Springfield Armory has been teasing us for the last month on social media that today they were going to debut a NEW “class leading firearm,” and now that day has arrived! Their new firearm has achieved a feat many of us did not believe was possible until recent by magically stacking 11 rounds of 9mm into an ultra-slim, micro-compact frame. Well, the Springfield Armory Hellcat has surpassed that by having the ability to tote around 12 rounds of the industry’s favorite cartridge in 9mm for defense.

The new Springfield Armory Hellcat is rated for +P ammunition to fire some of the most stout defense loads on the market. Another strikingly noticeable feature is the new Adaptive Grip Texture™ which appears to be extremely tactile whether your palms are cold and dry, or hot and sweaty. This new texturing by Springfield will likely conjure up outdated jokes of their former GripZone handling, but this Adaptive Grip Texture™ appears to be much improved and a far departure from the former.

Something else that is sweeping across the firearms industry is the ability to add a micro red dot to handguns regardless of the diminutive size a carry pistol might be. The Springfield Armory Hellcat is going to be offered in 2 offerings at the time of its introduction: one standard model and an OSP version (Optical Sight Pistol). The Hellcat OSP will afford the shooter the ability to directly mount optics to the slide for the lowest profile possible. A seamless cover plate with top slide serrations will be included with the Hellcat OSP when no optic is mounted. Some of the rest of the specifications for the Hellcat can be read below as presented by Springfield Armory:

• 3” Hammer Forged Steel Barrel w/ Melonite® Finish & 1:10″ Twist Rate
• Billet Machined Slide w/ Melonite® Finish (OSP Model available HC9319BOSP)
• Black Polymer Frame w/ Adaptive Grip Texture™
• U-Dot™ Sights w/ Tritium/Luminescent Front & Tactical Rack Rear
• Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
• (1) 11 – Round, (1) 13 – Round Extended Magazine included
• Standard: 18.3 Oz. w/ Flush Mag, 18.6 Oz. w/ Extended Mag
• OSP: 17.9 Oz. w/ Flush Mag, 18.3 Oz. w/ Extended Mag
• Overall Length: 6″ | Overall Width: 1″
• Standard MSRP: $569 | OSP MSRP: $599

The different suggested micro red dots that will fit the OSP model are a Shield RMSc and JP Enterprises JPoint™. While those are the suggested models there might be a slew of other red dot manufacturers that may fit as well that we may learn about in the coming months as people begin to play with the new Hellcat. While the idea of red dots on pistols continues to burgeon in popularity the factory iron sights are quite serviceable and impressive on the Springfield Armory Hellcat as well.

The Hellcat deploys a U-Dot sight picture for easier sight picture acquisition. This assists shooters of all ability levels to quickly locate the front sight and place fast, accurate shots as needed. The pairing of a high visibility tritium and luminescent front sight with a Tactical Rack rear sight should allow concealed carry individuals an easily observable sight picture in all kinds of lighting conditions.

While the new Adaptive Grip Texture™ and ability to throw a red dot on the Hellcat are some of the most obvious and desirable traits in a carry pistol it is often the little details that set one firearm apart from another. Springfield Armory has always maintained a strong attention to detail and their 2nd tier, if you will, of features and characteristics typifies that.

• External Extractor: Reliably ejects spent casings round after round
• Melonite Treated Internals: Critical internal parts are Melonite treated for exceptional strength and corrosion resistance
• High-Hand External Beavertail: Positions your hand closer to the bore axis to control muzzle flip and mitigate recoil
• Standard Accessory Rail: Customize your EDC with lights and lasers that fit on a standard accessory rail

• Forward Index Point: A forward index point with Adaptive Grip Texture is molded into the frame
• Flat Trigger: A flat trigger body with nickel boron coated trigger group creates a consistent trigger pull
• Undercut Trigger Guard: The undercut trigger guard creates more comfortable grip and greater control while firing
• Reversible Magazine Release: The single sided magazine release can be reversed for left handed shooters

With the ability to run an everyday carry (EDC) pistol such as the Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP 9mm completely decked out with a flashlight, laser, and/or micro red dot paired with their new Adaptive Grip Texture™ there is not much else you could ask for in a carry piece. For those of a more simple mindset, the standard Hellcat still boasts a laundry list of impressive features as is.

A lot of the TFB staff are EDC junkies including myself so we will all be likely taking a very discerning look at the Springfield Armory Hellcat in the coming weeks and months. For those of you out there contemplating a new carry gun or are just generally addicted to firearms like the rest of us, what do you think of the Hellcat? Is this something you would be willing to work into your EDC rotation? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.