Micro compact 9mm pistols are the bee’s knees in the concealed carry market. You get double-digit capacity and optics readiness in a platform scarcely larger than a traditional single-stack handgun. But the age-old problem of recoil with small 9mm pistols is still a potential issue. If a low-recoil, easy-shooting option is in the cards, consider the Springfield Hellcat OSP in .380 ACP.
All About the Springfield Hellcat 380
The Springfield Hellcat chambered in 9mm is one of the first micro compact pistols on the market. It has an 11+1 flush fit magazine capacity and weighs under 1 1/2 lbs. loaded. But it is chambered in 9mm Luger, a full-power service cartridge.
The 9mm round has good performance, great availability, and is cheap to buy, but can be unwieldy in small guns like these. Adding porting and compensators can mitigate recoil to an extent, but they have their own set of disadvantages. A more straightforward option is chambering the pistol in .380.
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Enter the Springfield Hellcat OSP in 380, the standard Hellcat model but chambered in .380 ACP.
The Hellcat OSP 380 is a striker-action polymer-framed pistol that has the same capacity as the 9mm version. It ships with an 11-round flush fit magazine and an extended 13-round magazine as well. Like the other Hellcats, the OSP 380 has a melonite-treated stainless steel slide with spacious forward and rearward cocking serrations and optics-ready capacity.
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The slide is cut for Shield RMSc optics and wears a tritium front sight and a U-notch rear sight. Whether you like red dot optics or prefer to stick to iron sights, the Hellcat is there to satisfy in that department.
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In terms of controls, the OSP 380 has a reversible magazine release button as well as a left-sided slide release and takedown lever. The trigger has a trigger-shoe safety, and the slide wears a striker block, making the OSP safe unless the trigger is intentionally pulled.
The Hellcat OSP ships with two magazines and a soft-sided carrying case.
MSRP: $653
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Shooting the Springfield Hellcat OSP 380
The Hellcat OSP 380 has a lot going for it. Loaded, it weighs under 1 lb. 5 oz. It fits existing Hellcat holsters. It also chambers the lower-powered .380 round that should make the shooting experience more approachable. But how does it shoot? To that end, I burned through three hundred rounds of .380 ACP ammunition.
Part of that stash comes from my unusual fixation on .380 handguns and ammo. Part of it came from a generous donation from Ammunition To Go. When I was spent, I counted 300 rounds and 0 malfunctions of any kind. I thought I would have more frustration. Instead, there was boredom.
If you have shot a .380 before, chances are that it was a small single-stack pocket pistol. And chances are that it was not pleasant. If you chamber .380 in a pistol light enough, it’ll give you a sting, and it might move the gun around in your hand, making it hard to make good habits and get good follow-up shots.
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The Hellcat OSP is not one of those handguns. The slightly wider grip (1 inch in width) and greater slide weight soak up .380 recoil. As far as I can tell, Springfield did not do anything meaningful to the recoil spring compared to the 9mm version. Manipulating the slide is easy, particularly with an optic, but not too easy, unlike some pistols marketed specifically toward novice shooters.
The Hellcat OSP 380 In Hand
In hand, the sights barely move under such sedate recoil. Standard pressure loads like the Winchester 95 grain FMJ, Remington HTP 88 grain hollowpoint, or Hornady Critical Defense 90 grain FTX loads produce a very soft push into the hand, but the full firing grip you get on the pistol and the width of the grip itself blunts it. The pistol almost seems to burp, and then the sights return to focus, and you are ready for the next shot.
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The soft shooting experience is reinforced by the smart features incorporated into the frame. The undercut under the trigger guard keeps the hand held high on the grip, and the checkered thumb rest gives you a tactile reminder of where to keep your support-hand index finger while taking a two-handed grip.
It is tempting to go fast, but the longer trigger pull encourages more careful shooting. The trigger has a brisk reset and a clean 4 1/2 lb. break, but a full .40 inch length of travel from break back to reset. Initially, it was tempting for me to pull too quickly and put rounds off my aiming point. But once I learned the trigger, it was easy to get 2-inch groups with any ammunition I tried out to 10-15 yards.
In Summary
The .380 ACP cartridge has its benefits for the new and experienced shooter. In the Hellcat, the .380 is a legitimate soft shooter and, in that platform, delivers fast, consistent hits where the 9mm version might leave you behind. The cartridge also has its downsides. It is not as cheap to buy as 9mm, and ammunition selection is more important for good performance.
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But ammunition, just like firearms, is a compromise. If you are looking for a handgun that is forgiving in the carry and shooting experience, you might cast a gaze at the Springfield Hellcat OSP in .380, instead of 9.
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