Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS

Today we compare the Springfield Armory hellcat to the Sig P365 SAS. Both guns are small conceal-carry micro-9mms. This category of handguns was popularized by the introduction of the Sig P365, which has a 10-round capacity. Guns of this size could hold six rounds previously.
Springfield realized that their XD-S options weren’t doing well compared to the Sig P365 SAS so they created their own Hellcat. The gun came with 11 rounds and a flush-fit magazine, as well as 13 rounds with the extra magazine. It had its own feature set, which will be discussed below.
Table of contentsDimensionsSpringfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS Concealed CarryErgonomics OverallFrameTextureSlideSightsUnique SAS SightsMechanical AccuracyAftermarketControlsSafety: Sig Sauer P365 SASTriggerSlide LockMagazine ReleaseMagazine WellQualityAftermarketAestheticsShootingSightsPrice/ValueRelated ArticlesPros/ConsHellcat ProsHellcat ConsP365 SAS ProsP365 SAS Cons
Dimensions
MetricsSpringfield Armory HellcatSig Sauer P365 SASWeight w/ no mag (Oz)16.116.5Weight w/ empty mag (Oz)18.2/18.618.6Weight w/ full mag (Oz)23.0/24.222.9Height (top of slide to bottom of magazine baseplate) (Inches)4.034.23Length (Inches)6.035.80Width of grip (Inches)1.021.02Width of slide (Inches)0.870.90Width across controls (Inches)1.071.01Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS Concealed Carry
The key attributes to consider when comparing the Springfield Armory Hellcat with the Sig Sauer P365 SAS are the size, weight, capacity.
The weight of the Springfield Hellcat (and Sig P365 SAS) is almost identical if you use their flush-fit magazines. Even after adding the extra round in Hellcat, the P365 SAS is still only 0.1 ounces lighter than the Hellcat. If you are carrying this gun without a belt, weight is an important consideration. Every ounce counts when you don’t have a belt that can support the gun and holster weights. The Hellcat offers one more round of capacity, but you don’t get a weight advantage.
Sig P365 SASSigP365 SAS New and Pre Owned
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Size
From a weight perspective, both guns will be similar to carry. The width of the grip and height of the firearm, measured from the bottom of a magazine baseplate to its top, are the most important dimensions when concealing a gun.
The guns are almost identical in terms of grip width, but the Springfield Armory Hellcat is slightly larger than the Sig P365 SAS in terms of height.
As you can see, the Springfield Armory Hellcat is 0.2 inches shorter that the Sig P365 SAS. Although it may not seem like much, concealment is a major issue. This is true for all types and types of concealed carry.
Springfield Armory HellcatSpringfield Armory Hellcat
Pre-Owned and New
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In terms of concealment, I have to say that the Springfield Hellcat is better than the Sig P365 SAS. Both guns are small enough to conceal well for most users. However, the Springfield Hellcat has a slight advantage due to its smaller size and extra round capacity. The standard Hellcat can hold 11 rounds, while the Sig P365 SAS can hold 10.
Both firearms can also be equipped with higher-capacity magazines. The Sig P365 SAS can add either a 12-round, or 15-round extended magazine, while the Springfield Hellcat can only add a 13-round extended Mag. These can be used for concealment if you carry inside or outside your waistband. However, the longer grip will reduce concealment.
Ergonomics overall
Both guns have very different ergonomic cues, and they feel very different. These guns will feel very different in a store.
Frame
Your Springfield Hellcat frame will feel larger than a Sig P365 SAS. This is due to the larger circumference of the grip, which is a major advantage in larger-handed shooters, while the Sig P365 SAS’s smaller circumference is an advantage for those who have smaller hands.
We mentioned earlier that the grip of the Springfield Hellcat was slightly smaller than the Sig P365 SAS if flush-fit magazines were used. This could be a disadvantage to the shooter as I cannot get my pinky on the Hellcat’s grip for support. My pinky’s top barely touches the magazine baseplate, so I don’t feel any force. The Sig P365 SAS allows me to place three-quarters my pinky on a magazine baseplate and has a solid grip on it.
My hands were excellent with both firearms if you have an extension. Even without the extension, the grip on the Sig P365 SAS has a little more pinky room. You’ll still have a concealed firearm, but you’ll be able to shoot with it.
There is no perfect world, so we have to make compromises from time to time. The frame of these pistols does not allow for modularity, there are no backstraps that can be removed, and there is no way to remove them. The Sig P365 SAS frame can be easily replaced. Many companies make aftermarket frames. You can also put a Sig P365 frame onto the gun. That’s a major advantage over the Springfield Hellcat’s Sig P365 SAS.
Texture
The texture of the Sig P365 SAS has a standard P365 texture and it feels great. It’s strong and will hold your hand steady, but it won’t cause any problems if you have smaller hands. The texturing on the Springfield Armory Hellcat is similar, although it seems a little more slick.
Unless you have sensitive skin, neither of these textures will cause any discomfort or pain. I have to admit that the texture of the P365 SAS was slightly better than what Sig Sauer did. You could also easily replace the firearm’s frame if the texturing becomes worn down. This is not possible for the Hellcat. To get more texture, you would need to have the gun completely re-stippled.
Slide
It’s easy to see why the slide on these guns is so similar.
The slide finishes of both pistols are almost identical. However, the slide’s use is not affected by that fact. However, the Sig P365 has better serrations. They are more aggressive and easier to use than the Serrations on the Springfield Hellcat. The Hellcat’s serrations are not as aggressive. I was able to slide the slide on the Sig P365 SAS even if my hands were really wet or sweaty. The Hellcat was a different story.
Sights
This is the first place we’ll see a major design deviation when comparing the Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS.
The standard sights on the Springfield Armory Hellcat are quite common. These sights are very good, but not the best. They insert the sight into the gun using dovetails. The front sight is very bright yellow with tritium vials. The rear sight has a painted white U around its rear notch. They are very high-contrast and can be used in daylight. The front night sight works well in low-light conditions.
Unique SAS Sights
The Sig Sauer P365 SAS is a unique sight. The sights on the P365 SAS were based on the Meprolight Bullseye model. The sight is flush mounted to the slide at the rear of the gun. The sight unit has a front window that houses a fiber optic. The fiber optic catches light and makes the sight glow.
You’ll notice a tunnel at the rear end of the gun. The tunnel is made up of a traditional fiber optic circle at the front and a fiber optic ring at the end. To aim the sights, place the ring on top of the target and center the ring around it. This system is not traditional and, while it sounds great in theory, I have my doubts about it.
Sig P365 SASSig P365 SAS
Pre-Owned and New
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This system requires a slightly different focus from traditional sights. Although it doesn’t use a red-dot target focus, it is not a front-sight focused. I believe the front-sight focus of this system makes it harder to see the target than a traditional front sight. Although it is definitely possible to use, it is not as easy to see the target if one eye is closed.
If you shoot with both eyes open, the Springfield Armory Hellcat sight is the best choice. The Sig P365 SAS sights are not as accurate. The Hellcat will outperform the P365 SAS if you shoot these guns from a distance. This is due to the sighting system.
Mechanical Accuracy
These guns are very similar mechanically. SAS sights are low-profile and do not snap. They can be used by anyone shooting within 7 yards of the target, but they can become difficult to use once you move beyond that range. They are not the easiest sights to use. The sights on the Springfield Armory Hellcat will be easier if you don’t carry your carry-on around regularly.
Springfield Armory HellcatSpringfield Armory Hellcat
New and pre-owned
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Another thing I want to mention is that the sight on a Springfield Armory Hellcat tends be more reliable. The Springfield Armory Hellcat hasn’t had any cases of tritium vials bursting, while the Sig Meprolight sight have problems with reaching the consumer dead quite often. My shop has seen a lot of Sig P365 SAS’s with the tritium component dead. It’s still quite dull when shooting in low-light situations. It works better when there is an ambient light to illuminate the fiber-optic rods.
Aftermarket
There are no options for aftermarket sight options on the Sig P365 SAS. However, mounting plates can be purchased for a red-dot gun. The red-dot won’t have the option to have backup iron sight. This is something you should consider when comparing the Sig P365 SAS vs. the Springfield Armory Hellcat.
The Hellcat has traditional liner sights that are easily replaceable. These sights can be replaced with any sight you want. They are standard Sig-cut. There are many Sig-cut options available. The Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP version also has a mount that can be used as a red-dot. This red-dot can be used in conjunction with the sights on the Hellcat to provide a backup for your dot.
Controls
These guns also have radically different controls. This is due to Sig Sauer’s design changes for the Sig P365 SAS vs. the standard Sig P365. It would be more fair to compare the Springfield Hellcat vs. the Sig P365, rather than the SAS vs. the Hellcat.
Safety: Sig Sauer P365 SAS
The P365 does not have an external safety. If you wish, the Hellcat can be fitted with a thumb safety. The Hellcat thumb safety was very well-designed. It’s very low-profile and I believe Sig did a great job. There is no better thumb safety product than this one. The Hellcat is the best choice.
Trigger
These guns have very different triggers. Both guns have a rolling break and one has a hard one. The Sig P365 SAS has light taking-up just before you get creepy. Once you get creep, you’ll be able to continue your roll.
Let’s now look at the trigger on the Springfield Armory Hellcat. The trigger on the Springfield Armory Hellcat still offers a light take-up but you’ll soon feel like you’re hitting a wall. You’ll feel a rolling break from there. It’s more definitive and harder than the Sig P365 SAS.
Reset
Both triggers have similar resets. It resets to the trigger’s initial heart point, right after the initial take-up. Both triggers are excellent, I won’t lie, but I prefer the rolling break of the Sig P365 SAS to the harder break of the Springfield Armory Hellcat. The Hellcat break is definitive and has a heavier trigger.
The Hellcat is the best trigger for you if you want a very precise trigger. If you prefer a rolling break, the Sig P365 SAS is better. While there will be endless debate about which trigger is better, it really comes down to personal preference. The trigger on the safety of SAS will be more suitable for most shooters, while Hellcat will be better for those with a high level of skill. It all depends on your skill level and what you are looking for.
Springfield Armory HellcatSpringfield Armory Hellcat
New and pre-owned
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Slide Lock
The slide lock on the Springfield Hellcat has been well placed so that you can drop it with your right-hand thumb. It is designed for right-handed shooters, but there is no ambidextrous option. It is low-profile and in a position that you can easily hit it. It could be a bit bigger, but it works well enough for a gun this size.
The slide stop is built into the frame of the Sig P365 SAS. It is very slim and cannot be used as a slide release. Technically, you could use it if your fingers are very strong or you had a screwdriver. But that’s all it would take to drop a slide. To avoid sliding, the lever that takes down the Sig P365 SAS is also low profile.
This feature is great in theory and makes the gun look cool. Practically, however, I prefer the P365 slide stop. The standard stop is easier to use and doesn’t seem to be a problem in most situations.
Magazine Release
Both guns have a magazine release that is identical. They are both push-button-style magazines that can be reversible. They are designed for right-handed shooters and are easy to reach without breaking the grip. To fully drop the magazine on either gun you will need to break your grip. The magazine will not drop completely if your palm is down, so it is possible to lose your grip.
A magazine release in the heel-style style would have been a great benefit for the Sig P365 SAS. Given its low profile, I would have preferred a heel-style magazine release for this gun.
You’re probably wondering, “What is he saying right now?” Can he really be serious? Although that feature may seem outdated, it would have been nice for a manufacturer to pay more attention to practical details on a gun like this. They could have created the ultimate 9mm pocket pistol with a touch of sophistication and class if they did. This gun would have been the best pocket carry pistol with a 9mm micro.
Sig P365 SASSig P365 SAS
Pre-Owned and New
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They could not have competed but they had to keep up with the rest of market. They are probably more competitive from a commercial perspective, and that is not surprising. I know Ian from Forgotten Weapons and other gun geeks would love the feature I suggest, but I don’t know if the general public would.
Magazine Well
Both guns have very small magazine wells. Your hand acts as a magazine well for magazines that you feed into the guns. It is actually easier to load the magazine onto the Sig P365 than on the Hellcat. This is because the grip on the Hellcat’s magazine is so short that my middle fingers interfere with the magazine being seated in the gun. This issue is not present with the Sig P365. The Springfield Armory Hellcat will be easier to conceal, but it has its disadvantages, as we’ll see in the shooting section.
Quality
Although the quality of both guns is very similar, I think the frame on Springfield Armory Hellcat looks a bit better than the frame on Sig Sauer P365 SAS.
The frameless Sig P365 SAS can be made modular and is quite disposable. It can be easily replaced, which I find a great feature, but it also feels cheap to me. It’s not significantly more expensive than the Hellcat frame, but it’s still a good deal. The quality of the slides is almost identical, and these guns have almost the same quality level.
The sights on the Hellcat are, however, a lot better than the Sig P365 SAS. The pistol quality will not be enough to decide between Springfield Hellcat vs Sig P365 SAS.
Aftermarket
Both guns have a decent aftermarket. There are many aftermarket options available for Hellcat sights and a few trigger options. There are many more options for the Sig P365 SAS. Although you won’t have as many sighting options as the Sig P365 SAS, there are more triggers and frames.
Aesthetics
It’s a close contest on aesthetics. The Sig P365 SAS is a far more attractive gun. This gun looks very sexy, thanks to the low-profile sights at the rear and the low profile controls.
From a looks standpoint, this gun is everything I wanted the Sig P365 SAS be. It’s very slim and sleek. The Hellcat has too much badgering and the serrations look a little odd. They will look great in 2021, but it’s not clear how they will age. It’s not the most attractive frame available. It looks a little off-putting to me, and the gun doesn’t look as proportional as the P365 SAS.
Shooting
This makes it a bit more difficult to shoot these guns. It all depends on how the guns are set up with their magazines. The results will be different if these guns are shot with extensions than if they are shot with flush-fit magazines.
I believe the Sig P365 SAS has a greater recoil impulse if you shoot it with a flush fit. This is because I can use more of my hand to control the gun. I find that the gun is easier to control when shooting with the flush-fit magazine because I have a little more pinky on the Sig P365 SAS.
Springfield Armory HellcatSpringfield Armory Hellcat
Pre-Owned and New
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If I put an extended magazine in both guns, it reverses the situation. The Hellcat’s recoil is slightly less than that of the Sig P365 SAS. Both guns have very light recoil due to their small size, but they are still very small micro-compacts of 9mm. These guns will have some recoil, which you will have to deal with. However, they work quite well.
Sights
I prefer the sights on Sig P365 SAS to the Springfield Armory hellcat. Because they are more challenging, the SAS sights are much more fun to shoot. I love challenges and unusual things. Guns are no exception. However, if I have to use this gun to protect my life, I will keep my eyes on the Springfield Hellcat all the time. They allow for greater accuracy and more adjustment.
Sig P365 SASSig P365 SAS
Pre-Owned and New
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The guys at my gun shop told me that they had a lot of problems with people bringing back guns because the sights were not correct when I bought the Sig P365 SAS. The sights of the Sig P365 SAS are not adjustable. This is a major flaw in my opinion. You need Sig Sauer’s perfect quality control to ensure that the Sig P365 SAS works. Meprolight must also be able to design their sights to a high level. Although this could be improved to have a more consistent and accurate setup, I don’t think it’s worth the effort. These sights pick up slower than a standard set, and I prefer the Hellcats’ sights.
Price/Value
The Hellcat’s MSRP is $100 lower than that of the P365 SAS. I believe the Hellcat has a higher monetary value due to their split. But, price is not always the best way to determine if a gun is the right value for the person.
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