Tag Archives: springfield armory

Growing Hell..ion

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Springfield Armory has been importing its American take on the Croatian-made VHS2 5.56 NATO chambered bullpup carbine for a minute, and now they have expanded the lineup to include both 18- and 20-inch variants, really growing the family.

The HS Produkt VHS is a legit combat rifle, already seeing some real-life service around the globe in some very armpit-quality places even though it is only about 15 years old. The improved second-gen VHS2, which was introduced back in 2013, first came into the U.S. in early 2022 as a semi-auto version with enough Section 922 tweaks (BCM Gunfighter grip, Magpul mag, etc.) to make it compliant.

The standard 16 inch model, which I reviewed in 2022

Debuted over here as the Springfield Armory Hellion with a 16-inch barrel, it has gained a reputation as a reliable, easy shooting, accurate, and feature-rich (user-adjustable gas system, fully ambidextrous, 5-position collapsible stock, swappable ejection port, excellent flip up iron sights on a full Pic rail, etc.) bullpup, outclassing a lot of the competition such as the Tavor, AUG, and FS 2000.

I have put upwards of 2K rounds through one on a T&E and loved it enough to buy it.

Well now, Springfield has introduced two new variants that share every feature and only change with the barrel length and type.

The new models include an 18-inch and a 20-inch, the latter with a ribbed forward section for enhanced cooling as well as an integrated bayonet lug (with the company promising compatible bayonets on the way). Springfield points out that the 20-inch model sports a similar configuration to that of the Croatian Army’s VHS-D2, a super accurate designated marksman version of the VHS-2.

16, 18, and 20…

Hellion 18-inch model

Hellion 20-inch model. Note the ribbed barrel and bayonet lug. Springfield says this model is a ringer for the VHS-designated marksman rifle

 

Hellion 16

Hellion 18

Hellion 20

Barrel Length:

16 inches

18 inches

20 inches (includes bayonet lug)

Overall Length:

28.25 – 29.75 inches

30.25 — 31.75 inches

32.25 — 33.75 inches

Weight:

8 pounds

8 pounds, 3 oz

8 pounds, 6 oz

MSRP:          

$1,999

$2,016

$2,031

 

The neat thing is that the price point is practically the same, and, while some other Springfield platforms (looking at you, Prodigy) have gotten some downright mixed to bad reviews, it seems like everyone kind of likes the Hellion.

Time will tell.

Peanut butter Hellcat travels

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I wouldn’t classify myself as a Springfield Armory fanboy, but after spending a lot of time and brass with the Hellcat Pro, I may become one.

Springfield introduced the Hellcat 11+1 round 9mm series in September 2019, becoming one of the first real competitors to SIG’s P365, a 10+1 round micro compact 9mm of about the same size that hit the reset button on the carry market the year prior.

Then, in 2022, Springfield updated the design with the Hellcat Pro series, which brings a 15+1 capacity and an optics-ready slide to the platform.

I’ve been kicking around one with a peanut butter (officially Desert FDE) hued finish since around Thanksgiving and have well over 2K rounds through it.

The full details after the jump.

Ping! Happy 90th Birthday, Garand Patent

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On 27 December 1932, the U.S. Patent Office granted Case File No. 1,892,141, for a “Semi-Automatic Rifle” to one John C. Garand, aged 44 of Massachusetts. The rest is history.

The 75-page patent application filled out and filed by Mr. Garand himself is so historical that it is fully digitized in the U.S. National Archives.

Filed in April 1930, it was endorsed by the Secretary of War with W.N. Roach, the Army’s Chief of the Patent Branch of the Ordnance Department, signing the drawing sheets and application forms as Garand’s attorney of record. His address was simply listed as Springfield Armory.

The petition, signed by Garand. (Photo: National Archives)

Among the most captivating pieces of the application were several pages of diagrams, all of which are suitable for framing in any man cave.

Hellcats: The Colors, the Colors

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Springfield has been kicking out new color options for its popular Hellcat series of micro-9 pistols and a Desert Flat Dark Earth variant is the newest offering.

The new Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro in Desert FDE still offers a 15+1 capacity in what the company says is “a smaller footprint than any other gun in its class.”

It is also an Optical Sight Pistol, or OSP, configuration milled with the Shield RMSc/Springfield Micro footprint with a set of co-witnessing U-Dot tritium sights. For those keeping count at home, the Hellcat Pro runs 6.6 inches in overall length and 1 inch in width, which puts it in the same box as the nominally 10+1 capacity Glock 43X.

Previously, Springfield only offered an FDE variant of the Hellcat in its original 3-inch barrel format.

Also, the company has announced new Robin’s Egg and Burnt Bronze two-tone models as well:

Gonna give you a wild guess of what I would go with, as I have a (spoiler alert) something of a problem when it comes to 50 shades of FDE.

Not a bad deal for $800…

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A pair of 9mm thoroughbreds are the newest horses in Springfield Armory’s stable of Garrison series M1911 single-action pistols.

Designed as an “heirloom-quality” old-school M1911A1-format pistol available in either a classic hot salt blued carbon steel or rust-resistant stainless-steel format, the Garrison series run match-grade 5-inch barrels and the standard layout of Mr. John Browning’s classic. Switching it up from the familiar .45 ACP caliber, the new Garrisons come in a single-stack 9mm, shipping standard with a stainless steel 9-round magazine.

The cost is around $800. 

And they are pretty easy on the eye as well.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Hell(ion) on wheels. Actually not that bad

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Announced to coincide with SHOT Show in January, the 5.56 NATO carbine is an Americanized version of the HS-Produkt– who also makes the XD series pistols– VHS-2 rifle made for the Croatian military.

Well, I’ve been kicking one around for the past couple of months to get a feel for it and have the battle scars to prove it.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Springer doing better when it comes to Micro-9s

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Promising a more full-size performance out of its micro 9 series platform, Springfield Armory announced the new Hellcat Pro on Friday.

Using flush-fitting 15-round magazines rather than the standard Hellcat’s 11+1, the Hellcat Pro brings a 3.7-inch hammer-forged barrel to the carry game in what Springfield says is a smaller footprint than any other gun in its class. For those keeping count at home, the Hellcat Pro runs 6.6-inches in overall length and 1-inch wide, which puts it in the same box as the nominally 10+1 capacity Glock 43X. At a height of 4.8-inches, the Hellcat Pro is a tad shorter than the G43X when the Austrian polymer pistol has its standard mag inserted.

More in my column at Guns.com. 

Meet a new 5.56 Bullpup to the American Market, via Croatia

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Shrinking the size of their rifle game, Springfield Armory hit the market Friday with the Hellion bullpup 5.56 NATO platform.

An evolution of the proven HS Produkt-made VHS-2 rifle system, the Hellion has an overall length of just 28.25-inches while still possessing a carbine-length 16-inch CMV barrel with a 1:7 twist. The rifle uses a 2-position adjustable short-stroke gas piston operating system. It also has fully ambidextrous controls and a reversible ejection system that can be swapped without using special tools.

While the HS Produkt name is vague on the U.S. market, the Croatian gun maker is known for variants of its HS-2000 pistol, which has been imported to this side of the Atlantic for decades as the Springfield XD series. The VHS series rifle was first introduced in 2005– an evolution of a bullpup prototyped during the Croatian War of Independence in 1992– and today is the standard rifle of the Croatian military and police, as well as in use in other countries around the globe.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Emp Ronins?

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Springfield Armory is blending its Ronin series M1911 single-stacks with that of its carry-ready Enhanced Micro Pistol platform. 

The two new Ronin EMP models include an ultra-compact 3-inch with a 9+1 capacity, and a 4-inch version with a 10+1 capacity. When stacked against traditional M1911s, this is equivalent to Commander and Officer-length guns, only about a half-inch shorter in each instance.

And, with a two-toned look of a carbon steel slide with a hot salt blue finish over a lightweight aluminum frame with a satin silver Cerakote finish, paired with walnut grip panels, they are easy on the eyes.

More in my column over at Guns.com.

Emissary, now in Commander and 9mm versions

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Following up on the popularity of the Government-sized Emissary .45ACP M1911, Springfield Armory on Thursday announced a Commander-length model as well as one in 9mm.

As with the earlier model, the Emissary line sports a two-tone finish, with a blued carbon-steel slide and a stainless-steel frame with a squared trigger guard. Carrying a “Tri-Top” cut to the slide, the single-action pistols run a bushingless heavy stainless-steel bull barrel with a one-piece full-length guide rod. For those who want texture in their grip, the series has a grenade-pattern texture on the front and back of the grip as well as the slimline G10 VZ panels.

And they are as easy on the eye and they are capable on the range.

More in my column at Guns.com.

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