If you are a conceal carry owner who studies up on the best handguns to carry, you’d have to be living in a closet somewhere off the coast of Greenland to have never heard of the Springfield Hellcat. The Hellcat came onto the scene several years ago and quickly became one of the top handguns in the country, and rightfully so. When you stack up all you get for your money and combine that with the reliability of Springfield, the fit and finish, the absolute perfection in balance, and the ability to conceal the weapon easily, you have a winner on your hands. The new Springfield Hellcat Pro Desert FDE is a sure winner.
Entering 2022, Springfield Armory launched the new Hellcat Pro version. The Hellcat Pro brought with it a longer barrel, a longer front rail, and most importantly more mag capacity, taking the standard Hellcat from a topped 13 rounds to a 15-round flush fit magazine. The Hellcat Pro is still built on the same frame as the Hellcat, which is helpful because many will not have to change out conceal carry holsters unless it fully encompasses the slide. Open-ended shell holsters or leather holsters will still work just fine with the Hellcat Pro. The slide houses a 3.7-inch barrel which increases defensive ammo options. In addition, the longer slide provides a longer sight radius.
We recently got our hands on the new Desert FDE Hellcat Pro and it was exactly what we hoped it would be. This handgun is very easily concealed, and to be honest a much better option for concealed carry based on size alone. I have always been a strong fan of companies that place extra emphasis on concealability and performance over focusing on all the bells and whistles. Somehow, Springfield has managed to check all the marks.
With an MSRP of $677, the Hellcat Pro is pushing the top of the food chain on price point firearms, but to be completely honest, you get what you pay for. Let’s look at the detailed specification of the Hellcat Pro Desert FDE.
COLOR: Desert FDE
BARREL: 3.7″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish, 1:10
SLIDE: Billet Machined, Desert FDE Cerakote® Finish, Optics Ready FRAME: Desert FDE Polymer w/ Adaptive Grip Texture
SIGHTS: Tritium/Luminescent Front, Tactical Rack U-Notch Rear
RECOIL SYSTEM: Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/Full-Length Guide Rod
GRIP WIDTH: 1″
MAGAZINES: (2) 15-Round
WEIGHT: 21 oz
LENGTH: 6.6″
HEIGHT: 4.8″
If you are looking for a quality handgun that offers maximum reliability and excellent concealability, the Hellcat Pro is one that should be strongly considered. It is always recommended that you go try each firearm out in your hand and if possible, on the range to make sure it is for you, but I can promise you, the Hellcat Pro will not disappoint.
For more information on the Hellcat Pro Desert FDE visit www.springfield-armory.com
