Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus

[Annihilator]

Very good article on comparing the following CCW guns, P365, Hellcat, Max-9 and the Shield Plus. Any of these would be great for anyone wanting a great CCW gun.

Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus - The Truth About Guns

TTAG’s Managing Editor, Dan Zimmerman, and I took all four of the hottest, most in-demand concealed carry guns on the market — the four micro-compacts with double-digit capacity, flush-fit magazines — and hit the range. Shooting the SIG SAUER P365, Springfield Hellcat, Ruger MAX-9, and Smith &...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

 

[KLGunner]

Very good article on comparing the following CCW guns, P365, Hellcat, Max-9 and the Shield Plus. Any of these would be great for anyone wanting a great CCW gun.

Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus - The Truth About Guns

TTAG’s Managing Editor, Dan Zimmerman, and I took all four of the hottest, most in-demand concealed carry guns on the market — the four micro-compacts with double-digit capacity, flush-fit magazines — and hit the range. Shooting the SIG SAUER P365, Springfield Hellcat, Ruger MAX-9, and Smith &...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

Hellcat RDP and OSP beats them all hands down just saying.

 

[Lchtus]

Good article. Thank you for posting. Everyone has opinions and different experiences for sure. It is interesting to hear that the SW plus shoots really well comparatively. 2 oz difference should not make a huge difference, but interesting nonetheless . If you have personal experience with that SW plus versus others, do speak up!

 

[Mr. Untactical]

Very good article on comparing the following CCW guns, P365, Hellcat, Max-9 and the Shield Plus. Any of these would be great for anyone wanting a great CCW gun.

Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus - The Truth About Guns

TTAG’s Managing Editor, Dan Zimmerman, and I took all four of the hottest, most in-demand concealed carry guns on the market — the four micro-compacts with double-digit capacity, flush-fit magazines — and hit the range. Shooting the SIG SAUER P365, Springfield Hellcat, Ruger MAX-9, and Smith &...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

I've shot the P365 and it was ghastly (for me). Very uncomfortable to shoot. I've been trying (without success) to find a range with Hellcats for rent. Perhaps Springfield or The Armory Life will help out? I'd likely pick up a Hellcat OSP tomorrow (with a Hex WASP optic) if I could shoot it and confirm it's a good fit for me!

I'd like to compare it (the Hellcat OSP) with the Ruger Max-9. Haven't been a fan of the snappy LCP series but am a fan of Ruger and have a couple of their other firearms.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Annihilator]

Hellcat RDP and OSP beats them all hands down just saying.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

Very good article on comparing the following CCW guns, P365, Hellcat, Max-9 and the Shield Plus. Any of these would be great for anyone wanting a great CCW gun.

Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus - The Truth About Guns

TTAG’s Managing Editor, Dan Zimmerman, and I took all four of the hottest, most in-demand concealed carry guns on the market — the four micro-compacts with double-digit capacity, flush-fit magazines — and hit the range. Shooting the SIG SAUER P365, Springfield Hellcat, Ruger MAX-9, and Smith &...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

That was a well-written article with considerable information, and prominent disclaimers for opinions. I had conducted a head to head on the 365 and Hellcat about a year ago with a Boberg and a Detonics Auto 9 included just for fun. For me, the Hellcat beat the 365 barely and primarily over the trigger and the sights which I considered (based on timed tests) far faster to acquire than the 365. Obviously the author of this article is in complete disagreement on the sights.

The measured speed test was a seven yard, draw, acquire, and fire accurately. The winning order? The Boberg beat the Hellcat by a substantial margin, the Hellcat beat the 365 by a significant margin, and the Detonics was only a fraction slower than the 365. There were two experienced shooters and one less experienced shooter and all had the same results.

This article is not the first I've read that criticizes the Hellcat's slide serrations. Those criticisms do not conform to my observations at the time of my testing nor in the year since.

 

[ChanceMcCall]

I would suspect the Shield would deliver faster follow up shots than the Ruger as well as the 365 and perhaps the Hellcat. Once I can get my hands on a Shield to test, I plan to test just that just out of curiosity. I would like to assemble several other testers of varied expertise who have little experience with the guns as somewhat of a control.

If I get this done anytime soon, I will share that information. All that said, the extra size will keep me from carrying the Shield no matter what the results.

 

[southtex]

Very nice article and I agree with the thoughts on the 365XL, Hellcat, and Plus. I recently purchased the Plus and made it my EDC for the same feel reasons in the article with my Hellcat becoming the other gun. With me at the controls the Plus and Hellcat both outperformed my 365XL making the 365XL trade in stock. For me the Plus and the Hellcat are the best micro's at your LGS.

 

[jmcd]

Good article. Thanks for the post @Annihilator.

 

[wmg1299]

I own a Springfield Hellcat and a Sig Sauer P365. I really wanted to like the Hellcat, but it just felt blocky, printed more than expected, and I didn't care for the rear sight. The 365 with the 12-round extended magazine fit my hand perfectly and I shot it much better than the Hellcat. I'm very curious about the Max-9 and will probably pick one up if prices drop a bit. I want to like the Shield Plus, but night sights are a must for me on a carry gun and I'm not willing to pay the extra price required to equip the Shield Plus with sights that are comparable to its competitors.

 

[BET7]

I recently bought the Performance Center Shield Plus, which has every thing the regular Plus has, in addition to other upgrade configurations (ported/non ported, optics cut/non optics cut, longer slide, fiber optic sights, etc.). Mine has the red/green fiber optic sights, longer slide (4” vs Standard Plus 3.1”), non optics cut. I tried the standard vs the PC version at the LGS, and liked the trigger better and the longer slide On the Performance Center version.

 

[HansGruber]

I recently bought the Performance Center Shield Plus, which has every thing the regular Plus has, in addition to other upgrade configurations (ported/non ported, optics cut/non optics cut, longer slide, fiber optic sights, etc.). Mine has the red/green fiber optic sights, longer slide (4” vs Standard Plus 3.1”), non optics cut. I tried the standard vs the PC version at the LGS, and liked the trigger better and the longer slide On the Performance Center version.

I played with one of those at one of my local places today.

Really nice; that trigger is about as sweet as a factory striker gets.

 

[KillerFord1977]

Very good article on comparing the following CCW guns, P365, Hellcat, Max-9 and the Shield Plus. Any of these would be great for anyone wanting a great CCW gun.

Heads-Up Comparison: P365 vs. Hellcat vs. MAX-9 vs. M&P9 Shield Plus - The Truth About Guns

TTAG’s Managing Editor, Dan Zimmerman, and I took all four of the hottest, most in-demand concealed carry guns on the market — the four micro-compacts with double-digit capacity, flush-fit magazines — and hit the range. Shooting the SIG SAUER P365, Springfield Hellcat, Ruger MAX-9, and Smith &...

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

A category of gun I just cannot get into.

small, snappy, tough on the wrists.

i prefer a carry size gun and make accommodations for size.
shot every compact and sub compact there is and still haven't found I like that category.
why they make hundreds of diff guns for folks.

 

[ifithitu]

Nice video thanks for sharing it.

 

[BET7]

Here's a few Performance Center Sheild Plus review videos I found on the USCCA forum thread (so hat tip to a poster over there). As mentioned, the Performance Center model can be configured in different options (ported or non ported, optics ready or not optics ready, etc). Their website allows you to "build" the configuration you want to see the different options. As mentioned previously, I picked up the PC Sheild Plus non ported, and non optic ready version and like the longer 4" bbl and slide. It looks like I'll be able to fit my V1 9mm Sheild non ported and PC V1 9mm ported Sheild slides on the Plus's frame to configure it for increased capacity (of course the single stack mags are not compatible with the new Plus's frame though).
Videos:

 

[SoNic]

I own both the Hellcat and the Sig 365XL with RomeoZero.
On Hellcat I added Viridian Laser.
Well...
1. The laser is hard to turn on quickly, when drawing, is the type that you have to press a button. Otherwise is the best sighting option. If I could keep the grouping tight that is.
2. The Optical on the 365XL takes a bit more time to "find" compared to iron sights. What's nice is that they turn on automatically when gun is moved. Their precision is almost as good as with the laser. And grouping is better, probably because of bigger barrel, better trigger... IDK.
The downside is that the rear "iron" sights on that Romeo are very tiny.
3. The Hellcat with the factory sights is faster (for me) to acquire the target than the optical. However I shoot it poorly. Grouping is sh**t, pulls low no matter how careful I pull he trigger. I have a laser boresight and the sights are aligned OK-ish, so is probably the way the trigger breaks for me.
The factory 365XL trigger is absolute amazing for me.

I am tempted to get a no-OE trigger kit for the Hellcat to see if I can improve anything, until then... I trust more the 365XL.

 

[OkiePewPew]

Great showdown, thanks for the post. What I’m getting from it, and many other comparisons, is this truly is the golden age of micro-compacts. We could argue chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc for ice cream all day long and the same goes for micros. When the major difference between guns becomes personal preference everybody wins. Of course, the Hellcat is hands down the sexiest of the lot and having the OSP price so low makes it a no brainer for me.

 

[Annihilator]

Here's a few Performance Center Sheild Plus review videos I found on the USCCA forum thread (so hat tip to a poster over there). As mentioned, the Performance Center model can be configured in different options (ported or non ported, optics ready or not optics ready, etc). Their website allows you to "build" the configuration you want to see the different options. As mentioned previously, I picked up the PC Sheild Plus non ported, and non optic ready version and like the longer 4" bbl and slide. It looks like I'll be able to fit my V1 9mm Sheild non ported and PC V1 9mm ported Sheild slides on the Plus's frame to configure it for increased capacity (of course the single stack mags are not compatible with the new Plus's frame though).
Videos:

Good links and videos grasshopper, very good information, I think it’s the dawn of the micro compact pistol right now.