoot in a wide array of lighting conditions, such as indoor or outdoor ranges. 
Springfield utilizes an adaptive grip texture that is pressure activated. It features tall pyramids with flat tops for carrying comfort and shorter pyramids that have a point to lock into your hand when firmly grasping the gun. Compared to the original Hellcat, the extra grip length on the Hellcat Pro is a welcomed change for the author who has extra-large hands. He can now easily rest his pinky finger on the grip. 
When unboxing the Hellcat Pro, you’ll find a zippered soft case in addition to the standard literature, lock, and magazines. The case fits nicely in a range bag and doesn’t take up unnecessary space.
Bio: Ryan Domke is a freelance writer, photographer, and social media consultant with a passion for guns and tactical gear. He works with some of the largest manufacturers in the firearms industry, allowing him the opportunity to continuously learn from and knowledge share with the 2A community.
When he’s not spending time with his family, you’ll likely find him at the range or starting a new DIY project. If you’d like to check out some of his other content, you can find him on Instagram at (@TheGuyGearReview).
Hellcat Pro does feel nice in the hand. After shooting ~150 rds aside the Sig P365 I felt it was more accurate. I did not care for, at all, the trigger. It’s very spongy compared to the 365 w/out a clear break. The 365 has some take-up too, but you know without question exactly where it’s going to break. P365 has a vastly superior trigger, IMO.
I was also surprised at how snappy the HCP is compared to the shorter barreled P365 (standard, not XL version).
Not a bad gun at all, but personally, overall I feel a trigger job would be necessary to make the HCP a gun I’d WANT to shoot more often.
Well I can tell you it’s a nice weapon trigger is nice and crisp nice for ccw. But when I tried it out at a local range I found trigger guard cut my finger ! And this is not by chance, I have other weapons that don’t cut me. I mean I don’t have baseball glove size hands but I’m not to fond of this. I do like the I believe the XDS.
I love my Hellcat Pro. I added a Crimson Trace red dot which allows for co-witnessing. Under the barrel I have a Surefire XSC light. My kydex holster was custom, made for this gun by On Your Six Designs. I tied a string to the red dust dust cover and anchored the string under the adjustment bolt head on the holster. When I draw the pistol the dust cover stays behind. A great package.
What I’d like to see in this review – actually ALL reviews – is a comment about how tolerant the pistol is to “limp wristing.” My Gen 1 Glock 17 is normally reliable, but don’t lock your wrist or hold it firmly and you can make it malfunction on demand. My Gen 3 Glock 26, on the other hand, seems immune to this. The solution of course is “USE PROPER GRIP” but . . . what if you’re hand/arm is injured, but you’re not totally incapacitated and are still in the fight? And then there are people (e.g., petite seniors) with limited strength. Limp wrist malfunction resistance SHOULD be “a thing” in every review.
I kept my he’ll cat as back up and added my xdm elite 10mm as my new carry gun with 15 shot magazine for better grip
The solution to shooting a small pistol well is practice. Not buying the ever larger guns that come out. The manufacturers are playing you. Watch the small guns grow as people try to buy accuracy.
I have an optic on my Hellcat and results on this morning range practice are good.
The key is practice. Accurate shooting is a volatile skill.
If you want a small gun, practice! Buy and shoot ammo.
Cheers
I purchased the Hellcat Pro and I was pretty impressed out of the box. The first trip to the range, I ran 50rds of Herters 115gr FMJ, 100rds of Blazer Brass115gr FMJ , 160rds of Winchester USA steel 115gr FMJ, 250rds of reloads, and 45rds of Federal HST Punch hp. Absolutely no issues. None. Very impressed, but I’m not ready to exchange it for my EDC SAR9 Compact. But I did get a Muddy River Tactical Kydex holster for the Hellcat, cause it will make it to my hip in the near future.
I have several hellcats in my collection to include the pro version. I actually enjoy the original versions over the pro. I found the hellcat to be very controllable and very little felt recoil which was surprising due to the smaller size. In contrast, the pro has the “snappyness” typical to the longer barreled 9mm’s. I was a little surprised with this as the barrel of the hellcat pro is only 1/2″ longer.
I’m holding off buying this latest variant of the Hellcat in the hope Springfield will soon come out with longer barrel and slide versions, preferably in 4″ and 5″ lengths. As more people continue purchasing handguns for home and personal defense, I expect there will be growing demand for barrel lengths up to 6″. While anything over 4″ may seem a bit big for most folks to conceal carry, it makes little sense to undergun yourself at home, in a vehicle, or in the field where concealment is not a concern.
I was looking at the Hellcat, and the P365 (standard), and having difficulty making a decision between the two. Fortunately, at my local range, a member benefit is free rental, with the only stipulations being range time, and having to specifically use ammo purchased there, fair enough. I was actually more accurate with the Hellcat than I was with the P365, although only slightly. Simply put, I liked everything about the Hellcat except the trigger when comparing to the P365, the Sig has hands down the better trigger. On the flip side, the P365 has simple options of changing out grips size, and color, due to the modular design. The big downside of the standard P365 is no optic options. Well, then the new P365-380 came out with an optic slide that sure would be nice on the standard P365-9mm. So, waiting to see if the P365 standard will also come out with that type slide, where the optic can be installed and still retain the rear sight, unlike the P365X, and XL versions. Yes, the Hellcat has the optic ready, and maintains the rear sight, but hard to beat the P365 Trigger. And now there is that Mako thing. Sometimes there are just too many choices to fit the budget, but always fun comparing. LOL
I purchased the Hellcat Pro because almost all the reviews I saw online were most positive.
I added 2 Talon grips to compensate for the very narrow grip.
Great gun!
I purchased the Hellcat Pro and it is a great gun. I added two Talon grips because the grip was a bit to narrow for me.
Really an excellent choice for cc.