Review: 17-Round Hellcat Pro Magazine

By Jeremy Tremp

When the 9mm Springfield Armory Hellcat came onto the scene in September of 2019, it sported a 3” barrel and an 11-round flush fit magazine. With that capacity and compact size, it was immediately thrust into the spotlight as the largest-capacity micro compact 9mm on the market.

In addition to the flush-fit 11-round magazine, the Hellcat also ships with an extended 13-round magazine. With that magazine, the dimensions of the length of the grip went up slightly but gave users more capacity — a fair trade-off for most, particularly as a back-up magazine or for those who wanted more area of gripping surface with the micro-sized pistol.

In recognition of the appeal of a Hellcat that could carry more rounds, Springfield Armory later released a 15-round extended magazine for the pistol that only extended slightly longer than the extended 13-round magazine that comes packed with the pistol. I think you can probably see where this is heading.

Upping the Ante

So, with a 15-round magazine, the Hellcat was starting to enter duty-pistol capability range — but it still had that compact 3” barrel. Building on the strengths of the original micro-sized Hellcat, Springfield developed the Hellcat Pro OSP. The Pro features a flush-fit 15-round magazine, and in addition it has a longer 3.7” barrel and matching lengthened slide. The result is a pistol that is still slim and compact and easy to conceal, but one that features duty pistol-grade performance.

I immediately fell in love with the original Hellcat pistol at its release in 2019. The U-Dot sights were super intuitive for me to master, and the pistol felt comfortable and properly proportioned, especially sitting in a holster. My main gripe, if there was one, was that the pistol being so compact was a bit snappy. But that’s the trade-off when carrying a micro-sized pistol with a 3” barrel.

When the Hellcat Pro was released, I was ecstatic to switch over to the larger version of the Hellcat. I was even more comfortable and confident with the Pro as it fit in my hands perfectly, which made it even more controllable. And despite its larger size, it was still extremely concealable — even with its on-board 15+1 capacity.

[Read Massad Ayoob’s Hellcat Pro Review here.]

If you’re recognizing a trend here, I bet you can guess what is next. Yep, more rounds for the Hellcat Pro! Springfield Armory has released factory 17-round magazines for the Hellcat Pro, taking the already impressive capacity of the EDC pistol to where it can go toe-to-toe with practically all duty-style 9mm pistols.

Yes, that’s right. A 17+1 9mm pistol compact enough for most people to be able to conceal. This is where competition in the marketplace breeds wonderful innovation for the consumers. It seems like every manufacture is trying to squeeze as much out of their products as possible — some with more success than others — and Springfield Armory has once again stepped up and delivered for its customers.

The Details

Needless to say, as a fan of the Hellcat Pro who uses one for CCW, I was very interested in this new accessory for the pistol as soon as I heard about it. I was able to get my hands on three of the new 17-round magazines to test out in my tried-and-true Hellcat Pro I carry every day.

During my range session with them, it almost felt too good to be true having that much capacity in my daily carry pistol. An added benefit of having larger-capacity magazines, even if you carry with the flush-fit magazine in the gun, is the extended time on the line when training at the range with the longer magazines. Being able to stay on the line longer with multiple magazines can mean better training experiences and more rounds down range. I can now confidently run the Hellcat Pro in classes next to duty-size pistols without any ammo handicaps.

These new Hellcat Pro magazines, like all Hellcat family mags, are made from stainless steel for extreme durability. In addition, they feature a highly polished surface for smooth feeding into the pistol. Also, the magazines feature witness holes on the back of the magazine body, counting from round four through 17. At a glance, I can easily discern which mags are empty, partial or fully loaded.

I will also say, the magazines are not a bear to load. We’ve all seen those magazines that seem like there is no way they can hold the capacity they claim. You begin to load the magazine and, by the time you are nearly to the end, you can’t even manage to get the last round in.

This is simply not the case with the 17-round Hellcat magazines. They feel just like loading all the other Hellcat mags, which are perfectly capable of handling their maximum capacity without bruising your fingers. And in case you have any trouble loading those rounds, Springfield is thoughtful enough to include a handy mag loader with all Hellcat family pistols.

The magazines are about ½” longer than a flush-fit Hellcat Pro magazine. The extended basepad of the magazines feature the same Adaptive Grip Texture as the pistol, giving it that factory look as well as excellent ergonomics. People with larger hands will certainly rejoice at these magazines and the extra real estate they provide. The total pistol height with the new 17-round magazine comes in at about 5.5”. Getting a tight and proper grip on the Hellcat Pro has never been easier.

In Practice

As far as reliability is concerned, you will be pleased to know that these magazines are exactly what you would expect from a Springfield Armory product. They ran flawlessly with the hundreds of rounds provided by True Shot Gun Club that I fired through them and the pistol during my time with them.

Since these extended magazines are from the factory and designed exactly for the Pro, as opposed to an aftermarket extension, you can guarantee that the spring pressure is set exactly where it needs to be. This is imperative when trusting your life to a self-defense pistol. And if you are one to carry a second mag with you, that puts you at a staggering number of rounds for an EDC. You can be extremely well-prepared with that kind of capacity.

For me, even if I stick with the 15-round flush-fit magazines to be as concealed as possible, I will use the 17-round magazines as my off-body carry mags. I always carry a few spare mags in my truck and my day bag, and I also place some in my bedroom drawer. I always want these mags to offer as much capacity as possible since they are more of an emergency spare. These new 17-round mags fit that bill perfectly.

Conclusion

When micro compact pistols first came onto the scene, they were a niche CCW product that were ultimately limited by capacity. The original Hellcat helped break that mold. Today, these micro compacts like the Hellcat and larger Hellcat Pro can rival the capacity and performance of a full-size pistol.

If you are in the market for industry-leading capacity at competitive prices, the Hellcat family of pistols is a solid option for you. From 11-, 13- and 15-round capacities for the Hellcat and 15- and 17-round now for the Hellcat Pro, the Hellcat family of pistols truly has something for everyone. And this new 17-rounder is a great addition for my Hellcat Pro EDC carry system.

It seems as if we have hit a perfect balance between size and capacity with the 17-round Hellcat Pro. It makes you wonder, what does Springfield have up their sleeves next?

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