Springfield Hellcat Pro Comp OSP: Testing & Review

Carry guns have evolved over the years, but with new technology and carry methods the past 10 years have really been fun to watch where the carry gun market has been heading. The rage right now seems to be all about threaded barrels and compensators or barrel porting for carry guns. People have realized that redirecting gasses in a small, otherwise snappy gun will create a better shooting experience and faster follow-up shots in a defensive situation.

Springfield Hellcat Pro Comp OSP Brings EDC Enhancmemts

This scenario creates a much better situation for concealed carry. All these manufacturers have realized this and have been rushing comped or ported guns to market, and they have had great success with them. Springfield, being one of the leaders in the carry market with their Hellcat pistol, couldn’t let that trend go untouched. The result is arguably the ultimate concealed carry pistol, one that literally makes you a better shooter.

Let me start with a little disclaimer here, I am not a fan of the Hellcats. In no way am I saying they are bad guns; I just never shoot them well. I am a firm believer that a gun chooses its shooter, not the shooter choosing the gun, and the Hellcats just never choose me. Maybe it is my style of shooting, my grip, my eyes, who knows. I just never shoot the Hellcats well. The original model was a micro-compact that offered an 11-round capacity with a flush-fit magazine as well as an extended magazine offering 13-rounds.

Then comes the Hellcat Pro, which provided a 15-round capacity with the standard magazine. To match the increase in capacity Springfield added a 3.7-inch barrel for the Pro compared to the three inches of the original. Yes, size does matter, because the Pro model I was able to shoot much better. However, it was still missing something to me. Well, I guess Springfield Armory thought so also, and they filled any remaining void with the new Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro Comp OSP.

Carry Comp

The Pro Comp OSP is in essence a standard Hellcat Pro that some engineer decided to slice a giant hole in the top of the slide and barrel and, oh my, am I happy they did. The new Hellcat Pro Comp OSP boosts the same 21-ounce weight, as well as the same frame, trigger, magazine capacity, and slide dimensions as the regular Hellcat Pro. But you will find a integrated compensator cut right into the front of the 3.7-inch barrel and a hole in the slide to match.

The hammer-forged barrel, like the slide, is finished in Melonite for resistance to wear and corrosion. The slide is machined from a steel billet, and it has shallow, vertical slide serrations front and back. They’re not super aggressive, but they do work. I personally would like to see them a little deeper to create a more aggressive texture for a better purchase on the slide in a stressful situation. But again, they are functional and look good.

Optics-Ready Platform

The top of the slide features a Tactical Rack U-notched rear and a Tritium front post with a bright yellow ring that is moved back on the slide a bit to make room for that big old integrated comp. The iron sights actually co-witness in the lower third of the Shield RMSc window that my sample came installed with. The slide is cut for optics no matter what, but look for Springfield to potentially offer an optic pre-installed as with previous models.

Frame Enhancements

The polymer frame has a two-slot accessory rail up front. Behind that sits a textured indexing pad on either side of the frame for your thumb and trigger finger to have an indexing point. The grip is finished in what Springfield calls its Adaptive Grip Texturing. I call it 200-grit sandpaper. I personally love the grip texture. It just keeps the gun anchored in my hands without being overly aggressive for carry. Some textures will tear your skin apart when the grip is up against you, but this texture doesn’t seem to do that to me. With the Pro Comp you get two magazines, a 15-round and a 17-round extended magazine.

The issues with small carry pistols are they can be a handful to shoot, pun intended. With the Pro, nearly every shooter is able to get a full grip on the gun. The Pro Comp’s 4.8-inch height is almost a full inch taller than the standard Hellcat with its flush-fit magazine. So for carry, some may have a little harder time concealing it, but personally I have not seen a problem. The trigger is really nice feeling on the pistol with a smooth, longer take up and crisp break. The reset is a bit longer than I like but is smooth and audible.

Rounds Downrange

Shooting the Pro Comp is really where this gun stands out. It literally blew my mind with just 15 rounds sent downrange. It was fast, smooth, reliable, felt great in my hands, and it looks pretty good also. I ran 350 rounds through the pistol without a single malfunction. That was straight out of the box with no cleaning or anything. I probably would have run more, but I only brought 350 rounds with me. My next range trip I fed the Hellcat a healthy mix of 115-grain Pinnacle TAC-XP, 124-grain Hornady American Gunner +P, 124-grain Black Hills JHP, 100-grain Black Hills Honey Badger, 115-grain Fiocchi FMJ, and some Remington UMC 115-grain rounds.

I did clean the gun and lubed it with some of my favorite gun butter before running another 400 rounds through it. I shot drills at my private outdoor range on steel, but I did run some simple accuracy tests on some paper targets with the Shield RMSc. Accuracy testing began by shooting at 7 yards. I saw my best groups with the 124-grain +P Hornady American Gunner. I think the comped barrel really liked that added pressure of that round. It felt a bit snappier when shooting the +P rounds, but I was able to keep the gun extremely flat and I was blown away with how well I was shooting it. The gun actually was making me a better shooter.

Serious Accuracy

The best 7-yard group I shot was sub-1 inch. Out at longer distances those groups really did not open very much at all. Just for the hell of it I reached out to 40 yards, and I was able to achieve around 5-inch groups with ease. Those groups were achieved standing, unsupported. I could not believe how fast I was able to run this pistol in any shooting situation.

The Pro Comp OSP model is designed to shoot flatter, faster, and stay more accurate than any other Hellcat model ever made. This one is going to be taking the concealed carry market by storm thanks to how much gun you get in a very impressive package with an even more impressive price point. For what you get, this is on pace to be one of the most cost-effective pistol packages on the market when it comes to carrying, with an MSRP of only $699. Check out the Springfield Hellcat Pro Comp OSP and the entire line up of Hellcats at springfield-armory.com.