Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro Desert FDE (Handguns photo)
November 01, 2022
By Handguns Staff
The Springfield Armory Hellcat has been one of the most successful subcompact handguns of the day, and it has seen many great additions to the line. The newest addition is the Desert FDE Hellcat Pro .
Designed to deliver the perfect balance, the Desert FDE Hellcat Pro is a compact pistol chambered in 9mm that offers 15+1 capacity in a smaller footprint than any other gun in its class. The 9mm pistol packs in impressive capacity while still maintaining the ergonomic, slim profile of the original Hellcat for seamless concealability.
At just 1 inch wide, the slim-line grip feels superb in the hand, increasing contact and control, while the additional mass in the longer slide and barrel translates into reduced muzzle flip and faster follow-up shots. The lightweight polymer frame features our adaptive grip texture, a seamless, pressure-activated texture featuring a pattern of staggered pyramid shapes. The taller pyramids have a flattened top to ensure comfort against the body, while the shorter pyramids come to a point and are engaged when the pistol is firmly gripped.
Developed with the use of red dot optics in mind, the Hellcat Pro features an optical sight pistol configuration. The slide is milled with the Springfield Micro footprint, which is compatible with the Shield/J-Point pattern footprints, and is designed to direct mount the smallest, most popular micro red dots on the market for the lowest mount possible. Backing up your choice of optic is an excellent set of co-witnessing U-dot sights, made up of a high visibility tritium and luminescent front sight paired with a Tactical Rack rear sight.
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Desert FDE is primarily for aesthetics, but it does have several practical field advantages, too. FDE coatings don’t absorb heat in the sun as extremely as traditionally black-coated firearms, and it is also shows up less through night vision. While those traits are almost exclusively going to affect carbines and rifles, the Desert FDE truly makes the new Hellcat Pro stand out in appearance.
With an MSRP of $677 and packed with two 15-round magazines, the Hellcat Pro in Desert FDE offers shooters an exceptional everyday carry pistol in an eye-catching color that delivers the perfect balance for the most demanding performance-minded shooters.
