A Closer Look at the New 17+1 Round Desert FDE Hellcat Pro Threaded
Springfield Armory continues to meet customer demands in the micro 9mm carry gun space with an expansion of the Hellcat pistol line.
The new Hellcat Pro Threaded model in Desert Flat Dark Earth debuted on Monday and is the first model to ship in that colorway with an extended threaded barrel and both 15+1 round flush-fit and 17+1 round extended magazines. Springfield loaned Guns.com a test and evaluation sample of the new model prior to launch, and we have this first look at this feature-loaded desert cat.
The newest Hellcat ships in a cardboard box that includes a branded zipper case, a flush-fit 15-round mag, an extended 17-round mag with matching grip texture, and a mag loader as well as other accessories. Don't toss the mag loader, as we found that it comes in handy for topping off those last couple of rounds. (All photos/video: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The overall length of the Desert FDE Hellcat Pro Threaded is 7.2 inches due to its extended 4.4-inch hammer-forged steel threaded barrel.
The weight is 22 ounces empty, and we found it to hit the scales at 29.3 ounces with a 17+1 round mag inserted and 18 rounds of Speer 124-grain Gold Dot JHPs loaded.
As with the standard Hellcat Pro series pistols, the Threaded is optics-ready and includes super bright iron sights with a Tritium luminescent front and a Tactical Rack U-notch rear.
Under the optics plate is a Shield RMSc footprint. We tossed a Swampfox Optics Sentinel II/Gen 2 MRDS on the slide, and it fit just fine. The difference between the legacy Sentinel and the SII is that the new sight has bigger glass (1x20 rather than 1x16), and the glass is recessed into the hood to allow better racking, for instance, off the barricade. It has a 50,000-hour battery life, or about two years and includes a shake-awake feature to return to the most recent of the sight's 10 settings. We found the deck low enough that the Hellcat's factory rear sights co-witness.
When compared to the standard Hellcat Pro, seen here with the hard-serving example we have put more than 2,000 rounds through in the past year, the Threaded is just over a half-inch longer, 3 ounces heavier when carrying the 17+1 round magazine, and a half-inch higher due to the taller mag. If using the flush-fit 15+1, both pistols are the same height.
Besides the option for a larger mag, the big selling point to the Hellcat Pro Threaded is its extended barrel with standard 1/2x28 TPI threads underneath the knurled protector cap. This sets it up for easy installation of a wide array of muzzle devices and compensators or suppressors.
We evaluated it with a modular SilencerCo Octane 36M can on a booster (Nielsen) and ran 100 rounds of Federal Syntech 115-grain TSJs and 124-grain Training Match with a listed velocity of 1,130 fps and 1,150 fps respectively and had no problem.
For example:
For this first look, we put 250 rounds of Federal's Sytntech loads in both 115-grain TSJ and 124-grain Training Match, 100 of which were with a suppressor attached, and had no issues. The Hellcat runs. The Syntech Training Match loads have the same velocity, trajectory, and point of impact as equivalent Federal Premium Personal Defense HST and Tactical HST duty ammo, while the totally synthetic jacket minimizes fouling and reduces barrel heat and friction.
We also found the Hellcat Pro Threaded to fit most holsters made for the legacy Hellcat Pro, so long as they had an open bottom. For example, take this DeSantis Mini Slide, a saddle leather holster with double seams and a molded fit. It is a two-slot open-bottomed holster with an adjustable tension device that works well for OWB around the house or with a cover garment, while still allowing ample space for a mounted optic.
When it comes to the reasoning behind the Hellcat Pro Threaded, it all just comes down to value added. Users can opt to carry it as bare-bones as possible, with no lights, optics, or muzzle devices, have the flush-fit mag inserted with the extendo as a spare should things get really really real, and the platform is still very concealable. Then, for quiet time on the range, a suppressor can be added without degrading performance. If weight and concealability is not a factor, say, for home defense, a user can add all the bells and whistles and run the larger mag full-time.
Plus, there is always the scenario of using a loaded-out Hellcat Pro Threaded as one's home defense pistol while keeping a standard, more bare-bones, Hellcat Pro for carry use. This keeps the same manual of arms and practice factor across both duties while being able to share mags, most holsters, and spare parts. Could be a win on a bunch of fronts.
MSRP on the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro Threaded in Desert FDE is $710.
