Gun of the Week: Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP

Welcome to another episode of Gun of the Week, and today we're down on the range with the new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP that was recently released. This is a slightly less powerful caliber than the traditional 9 mm chambering that's been available in the Hellcat since its introduction in 2019. So, you may be asking yourself, why would I want a .380 ACP when 9 mm is available? And, that's an excellent question. It comes down basically to recoil: 9 mm in a small gun like the Hellcat, while not terrible, can certainly be significant. Also, as a result of the short size, the recoil spring needed to handle 9 mm is pretty stout and racking the slide can be problematic for folks with limited hand strength.

As a personal example, when my mom—I won't tell you her age because she'd be mighty unhappy with me—was looking for a personal protection firearm, she checked a bunch of small 9 mm pistols and she could not rack the slide on any of them. She ended up actually going with, ironically, a snubnose revolver. I wish the Hellcat in .380 ACP had been around when she was looking because it is much, much easier to rack the slide than the 9 mm Hellcat.

Other than the chambering, the guns are identical. They're the same length, they're the same width, they're the same height, they have the same capacity. You have a flush-fit, 11-round magazine and a slightly extended 13-round magazine. Dimensionally, the ejection-port width is the only difference in the two guns (it's wider in the 9 mm, of course). Just like the Hellcat in 9 mm, up top on the OSP version is an optics cut for the RMSc footprint. Simply pop the cover plate off, and any optic with the RSC footprint will work. It's super easy to install.

You'll notice the magazines are slightly different—this is a purpose-built .380 ACP magazine. It's not a 9 mm magazine that just has a little block put in it. It's thoughtful engineering to make the .380 ACP Hellcat its own. Most holster fits for the 9 mm Hellcat will work with the Hellcat in .380 ACP. The only caveat is if the holster indexes on the ejection port, you should check with the holster manufacturer. If it indexes on the trigger guard, you're good to go. I've tried close to a dozen holsters for the 9 mm Hellcat, from both major and smaller manufacturers, and they all work for the .380 ACP Hellcat.

On the range is where you are really going to notice the difference between the two calibers. I ran a series of drills when I wrote this up for American Rifleman, and I was faster and more accurate with the Hellcat in .380 ACP than the 9 mm Hellcat. Now, that's not a big surprise, but it's worth thinking about, you know? Clearly, 9 mm is more powerful, but if you're faster and more accurate with the .380 ACP, it's worth thinking about. Advances in bullet and ammunition have made the .380 a much more viable option, so it's not as big of a gap as it used to be.

For more information on the Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP, visit springfield armory.com. Of course, stay tuned to americanrifleman.org for more Gun of the Week.