Springfield Hellcat 15 round magazine

Springfield’s Hellcat was the second micro nine capable of packing a double stack’s capacity into a gun the size of an EDC single stack. As we covered recently, SIG didn’t take kindly to that and has launched a lawsuit claiming the Hellcat’s magazine violates their patents.

Springfield, however, hasn’t slowed down and has now released a 15-round Hellcat magazine for users who want a little more.

Springfield Hellcat 15 round magazine
15, 13, and 11-round Springfield Hellcat magazines (Travis Pike for TTAG)

Springfield sent out the initial presser well before SIG announced their suit, so the timing of the release of the new magazine happens to be coincidence. The Hellcat previously offered 11 and 13-round magazines for use in free states. The new 15-round option is the largest yet.

Springfield Hellcat 15 round magazine
All the capacities (Travis Pike for TTAG)

I’ve had mine since Friday and have run a few magazines of ammunition through it. It’s not enough for a review, but enough to know it works well. Prior to the 15-round Hellcat magazine, I was a big fan of the 13-round Hellcat magazine. I found it to be just long enough to fit my hand perfectly.

Springfield Hellcat 15 round magazine
Springfield Hellcat with the new, longer 15 round magazine in place (Travis Pike for TTAG)

The 15-round Hellcat magazine provides a quarter-inch more in length than the 13-round magazine. As far as grip goes, the length isn’t necessarily that big of a deal, but two extra rounds is nothing to sniff at.

Here’s Springfield’s press release . . .

GENESEO, ILL. – Springfield Armory® has taken its Hellcat® pistol — the smallest, highest-capacity micro-compact 9mm handgun in the world — and increased its already impressive capacity with the new 15-round Hellcat magazine. The result is a micro-sized 9mm pistol with an astounding 15+1 capacity comparable to compact and duty-sized pistols, yet in a package that is smaller than similarly configured, lower-capacity competitors.

The new magazine, which is only slightly longer than the 13-round extended version, is currently available directly from Springfield Armory with an MSRP of $39.95 and will soon be available from Springfield retailers as well. It is offered in both black and Desert FDE.

The Hellcat is available in both standard and OSP™ (Optical Sight Pistol) versions, with the latter featuring slides cut to accept the smallest micro red dot sights on the market. The micro 9mm ships with a patented 11-round magazine as well as an extended 13-round magazine, and this newest magazine will allow users to have a full 15+1 rounds of 9mm ammo ready to go.

Springfield Hellcat 15 round magazine
Travis Pike for TTAG

“This magazine offers Hellcat owners the ability to increase the total capacity of their pistol by two rounds or to carry a larger 15-round mag as a back-up,” says Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing for Springfield Armory. “This increased capacity puts the Hellcat platform even further beyond its competitors and means users can carry with even greater confidence.”

The Hellcat has received numerous awards since its release in 2019, including the 2020 Handgun of the Year Award from the National Rifle Association’s American Rifleman, the Guns & Ammo 2020 Handgun of the Year Award, Ballistic magazine’s Ballistics’ Best 2020 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Compact Handgun, the NTOA MTR Gold Award, and more.

For information, visit https://www.spr-ar.com/r/4520

Mags For Days

The more ammo you got, the better right? A 15 round magazine provides a few extra rounds and allows the Hellcat to have a magazine that competes with the SIG P365’s largest capacity magazine. If you’re packing a Hellcat, does the newest 15 round Hellcat magazine appeal to you? Is the extra length a downside? Do you want two extra rounds? With an MSRP of 39.95, the 15 round magazines are live now at Springfield Armory’s website.

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51 COMMENTS

  1. Hey guess what? Taurus is releasing a micro 9 this week. Made in USA & not by Croatia. Or Springfield which is anathema to me. Say what you will about Taurus but their quality control has taken a quantum leap lately.

    • Hope you are right about QC.

      One and only taurus purchase was a raging bull in 44 mag that went out of timing in less than a box of federal 44 mag.

      A buddy had a pt40 that would drop the mag every time a round was fired….not enough tension on mag catch.

      Both were obvious QC issues and should have never left factory.

        • Considering the number of people who’ve had problems with their Taurus guns, we have literally no idea why you haven’t had problems with yours.

    • The more these micro 9’s exist in standard configurations with round counts above 10 the happier I am. Common use may not trump magazine capacity limits but it does make it look exactly as stupid as it is. Now how many can we jam into full sized above 20?

    • Ever dealt with Taurus “Customer Service”?
      My 357 came back with a barrel indexed at 1 o’clock. Sent it in, because it jammed.

      Say what you will about SA. I get it, but the Croatians make good stuff. The 9 and the 45 that I’ve had since before SA’s traitorous deeds, have been 100%.

      As far is this article…we’ll, now we’re back to the size of a compact XDM or a Glock 19. To each, his own.

      • i’m thinkin’ the croat’s are marketing under their own banner as well now. if you like that sort of thing.

    • We bought 2 Taurus Spectrums and they run like an old rusted beater car up on blocks in the yard. I did my routine 500 round break in on both (pre 2020), thorough cleaning, lubrication, tried different brands of ammo, etc and they still choke periodically. So I’ll pass on the Taurus.

      Having said that, I will also pass on the Hellcat. Several new people I was helping chose to get them in the last year. Universally the triggers were crap and there was too much muzzle flip. Springfield introduced a compensator pretty quickly and after market triggers also appeared fast. But I don’t want to buy a carry gun that I have to put more work and money into to get it to run.

      Glocks will work out of the box. S&W semi autos don’t appeal to me, but I have not heard any complaints from their owners. Rugers and Sigs seem to work too. You can accessorize all of these if you want to, but you don’t have to to make them work.

      • Ooooooo, you purchased TWO Taurus Spectrums? In what other ways do you let the world know you’re a cheapskate who knows little to nothing about guns?

        • I see the Taurus Haters are out , to each his own , thats why they cant keep them on the shelves, top selling Firearm right now and yeah they are good ,

      • I watched a video of someone running 10,000 round through an out of the box Hellcat shortly after it came out. Trigger isn’t any better or worse than the Sig 365. Considering all the aftermarket mods for Glocks not everyone thinks the are good to go out of the box.

    • Keep telling yourself that. Taurus is made in Brazil and modified just enough to be marketed as “built” in the use.

    • They are? im all about Taurus. Like you said . Say what will. Sign me up!!! I’ve already have the G2c, 111g2, 709,
      Spectrum, and 738, and all of the First listed have KT TRIGGERS. bring it!! Yeah baby!!

      • I got the Taurus gt1111 g2— after doing a trigger upgrade – polishing internals – it’s better than my S&W M&P 2.0 9mm !! Before the Upgrades on the g2 – it was OK – NO ISSUES ( still none at the present). But I have Arthritis issues with my Hands ( reason for upgrades) -( forgot , I also put a lighter recoil spring in the g2 , made it easier To Rack) this is the first Taurus And I like it. It is Very Affordable – Reliability is good as any compared ( imo). It works as Well as A Ruger LC380-S&W M&P 2.0…

    • Pretty soon we’ll probably be seeing micro 9s with drums, at this rate it’s almost a certainty.

      • On ASP (Active Self Protection) youtube channel it seems like every video in the US involves drums or extendos now. And more AR and AK pistols than in previous years.

  3. I’ll stick with my slimmer Kimber Micro 9 with 7 or 8 and carry two spare mags. If I want more capacity, I’ll carry my CZ-RAMI with 14. Prefer steel or alloy over polymer, and hammer fire.

    • Eventually will get a sig 365xl, worked the best for my hand when I got to try it the hellcat and lcp in one go. Also easier to find 10 round NY compliant mags as the extra capacity is less of a feature up here.

    • Agreed Daniel. A micro CC gat is supposed to be small. Having one of these 15-rd mags would make the end stick out a bit a profile under most conceal options, making it somewhat self-defeating. But TEHO. I suppose one of these 15-rounders would be good as the backup mag, but not installed in the gun while carrying.

      For a micro such as G3, P365, Kimber 9, Hellcat, etc., I’ll stick with the original mag plus an extra on the support side.

      • Umm. I wrote “G43” as in Glock 43, and even proofread it twice before posting. Yet it somehow appeared as G3?

        Gremlins in the site…

      • Don’t blame me😉

        I wrote in my response to Seecamp Guy below that the point of a double-stack micro (with stock mags) is that it lets you maintain some of the advantages of a “winter carry” (like his G19) in summer, but the extended mags aren’t really for summer concealment.

        Extended mags take it to the next level: you can buy one pistol that fits your summer clothes; get used to one grip angle, one trigger squeeze, one set of controls, etc.; and then carry it year-round – adding the hand-filling grip and capacity of a larger pistol when wearing more layers, sacrificing essentially nothing but sight radius in comparison with larger pistols.

    • Wish the Kimbers were more affordable — How is the Kimber ? Is it hard to Rack ? Trigger as Good as Most 1911’s? will it fit large hands? Is this Pocket size or belt carry worthy? would rather hear reviews from regular people – they are more honest….

  4. What is the point? I carried revolvers (6) for years. We never thought about using a 1911(7+1) or hi-power (13+1). Are the extra few rounds really going to make a difference? Remember this is a concealed carry gun…

    In case you’re wondering, I carry a Seecamp in 32 in summer time and a Glock 19 in a Safariland ALS OWB in winter. 🙂

    • Idk. I was a lot more comfortable carrying my 1911 before the last couple years of living and peaceful protests. Rite house certainly needed more than 6 shots defending himself from the rioting thugs intent on beating him to a pulp. No one has ever been in a gunfight and complained of too much ammo.

        • Yah- that is true. Antifa wears armor now, so maybe FN Five-seveN with SS198LF would be a good idea for winter carry. I would have 61rds.

    • Seecamp Guy,
      You seem to have answered your own question. Despite your first paragraph about growing up in ancient times😉, your winter carry seems to indicate an appreciation of its advantages. Your summer carry shows a (severe) compromise that was necessary to conceal properly in light summer clothes. Now it is much less necessary (I EDC a P365 – albeit usually with the 10rd magazine – in gym shorts and a T-shirt).

      Some choices are good and some choices are bad. Having choices is always good👍.

  5. I get that people like the subs and micros, but I don’t understand why other than concealment.

    • Because “concealed means concealed!”
      And because weight and comfort. I carry the SA XD mod 2 with 13 rounds, 16 in my spare. I bought the Hellcat for my new EDC, based on size and weight – in most cases less than my 9mm Shield.
      I made one mistake – I let my wife shoot it! Now I have to buy another one!

    • What Mikey said. However, the choice of carry (what, how, and when) largely depends on a number of other factors besides concealment and comfort. Local laws, social norms, how you dress, preferred caliber, etc., etc. Questioning other people on their choices in this regard isn’t much different than questioning their food choices. No point to it & it can be impolite.

    • Because Manse, people want a “noisy cricket.” They want the power of the 50 BMG in a lightweight, low recoiling, easy to conceal handgun that has a never-ending magazine. Until reality catches up with sci-fi these types of handguns are the best compromise.

    • Concealment, laziness and the inability of landwhales to conceal a moderately sized firearm without it poking them in the wibbles and thereby becoming uncomfortable.

      • A corpulent belly overlapping the belt can assist with concealment.

        Just say’in…

    • A lot of these little guns (not the 365 or Hellcat) are single stacks. I know people with smaller hands that can handle a Glock 43 or 48, but they can’t hold a similarly sized double stack 26 or 19 properly. Really tiny hands can still handle a .380 Colt Mustang, Sig P238, etc.

  6. Hellcats not a Kahr
    Hellcats not a drunken enraged Karen
    It’s a gunm from Springfield

  8. So…..another 80 bucks for two mags that should be included with gun, 75 more to fill them once each with decent ammo, 550 for the pistol…maybe they should’ve named it “polecat”. I can think of better ways to dispose of 700 plus tax, even without the Springfield factor.

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