Glock 48 Vs Hellcat Pro - The Hellcat is Springfield Armory's most popular concealed carry pistol. And it is one of the most advanced and most versatile pistols in its category today. The original Hellcat Micro-Compact was introduced in 2019 and was quickly followed by various models such as the red dot capable Hellcat OSP and the competitive Hellcat RDP.
However, the newest model in the Hellcat series of pistols, the Hellcat Pro, offers the most significant differences from the standard Hellcat family to date. Get to know the differences between the standard Hellcat and the new Hellcat Pro and see which model is right for you.
Glock 48 Vs Hellcat Pro
In 2019, when the original Hellcat hit the market, the gold standard of full concealed carry pistols (eg Glock 19, Glock 26) was challenged by new products like the SIG P365XL and the Smith. & Wesson M&P 2.0 Subcompact.
Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro Osp 9mm Pistol
The main advantage of these new pistols is a combination of good ergonomics, high power and a proven caliber for self-defense: the 9x19 mm cartridge. The original Springfield Hellcat followed the same general trend. It is a subcompact 9x19mm pistol designed for concealed carry, with a 3-inch barrel length and an empty weight of at least 20 ounces.
However, the manufacturer touts the Hellcat as the world's most powerful microcompact pistol. Although it had a standard 11-round magazine that matched the capacity of most competitions, the Hellcat's extended base magazine increases capacity to 1+13 rounds despite increasing the gun height by 0.5 inches.
Springfield introduced the new Hellcat Pro in March 2022 at the IWA 2022 Firearms Show. The Hellcat Pro is an enlarged version of the original Hellcat, making it the first mid-sized pistol in the Hellcat family.
Despite the ergonomic improvements and increased magazine capacity, the Hellcat Pro is still designed for easy concealment, with an overall length of just 6.6 inches, or just 0.6 inches longer than the original Hellcat. Additionally, the Slide Pro comes out of the box with an optical cutout that makes it similar to the OSP and RDP models.
Springfield Hellcat Pro Ammo Armor
While there's no doubt that the original Hellcat is smaller, lighter, and easier to conceal than its Pro counterpart, both are great carry guns sized for easy concealment in a decent holster.
It's worth noting that the Hellcat Pro, despite being longer and taller, doesn't have a thicker handle than the standard version. This factor helps prevent noticeable printing during concealed carry.
Both pistols are chambered in 9x19mm, and the 0.7-inch difference in barrel length does not mean a significant difference in muzzle velocity or accuracy.
While some shooters may argue that the Hellcat Pro's slightly longer scope radius is beneficial for accurate long-range shots, the difference is minimal. No Hellcat is designed to be used at longer ranges for self-defense. So, as long as the shooter is up to the task, both pistols provide more than adequate accuracy.
Springfield Hellcat Review
The main performance difference between the standard Hellcat and the Pro is magazine capacity. The standard Hellcat comes with either an 11-round magazine or an extended 13-round magazine, while the Pro only accepts the 15-round magazine designed for it.
Although the latter has a larger capacity, the Hellcat still offers an exceptional maximum of 14 rounds of 9x19mm in a sub-compact platform that minimizes practical differences.
If necessary, a 15-round pro mag is fine for a standard Hellcat. However, it protrudes from the bottom of the frame and potentially makes the gun uncomfortable to hold.
The ergonomic differences between the Hellcat and the Hellcat Pro should be familiar to shooters who have experience using compact and subcompact pistols in the same family. Both pistols have similar controls and share separate parts: magazine release, bolt release lever, ejection lever, and trigger system.
Springfield Hellcat Pro Review And Comparison
The only noticeable ergonomic difference is the height of the handle. While both feature the same grip construction and thin finger grooves, the standard Hellcat only has two grooves, while the Hellcat Pro is tall enough to feature three, suggesting the latter may be the better choice. For shooters with larger hands.
Both pistols have the same sights in standard form: a tritium-illuminated front sight for low-light shooting and a non-illuminated U-shaped rear sight.
This configuration is a compromise between day sights and night sights for home defense and allows the shooter to use any pistol in any lighting conditions.
While the sights are the same on both models, the Hellcat Pro has one significant advantage over its standard counterpart: it comes with an optical shutter out of the box. This feature allows the shooter to mount a mounting plate and a micro red dot sight (RDS) such as the HEX Wasp, Shield SMSc or JP Enterprises JPoint.
Bsog Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro Idpa Competition Holster
If you want to mount one of these scopes on a small Hellcat, the stock version will not accept them. You will need Hellcat OSP instead.
We The People Holsters is proud to offer a wide selection of high quality, 100% USA made holsters for American shooters of all skill and experience levels. Whether you carry a standard Hellcat or Pro holster, kydex or leather, IWB or OWB, plain black or color printed leather, we have the perfect leather for you.
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