Springfield Armory Hellcat PRO Comp OSP

By: Chris Mudgett

The “Just Right” Pistol

For serious concealed carry practitioners seeking their Just Right CCW, it’s been an interesting journey over the last decade or so. When I say serious, I mean those unwilling to compromise capacity and shootability for comfort and concealment.

In the recent past, I accepted the reality that I needed to have a pair of CCW pistol options: one that I shot the best and was most capable with and the other, a “lazy carry pistol” that would disappear regardless of the holster I carried it in. I chose to carry my most capable pistol, equipped with a red dot sight and a small white light, along with very scalable magazine options, whenever I was out with my family. I felt that I could never compromise my carry choice when I was with them.

My lazy carry pistol was a micro-compact with a flush-fitting magazine, and this pistol conveniently slid into my waistband when I ran out to grab a gallon of milk. Regardless of how many rounds I shot through this pistol and the number of pistol classes I took with it, it was always a compromise in performance when measured against my primary carry pistol.

I knew the day was coming when a manufacturer would create the ultimate CCW that truly bridged the gap between shootability, capability, capacity, and concealability — one that allowed me to carry and train with a single pistol. Much to my surprise, that pistol came from Springfield Armory in the form of the Hellcat PRO Comp OSP — Springfield’s compensator-equipped model. The Hellcat PRO model was brought to market several years after Springfield released its Hellcat micro-compact pistol, which goes head-to-head with SIG Sauer’s popular P365 and others. The Hellcat PRO competes directly with SIG’s P365 XL model, my lazy carry pistol of choice.

Comps on concealed carry pistols are interesting enhancements. When done right, they are extraordinarily effective enablers. When done wrong, they are nothing more than a placebo and can sometimes be detrimental to reliability. How do you know when they’re done right? When they actually work at reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise and allow tracking of your pistol’s red dot during recoil.

The compensator on the Hellcat PRO Comp is done right and provides an observable increase in performance compared to a non-comped model. Why does this one work so well? Perhaps it is due to its shape and how it directs the gases upwards. Both the pistol’s barrel and slide are ported (as opposed to a ported slide and a barrel that stops short of the end of the slide), which may account for some of its effectiveness.

Moving on to the rest of the pistol, the frame shape and contour of the Hellcat fit hands from medium to double extra-large well. Near-perfect traction from Springfield’s Adaptive Grip Texture gives the frame Velcro-like adhesion to your hand without being abrasive. The trigger guard is contoured and undercut for a naturally high yet comfortable firing grip, while a high backstrap shields the web of your hand from a reciprocating slide.

A nice ledge is formed around the takedown lever where the frame meets the slide to accommodate an aggressive thumbs-forward support-hand grip that allows you to effectively press downward on the pistol’s frame to help mitigate muzzle rise. The trigger is well-engineered and provides a nice mid-weight pull with a defined break at 90 degrees.

If an optic is on the menu, the pre-cut pocket accommodates red dot sights sharing the Shield RMSc footprint. Optics mount sufficiently deep that the low-profile iron sights will co-witness through the optic lens, maintaining a slick, no-snag carry gun appearance and functionality. Our test pistol came equipped with a Shield RMSc red dot sight.

This pistol loved 115-grain Winchester Whitebox FMJs, printing a 2.57-inch five-shot group at 25 yards, and had the least amount of felt recoil compared to other loads tested. Winchester 147-grain Defend JHP loads printed a 2.7-inch best group, but recoil was measurably harsher.

The combination of an ideal length grip with excellent texture, awesome ergonomics, and an effective comp contribute to a level of shootability and recoil impulse that’s nearly on par with full-size duty pistols. With a flush-fitting magazine with 15 rounds on tap (an extended 17-round magazine is also included), red-dot-sight capability, and equipped with a Picatinny light-rail to accommodate a micro illuminator such as Streamlight’s superb TLR-7 Sub, you have a slim-line carry pistol that punches way above its weight class. See it at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Springfield Armory; Tel.: (800) 680-6866; E-mail: [email protected]; Web: www.springfield-armory.com

Specifications

Caliber:                       9mm

Action:                        Striker-fired

Barrel Length:             3.7 in.

Overall Length:           6.6 in.

Width:                       1 in.

Height:                      4.8 in.

Weight:                     21 oz

Finish:                      Black Melonite

Sights:                     Tritium Luminescent Front; U-Dot Rear

Capacity:                  15+1 & 17+1

MSRP:                      $699