Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat: Duel Of The Diminutive Double Stacks

Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365

Since both companies are now making micro double-stacks, a number of people wonder which between the Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat is the better buy. Both guns have a lot to like, after all.

The answer? It's hugely subjective. There's a lot to like with both guns.

If we had to take a guess, some folks are just going to like the more, and some people are going to like the more for their own reasons. There's little to objectively put one over the other.

Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat Specifications

Let's start with Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat specifications.

Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat

Bbl length	3.1 inches	3.0 inches
Overall length	5.8 inches	6.0 inches
Height	4.3/4.5/4.7/5.5, depending on magazine	4 inches w/ flush mag, 4.5 inches with extended
Width	1 inch at the controls	1-inch at the grip
Unloaded Weight	17.8 oz	18.3 oz
Capacity	10+1 (12+1 or 15+1 with ext mag) of 9mm	11+1 (13+1 with ext mag) of 9mm

Broadly, the specs are about the same, as you can see.

In the fullness of time, more models of both have emerged. The Hellcat lineup has also added the Hellcat RDP, an OSP model with a factory-installed micro compensator, and the Hellcat Pro. The Sig P365 lineup has grown considerably, to include the P365XL, the P365X - a P365 upper on a P365XL frame - multiple models with manual safeties and optics-ready slides, the P365XL Spectre, P365XL Spectre Comp, P365 380 and the P365 XMACRO, which has an optics-ready P365 slide with built-in compensator on a slimline full-size frame complete with Picatinny rail instead of Sig Sauer's proprietary frame rail.

So, the two base model guns are quite similar...but some radical differences emerge elsewhere in the product line.

Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat

So, let's talk turkey: Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat. Is there one that's better?

We think that's up to you. Both have features that some of us here at the Alien Gear Holsters offices liked more on one pistol over the other. You'll probably find the same thing. Had we to guess, we think people with bigger hands are likely to prefer the Hellcat more; those with larger hands here are AGH HQ tended to prefer the Hellcat as a result.

But, since we're here, let's talk the features.

Both pistols have textured grips, with no swappable backstraps. We found neither texture in and of itself was more offensive or less likable than the other. The Hellcat has an index texture above the trigger guard and another on the frame for indexing the thumb and the trigger finger. That's a nice touch.

Both have a swappable magazine release, but right-hand-only controls.

The Hellcat also has a standoff feature, a slightly extended recoil guide rod, the Sig Sauer does not, but how much that matters in the real world is a good question!

Both pistols have a slight undercut to the trigger guard and slight bumps on the front of the grip housing for getting a firm hold on the gun. The Hellcat has a slightly longer beavertail to the frame.

The Hellcat's grip is wider, as the Sig P365's grip housing is a bit narrower than the slide. While overall width is the same, the Hellcat fills the hand a little more, which is why it "feels" a little better for those with larger hands...initially anyway.

If you asked the guy writing this...I had a mixed bag of impressions. The Hellcat initially "feels" better in the hand, but is snappier in recoil and the silly chevron tab on the magazine base pad pinched my fingers something fierce. The P365 felt tiny, but was more pleasant to shoot. Had I to buy a gun from either the Hellcat or P365 product lines, I'd pick a P365...but I'd get the XL.

Both pistols have fore and aft cocking serrations. The Hellcat, however, has full-wrap serrations on the standard model. Just like the Honor Defense Subcompact, the serrations run all the way over the slide, which makes racking the slide a little easier with an overhand grip.

Both pistols have a railed frame, though the P365 has a proprietary rail and the Hellcat has a more conventional, mil-standard-style rail. So you can use more lasers/lights with it.

Both guns come with night sights as standard. The Sig P365 has Sig Sauer's XRAY3 Day/Night sights, which have tritium inserts for night use and a fluorescent polymer insert around the tritium vials for daytime use in the front sight, and tritium inserts in the black rear sight. The sights are three dots with good contrast, so they are quite visible.

The Hellcat's sights, however, are a rear U-notch, with a luminescent white U outline, and front sight with a similar day/night sight, with a yellow fluorescent ring and a tritium insert. Which is better...is down to preference.

Both have very decent triggers, though the Hellcat has a straight blade and the P365 has a traditional curved trigger. The Hellcat has a crisper break, but some people prefer a smoother rolling trigger press. That's up to you.

Both are pretty darn shootable for a micro, though some folks find they prefer one to the other in this regard. Again, totally subjective; go rent them and shoot them for yourself to learn which you'll run better.

So, what's the gist of this?

Basically, they're almost the same gun. There are some little things that one has over the other, but it comes down to what your preference is. Go shoot both, and let us know what you think.