[morrcarr67]

Springfield Armory has just launched the Hellcat. It's an 11+1 Micro Compact carry gun. Going directly after the Sig P365.

Here's a review from the NRA:

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/9/25/tested-springfield-armory-s-hellcat/

 

[Rickenbacher39]

Gosh, with an intimidating name like "Hellcat"
how could it not be the coolest gun ever.........

 

[morrcarr67]

Gosh, with an intimidating name like "Hellcat"
how could it not be the coolest gun ever.........

Well, let's hope it's better than the first Hellcat handgun. I/O Inc launched the Hellcat .380 that like that timid cat trying to cross the street got crushed. It was a really bad design that didn't last more than a year or two.

 

[Tuco_Ramírez]

Question, who actually makes this one? One of the things that has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way about Springfield Armory is that they're basically like Tristar or European-American Arms in the way that they're actually an importer rather than a firearms manufacturer, except unlike them Springfield Armory is kind of sneaky about it because they aren't upfront about who manufactures their firearms all the time, so you have to research the gun in order to figure out who manufactures it.
Also, unlike Tristar and EAA, Springfield Armory seems to deal with a lot more lesser-known manufactures, which may be part of the reason why they aren't upfront about it.

So yeah, unless this gun is actually made by a company with a name and reputation to it, then I have my doubts that the Springfield Armory Hellcat (which is actually made by Nichts Waffenfabrik) is going to be able to compete with SIG, especially not with Springfield Armory's habit of jacking up the price of the guns they import to compete directly with firearms/companies in the mainstream market.

Sorry, if you can't tell I'm not exactly a fan of Springfield Armory because they strike me as a dishonest company that sells cheap (i.e. inexpensive) firearms made in Eastern Europe under the name of a long dead company whom they have merely acquired the name of and in no way have anything to do with otherwise at a premium price, then have shills running around proclaiming how they make the best stuff ever, and how the $300 gun they're selling you for $600+ is totally worth upwards of $1000 so it's a real steal.

Or at least that's my impression of them.

Well, let's hope it's better than the first Hellcat handgun. I/O Inc launched the Hellcat .380 that like that timid cat trying to cross the street got crushed. It was a really bad design that didn't last more than a year or two.

When I saw this thread, I immediately thought of the I.O. Hellcat and even wondered if this was a sarcastic thread and that I.O. had made a new gun using the Hellcat name. Come to think of it, is I.O. even around anymore?

 

[NativeTexan]

Big deal. I've been arming myself (a lot) with the 10+1 9mm Kel Tec P11 for 23 years. After thousands of rounds it ain't broke and still shoots straight.

 

[TrucksNCoffee]

I read the title and thought you meant this. Bigger caliber, but a bit more recoil.

 

[morrcarr67]

Question, who actually makes this one? One of the things that has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way about Springfield Armory is that they're basically like Tristar or European-American Arms in the way that they're actually an importer rather than a firearms manufacturer, except unlike them Springfield Armory is kind of sneaky about it because they aren't upfront about who manufactures their firearms all the time, so you have to research the gun in order to figure out who manufactures it.
Also, unlike Tristar and EAA, Springfield Armory seems to deal with a lot more lesser-known manufactures, which may be part of the reason why they aren't upfront about it.

So yeah, unless this gun is actually made by a company with a name and reputation to it, then I have my doubts that the Springfield Armory Hellcat (which is actually made by Nichts Waffenfabrik) is going to be able to compete with SIG, especially not with Springfield Armory's habit of jacking up the price of the guns they import to compete directly with firearms/companies in the mainstream market.

Sorry, if you can't tell I'm not exactly a fan of Springfield Armory because they strike me as a dishonest company that sells cheap (i.e. inexpensive) firearms made in Eastern Europe under the name of a long-dead company whom they have merely acquired the name of and in no way have anything to do with otherwise at a premium price, then have shills running around proclaiming how they make the best stuff ever, and how the $300 gun they're selling you for $600+ is totally worth upwards of $1000 so it's a real steal.

Or at least that's my impression of them.



When I saw this thread, I immediately thought of the I.O. Hellcat and even wondered if this was a sarcastic thread and that I.O. had made a new gun using the Hellcat name. Come to think of it, is I.O. even around anymore?

Well according to this picture:

It's made by HS Produkt in Croatia, the same company that makes the XD series for them. I believe that both Springfield and HS had designers working on this new design. From what I can tell 95% of everything HS builds (in the way of handguns) comes to the US under the SA brand.

As for I.O. Inc yes they are still around but they aren't marketing any handguns they claim to make. From what I understand of their Hellcat it too was made by a different company and marketed by I.O. Inc. They've some different troubles in the past and you never know who's running them or how long they'll stick around in any given form. Kind of like Colt.

 

[jwc007]

The size/concept is nothing new, as Taurus had about the same thing in the Millennium Pro series. A current competing Pistol would be the newer Taurus G2C, which I would probably prefer.
What is new is the Optic ready Slide.

I'm currently perfectly happy with my late production PT111 Millennium Pro 9mm, which served me very well this last Summer.

 

[olfarhors]

I still get cornfused a bit myself, being old and having certain things that i buy a wepaon for.
like in sub comoact size weapons i tend to look at what i can carry in a front pocket, if not even IF I carry in a IWB or OWB haolster I fail to see why "I " would want an extended mag and a reflex or dot sight, or laser sitting on top of it , all to make the weapon more bulky and heavier??
which for "ME" defeats the purpose of buying a Sub compact to begin with?
but then again the more do -dads that one can hang on a gun then the better it is, you know kind of like when we were kids and had those cool bikes that even had playing cards in the spokes to make them roar!

 

[Yissnakk]

I finally got my paws on a Sig P365 and can honestly say that it is tiny. It's a good deal smaller, all around, that the G2C or SCCY by a decent margin. For the Hellcat to endanger it, it will have to be just as small, sell for less, and perform at least as good.

I do not own one yet, but my local Rural King has them regular priced at $465 (the Sig) and that price is awfully tempting....and Christmas is coming....

 

[cnj]

11+1? Hmmm. I've been rocking my 12+1 P365 for some time now. What else does this "Hellcat" bring to the table?

 

[Buckeye!]

The size/concept is nothing new, as Taurus had about the same thing in the Millennium Pro series. A current competing Pistol would be the newer Taurus G2C, which I would probably prefer.
What is new is the Optic ready Slide.

I'm currently perfectly happy with my late production PT111 Millennium Pro 9mm, which served me very well this last Summer.

Even though the Sig P365 & Hellcat iare noticably smaller and lighter than tbe Taurus PT-111 G2 , the G2 is just about as perfect size pistol .. Not big and not to small

The P365 is the size of the KT P-11 which offers a flush 12 rd mag , BTW the P-11 is two decades old

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/taurus-pt111-g2-vs-sig-sauer-p365

 

[Divebum]

1) I am a believer in Springfield. I have 2 XD-9's, an XDS in 9mm, and a XD mod2 in .45.
2) I carry both the XDS and the Mod 2.
3) I don't really care who manufactures the gun, nor do I particularly care about how they are marketed. I depend on their reliability and dependability, and with all of those guns, I have NO DOUBTS.
4) The Hellcat is almost brand new. The extra couple of rounds in comparison with with the XDS makes little difference to me. I carry a couple of extra mags just in case. I'm not a spray and pray type.
5) The XD-9's are club guns and each have several thousand rounds through them - no problems. None. Nada. Zip.
6) The XDS and the Mod 2 are personal guns. Each has at least 1000 rounds down range. No problems.

I'm not excited about the Hellcat because it offers very little that I don't already have. Even the OSP model (Optical Sight Pistol). I'm not into glass or other than normal iron sights on a carry pistol.

Are they better than a Sig? Don't know. Nor do I particularly care.

 

[morrcarr67]

I still get cornfused a bit myself, being old and having certain things that i buy a wepaon for.
like in sub comoact size weapons i tend to look at what i can carry in a front pocket, if not even IF I carry in a IWB or OWB haolster I fail to see why "I " would want an extended mag and a reflex or dot sight, or laser sitting on top of it , all to make the weapon more bulky and heavier??
which for "ME" defeats the purpose of buying a Sub compact to begin with?
but then again the more do -dads that one can hang on a gun then the better it is, you know kind of like when we were kids and had those cool bikes that even had playing cards in the spokes to make them roar!

I agree. When I started to look for a carry gun; which is hard to find good ones in CA, I was able to pick up a Sig P290. I got it used and it came with 2 extended magazines. I never used them because of the same reason. I sold them to someone else and picked up a couple of standard magazines for it instead.

 

[olfarhors]

I have a few Sigs and a few Springfield Armory as well.
both brands have been top notch for me persoanlly. actually the Springfiled Armory 1911 Range Officer is my most accurate 1911 of the herd that i own.
all the weapons are very, very reliable.
course now just 3 of the four are what i consider carry weapons, the Fairly new SA XDS a true sub comapct, the Sig 365 another true sub compact, and th Sig 238 another sub comapct.
the only reason that I picked up the SA XDS was the price was 419 with the Gear up package and I thought that was a very good price.
IT is a tad larger than the Sig 365 and not as many bolletts in them clippy thangs.

 

[Tuco_Ramírez]

Big deal. I've been arming myself (a lot) with the 10+1 9mm Kel Tec P11 for 23 years. After thousands of rounds it ain't broke and still shoots straight.

Everyone forgets about the industry leading innovations which come from Kel-Tec.

Seriously, folks can say all they want about their quality control, but if there's one thing that Kel-Tec exceeds in then its innovation. They're always so far ahead of the curve, constantly putting out new products which are the personification of avant-garde, yet it always seems to be the imitations which receive all the praise, and if said imitations are released with reliability issues then everyone is patient with them.

 

[Czechbikr]

I finally got my paws on a Sig P365 and can honestly say that it is tiny. It's a good deal smaller, all around, that the G2C or SCCY by a decent margin. For the Hellcat to endanger it, it will have to be just as small, sell for less, and perform at least as good.

I do not own one yet, but my local Rural King has them regular priced at $465 (the Sig) and that price is awfully tempting....and Christmas is coming....

I fondled the Sig at the LGS when doing my last 4473. Nice carry pistol which should virtually disappear under any clothing.

 

[Hyway]

Well, let's hope it's better than the first Hellcat handgun. I/O Inc launched the Hellcat .380 that like that timid cat trying to cross the street got crushed. It was a really bad design that didn't last more than a year or two.

Looks like a KelTec

 

[Iluvrevos]

Looks like a KelTec

I think these two look kinda like a KelTec: