New Springfield Armory Hellcat 380, even better shootability in .380 ACP

For many years it was considered a weak cartridge for personal defense use and often neglected in favor of the more powerful 9mm. But thanks to modern loads, the .380 ACP – better known on this side of the Pond as the 9 Short, 9 Kurz or 9x17 – is now being appreciated also in the US and is experiencing a second youth. So it is not surprising that many manufacturers are introducing new guns or dedicated variants of already popular 9mm guns chambered in .380 ACP: Springfield Armory is also jumping on this bandwagon with the latest Hellcat .380, a micro-compact pistol built on the proven Hellcat platform.

Springfield Armory Hellcat 380: same features, softer recoil

Actually made in Croatia by HS Produk and successfully introduced in a 9mm version as “the highest capacity micro-compact gun” in 2019, the Hellcat is a striker-fired, polymer-framed pistol designed for concealed-carry with a capacity of 11+1 rounds (13+1 with extended magazine). The new  Hellcat 380 shares many features of its big sister, including the same high concealability, the same barrel length of 3”/76 mm, and above all the same capacity. Internals also show the same dual captive recoil spring with full length guide rod. 

The Hellcat 380 is equipped with tritium U-Dot sights for fast sight acquisition and is optics-ready (OSP, Optical sight pistol), which means you can directly mount a micro red dot on the slide. A non-proprietary duster cover rail allows for the mounting of the usual accessories.  All in all, in the Hellcat 380 you will find the same exact features of the 9mm version. Only weight is slightly different, with the .380 version stopping the scale needle at 456 g, some 63 g less than the 9mm Hellcat.

What really makes the difference compared to the previous 9mm version is that the Hellcat 380 has less recoil, which also means improved control and faster follow-up shots thanks to its .380 chambering. Together with its lightweight and easy-to-conceal dimensions, these are ideal characteristics for a carry gun.

The new Springfield Armory Hellcat is priced at $653 in the US. This includes one 11-round flush magazine and one 13-round extended magazine, and a double-zipper soft-sided shell case.

Springfield Armory Hellcat 380 technical specifications and price