Review: Springfield Hellcat .380 ACP

By Jeremy Tremp

Posted in
#Guns

In today’s Springfield Hellcat .380 ACP review, Jeremy Tremp takes a look at the new concealed carry pistol. The micro-compact handgun offers considerable firepower in a softer-recoiling platform. Could this be the best CCW pistol available? The handgun was loaned to the author by Springfield Armory for this review.

Choosing to carry every day is a commitment. Gear has to fit your life, not the other way around. That is why a lot of folks keep circling back to smaller pistols that are simple to conceal and easy to control. Enter the new Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP in .380 ACP. Here’s the short version: Same Hellcat DNA, but in a softer-shooting caliber.

The Hellcat OSP .380 packs in 11+1 firepower in an controllable and optics-ready package. Shown topped off with a Shield OMSsc red dot with translucent roof.

I have carried a lot of micro pistols over the years. In fact, my very first CCW was actually a pistol chambered for the .380 ACP as the round has much to offer. While you give up a little on raw horsepower compared to 9mm, you have a cartridge that still offers impressive power as well as controllability — that latter point being particularly true if used in the right platform.

The .380 ACP round itself has been around for a very long time. Effectively a short 9mm (think .38 Special and .357 Magnum), the .380 offers you a chambering that is easy to carry yet doesn’t have to punish you.

Despite its impressive capacity and ability to mount an optic, the Hellcat OSP .380 is extremely easy to carry and conceal.

Because the recoil is lighter, it’s a lot easier to stay on your sights and get that follow-up shot right where you want it. You’re not wrestling the gun like you sometimes do with a micro 9mm. Inside the distances where defensive pistols are employed, that extra control is a real advantage.

[Not already familiar with the Hellcat? Read Mike Humphries’ Hellcat 9mm review.]

Hellcat .380 Details

The Hellcat .380 sticks to the same carry-first formula that made the Hellcat family so famous. It features a 3” barrel, a double-column flush-fit 11-rounder and an extended 13-rounder magazine, and a slim slide and frame that tucks under light clothing. The result is a pistol that doesn’t print when you’re moving around. The dimensions sit right at the 1”-width mark, which is the sweet spot for true micro pistols. Weight is low and manageable at around 16 oz.

A man stands on an outdoor shooting range, firing a Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP pistol during a live-fire test. The shooter wears eye and ear protection, with arms fully extended in a two-handed grip. The pistol’s slide is mid-cycle, showing ejection of a spent casing. Dust and light in the background indicate a sunny range environment typical for firearm testing. The compact size of the Hellcat .380 is evident in the shooter’s hands, reinforcing its micro-compact classification for concealed carry. This image captures the review author testing accuracy, recoil, and real-world performance. The photo communicates hands-on evaluation and field conditions for the Springfield Armory Hellcat 380 ACP pistol. — The author found the Hellcat in .380 ACP to very easy to control under recoil, despite its small size.

Springfield brought over the key features from the 9mm Hellcat we’ve come to expect. The frame has the same Adaptive Grip Texture, which locks into your hand when you grip hard but stays comfortable against the skin when it’s riding in the holster. The slide is cut with serrations at the front, top, and rear, so you can rack the pistol however you like and still get traction, even with sweaty hands. The U-Dot sight system is standard, pairing a large and bright tritium/luminescent front dot with a simple rear “U-notch” iron sight that makes for quick target acquisition.

Out of the box, the Hellcat OSP .380 ships with two magazines. One is an 11-round flush-fit unit that is shorter and wears a pinky extension, which keeps the footprint small but still gives you a little more to hold onto. The other 13-round mag is extended for a full-hand grip as well as a bump in capacity. I like this flexibility. Most of the time I’ll carry the short mag in the pistol for concealment, and drop the longer mag in a pocket or sling bag as a spare.

The pistol feeds from a flush-fit 11-round magazine (shown), as well as an included extended 13-rounder.

The frame also includes a section of accessory rail, and Springfield kept it non-proprietary. That means you can fit common micro lights or lasers if you want. It’s a nice option, though keep in mind you’ll need a holster cut for it. Personally, I’ll probably keep this one slick and light for maximum concealability.

This is the kind of pistol that simply disappears when you carry it. At the 3:30 position in a slim inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster, the short grip doesn’t push out against clothing, and the slide length is short enough to stay comfortable even when sitting or driving. For appendix carry, a small wedge can help angle the muzzle and keep the pistol tight to the body. Because it’s so light, belt sag isn’t an issue. This is one of those guns you can put on in the morning and “forget about it” until you take it off at night.

About the .380 ACP

In the firearms world, some cartridges have similar names. This can lead to confusion, and in the worst cases, even be dangerous. If you try to shoot the wrong cartridge in a firearm, you could have a catastrophic accident. So, let’s talk about the .380 ACP cartridge and the Hellcat pistol designed to shoot it.

A Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP pistol rests on a shooting-bench surface at an outdoor range, positioned next to several boxes and loose cartridges of .380 ACP self-defense ammunition. The photo shows jacketed hollow points, bonded bullets, and defensive load boxes arranged to indicate the different rounds used during testing. The pistol is pointed downrange and the shooter’s protective gear is visible in the background, establishing a controlled range environment. This composition emphasizes that the review included live-fire testing for reliability, accuracy, and velocity. Visible details include the Hellcat’s short slide, textured grip, and magazine baseplates used during the session. The image is useful for illustrating sections about ammo selection, terminal performance, and what defensive loads function best in a micro-compact platform. It supports the article’s comparison of different .380 Auto defensive options with the Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP. — The .380 ACP cartridge is a viable self-defense option — especially when paired with an excellent handgun like the Springfield Armory Hellcat.

The Hellcat .380 is chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge. Any SAAMI-spec, factory cartridge loaded for the .380 ACP will fire safely in the pistol. Some companies also use the terms .380 Auto and .380 Automatic for the cartridge.

You may also see the terms 9x17mm and 9mm Kurz. Although these use “9mm” in the name, they are the same as the .380 ACP cartridge. They are safe to fire in this pistol. Other uncommon terms are also used for the .380 ACP — check with the dealer where you are buying them and only use them if you are 100% sure they are in SAAMI specifications.

Caution: Do not use other 9mm rounds such as 9x19mm, 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger. These are different cartridges loaded to much higher chamber pressures. They can damage your gun and cause injury to you should you try to shoot them in the Hellcat .380.

Hellcat OSP .380 Specifications

Chambering	.380 ACP
Barrel Length	3″
Weight	16.1 oz.
Overall Length	6″
Sights	Tritium U-Dot
Grips	Integral, polymer
Action	Striker-fired
Finish	Melonite
Capacity	11+1/13+1 (one each included)
MSRP	$653

A Clear View

This Hellcat is offered in an OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) configuration, which means the slide is milled for direct-mounting optics with the Shield RMS/SMS footprint. The direct-mount system means that the sights can co-witness through most if not all of these optics.

Shown is the Hellcat OSP .380 ACP with a Shield Sights OMSsc installed. It is a carry-focused setup that blends small size and fast target acquisition.

I had the opportunity to try out the new pistol with a new optic from Shield Sights. That optic is the OMSsc, which stands for “Open Mini Sight Sub Compact.” Described as the world’s first “panoramic roof” optic, the aluminum-bodied optic employs a translucent acrylic roof and weighs in at just .51 of an ounce. Combine that with its extremely compact dimensions (1.60”x0.74”x0.84”), and you have an optic that offers both small dimensions and a large, unobstructed view.

This tiny optic gives you a fast, clear aiming point. The translucent roof on that optic lets in extra light and keeps the window wide open for such a small footprint. I still appreciate irons on a carry gun, but on pistols this size a red dot can be a real advantage for quick shots and for shooters whose eyes aren’t what they used to be.

A firearm reviewer is shown aiming a Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP fitted with a Shield Sights OMSsc red-dot optic at an outdoor range. The image shows the author’s two-handed grip and the small panoramic roof optic mounted in the Hellcat OSP slide cut, giving a wide, open sight window. The pistol’s short 3-inch slide and adaptive grip texture are visible, underlining the micro-compact form factor used for concealed carry. The iron sights appear to co-witness through the optic window, indicating redundancy in sighting systems. The scene includes range safety gear like eye and ear protection and a target visible downrange, conveying an active testing environment. This ALT text helps visually impaired readers understand the sighting setup and practical benefits of a red dot on a Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP. — The author lines up the Shield Sights OMSsc on the Springfield Hellcat .380 ACP during live-fire testing.

However, if you want to keep it simple, the .380’s included slide cover plate fills the milled optic-mounting slot to give you a handy, iron-sighted EDC. However, for me, having an optic that can co-witness with the irons is the best of both worlds.

Range Time with the Hellcat .380 Pistol

For me, the main reason to choose the .380 ACP version of the Hellcat is the way it shoots. Micro 9mms can be snappy and, while they’re impressive for their size, they can wear you out in a long training session. The .380 ACP cartridge softens that up noticeably. With the Hellcat chambered in .380 ACP, the sights just seem to settle back quicker. Follow-up shots don’t take as much effort, and even shooting one-handed feels a lot more manageable.

A collection of .380 Auto defensive loads photographed on a wooden range table with their packaging partially visible. The photo shows different hollow point designs and projectile finishes used in performance testing with the Springfield Armory Hellcat 380 ACP pistol. The boxes are arranged neatly to display the brands and grain weights for context on the test data. Some loose cartridges are positioned upright to show bullet cavity details and case color variations. The image gives readers a clear idea of what types of ammunition were used to assess feeding reliability, recoil, and accuracy. The natural outdoor lighting and neutral background reinforce the practical, range-based tone of the review. This image pairs well with sections covering ammo comparison and ballistic consistency for the Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP. — Ammunition tested with the Springfield Hellcat .380 ACP during live-fire evaluation. Each defensive load was chronographed and checked for feeding, cycling, and precision on target.

Is .380 ACP as powerful as 9mm? No, and it’s not supposed to be. What it offers instead is a balance: a caliber that is manageable, shootable and confidence-inspiring. That’s a combination that makes sense for a lot of everyday carriers.

A pistol chambered in .380 Auto is all about balancing control with enough ballistic performance for defensive use. That’s why ammo choice is critical. For my testing, I ran the Hellcat .380 with a mix of common defensive loads to get a feel for how it performs across the board.

Hellcat .380 Reliability

On the range I was able to test five flavors of ammunition: Black Hills 60-gr. HoneyBadger, Black Hills 90-gr. Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP), Federal Punch 85-gr. JHP, Federal 99-gr. Hydra-Shok, and Fiocchi CovertX 95-gr. JHP. During my multiple range sessions, all the defensive ammo ran through the gun with perfect reliability, smooth feeding and steady cycling.

A clean, well-lit image of the Springfield Hellcat 380 ACP pistol used in a detailed review. The micro-compact handgun is displayed from the left side, showing the short barrel, textured grip, and U-Dot sight system. Its OSP slide cut is visible, ready for a Shield Sights OMSsc or similar red-dot optic. The pistol sits on a neutral background with soft lighting to highlight machining lines and markings. This firearm is chambered in .380 ACP, offering lower recoil and easier handling than the 9mm version. The image supports sections of the review focused on ergonomics, concealability, and design features. It visually represents the Hellcat 380 ACP as reviewed for everyday carry reliability and accuracy. — The Springfield Hellcat .380 ACP featured in this review brings micro-compact carry to a softer-recoiling caliber. Designed for everyday use, it balances control, capacity, and comfort.

It was an interesting experience shooting the Hellcat in .380, as I have been used to shooting 9mm Hellcat’s for the past five years. I know exactly what to expect when I pull that trigger. Shooting the .380 was quite enjoyable and a nice change of pace. The pistol is incredibly tame and easy to shoot, especially with some of the heavier-grain ammunition such as the 95- and 99-gr. loads. With these, muzzle rise was nearly non-existent.

On my second range day with the pistol, I did some basic accuracy and velocity testing from 15 yards. Accuracy results were quite good, with it averaging just over 1” at that distance. Average velocity results in feet per second (fps) were as follows:

I ended up running out of time and did not get to accuracy and velocity test the Black Hills 90-gr. JHP load.

I found that the slide on this Hellcat is surprisingly easy to rack for a micro pistol, which is a big plus for newer shooters. The magazine release is sized right; it’s easy to hit on reloads, but not oversized to the point of causing snags. The slide stop sits where it needs to be without getting stopped up by your support hand. Springfield also carried over the stand-off surface at the front of the guide rod, which is designed to keep the pistol in battery if it’s pressed against a surface. It’s a detail you hope to never need, but I’m glad it’s there.

Conclusion

The way I see it, the Hellcat .380 is a strong option for a few different groups of shooters. For people who are newer to carrying, the softer recoil makes it easier to train with, which means you’ll shoot more and build confidence faster. For anyone who struggles with the snap of micro 9mms, whether that’s due to grip strength or just personal preference, this .380 is a welcome alternative. Or, you might be an experienced shooter who just wants a Hellcat that is easy to carry and even easier to shoot well.

The new Hellcat OSP in .380 ACP fills a real need in the concealed carry world. The Hellcat OSP .380 is small, easy to carry and very comfortable to shoot. That might sound basic, but those qualities are what decide whether a pistol stays in the safe or actually goes on your belt every day. Springfield kept all the things that made the Hellcat popular in the first place, and paired it with a softer-shooting chambering.

This is a pistol built for real-world carry. It’s not about chasing maximum power. It’s about giving people a pistol they can shoot well, carry without compromise and trust when it matters. For many of us, that’s exactly the combination for which we’re looking.

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