Springfield Hellcat

T

TrueBlue711

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I knew it would be only a matter of time before other gun companies start releasing their response to the Sig P365. Here's the Guns&Ammo article about the Springfield Hellcat. I guess the gun is so new, I can't find any comparison pictures of it vs the P365. Has anybody held a Hellcat yet (and also held a 365)? How does the size compare? I do like how the Hellcat can hold 1 more round than the 365, but at what expense in terms of frame size or weight?

EDIT: I found the old Guns&Ammo review of the P365. Both articles list out dimensions to their respective pistols and they look VERY comparable in size. One is smaller in some dimensions and the other is smaller in others. I still want to see side by side comparisons, but I may be sold on getting the Springfield rather than the Sig for my next conceal gun.
 
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I do not see one more round as being much of a deal, but I too am interested to see and check out this new entry from Springfield Armory. It has the typical XD appearance in the bulky looking slide/frame and thus I think the barrel is higher positioned than the P365 in relation to grip...might experience a bit more recoil. But, it is really hard to judge without a side by side (as you suggested) and of course trying one out. If the ergonomics and reliability are as good as typical Springfield offerings, and the pistol is accurate, it stands a chance of being quite competitive. I like my P365 a lot, but I would like to try this little gem from Springfield...
 
In this thread Sig fans explain that one extra round is meaningless or the trade offs to get it are too extreme but the extra rounds between a Sig and comparably sized Glock are absolutely vital :) It amuses me.

I'm giving this one to the marketing crew at Springfield though. HELLFIRE is a MUCH better name for a gun
 
I think it looks like a nice little pistol with a well thought out design. That size is a little bit of a tweener to me, though. I have a Shield that I rarely carry anymore because it's too big for pocket carry and if I'm going to carry on my belt I'd rather use my 2.0C because it isn't really any harder to carry and it has a lot of advantages being a midsize pistol. If I can't carry it I tend to drop all the way down to an LCP in my pocket.
 
Lohman446 said:
In this thread Sig fans explain that one extra round is meaningless or the trade offs to get it are too extreme but the extra rounds between a Sig and comparably sized Glock are absolutely vital :) It amuses me.



I'm giving this one to the marketing crew at Springfield though. HELLFIRE is a MUCH better name for a gun
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Your prediction skills seem lacking so far.


It was only a matter of time before someone came out with a competitor, but Springfield is that one. Aesthetically it looks a bit odd to me and the name is a bit over the top unless we're taking WWII fighter planes. Course if SIG's models weren't based in numbers normally than 365 would be pretty corny. I think the Shield wins the name competition, personally.

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I want to know how the heck they were able to fit 11 rounds into it.

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They have my attention. I found the first P365 to be too small for my hands (and I don't have large hands) -- It just didn't seem to work for me. For whatever reason the XL worked better, even vs. the regular with mag extension.

Hellcat seems to land in the middle somewhere. My usual carry is a Walther PPS and I never fret about not having enough ammo. So far, zero have been enough.

I hope I see one at a store for rent soon though. It's one of those things I just have to try! I had an XD Subcompact for a while, that was my first gun, and it was very reliable and easy to shoot. I'm one of those weirdos who thinks the grip safety is actually a good idea :) Clearly they didn't think it would be a selling point for this one.
 
I like the idea of competition in the market. With the addition of this new Springfield, there is a good chance for some competitive pricing between this and the P365...that is good for us consumers no matter which one you choose. I still am not overwhelmed by the increase of one round with the Hellfire over the P365, but it is obviously a good advertising point for Springfield since a lot of folks are always looking for the ability to carry and have more ammo, even if it is doubtful to ever be needed. It also reflects some ingenuity on the part of Springfield; you gotta like that. Again, it reflects a competitive market. And one more round is not a bad thing at all!
 
No no no.

Springfield has no idea what they are doing.

Everybody knows that first you release it in .380, then in 9mm, then with a silver slide, then with a black slide, then with a rail, and only finally with an optics mount.

Ugh.
 
Spats McGee said:
It's a tesseract. :D

In all seriousness, though. I find the Hellcat moderately interesting, but I don't (at this time) see any reason to sell off a perfectly good pistol to fund one.
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I could not agree more with your statement Spats. I have shot the 365 and I will test the Springfield. The 365 is a great gun, but just not a good fit for myself. I am sure the Springfield will be a great gun as well and a huge success.
However, not interested in purchase of either. One, I love the guns I already have and are quite familiar with them. And two I have absoutly no interest in a higher round count for my EDC purposes. No interest in shelling out $500.00 or more. Not to mention mags etc. My carry guns have about a dozen mags each as it is. And that cost is not cheap.
 
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My thoughts are similar. If I was looking for a new CCW, the 365 and the Hellcat would get a good look. I currently carry a G26, though, and am happy with it. The new pistols are not really a sea change to me, and the cost of pistol plus mags plus holsters adds up.
 
Spats McGee said:
In all seriousness, though. I find the Hellcat moderately interesting, but I don't (at this time) see any reason to sell off a perfectly good pistol to fund one.
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Yup, if I was buying new the 365 and Hellcat would be getting a strong look; but I shot the 365 side by side with the 26, and while it’s a great compact carry pistol it isn’t worth buying a new pistol, holster, mags, etc. for.
 
Damn, and I was gonna buy a Beretta Nano, but that's only 6 or8 rounds. I can't afford a P365 but...if Hellcat is more affordable, makes me reconsider a Nano purchase.
 
The widths are the same 1". You can go to this website and compare sizes for all guns or most gun. They now have the Springfield Wildcat available to compare.

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/sig-sauer-p365-vs-springfield-hellcat-micro-compact

kymasabe-FYI The Nano just had a new model come out called the APX Carry. If you are interested in the Nano, do some shopping. I found one with the grey grip for $265. which is one of the best deals out there IMO. (If any are left).
Actually I bought two more.
The Carry, I believe is running around $450-$500 the last time I looked Basically the same gun.
 
The co-witnessed optic on the Hellcat is of interest to me, more than any other feature. Old eyes need help sometimes. I'll give it a look when they actually hit the stores.
 
The listed heights are 4" with the flush 11 round magazine, and 4.5" with the 13.

I've found that ~4.8" is the minimum I require to get a full grip. I can get this with the 12 round magazine on the P365 or P365 XL.

I'll have to hold one when they're finally available in stores, but from the measurements, it looks like neither magazine will allow anywhere for the pinkie finger to rest? And I don't have especially large hands.
 
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