Springfield Armory has been outdoing itself time after time, and the Hellcat series definitely ranks among its many achievements. First the regular Hellcat, and then the Hellcat Pro, both of which are outstanding carry pistols. The standard Hellcat Pro magazine capacity was initially 15 rounds. The Hellcat, on the other hand, has several options with its short grip: 10, 11, 13, and 15-round magazines.
Wisely, Springfield Armory made the Hellcat Pro magazine compatible with the smaller Hellcat. I love interchangeability! A regular Hellcat Pro mag can be stuffed into the Hellcat and it will just protrude from the grip slightly. However, there are sleeves available for that mag so that the 15-round magazine becomes like a grip extension. It even has the same Adaptive Grip Texture as the pistol’s grip, which is nice attention to detail.
Higher Capacity Mags for the Hellcat Pro
Not one to rest on their laurels, Springfield Armory just released 17-round magazines for the Hellcat Pro.
The Hellcat Pro is a trim, sleek carry pistol that’s not tiny, but not huge, coming in a little smaller than the famous Glock 19. Considering the size of the Hellcat Pro’s slim grip (one inch), it’s amazing how they managed to stuff 15 rounds into that grip.
By adding a slight amount of length, it will now hold 17+1 rounds, making it equal to the Glock 17 in capacity. How slight? If my measurements are correct, the 17-round magazine is ½-inch longer than the 15-rounder. For two extra rounds, I don’t think that’s bad at all.
However, I will say that it’s unlikely I’ll carry the 17-round magazine as the primary mag in the pistol most of the time, unless I’m expecting trouble. That extra half-inch adds enough that it will make the Hellcat Pro a little harder to conceal. Not terribly harder, but a little.
Construction of this new 17-round magazine is exactly like the others in the series. Heavy gauge stainless steel comprises the body of the magazine. The spring is high-tensile, polished steel. A polymer follower rounds out the package, and it slides easily through the body of the magazine. Witness holes can be found in the rear of the magazine so we can see how many rounds we’re working with.
Since the magazine is longer than the standard model, there is an extended floor plate, which extends the grip length. It sports the Adaptive Grip Texture, so it blends well with the pistol’s grip.
Game Changer
Being able to carry 17+1 rounds in such a compact package is a game-changer. In a pistol the size of the Hellcat Pro, it’s remarkable. However, it goes a bit beyond that; it’s also interchangeable with the standard Hellcat series. So if you need to, you’re able to stuff the 17-rounder into the Hellcat, the same as you can stuff a Glock 17 magazine into a Glock 19.
Yes, it will hang out the bottom of the magazine well pretty far. And it’s not really likely that you’ll walk about carrying the 17-rounder as your standard Hellcat magazine. However, the Hellcat will function with the extended-capacity magazine, which is a very nice option. I have to say, it’s kind of neat to be able to get a full grip on the Hellcat while still having the short barrel.
As a spare magazine, it’s stellar. Let’s talk a little bit about why spare magazines are important.
Why carry spare magazines?
I’ve spoken to a number of people who ask why we should bother carrying a spare magazine. After all, our pistols carry 11, 13, 15, even 17 rounds. Isn’t that enough?
Well, it might be enough. Or it might not be.
Criminals these days tend to operate in multiples, realizing that they’re more effective when operating at least in pairs, if not more. So how difficult do you imagine it might be to land shots on more than one criminal who is trying to kill you? They do tend to move around in an effort not to get shot. Hitting dynamically moving people can be quite a challenge.
Also consider that you, the defender, might also be moving, making the same effort to not be shot. So they’re moving, you’re moving, and you’re fighting the biggest adrenaline dump of your entire life. It’s quite possible that you will expend far more ammo than you ever imagined in an effort to save your life. Naturally, we all like to think that we’ll make solid hits with every shot we squeeze off, just like Dirty Harry — calm, calculating, and steady. But that’s not reality.
Also, consider the effects of adrenaline on the criminals — you may hit them, and they may not go down. Adrenaline tends to numb pain, so they may not even realize that they’ve been shot until after things calm down. You may need to hit them a number of times.
Okay, how many shots have you fired by now? Perhaps quite a few. It might be time to reload.
Stoppages
As reliable as our handguns are, sometimes they might suffer a stoppage. Many times, those stoppages can be attributed to the magazine. Perhaps they’re defective, or maybe they’re very worn. In the event of a malfunctioning magazine, you need to have another magazine at your disposal. That means having one on your person so you can eject the faulty mag, slam the fresh one home, and get back into the fight.
Or, preferably, you could carry two spare magazines. Why two? Because, heaven forbid, you may fumble a magazine change during a life-or-death struggle. Picture it… the magazine slips from your hand and goes skittering across the floor. If you have no second spare, you might have to go chasing after that errant magazine as bullets are headed your way. Sounds like a smashing time, doesn’t it?
Or, you could ignore your Tactical Faux Pas and simply grab your second spare magazine and run it home. Just make certain that you don’t drop the second magazine!
Final Thoughts
These new 17-round magazines from Springfield Armory are the bees’ knees. As far as having ammo on tap, more is better, in my opinion.
I plan to carry my Hellcat Pro with the standard 15-round magazine in the pistol and the 17-round mag or two as spares. That way, I can maximize the concealment of the Hellcat Pro and have lots of spare rounds on tap.
And the more I think about it, I believe I’m also going to carry the 17-round mag as a spare when I carry my regular Hellcat pistol. If the bullets are flying and I need a reload, I won’t care how far the spare magazine protrudes out of the bottom of the magazine well. However, I will likely want that spare ammo.
These new Hellcat Pro 17-round magazines are a great option for the Hellcat series. As this is written, the Hellcat Pro 17-round magazine sells for $42.99. Best grab a few!
