Firearm: Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP (MSRP: $633)
We’re coming back to the Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP for today’s kit, mainly because I’ve been carrying this setup for a while now and find it to work really well. The original Hellcat is small and light, yet carries 12 rounds on board with the flush-fitting 11-round magazine, giving you a quick, grab-and-go option that still offers reasonable capacity.
At an overall length of just 6 inches, a 3-inch barrel, a height of 4 inches with the 11-round magazine installed and a weight slightly less than 18 ounces, the original Hellcat is actually slightly smaller than a five-shot revolver. Smith & Wesson’s model 642 enclosed-hammer revolver is 6.3 inches long with a 1.9-inch barrel, 4.3 inches tall and weighs 14.6 ounces. If you’ve carried a small revolver as a “run to the store” option, the Hellcat will fill that role just as easily, and with more than twice the capacity.
The OSP portion of the Hellcat OSP means that the slide is cut for RMSc-footprint optics. What this really means is that the short sight radius of a smaller handgun is now much less of a hindrance to proper shooting once a red-dot sight has been attached. While shorter guns with smaller sight radii are not inherently less accurate than their longer-barreled siblings, they are more difficult to shoot precisely, as any movement of the pistol is amplified in the shorter distance between the sights. Put an electro-optic on the slide, though, and the sight radius is no longer a concern.
The appeal of pistols like the Hellcat OSP is they can double as both a grab-and-go gun, that you can put on quickly and conceal easily, as well as a pistol suitable for everyday carry. Capacity is generous, and in the case of the Hellcat, backup magazines with capacities up to 17 rounds are available. They’re a bit snappy to shoot, so using either the extended floorplate 11-round magazine or one of the extended magazines with a sleeve will definitely help on the range. Overall, it’s a small gun that’s easy to conceal, yet not terribly hard to shoot. That’s a great option to have.
Holster: Dark Star Gear Apollo (MSRP: $49.99)
In keeping with the “grab and go, yet still useful everyday” theme, we’ve opted for the excellent Apollo holster from Dark Star Gear. This sturdy holster is completely ambidextrous, comes with two polymer, tuckable belt clips, has adjustable ride height and is compatible with PHLster’s Enigma deep-concealment system. Did I mention that it costs less than $50? Don’t write it off as a budget holster, though—the Apollo is well-made, comfortable and dependable.
The discerning eye will notice that the holster is actually longer than it needs to be by a bit. There are a couple reasons for this extra length. First, this holster is also compatible with the RDP version of the Hellcat, with the threaded barrel and compensator. Secondly, and this is why we’ve chosen it for the standard Hellcat, the extra length means the holster has more real estate below the beltline. Holsters for shorter pistols, like the Hellcat or SIG P365, can often result in a rig that’s top-heavy, leading to the holster tipping forward as it rotates on the beltline. With that extra kydex at the muzzle, it’s more of an anchor to keep the holster in place, and I’ve found that it helps with concealment quite a bit.
Optic: Meprolight MPO-DS (MSRP: $209.99)
https://www.meprolight.com/product/mpo-ds/
The last item in today’s kit is the new MPO-DS red-dot sight from Meprolight. This RMSc-footprint optic offers a 3.5-MOA dot, automatic brightness detection, IPX7 water resistance rating, and has a power-saving sleep mode to extend battery life. Meprolight claims that the MPO-DS can run for up to 30,000 hours on a standard CR2032 battery, located on the bottom of the unit. This does mean that changing the battery will necessitate removing the unit entirely, so be certain to check zero once re-installed. Also, it might be preferable to torque the unit down and use witness marks on the screws rather than Loctite, as it will need to come off.
The automatic brightness detection on the MPO-DS does an excellent job of regulating the power level: in bright sunshine, the dot is quite bright; in low-light levels it is much more subdued. As for the sleep mode, the sight itself is quite new, so I can’t attest to the 30,000 hour life (that’s slightly less than three and a half years); however, even if you wanted to change the battery yearly, CR2032s are widely available and not expensive—my local box store has them in bulk for less than $2 each. The MPO-DS does all this at an MSRP slightly more than $200, too. That’s a crazy good deal.
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