What Is the Best Hellcat Pistol?

By Stanley Graham On Sep 2, 2024

By Adam Scepaniak

The highest capacity, micro-compact in the world at its launch, the Springfield Armory Hellcat flipped the concealed carry industry on its head. Just a mere five years ago, we had all accepted that single-stack pistols were the best that we could get for deep-cover-carry personal protection. Then, seemingly out of nowhere Springfield unleashed their Hellcat with a staggered magazine body to fit 11 rounds into the same footprint we were used to carrying a single-column of rounds.

Which version of the Hellcat Pro is the best CCW pistol? The 9x19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol is a solid choice for personal defense, and the author makes the case for his pick in this article.

Since this marvel hit gun store shelves, we have seen numerous of iterations come forth. Springfield Armory crafts many unique variants of the original Hellcat with varying features and capabilities.

The most recent Hellcat announcement was the Hellcat Pro Comp — the 3.7” barrel model we have come to love, but with an integral compensator built into the barrel. This is a marvelous Hellcat that people view as the culmination of years of shooter-input provided to Springfield. But is it the best Hellcat … ?

My everyday carry (EDC) is this very pistol, but I would argue there is a “sleeper” in the bunch that you might have overlooked.

Threading the Needle

I can wax poetic about the Hellcat Pro Comp all day long, but what it does best is concealed carry. What about a micro-compact that could be tasked with doing any job imaginable? Those are the shoes the best Hellcat could fill.

Hellcat Pro with a threaded barrel and accessories — Hellcat Pro pistols like this Desert FDE Threaded model are ready to go out of the box. You can buy them with a red dot sight, or with a threaded barrel installed at the factory as shown here.

So, what are we judging this do-all Hellcat pistol by? I believe the Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded is the answer we’re seeking due to its combination of features, and these are the metrics I have set:

EDC-Ready
Curb Appeal
Optics-Ready
Aftermarket Accessory Availability
Silencer/Muzzle Brake Compatibility
Capacity
Bulletproof Track Record

Can this Pistol Do It All?

Many of those attributes speak for themselves while others you might think are not necessarily essential, but let me explain. We’re crawling down a hypothetical rabbit hole: if you could only have one Hellcat to do everything, which one would it be? We’d want it to look good (no one wants an ugly sports car), but it also needs to be reliable, a tack-driver and be a chameleon. Thus, the list I have created. Let’s begin.

is this pistol the best of the Hellcat line — This Hellcat Pro is completely equipped with a Vortex red dot sight, Streamlight weapon-mounted light and an Odessa 9 suppressor from Dead Air Silencers.

EDC-Ready

Being the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded 9mm was born from the highest capacity, micro-compact in the world, it checks this box. With a flush-fit 15-round magazine and an extended 17-round magazine in the box, you have flush concealability as well as impressive capacity on deck. Additionally, it is a mere 1″ in width and only weighs 22 ounces. This is a pistol you could camp with, carry appendix inside-the-waistband (AIWB), or keep on your nightstand.

Curb Appeal

I’ll say it again, it is okay to want your handgun to look cool (and admit it, too). This handgun with the optional Desert FDE colorway — aka Peanut Butter drip — is sexy to look at, and all the black accents of the trigger, magazine release, takedown lever, slide stop, and guide rod complement its Desert FDE color nicely.

Optics-Ready

With the day and age that we live in, I am at a tipping point where I don’t want to even entertain carrying a handgun unless it is optics-ready. Fear not, because Springfield Armory has dozens of OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) models that include the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded — Desert FDE that I am lauding today. With the slide milled for the Springfield Micro footprint (also compatible with the Shield footprint), the OSP feature of so many people’s Hellcats opens a pantheon of red dot options.

red dot sight on Hellcat Pro pistol — The Vortex Defender-CCW proved to be a reliable optic in *The Armory Life* testing and is a good match for the Hellcat Pro pistol.

Aftermarket Accessories

The Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded — Desert FDE, as I have kitted it out, has a Dead Air Armament Odessa-9 9mm silencer, a Vortex Optics Defender-CCW micro red dot, a Streamlight TLR-1 HL weapon light, and one of Springfield’s extended 17 round magazines. The pistol looks glorious and it’s more than prepped to put in work on innumerable tasks. The only downside to throwing the whole kitchen sink of accessories at a pistol is it limits your holster compatibility options. Even still, you can remove “holster-inhibiting” accessories like the silencer and opt for a muzzle brake or go sans muzzle device entirely.

Silencer/Muzzle Brake Compatible

Speaking of muzzle devices, it is handy that this Hellcat variant has a threaded barrel because it allows the user to decide what is most useful for them. Maybe on one occasion you need a silencer, the next you want a muzzle brake, and the last instance you want it free of muzzle devices to insert the handgun in a holster. The convenience of a threaded barrel without needing to own a second barrel is a nice option.

suppressor on threaded barrel of Hellcat Pro — A suppressor is an excellent addition to a firearm as it helps to protect your hearing. It helps to prevent permanent damage to your hearing as well as help you maintain situational awareness.

Capacity

The nice thing about all Hellcat Pro models is Springfield keeps you amply stocked with ammunition since the flush-fit magazine holds a hefty payload in 15 rounds, and the slightly extended magazines carry 17 rounds: as many as most full-size handguns. So, whether you want to be slightly leaner and sleek, or you want all the ammo, you most definitely have options.

Bulletproof Track Record

When it comes to concealed carry, home defense or any other use we might deploy a firearm for, there is one metric that we should never compromise on, and that is reliability. This includes durability and the overall ability to always have the utmost confidence in your firearm regardless of how you use it. When it comes to the Hellcat and its dozens of iterations, we can have confidence in droves.

Is It The Best?

So, do you agree? I firmly believe that the Hellcat Pro Comp is the best dedicated carry option, and I affirm that with my life because it is the gun I use to protect myself. Simultaneously, if someone lays down the gauntlet before me of, “If you only can own one Hellcat for everything, which one are you picking?” I believe that the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded — Desert FDE does everything the best.

is this 9mm pistol the best — The complete package: the Hellcat Pro with these accessories is a formidable tool in the hands of a person forced to defend themselves from an attack.

If you have found yourself here and you own a Hellcat you are already winning at life, friends. You really can’t go wrong with a Hellcat. But if we are splitting hairs, I’ll make a case for the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Threaded — Desert FDE to be dubbed the best of the best. Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section via the forum by the below link! I always appreciate your feedback.

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