Lawsuit: Sig P365 vs Springfield Hellcat
Many folks who shoot guns argue over which guns are best for concealed carry. One such comparison is the Sig Sauer P365 vs. the Springfield Armory Hellcat. As far as that is concerned, I'll hold my opinion for another time.
That said, now attorneys will have to litigate a dispute between Springfield and Sig Sauer.
Sig P365 9mm EDC Gun:
It's hard to believe that the Sig Sauer P365 came out in 2018! Its innovative design revolutionized the sub-compact everyday carry EDC gun market. The breakout was due in large part to its small size and impressive capacity. A vital component of that balance is the design of the magazine.
The P365 is balanced nicely, with a fully loaded 12-round extended magazine.
Sig configured the P365 to carry 10+1, 12+1, or 15+1 9mm self-defense rounds in a gun that previously would have held around eight rounds max! And the gun was reliable and had ample grip space even for those with large hands.
Sometimes, innovation or lack thereof is the difference between the success and failure of a company. Sig Sauer undoubtedly took the EDC concealed carry gun market by storm.
But the story doesn't end there.
Springfield Hellcat 9mm Concealed Carry handgun:
About a year and a half later, Springfield released its answer to the P365. The Hellcat, chambered in 9mm, became a fantastic option to the Sig.
The Hellcat is very comparable in size to the P365 and boasts an 11+1 or 13+1 capacity. So the Hellcat could boast that, in the words of Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel, it “goes to 11.'
The Hellcat handgun has had great success, and some prefer it over the P365. There is one problem, though.
Sig Sauer Files Lawsuit:
Today, May 11, 2021, Sig Sauer filed a lawsuit against Springfield, Claiming that the company violated their patent. Here is the statement from Ron Cohen, President, and Chief Executive Officer:
When the SIG SAUER P365 was introduced it took the market by storm as the most innovative high-capacity, micro-compact pistol to be introduced due to its magazine capacity, and quickly became one of the top-selling handguns in the market due to this unprecedented innovation. SIG is not a litigious company, but given the extent of infringement by Springfield, SIG has a responsibility to protect both our intellectual property and the significant investment we make to develop our innovative products. As a company, we are proud to yield more than 100 patents worldwide, with more than 40 patent applications currently pending, and we will protect the extensive research and design that goes into developing these patents rigorously.
Stay Tuned:
Of course, I am not taking sides here and don't know the merits of the lawsuit. Additionally, companies file lawsuits like these quite often.
When we find out more information or an outcome, we will update this article. Until then, here Riley's in-depth review of the Sig P365. And Josh's take on the Springfield Hellcat.
What do you guys think? If the allegations are true, I think Sig is doing the right thing by protecting its patents. I appreciate that Sig does not want to be a “litigious company”; however, patents exist for a reason. Does Sig filing this lawsuit against Springfield Armory change your opinion of wither of the companies?
Let us know what you think of all this by leaving a comment below.
Additionally, make sure you subscribe to the Concealed Carry Podcast. We talk about these topics as well as anything and everything associated with concealed carry and self-defense. You can see a list of our episodes and past guests here. Also, consider catching the podcast live on Facebook every Wednesday at 3 Pm and 6 PM EST.
When shopping, I found the Sig to feel like it had tighter tolerances. Having not compared them on the range, I can only say the hellcat felt like a cheap knock off in the store. I am sure it is a fine firearm in terms of serviceablity.
Exactly!
I had no idea that the P365’s magazine capacity is that large. Also, my LGS doesn’t ever have alot of Sigs, so I was never able to handle one. According to the owner, they “fly out the door!” These days, if I could find some ammo to feed into it, I’d probably check one out.
As far as Springfield goes, the only firearm of that brand that I’ve ever handled is the Saint rifle. It’s a really nice, comfortable handling rifle, and has great ergonomics. I have to say that if I could go back in time, and have the money to spend that I had then, I would DEFINITELY buy the Saint (and definitely several thousand rounds of 5.56, of course!) instead of the brand that I did buy. Amazingly, the difference in price was only around 150 bucks (ancient times!), with the Saint being on the upper end, and that was the only reason that I didn’t buy it. Dumb, right?
I owned a P365 which I had been taking to the range a couple of times a week for about 3 months. I also own a Springfield XD 9 which I had been shooting for about a year. One day at the range they asked me to shoot the newly released Hellcat to see what I thought. I shot the XD 9 and the Sig and then the Hellcat. The result was that I shot the Hellcat the first time significantly better than the Sig or the XD 9. I sold the Sig and bought the Hellcat. For me the Hellcat was the better choice.
Sig Sauer has extremely high quality in their firearms. Sigs are manufactured in Exeter, New Hampshire USA. Hellcats and all other striker-fired handguns marketed by Springfield Inc (aka Springfield Armory) are manufactured by HS Industries in Croatia.
After shooting both the P365 and the Hellcat, I felt that the Hellcat was the better choice for me. It fit my hand better (allowing me to manage the recoil more effectively), my eyes picked up the sights more easily, and who would argue with being able to carry an extra round? Both have proven to be excellent choices when it comes to being easy to maintain and reliability. At the end of the day… I don’t care about where a firearm is manufactured, a price difference, or about political stances about a company’s past “transgressions”. What I do care about is knowing I have the tools that will allow me to defend myself and those I love to the best of my ability. What tool works best for me, may not be the best for everyone or anyone else; and that’s okay.
I have the sig p365x and I have to say that it shoots like a full size gun! The sights are great and being able to put on a red dot out of the box is fantastic. It could hold up to 15 rounds if you wanted to do so, the grips are fantastic and I have medium size hands and no pinky hanging on the sig that’s for sure. The hellcat is a very nice gun also but in my opinion a little more flipper for its size. It shots nice and the sights were ok but in my opinion the sig takes the cake and eats it all! In ending both guns are fantastic firearms but the sig is in its own class, in my opinion!!