By Mike Schoby
I can’t say the word “Hellcat” without thinking of the infamous line from “Raising Arizona” when Nicholas Cage’s boss propositions him for a swinger relationship and describes his wife as a “Hellcat.”
Name convention jokes aside, the Hellcat has been one of my favorite carry guns since its inception. Sure, I’ll carry a Walther PPK or even a Seacamp .32 when the mercury breaks 90 and all I’m wearing is Umbro shorts (laugh if you will, but Umbro’s or Adidas track suits are the preferred gentleman’s clubs attire the world over). But, if I am going to a sketchy place where a gun might actually be needed, I grab the Hellcat. What is not to love? It’s extremely reliable, carries 13 rounds, plus it is very shootable—all in a compact package.
The original Hellcat was a micro-compact, challenging the likes of the Kahr and Walther PPK for size. However, with all great successes, offshoots emerge. Namely the Hellcat Pro and Hellcat Pro Comp. At 6.6 inches overall with a 4.8-inch height, it is slightly bigger but has more capacity (15-round in a flush fit magazine, and a 17-round extended magazine is included), and as one would correctly guess, its larger size makes it even more shootable. And who can fault Springfield for expanding upon a successful platform as there is room for perfection at every size. Essentially, the Hellcat Pro challenges the Glock 19 for the category of “if I could only have one gun” to carry all the time. Is it perfect from the factory? Damn near, but like anything it can always be improved upon.
So what is to be done to the Hellcat?
Enter Langdon Tactical Technology. I don’t know what the company’s official mission statement actually is, but from the outside looking in I would say “making good guns kick ass” is a fitting moniker. Langdon has a long track record of taking the best of the best and making it even better. H&K, Beretta and Springfield Armory have all been improved by the efforts of LTT.
Let’s start with the trigger. There is nothing wrong with the factory Springfield trigger, but the Langdon Trigger Job combined with the Apex Trigger is something else. Aluminum construction. Crisp engagement. Limited overtravel, shorter reset distance, and about one pound lighter than factory. Simply put, it is better. Then add in the Apex oversized disassembly lever, slide stop and mag release, which not only make functioning easier, the offset color simply looks cool.
The team at LTT added Floyd’s Custom Mag Well/Extension kit to make mag loads extremely fast without adding substantial size and bulk. Factory magazine bases no longer work, but the gun comes with compatible Floyd’s magazine bases.
The slide is improved by upgrading the sights to a front tritium dot. The standard factory cut from Springfield accepts any RMSC red dots, such as the Sig Romeo, which I installed. Langdon can do a direct mount optics mill cut option for Holosun 407K, 507K and EPS Carry options, but to me this is like mounting a Tasco on a Rigby.
Ultimate EDC: LTT Hellcat Pro Comp
The frame can be custom laser stippled, or in my opinion, a better option is the addition of the LTT/Hogue grip sleeve. I really like this addition on a do-everything carry gun. It provides a fuller, more secure grip and changes the shooting experience tremendously. The gun doesn’t twist in your hand as smaller-framed pistols have a tendency to do. It stays in place and the recoil is straight reaward. Simply put, it provides a sure grip and a better shooting experience. Combined with the integrated barrel comp, double taps become easy.
I haven’t hesitated to ever carry a bone-stock-from-factory Hellcat or Hellcat Pro, but if you want the ultimate, the LTT upgrade takes it to the next level.
Price: $867-$1,600, depending upon upgrades.
Pros: Great upgrades to an already great gun.
Cons: If you opt for the direct mill cut slide for Holosun, lead times increase to 6-8 weeks, but you deserve to wait for choosing a Holosun to begin with!
