What’s the best way to feed Springfield Armory’s Hellcat Pro? What are the options? Read on and we’ll provide the answers here.
Hellcat Pro
Before we jump into the magazine, let’s take a look at the Hellcat Pro pistol first so we can understand the platform.
Springfield Armory is well-known among the shooting community, having produced some great weapons for the past several decades.
Several manufacturers introduced their version of micro-9mm handguns in short succession. Springfield Armory’s version is called the Hellcat, which is a 3-inch barreled micro-9, being introduced in 2019. It’s a compact, light, polymer-framed pistol that holds a good amount of ammunition, being fed from 11-round, 13-round, and 15-round magazines.
The trend among manufacturers lasted a couple of years before shooters seemed to desire slightly larger pistols. Why? Most likely because small pistols that fire full-power calibers aren’t a whole lot of fun to shoot at the range. They tend to have a snappy recoil that some people don’t care for.
As a result, gunmakers began bulking up their pistols. Sig did it with the P365 series, and Springfield Armory did it with their Hellcat series.
The P365 series morphed into the P365 XL and the P365 Macro, with each respective pistol design becoming larger. Springfield kept it a bit simpler, with the Hellcat evolving into the Hellcat Pro in 2022. It went from a 3-inch to a 3.7-inch barrel.
Further specs on the Hellcat Pro include a weight of 21 ounces. The overall length is 6.6 inches, with a height of 4.8 inches. As you can see, it’s not a huge pistol. Its caliber is 9mm.
The Hellcat Pro’s sights are identical to those on the Hellcat and consist of a rear U-notch that’s outlined in white. The front sight post has a tritium insert that makes them night sights, as it glows in the dark. That insert is surrounded by a light green circle that’s very bright. These are among the best sights in the handgun industry.
Another home run that Springfield Armory hit was the grip on the Hellcat series. The Hellcat and the Hellcat Pro have Adaptive Grip Texture, which consists of short and tall pyramids. The tall ones have a flat top, while the shorter pyramids have points on the top. When gripped hard, those points get traction on the shooter’s skin, which makes for an incredibly secure, non-slip grip!
The Hellcat Pro’s grip is one inch wide, just like the Hellcat, but it is longer. Both grips feel great in the shooter’s hand. The balance of both pistols is great, with the edge going to the Hellcat Pro.
Both my Hellcat and the Hellcat Pro came with the Flat Dark Earth finish. The frame consists of FDE polymer and the slide is coated in FDE Cerakote, which looks very attractive, in my opinion.
Both pistols can be had in an optics-ready configuration, adding to the versatility.
The Hellcat Pro features both forward and rear slide serrations, which help with racking the slide and press checks. However, a press check is not necessary to determine if the chamber is loaded, as there is a window at the top of the breech block so users can tell at a glance if there’s a round inside.
My Hellcat Pro came with a Shield Sights SMSc red dot sight. It’s my first pistol optic, and it’s taking some getting used to. So far, I’m seeing some advantages, which go along with some disadvantages. On my end, more practice is definitely called for.
On the range, the Hellcat Pro has proven to be satisfyingly accurate. Future range sessions will acquaint me better with the pistol and optic combination.
The Hellcat Pro is fed from a 15-round magazine. Which brings us to the subject of this article.
The Magazine
Over the years, I’ve used magazines from a number of Springfield Armory’s pistols. The XD and XDm series, as well as the XDs. And now, from the Hellcat series.
In my experience, Springfield Armory has made magazines for all of these pistols in a similar fashion.
How so? Well, they’re all made from heavy-gauge, stainless steel. Simply put, it’s good stuff. I’ve used Springfield magazines in several training schools, during which the magazines were not babied. They landed hard on concrete floors, and gravel, and were generally treated with all the affection that you’d direct toward your wicked stepmother. Throughout all of that, I’ve never had one fail. And the stainless construction assures us that rust won’t be an issue.
Springfield uses polymer anti-tilt followers for their magazines. Against the stainless walls of the magazine, they slide slicker than owl poop on a linoleum floor.
The magazine floor plate is also constructed of polymer and they seem to hold up well against repeatedly being dropped on hard surfaces.
A polished steel spring drives the magazine’s follower inside the mag.
Witness holes adorn the rear side of the magazine so we can see how many rounds are remaining – they are numbered 5 through 15.
Versatility
I like gear that can serve a few purposes. As luck would have it, the Hellcat Pro magazines also fit and function in the standard (smaller) Springfield Hellcat pistol. Sure, the magazines hang out the bottom of the pistol grip a bit. However, if you carry one as a spare in case that owl poop hits the fan, they work great. If you’re engaged in combat, you’re likely not going to care if the magazine extends beyond the grip slightly.
As an aside, the 15-round magazines used for the Hellcat are identical; they simply have a polymer grip sleeve added to the base to extend the grip when used in the Hellcat. If you remove the polymer sleeve, you have a Hellcat Pro magazine.
Kudos to Springfield Armory for this interchangeability!! As I said, you get more bang for your buck.
At The Range
So how do the Hellcat Pro magazines work? Damn well!
I recently had the Hellcat Pro at the range for a session and the mags fed to perfection. Ejection was rather vigorous, with magazines flying out of the mag well as if gravity were suspended upon pushing the magazine release.
Springfield Armory includes a polymer magazine loader to help ease the loading process. I’m glad they did, too, because as the magazine fills up, it becomes more difficult to stuff those rounds in there. By the time we get to the last couple of rounds, the spring pressure is tough to overcome. You’ll be happy to have the magazine loader.
Inserting magazines into the Hellcat Pro is a very easy process, made easier by the slightly beveled magazine well of the Pro. The fact that the body of the magazine is polished stainless steel also helps them slide in easily.
How Many?
I’ve long advocated having a number of spare magazines for our pistols. How many? A half dozen or more would be good. Why so many? Because over time, pistol mags might become damaged or wear out. Sure, it might take a long time, but eventually it can happen.
Firearms have two enemies: rust and politicians. Politicians tend to pass laws against guns. One of their favorite things to do is ban standard-capacity magazines. If a ban were to cut you off from obtaining new magazines for your pistols next week, how many mags would you have? And how long would those magazines last for your pistol?
My recommendation is to stock up now on any magazines you believe you might need.
Conclusion
Hellcat Pro magazines are very durable and work great. Not only in the Hellcat Pro but also in the original Hellcat. They’re made as well as all the other Springfield magazines that I’ve ever used, which means these are excellent magazines.
As I write this, Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro magazines are available at GunMag Warehouse for $34.99. Grab a few while you can. I give these magazines two thumbs up!
