Springfield Armory HELLCAT given “Gold Award” through NTOA MTR Testing

Springfield Armory recently had their exceedingly popular HELLCAT tested by the NTOA MTR (National Tactical Officer’s Association – Member Tested and Recommended) program. It received the “Gold Achievement Award” for high marks in durability, function, accuracy, and other metrics tested.

For those who are unfamiliar, the NTOA is a non-profit organization that is comprised of roughly 40,000 members within the law enforcement community. One of the NTOA’s primary objectives is to provide credible and proven training and information resources. As a part of that, they will test various firearms and similarly related products to their stringent standards and share the results within not only their community but the firearms community as a whole. The Hellcat is now part of a small and exclusive group of firearms deemed deserving from the NTOA MTR program.

The Springfield Armory Hellcat scored an impressive 4.74 out of a possible 5.00 on the NTOA MTR battery of tests. Tested products that receive the MTR ranking are given a “standard” rating from a score of 3.00 to 3.99, “silver” from 4.00 to 4.49, and a “gold” rating with a score from 4.50 to 5.00. A more extensive explanation of the testing and results that were achieved can be read below as presented by the NTOA:

During testing, one law enforcement reviewer applied water and a heavy amount of dish soap to the Hellcat’s grip area to simulate a bloody hand grasping the firearm. ‘The weapon remained secure in my hand and did not slide around. The stippling is on par with other weapons I own that have been professionally stippled by well-known aftermarket gunsmiths.’
Another reviewer stress-tested the Hellcat with a punishing test of packing the empty pistol with wet clay and snow, spiking’ the pistol onto hard, compacted dirt and throwing it several feet numerous times. The striker never released during these tests, and the officer then loaded and fired the pistol with no loss of zero and no malfunctions.
Another officer commented about the impressive shooting characteristics of the Hellcat. ‘The accuracy is unbelievable for a 3″ barrel subcompact pistol. Consistent single hole shot groups were obtained from 5 and 7 yards. Center mass hits were consistent at 25 yards …

The Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm has been a wildly popular handgun since its introduction last year, and this is yet another nod of acceptance and appreciation to come from the firearms community. With the NTOA MTR giving it high praises, you now have civilians and law enforcement alike who approve. The real question is though what do you think? Is this a firearm on your radar to purchase soon? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak