Battle Of The Barrels: Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL

The New Hellcat Pro vs the Sig P365XL

Springfield Armory has released a larger version of the Hellcat, the Hellcat Pro…begging the question of how it stacks up against the Sig P365XL. 

The features and specifications are almost identical, just like the Hellcat and the P365. And just like the Hellcat vs the P365, Springfield one-upped Sig Sauer in capacity and in a few other areas. 

So…just how does the new boy stack up in the Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL? Let's find out…

Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL Specifications

Before we get into the features, Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL specifications. In all but one measurement, they're near as makes no difference identical. 

Sig Sauer doesn't publish MSRP. We looked around at a few different online retailers, so we can say confidently that you could reasonably expect to pay around $600 in-store. You might find it for less, you might not, whatever, the idea is to give you ballpark. 

As you can see from the specifications, the Hellcat Pro and the Sig Sauer P365XL are identical in their measurements, except for magazine capacity. The Hellcat Pro magazines hold 15 rounds, the standard (flush-fit) magazine for the Sig P365XL hold 12. 

There are extended magazines that bring capacity to 15+1 for the Sig, but the Springfield's magazines fit flush. Just like how the original Hellcat held 1 more round than the P365, the Hellcat Pro carries more than the P365XL. And unlike the Glock 43X and 48, the 15-round magazines come from the factory! 

But what else does the Hellcat Pro bring to the table? 

Hellcat Pro vs P365XL Features

The P365XL has been around for a while, so it's not like you don't know what you're getting with one. The Hellcat Pro is also cosmetically similar to the standard Hellcat, so you know what you're getting there as well. So we're going to deal in the differences between the two pistols. 

The Hellcat Pro has a full-length dustcover with a Picatinny rail instead of a proprietary one, so it's compatible with a wider range of lights and lasers. 

You're going to get beat up over extra magazines in both cases. Springfield wants $42.99 per stick, Sig Sauer wants $49.99. 

Both guns are optics-ready and are milled for the Shield RMSc/J-Point Micro footprint. Springfield is trying to be cute by calling it the "Springfield Micro Footprint," but it's not. Sig Sauer, and this is kind of clever, slightly shortens the front mounting lugs so the P365XL can direct-mount Holosun 407k optics, which use a modified Shield RMSc footprint. 

Compatible red dots include the Sig RomeoZero, Shield RMSc, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, Swampfox Sentinel, Crimson Trace 1550 and RAD Micro, J-Point and Springfield's Hex Wasp optic. With the modified RMSc cut, you can also direct mount a Holosun EPS or 407k to the Sig; the Hellcat Pro would require an adapter plate.  

Both pistols come with night sights, but the Hellcat Pro features a U-notch rear and day/night front set (Hilton Yam intensifies) and the P365XL has Sig Sauer X-RAY three-dot sights with a day/night front sight. 

Both have a flat (or at least flat-ish) trigger. The Hellcat Pro has a more traditional trigger safety blade; the P365XL does not. 

So…the Hellcat Pro has a couple of minor benefits over the Sig, the Sig has some over the Hellcat Pro. Unless you're going to mount a specific light or a Holosun optic, neither gun is "better" on paper. If three more rounds is really that big a deal to you, the Springfield Hellcat Pro is obviously the winner there. 

But what are these guns like to shoot? 

Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL On The Range

So…what's it like to shoot the Hellcat Pro vs Sig P365XL? Which is the better shooting pistol? What are these guns like to live with? 

Both are relatively soft shooting for their size, and neither gun was more accurate or less reliable than the other. Both would be a good fit as a "do all" gun that's easier to conceal and carry than a traditional compact like a Glock 19 or P320 Compact.

While these pistols are all but identical on paper, that isn't so much the case in the hand. The Sig Sauer is (and feels like) a little gun that's been made a little bigger, but the Hellcat Pro is a big gun that's been shrunk. 

The Hellcat Pro has a fatter grip from front to back, but it's a good thing! You get a fuller, firmer group, which people with larger hands will appreciate. 

The most common "issue" we ran into was magazines not fully seating unless you shoved them in like you meant it. That's not a defect; it has everything to do with a double-stack magazine going into a grip housing and frame that's single-stack width. It's like how pickup trucks have the turning radius of an aircraft carrier; you're signing up for it by having one, so be prepared to deal with it. 

We found the controls more accessible on the Sig Sauer. The Hellcat Pro is prone to not locking back on the last round due to your thumbs resting on the slide stop, which is very low-profile and located just above the grip. We also found the magazine release on the Hellcat Pro is a little too low-profile for our liking but that's (again) more a training/practice issue than anything else. 

One thing that we definitely all agreed on: the Hellcat Pro is better than the standard Hellcat. It's softer shooting, it's more ergonomic, and that stupid notch in the grip that pinches the heck out of your fingers is gone. We'd go so far as to say this is one of the best of the XD/poly-striker pistols Springfield has put out to date, if not the best. 

As far as the triggers, the Hellcat has a more defined wall to the trigger - which we liked more - but we also found the Sig's trigger is smoother, and with its relatively short travel is actually easier to shoot faster. 

So what's the takeaway?

Neither of these pistols is superior to the other in any serious respect, so it's hard to say one is "better." Sure, the Hellcat Pro holds three more rounds, but that only makes so much difference. It's more like one will probably be better for you. Five of us here at Alien Gear Holsters shot both of the guns, and we each had a preference for our own reasons. Some preferred the Hellcat Pro because of the fatter grip and some the Sig for the smoother trigger and better controls. 

Either would be a great choice of EDC pistol.

But what do you think? Is there one you think is better than the other? 

Let us know in the next Battle Of The Barrels, and enter the Spring Returns giveaway! 

We're going to feature these two pistols in an exclusive Instagram Story this Thursday. You get your chance to vote for whichever is your favorite or your preference on the Alien Gear Holsters Instagram page. Voting is only open for 24 hours, so make sure you follow the Alien Gear Instagram page while you're there to get notified when the Battle of the Barrels goes live.

But that's not all.

Enter The Spring Returns Giveway for your chance to win a range day package! 

We're giving away an entire range day package that includes everything you need for a trip to the shooting range...including a gun. One lucky winner will receive a custom Glock 19 from Arc Defense, an Alien Gear Holsters Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB, 250 rounds of ammunition from Unlimited Ammo, and much, much more! Head over to our giveaway page to enter for your chance to win! 

Get Rewards For Sig P365XL and Hellcat Pro Holsters During Our Spring Returns Promotion! 

Until April 25th, we're offering rewards back on qualified purchases as part of our Spring Returns promotion. We're giving you money back on an Alien Gear Holsters digital gift card. The more you spend, the more you get back. 

Orders of $60 or more will get $10 back

Orders of $90 or more will get $20 back

Orders of $120 or more will get $30 back

But this promotion only lasts until April 25th, so act now to get your rewards back on purchases from Alien Gear Holsters. Spring returns every year, and then disappears, just like this offer will...