Springfield Hellcat Accessories and Hellcat Holster Options

The popularity of Springfield Armory’s now-signature micro-compact has necessarily produced a wide range of Hellcat holster options. For similar reasons (and because so many of us like to tinker with our pistols) we’ve seen a whole slew of Springfield Hellcat accessories. Among them are a wide range of functional upgrades, aesthetic modifications, and implements to expand modularity. We’ll cover some of those below. While no means comprehensive, it will include news that relates to the Hellcat and provide some of our own reviews.

 

Hellcat Stuff in the News  (varies)

Cage the Cat: Top Holsters for the Hellcat (Travis Pike)

Liking Leather: Burdette’s Custom Hellcat Holster (Paul Carlson)

 

 

 

Springfield Hellcat Accessory News

 

Failure Resistant Extractor (Apex Tactical)

Brock Trautman (May 2021)

Apex Tactical Solutions just added a new model to its lineup of Failure Resistant Extractors — this one is for the Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol line— designed to, “…ensure consistent and reliable extraction under the most adverse conditions.” Their aftermarket extractor replaces the factory extractor and is intended to deliver more consistent, reliable extraction.

Features and Specifications:
• Replaces factory extractor
• Features Apex’s custom extractor hook geometry
• Provides consistent, reliable extraction
• Works with all current 9mm Hellcat model pistols
• Easy to install
• Apex Part #: 115-090

Extractor Installation

Installation is fairly simple. The only tool you’ll need is a 3/32″ pin punch, or a 1/16″ if that’s what you have. 

Field strip the slide.

1. Remove the backplate and pull out the striker and extractor plunger system (these typically come out in one unit). 
2. Once the plunger system is out of the way, depress the striker block with the pin punch to press the striker block in. Then roll the extractor into the breach, and out of the way. Once the extractor is out, relieve tension on the striker block so it doesn’t shoot out.
3. Consider cleaning out the extractor channel while everything is taken apart. 

Install the replacement extractor.

1. Press the striker block as far in as you can, up out of the way, so the extractor can be seated properly.
2. Drop the extractor into the breach, roll it back, then drop it into the slide. 
3. When you release the striker block, the extractor is held in place. 

Reinstall the plunger assembly. 

1. Take note of the small shelf on it. That shelf has to go down against the extractor. If it goes up or any other direction, it’s not going to seat properly.
2. Insert the plunger assembly and guide it forward. If you’ve got it right, you’ll be able to see it come through the window and push against the back of the extractor. If it’s not aligned right, it’ll sit inside the window and won’t protrude.
3. Put the striker back in. 
4. Put the backplate back on: press in the striker with the fork on the backplate and press the plunger in with the pin punch. The backplate should snap into place. 
5. Perform a function check when the slide is reassembled. Using the pin punch, articulate the extractor inside the breech a couple of times to make sure it moves.
6. If the function check is unsuccessful, go through the assembly process again. 

 

Apex also has these extractors available for Gen 3/5 Glocks, Gen 4 Glocks, FN 509, M&P, and M&P M2.0 model pistols.

Here’s the full installation video.

Hogue Beavertail HandALL Grip Sleeves for the Hellcat

(November 2020)

Hogue has expanded their line of HandALL grip sleeves to include models fit for the Springfield Hellcat. Hogue says these soft rubber Beavertail grip sleeves are guaranteed to enhance the Hellcat shooting experience with a more secure grasp, protection for the hands, and best of all: reducing the felt recoil. 

From Hogue:

It has become common for shooters to resort to custom stippling to upgrade the factory texture of polymer pistols; however, this practice ultimately compromises the original condition of the firearm’s frame. To avoid this irreversible trade-off, Hogue has perfected their Beavertail grip sleeve design to ensure a long-lasting, yet non-permanent alternative that will greatly enhance the shooter’s grip experience. Hogue HandALL Beavertail grip sleeves come in a variety of colors and retail at an affordable $12.95.

Specs

• Precision fit for Springfield Armory Hellcat
• Material: Rubber
• Texture: Cobblestone
• Colors: Black, FDE, Olive Drab Green, Purple, Aqua, and Pink

Features

• Gentle palm swells fit comfortably in hand
• Finger grooves naturally position fingers for optimal grip
• Textured with Hogue’s famous Cobblestone pattern for increased comfort and grip
• Beavertail cushions the hand on recoil and offers increased hand comfort higher on the grip
• Made from long-lasting durable thermoplastic elastomer that ages gracefully for years of service
• Designed for a tight and secure fit engaging with the texture and contours of the firearm’s frame

Read more at Hogue.

New Apex Action Enhancement Trigger for the Springfield Hellcat

(August 2020)

Apex Tactical Specialties just announced its new Action Enhancement Trigger for the Springfield Hellcat pistol. The body of the trigger is aluminum machined with a center-mount pivoting safety that sits just sub-flush when the trigger is pulled. Installation is direct drop-in, with no adjustments required, and according to the company, the trigger pull will be 5-5.25 lbs after a little break-in period.

Here’s how Apex described the new trigger in their press release:

Starting at just $79.95, the package includes an Apex Action Enhancement Trigger, Apex Sear Spring and Apex Striker Spring, which, when installed, significantly improves the feel of the trigger pull while reducing trigger travel and pull weight to that appropriate for a duty or carry pistol.

Apex’s engineering and design team developed the Action Enhancement Trigger as a direct drop-in replacement of the factory polymer trigger and springs of the Hellcat. The new trigger will be available in Black, Red, Thin Blue Line, and Black anodized Freedom Edition versions. Pre-ordering will begin soon.

Features and Specifications

• Reduces trigger pull weight to 5.0 to 5.5 lbs after break-in period
• Smooths uptake and reset
• Reduces overall trigger travel and reset distance
• Crisp trigger break
• Direct drop-in replacement of factory polymer trigger
• Maintains factory safety values
• Easy to install (Drop-in installation)

Here’s the product launch video that Apex put out.

Here’s a complete installation video guide. Note the differences between the factory components next to the Apex parts. The Apex striker spring is slightly longer and the Apex sear spring has an hourglass shape compared to the straight cylindrical coil of the factory sear spring. The differences between the two trigger bodies are fairly obvious.

 

 

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Hellcat Holster Options and Reviews

 

Cage the Cat: Hellcat Holster Options I

Travis Pike (October 2020)

Between the number of holsters you can choose from to the number of small and easily carryable guns on the market — holy crap, is it a good time to be carrying a gun! One such gun is the Springfield Hellcat. The Hellcat stormed upon American shores offering shooters an excellent compromise with its small size but high capacity. The Hellcat is the size of any old standard single stack 9mm but packs 11 to 13 rounds in its magazine. If you have one you need a holster for it, right? With its popularity, a massive amount of holsters have been released. Here’s our roundup of the best Springfield Hellcat Holster options available as of this writing. 

1. Crossbreed Reckoning Hellcat Holster

Crossbreed embraced the Hellcat with open arms with a massive amount of different Springfield Hellcat holster options in various configurations. This includes IWB, OWB, pocket, Bellyband, and beyond. One that stands out is the Reckoning. The Reckoning is a compact-sized IWB rig designed primarily for AIWB carry, but it can also be carried strong side IWB. 

The Reckoning features vegetable-tanned leather with a polymer molded shell. This Crossbreed holster embraces dual metal clips for a rugged design. The sweat guard protects you from the gun and vice versa and allows for maximum comfort. Lastly, the Reckoning is modular. You can add an Accomplice mag carrier to the rig for a complete appendix carry rig. 

2. Bravo Concealment OWB Hellcat Holster

I’m an OWB nerd, and I’ve long appreciated OWB designs. The Bravo Concealment OWB design is primarily made from polymer and is custom fit for the Hellcat. The Bravo Concealment rig is ultra-modern and designed to cling tight to the body and disappear with minimal fuss. The design incorporates passive but adjustable retention. 

Since the Hellcat comes in an OSP model, the Bravo Concealment OWB holster is cut for an optic and will even accommodate a threaded barrel. This Springfield Hellcat holster allows for slightly adjustable cant for increased concealment. The Bravo Concealment OWB rig is a thoroughly modern and well thought out OWB rig for those of us who still prefer OWB carry. It’s comfortable, lightweight, and well designed. 

3. Desantis Mini Scabbard Hellcat Holster

Leather may not be tactical anymore, but my oh my, is it still fashionable. The Desantis Mini Scabbard is a little fella that might be far from tactical, but still a comfortable option for those of us a little less high speed. The Mini Scabbard pushes the Hellcat up and out of the way for a very concealable carry option in the OWB arena. 

The Mini Scabbard is molded to the Hellcat, and this ensures the rig is safer than most leather rigs. The Scabbard sports an adjustable tension device, allowing the end-user to customize just how hard or how easy it is the remove the gun from the holster. The Mini Scabbard is an old-school cool Hellcat Holster with a dose of modern common sense. 

4. Crucial Concealment Covert IWB Hellcat Holster

Crucial Concealment has discovered a magic formula that makes holsters disappear while leaving the user in complete comfort. Their Covert IWB rig is a minimalist Hellcat AIWB holster featuring a single wide clip that attaches with a lustful passion to your belt, or so it seems when I try to take it off. This little rig allows the end-user to adjust the cant by simply removing and reattaching a screw. This is a simple device to make the gun disappear a bit more or to make it easier to grip and rip. 

The Crucial Concealment Cover IWB is also ambidextrous so you can swap the clip from side to side with ease. The Covert IWB has an adjustable tension device, and yep, they were smart enough to cut it for optic compatibility. This Springfield Hellcat holster is a smart design that’s blends comfort and concealability with a good dose of practicality. 

5. Clinger Holsters IWB Hinge Hellcat Holster

Holster design doesn’t grow in leaps and bounds, but by slight steps forward that are often tagged with innovation. The Clinger Holsters rigs might be the next step forward. Their hinge system is aimed at strongside IWB. The rig uses a polymer holster with two leather wings that house the clips for your belt. It’s odd but super functional. 

It allows the gun to sit extremely close to the body, remaining comfortable and unencumbered. The Clinger Holster IWB Hinge system keeps it simple and comfortable. The gun remains easy to draw and absolutely disappears under light clothing. It’s simple and, in a way, quite ingenious. Clinger also produces a pad to attach to the side of the rig for increased comfort. 

6. Alien Gear Shapeshift Hellcat Holster

The Shapeshift system is so much a single holster but a series of holsters that incorporate a common shell. The Alien Gear system is quite ingenious and allows one to carry a gun in nearly a dozen different ways. This includes a shoulder rig, ankle rig, cheat rig, and normal IWB, OWB, and AIWB options. You swap shells from backing to backing, and you can carry any which way you like. 

The Shapeshift is the most modular Hellcat Holster on the list. It allows you to carry with essentially the same holster over many different rigs. If you normally go AIWB but gotta prepare for a road trip? Well, toss on the shoulder rig or even the ankle rig. Each backing can be used throughout the whole Shapeshift line, so if you wanna carry your Glock instead of your Hellcat, you can use the same backings with a different shell. 

The Shapeshift system is a massive undertaking from Alien Gear and the start of something interesting for the holster industry. However, for right now, it’s the most modular Hellcat Holster on the market. 

The Hellcat Holster Market 

These are the Springfield Hellcat holsters that interest me as of this writing. There will be more!

Each different design brings something to the table that captures my imagination and often a credit card number. There are, without a doubt, dozens of companies making near-identical AIWB polymer holsters for the Hellcat. If you don’t see the holster that works for you, drop a comment below. Let us know what works and why you like it. Better yet, let us know what doesn’t work and why. 

N8 Tactical KO-1 AIWB/IWB Kydex Holster

(July 2020)

N8’s first all-Kydex holster is a Hellcat option that begins with a one-piece Kydex pocket that is form-fitted to the specific gun. 

Multiple Clip Options

Your carry method may change and your holster should change with it. The KO-1 AIWB/IWB All Kydex holster has two different clip options: a low ride tuckable option (default configuration), or a non-tuckable high ride EZ Clip option (optional).

Adjustable Retention

Set up your holster with YOUR desired retention! With the KO-1 AIWB/IWB All Kydex Holster by N8 Tactical, you can easily adjust the retention of your holster by simply tightening or loosening two screws that connect the front and back of your holster.

Available ModWing / Claw for Maximum Concealability

Carrying concealed means exactly that: concealed. With the ability to easily add a concealed holster ModWing (claw) you can ensure superior concealment by pressing the holster closer to your body to help eliminate any unnecessary printing.

Read more at N8 Tactical.

Galco KingTuk Cloud IWB Hellcat RDP Holster 

(May 2020)

News of this IWB Hellcat Holster comes along at just the right time as we enter the heat of summer. Take a look at the holster below, and you’ll see why.

From Galco:

A rigid Kydex holster pocket provides fast draw and easy holstering while facilitating a full firing grip. Worn inside the waistband, the KingTuk Cloud includes Galco’s patent-pending, tuckable polymer UniClips for excellent concealment, stability and easy on-off capability. The clips can be moved up or down in the corresponding holes in the backing plate, enabling the user to set the carry height and angle to suit their unique preferences.

 

KingTuk Cloud Features

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Doyle Burdette’s Custom Hellcat Holster

Paul Carlson (June 2020)

When new guns launch it can be difficult to find quality holsters for those guns. It takes some time for the accessory market to see how consumers respond to a gun and then take action to bring products to market. As an example, Springfield Armory’s recent micro-compact pistol; it’s a great little handgun, but there was necessarily a gap between the release and the first availability of a Springfield Hellcat holster.

Holster manufacturers can’t afford to invest in the R&D and the tooling to bring a product to market unless that gun is going to be a success.

I have enjoyed shooting my Springfield Hellcat, but until now I hadn’t found the right holster for it. The Burdette Custom Holsters HC3 has changed that.

Burdette Custom Holsters

Doyle Burdette started Burdette Custom Gun Leather in order to scratch his own itch. Burdette has been a police officer for 27 years. He started making holsters because he couldn’t find quality holsters that he could afford on a cop’s salary.

I appreciate the fact that Doyle understands the importance of the role a holster plays. If a holster isn’t comfortable you won’t wear it. A holster that makes it hard to hide a gun won’t get used either. Both issues result in your gun being at home instead of on your body. A holster also has to keep the gun accessible. If you can’t draw it, you might as well not have it… These aspects of the importance of holsters are lost on many holster makers who instead are focused on churning out holsters that only meet some of the needs an armed citizen has.

From the Burdette Custom Gun Leather site:

“Every holster design I make has been tested by officers or others who go in harm’s way. These are not mere ideas but proven designs that work.

I realize that your life may depend on the holster I make for you and I work to ensure your holster will be an integral part of your personal security. I take pride in the fact that officers, military personnel, and civilians choose my holsters.”

Comfort

There is something about a good leather holster. It has just the right amount of give in just the right places. It has been years since I have slid a leather holster into my waistband. When I clipped the Burdette Hellcat holster onto my belt I realized that I have missed leather.

The size of the Hellcat micro-compact and the holster complement each other. The holster doesn’t needlessly increase the size of the gun and this adds to the comfortable feel of the combination of the gun and holster together.

As I write this I am just back from a bike ride with the kids. I wore the Hellcat in the Burdette holster and it wasn’t an issue even leaning over the bars of my mountain bike.

 

Concealability

 

 

The Hellcat is a naturally concealable handgun because of its diminutive size. The Burdette Custom Holster makes it more so. To the right of the trigger guard is built up on the holster to help and cam the magazine into the body.

In addition, the holster is slightly longer than the slide of the gun. This additional length can help to spread the pressure of the gun out over a larger area. This is more comfortable but also helps with concealability. The extra 1/4”, when coupled with the stiff spring steel clip, helps to keep the mass of the grip from rolling out away from the body.

Speaking of the clip, the ride height is set so that the gun sits deep in the waistband to help hide the gun.

Accessibility

The gun sits deep but not too deep. There is just enough room for me to get my fingers between my belt and the grip of the gun. This allows me to establish a full firing grip while the gun is still in the holster. The holster is just supple enough to allow the belt to increase the retention of the holster, but it isn’t so soft that it collapses when the gun comes out. This makes one-handed reholstering an easy task.

Details

It is clear that the details were well thought out on the holster. Many of the details are a result of Burdette’s 25 years of experience in making holsters. Joe Weyer, a career LEO and head trainer at Alliance Police Training also advised Burdette on the holster. Weyer gave input to Springfield as they developed the Hellcat. As a result, has a vested interest in having a quality holster for the subcompact.

It’s not surprising that details were attended to in the holster. An excellent example is that the seam on the holster is on the face, under the clip instead of along the trigger guard or the sight channel. The intent is to increase comfort for the wearer.

Sweat Guard

I’m not sure I’m a super fan of the sweat guard. My gut tends to push it over the opening of the holster requiring me to use my thumb to move it out of the way of the mouth of the holster.  A quick glance reveals that there is no stitching on the sweat guard. This means that after a time I could simply cut it down to a shape that suits me.

Obviously, cutting a sweat guard off is much easier than adding one after the fact.

 

Sight Channel

The Hellcat’s U-Notch sights aren’t huge, but they are substantial sights for such a small gun. The Burdette Custom Holster for the Hellcat makes sure that the sights have a clear path during the draw. The holster is cut for an optic making it a fit for either the iron sight Hellcat or the OSP version with an optic.

Stitching

The stitching on the holster is minimal, but what is there is neat in appearance and solid. It is clear that this handmade holster is a quality piece of work.

Final Thoughts

I have a Springfield Hellcat OSP on the way and it is going to get some carry time for sure. Up until now, I haven’t found a holster for the Hellcat that fits my needs. The Burdette Holster is comfortable, concealable and it keeps the gun accessible. Each of the holsters that comes from Burdette is custom made to order and the price is reasonable on the HC3 at about $80. The distinct advantage of this is that I may have some specific requests when I place my order. I’m going to be looking for a mag pouch as well to carry the 13 round hellcat mag for my reload…

If you are looking for a holster to carry your Hellcat or any other holster for that matter, consider taking a look at the gallery at Burdette Custom Gun Leather.

Then reach out and see what Doyle and his team can do for you.

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