Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP Review

The Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP. Let’s check it out. (Available Here)

 

Springfield Armory released their Hellcat in 2019.

Of course, it was a 11 plus one, which was over the SIG P365, which was the original micro nine millimeter with the double stack or stack and a half magazine. This gave you a lot of capacity with a very small package. And a nine millimeter with 11 or an extension of 13 rounds, that’s a lot to be carrying for such a small size.

But guys, .380 has really taken a big turn in popularity. And now they’re introducing the Hellcat in .380 ACP. This has also 11 round mag capacity and it has a 13 round mag capacity.

So it gives you a softer recoil impulse and yet it gives you a very capable self-defense round. But we’re also introducing the Shield OMS SC micro red dot with a little translucent top on it. And we’re going to be testing this out with the .380 ACP.

It’s very little recoil. And so this makes an excellent option for those who are a little more recoil sensitive, maybe have a little less hand strength, and it just gives even the most vulnerable a fighting chance. We want to give Springfield Armory a big thank you for sending the Hellcat in .380 ACP for this review.

Springfield Armory Hellcat three inch micro compact OSP .380 ACP. What a long name for a small tiny firearm. The Hellcat has been well received here in the U.S. Imported actually from Croatia, who does produce all of the XD type series and the Echelon and the Hellcat.

And these are excellent firearms. Now this is in .380 ACP. Of course, we have the nine millimeter that came out a few years ago.

And this has been just an excellent option in nine millimeter. Actually for the size, it has one of the best round capacities out there because it has an 11 round and then you have a 13 round mag extension, and for that matter, a 15 round. And we have a lot of other options.

The pro, which is larger, but yet still super thin. That’s one of the things about these. They’re very thin.

Now these are the exact same size. Now let’s go ahead and make sure that this gun is unloaded. We’re going to remove our 11 round magazine, check the chamber, and the gun’s empty.

But it also comes with a 13 round magazine as well. And it fits a little bit off of the grip and it gives you more confidence. It just fills your hand, especially if you have larger hands.

But one thing I found with the 11 rounder is with this little lip here, I still have a good size grip. Does come with a flush base plate if you want to go with ultimate concealability. So nice stainless steel magazines.

Springfield Armory does a great job with their magazines. The nine’s already been safety checked. Now on the surface, these look exactly the same.

They’re the same dimension. They’re both three inch barrels, one nine millimeter, 380. But look at the slide.

The 380 is definitely a thinner slide profile than your nine millimeter. And so this just gives you less mass coming back. So not only is the round not quite as powerful, it has less slide mass coming back.

And so that’s going to make even a bigger difference at the range. Now, before we get too far, I want to talk about the shield sight that actually came with it. And this is the OMS SC.

It has a translucent top to it, which is a little bit unusual. And so that just allows for more light to come into the top. And I think that that could be a little vulnerable just because it is kind of a plastic polymer type.

But overall, it does have the little base there. And it really covers your glass more than anything. So this is still one of those options that’s just moving ahead.

Now, those sites are absolutely excellent. It has that tritium bead with the green circle around it to make it really bright. And then we have a new notch in white.

And this co-witness is just very well with it. You can do a one third co-witness, but you can also do a direct co-witness. And guys, this is set up a direct mount for the shield RMSC or Holosan 407K footprint, which is very common for those micro red dots.

Sights are excellent. If you don’t go with the sight, you still have a cocking shelf here where you can cock the pistol on your belt or a table or on your boot. I like to have that.

Of course, there is the cover plate that’s inside. And it’s going to be just like the one here on the nine millimeter version. And it has serrations over the top.

And again, it is included. Now, this has a loaded chamber indicator, a three inch barrel. The barrel is cold hammer forged.

The slide is also cold hammer forged. So forged slide and barrel gives it a lot of strength. And it’s just going to add to reliability and to accuracy.

In fact, the nine millimeter version has been tested up to 20,000 rounds in one pistol. And those tests are still ongoing without any problems. We also have really nice serrations.

They’re not too obtrusive, but they’re definitely effective. And you have them on the front as well. Now, the slide has a melanite finish and that’s going to help with corrosion protection and scuffs.

It is a matte finish as well. So it just really has a nice look to it. But yet it’s very subdued.

And again, this is a forged slide and barrel. We have a slide stop here. And so it just kind of comes back to very minimal, which I like.

I typically will just rack the slide and drop the slide. And then you have your takedown lever here. It does have a Picatinny rail and then a rounded off trigger guard that has a pretty large trigger guard.

So you’re going to be able to get even gloved hands possibly in here than you will with a little bit smaller. Magazine release is right here and it is reversible to the other side. Now the adaptive grip texturing, this is really well done.

They’re small pyramids and there are recessed pyramids with tips. And then the pyramids that are a little bit larger are flattened out. So it’s very smooth to the touch.

I mean, you can feel the texture, but it’s not going to rub against your skin. But if you grip it, you grip into those pyramids and it really holds firm. Has a nice undercut here.

And that way you can get your hand up. The bore axis is not bad. I’ve seen some that were a little bit lower, but that’s not bad at all, especially for the XD would have a really high bore axis.

What that means is the lower you get from here down to here, think about firing it from here. It’s going to be very violent recoil. The more you get it up close, the more control you’re going to have over the firearm.

The mass of the slide is just going to go and it’s going to be a little more even with the web of your hand. And we had this nice beaver tail so you don’t have to worry about slide bite. So that makes it easy, especially guys with bigger hands.

We have a trigger that is flat face, but it has a little bit of a curve and it does have your blade safety. Now this is what they call their Gen 2 trigger. So this has been upgraded and this is your safety.

You’ve got to have a full pad on the trigger or it won’t fire. So getting that and depressing it and you bring it almost to about a 90 degree angle and then a nice little break. It’s not super crisp, but for a polymer frame, striker fire pistol, it’s not bad.

And then reset is right there. Reset comes out just a little bit, but it has a decent tactile and audible break to it. Check the trigger pull weight with our Lyman trigger gauge from Brownells.

Six pounds, 3.1 ounces. Six pounds, 2.4 ounces. A little heavier than your Glock, but not bad at the range.

It’s a nice break. It’s a predictable break. So not bad.

On the front, we have a small bump. I wouldn’t call this a finger groove, but it’s just a small rise. And that way, when your finger comes in, it just lines up.

And there’s even texturing here on the front of the magazine base. Right here at the top, we have our loaded chamber indicator. You’ll be able to see the brass.

I don’t have a dummy round in .380 or I would demonstrate it. And you can see how the barrel chamber has been just shaved off just to make it a little smaller. Front sight is dovetailed in.

So you can switch these out. I wouldn’t imagine why you would because these are some of the best sights out on the market, in my opinion. And a little closer look at the OMS SC.

You can see that translucent top. So it’s just going to, again, give you more light. But then the lens itself is held in with this metal bar that goes across.

And it is flush fit with the handgun. That’s a big deal. I really like to get it as low as possible.

The only thing I would say about the sight is you can’t change it unless you remove it. And so that is one thing I like to have those side battery trays. But these last for so long that it shouldn’t be a problem.

Now, there’s an obvious difference between 9mm and your .380. In fact, .380 is called 9mm Kurz, which means short in Europe. And we have about an 85 to 100 grain bullet. We have 9mm, we go from about 115 grain typically up to about 147 grain.

With a 9mm, you’re just getting more recoil. But it has a lot more power. But with your .380 ACP, you’re just getting softer recoil.

But the size of the firearm also matters with 9mm. You can typically go a lot smaller with your .380 caliber. Your range on your 9mm is longer.

It can go through barriers more effectively. And it’s just more available. But there is a lot of .380 out on the market.

Again, the softer recoil makes the biggest difference. Now, there are a number of different self-defense loads out on the market. But Masada-Yube recommends this type conical bullet with the grooves in it.

And while the jacketed hollow points will open and they won’t really allow for heavy penetration, this does. And with these grooves, it allows for a bigger wound cavity. So this is the round that I typically carry.

Now, this is the Norma NXD. But there’s a number of different companies that make this style. And it can be very effective.

Well, guys, a big thank you to Fiocchi for sponsoring our ammo. All made in the USA. One of the largest suppliers of ammunition in the country.

And also, we appreciate Lula Loaders for the Maglulas. Just keeps range day much easier. The Hellcat .380 ACP.

Had a lot of experience with the 9mm Bigger Brother, the Pro, the RDP. Excellent handguns. With the .380, we’re getting a lot less recoil.

Same form factor. But man, this thing is hugely different in recoil. So for those with lighter hand strength, this is going to be a lesser experience.

It’s going to be a great option. Now, with this, of course, slide release works well. But I wanted to show how these magazines go in.

I mean, they just click in. Sometimes with the small ones, especially, you have to really hit them. Especially if they’re full.

So this really just gives you an extra bonus. Like the sight. It’s actually, I didn’t know.

I was a little dubious. But it really shows up extremely well. And it co-witnesses with that U-notch in that tritium sight at the front.

And then, it’s just very small. Easy to conceal. Rack the slide.

I like the serrations. They’re very easy to manage. So overall, I mean, this has just been a pleasure down here at the range.

It’s no recoil. Trigger is fine. It’s a little heavy.

Not much. But it’s smooth. So I like that.

The texturing. Adaptive grip texturing. It’s really easy to hold on to.

It’s just a pleasure to shoot. If you’re recoil sensitive or you have a significant other that is, this is going to be an excellent choice. It’s not too small.

You feel like you’ve got a good grip on it. And yet, it’s very compact. And that red dot sight option really makes this a great self-defense option.

Overall, we’ve not had any malfunctions. I mean, it just runs. And sometimes with 380, it’s a little bit less power than your 9. But really, typically with modern 380, we’re not having any issues.

With a 13 rounder, you’ve got more grip length. Just gives you a little bit more round capacity. Very controllable.

Very controllable. Really great to see Springfield coming out with that 380 model Hellcat. Yeah, definitely a huge difference between the two.

This definitely has a lot more punch back in your hand. A little more muzzle flip. That 380 ACP is a pleasure to shoot compared to the 9mm.

And the 9mm is not bad. I mean, this is very controllable. Now for disassembly.

We’re going to remove the magazine. Check the chamber and point in the safe direction. Pull the trigger.

You want to bring back your slide in the slide lock. Bring your lever up. And then we’re going to just release the slide and we’ll still have to pull the trigger.

So we pull it off. Here is our recoil spring and guide rod. It is dual captive, all metal.

And then we have our hammer 4-inch barrel. Again, this is a 3-inch barrel. Very well polished feed ramp.

Very wide. That just helps with reliability. As far as the slide goes, extremely well finished.

Look at the polishing. Again, we have not fired this gun yet. We’re going to do that after we finish the tabletop.

And then, of course, a nice heavy locking block. And you have more of that striker fire type look to it. A little different though with this internal hammer.

So that’s probably what has to do with a little heavier trigger pull. But all the surfaces are polished. It’s very well done.

Guys, that’s really all you need to do to field strip. For reassembly, just bring in your barrel, recoil spring, and guide rod. Then we’re going to attach.

Slide back to the frame. Put it in slide lock. Bring our lever down.

Test for function. And we’re back in business. Keeping your firearms maintained and cleaned is vital.

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Highly recommended. And we want to thank Otis for being a sponsor of the channel. Okay, we get a Springfield Armory box.

And then inside, you do get a case. I love when companies now are including a case with the Springfield Armory logo. And then inside, we have our handgun.

And of course, the sight. They may offer a version with the sight. And this is again, the shield sight.

And it’s the OMS SC. And then you have a little sleeve where you have your extra magazine. So again, 11 rounds and then 13 rounds.

And of course, all the paperwork and everything. And this little part usually has the magazine. So not a bad little setup.

Ready to go to the range. As far as price, $599 retail. Of course, market price is typically less.

That does not include the OMS SC by Shield. I don’t have a price on it, but this is a really nice red dot. Shield’s been around for a long time.

So we’ll see how that goes. I’ve had a lot of experience with the Hellcat. So there are a lot of pros.

The adaptive texturing, the Armanite finish, the forward slide and barrel, nice slide serrations. I like the direct mount for your micro red dot. The sights are a big plus for any of the Springfield Armory, especially their Echelon XD, their Hellcat, and the mag capacity.

That’s one of the big pluses. I mean, 11 plus 1 and 13 plus 1. With the 9mm, they even got a 15 plus 1. A lot of different options. Market support.

You’re already going to have holsters that are going to fit this immediately because you’ve got your 9mm that’s the same size. A little bit lighter than your 9mm, which I think is a plus. Recoil softer.

And so it’s going to be really appealing to those, again, with less experience or with weaker hand strength. So it just gives us a good option. Something that they’ll have a little confident shooting if they’re a little shy of the 9mm.

It’s a very thin handgun, very easy to carry, very easy to conceal. I mean, it is really small. Now, there are smaller options.

One is the Ruger LCP Max and then the new Smith & Wesson. And this is the Bodyguard 2.0. And this is the Performance Center, so it is ported. But it’s so thin and in fact considerably thinner than the Hellcat.

But the big advantage of the Hellcat is you can put on a red dot sight. With the Bodyguard 2.0, it’s so thin that it would be hanging off the side. And so while this is a great option, this is easy to carry, especially if you want a red dot.

Plus, this just gives you a little extra grip when you’re firing the pistol. So I’m a big fan of the 2.0, but this has some advantages. And I think this makes a great concealed carry option.

The trigger is a little bit of a con, even though it is an upgraded Gen 2. And maybe once we shoot this a while, it’s going to have a better, less weight trigger. But overall, it’s very consistent and it has a nice break. And the reset is tactile and audible.

So overall, this has proven itself to be a great handgun. And now in .380, we’ll just see how that runs. But with the track record of SH Product out of Croatia, I mean, they have put together some really quality handguns.

And so it’s great to see Springfield Armory bringing these in. So guys, you’ve got that really small micro size in .380 ACP with an 11 or 13 round mag capacity, softer recoil, and a lot of other really excellent features. I mean, the Hellcat is one of those staples for micro concealed carry.

You don’t even know that you have it on your hip. So a big thank you to Springfield Armory for sending the Hellcat in .380 ACP for this review.

 

Be strong, be of good courage. God bless America. Long live the Republic.

 

-Don