You Asked, We Compare: Springfield Hellcat vs S&W Shield M2.0

You Asked, We Compare: Springfield Hellcat vs S&W Shield M2.0

A few of you asked us to compare these two, so here you go! The Springfield Armory Hellcat (only available in 9mm, so far) and, deep breath, the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield M2.0 9mm. We hope you enjoy!
The grips on the Hellcat are from Handle-It Grips, available on Amazon and also on their website.

Link to Full review on Shield M2.0: https://youtu.be/vCRjVZ6HwbU
Link to Full review on Springfield Hellcat: https://youtu.be/Q1MQzDuDbJo
Link to size comparison Hellcat review: https://youtu.be/LSkA0raaKHI

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50 Comments

  1. sunseasurf1000 on May 7, 2023 at 3:59 am

    I want the Hellcat for its shorter grip to prevent printing when concealed carry.



  2. mottone71 on May 7, 2023 at 3:59 am

    Love my Hellcat. Use flush 11 round for concealed carry Have the 15 extended magazine for open carry. Can’t beat the size and compacity



  3. Craig Small on May 7, 2023 at 4:01 am

    I would like you to compare the s&w plus 13+1and the czp10s 12+1



  4. William Winn on May 7, 2023 at 4:03 am

    girlfriend just bought the osp version amd loves it. i have the M&P 2.0 9c with 4in barrel and love it.



  5. 69jagss69 on May 7, 2023 at 4:04 am

    Shield grip to me is not as good as the hellcat. Dots got blurry on me. Thectriger I thought was horrible also felt more recoil. But that’s just me



  6. Irish Man on May 7, 2023 at 4:04 am

    My M&P 45 is my favorite gun to shoot.



  7. 69jagss69 on May 7, 2023 at 4:04 am

    I find this funny. Recently had them both out. I felt the total opposite.



  8. Steve F on May 7, 2023 at 4:05 am

    You are excusing the trigger on the smith and you excuse its size. i had to leave before i heard five rounds less isn’t enough to make a difference….



  9. milirat on May 7, 2023 at 4:05 am

    My Hellcat has a thumb safety



  10. Aelion on May 7, 2023 at 4:05 am

    You are SO thorough.. I’m huge on reviews and comparisons. You go over every thing, even the little stuff.. you’re definitely top tier πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»



  11. Chris Hirner on May 7, 2023 at 4:07 am

    compared to the shield the hellcat is a bit snappy, but in a good way. Cant really explain it but you get used to it pretty quick. It definatly takes more pressure on the support side to keep it on target.



  12. OVI Graphics on May 7, 2023 at 4:09 am

    Great review very informative – honest opinions and facts



  13. Kayin Williams on May 7, 2023 at 4:10 am

    I believe the hogue grip for the Hellcat would help it fit better in your hand



  14. grapplergirl10 on May 7, 2023 at 4:10 am

    If only the hellcat had a good trigger. Even with work, for me the reset is way too long.



  15. Lamar Walker on May 7, 2023 at 4:14 am

    I paid $549 for the FDE HELLCAT in mid-September 2020 Love it



  16. D J on May 7, 2023 at 4:17 am

    So it looks like the Hellcat with the extended mag would be as tall as the Shield with the flush fit mag. 14 vs 8 for same size. Crazy. Thanks for the great video.



  17. Paul W. on May 7, 2023 at 4:17 am

    Good review. Thanks. How would you compare stiffness of slide? Might be a factor for my daughter.



  18. Andrew Wilborn on May 7, 2023 at 4:18 am

    Gotta know where you got that hellcat thing on the grip. Did it come with the after market grip?



  19. Jimbo Neutron on May 7, 2023 at 4:19 am

    I have the shield in .40 and its definitely not the most fun thing to shoot. Not for the weak handed or limp wristed. Its pretty good for a 6’1” 300 lb guy like me



  20. Chase D on May 7, 2023 at 4:19 am

    Good news everyone: S&W just released the Sheild Plus which has 10+1 and 13+1 capacity. Its a little bigger than both these guns though



  21. Martha Yeager on May 7, 2023 at 4:20 am

    How does the racking ease compare?



  22. Chris Mckenzie on May 7, 2023 at 4:23 am

    You guys need to appreciate the fact that the hellcat comes with a highly polished feed ramp.



  23. RIPPER334 on May 7, 2023 at 4:24 am

    I stopped buying croatian made pistols on the first round of HS2000s… They didn’t get any better just because Springfield started stamping their name on them.



  24. Frank White on May 7, 2023 at 4:24 am

    I own both the shield in 40 cal tho can’t wait for hellcat to come out in 40 too both are great guns tho they fit very well in the hand with flush or extended mags and I have large hands



  25. NeoFunnyvideos on May 7, 2023 at 4:24 am

    SW all day πŸ–€πŸ–€πŸ’›πŸ’›



  26. xXGREYG00SEXx on May 7, 2023 at 4:26 am

    S&W all the way cause in California the hellcat is illegal 😀



  27. rawbeejay on May 7, 2023 at 4:27 am

    The hellcat is a handful to shoot in a small package.



  28. Антонио Густаво on May 7, 2023 at 4:30 am

    πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯



  29. detroit sound on May 7, 2023 at 4:33 am

    Smith and Wesson really did the job with the new Sheild plus best shooter out of all the micro compacts it also holds 13 plus one now.



  30. TXH 1138 on May 7, 2023 at 4:35 am

    I would have liked to see you put some calipers on those grips to see who is closer to advertised size.



  31. Reed R on May 7, 2023 at 4:35 am

    Bought a Hellcat yesterday. Should have done more homework. It’s basically the same size as my shield. I already hate the trigger. Apex trigger on the way. I keep wanting to like Springfield’s polymer pistols (I’ve owned a XD-S & XD-E), but comparing it to my shield, about the only way the Hellcat beats it is magazine capacity. Bought the shield- performance center for $499 ($399 after rebate) a couple years ago. Ported barrel. Night sights. Good trigger with clearance for a gloved finger. Hellcat- no rear night sight. Cut for an optic. Has an accessory rail which is basically useless because finding a holster which accommodates accessories is virtually impossible (unless you go custom). It’s cut for an optic. So… the gun was $569… plus $80 for a trigger fix- hopefully. Worth it for an extra $250?



  32. B Adventures on May 7, 2023 at 4:37 am

    Good comparison review πŸ‘



  33. Randy Moyers on May 7, 2023 at 4:37 am

    The shield has a rust problem



  34. Ryan Taylor on May 7, 2023 at 4:38 am

    I would love to see the S&W Shield 3.0 come with double stack mags… that’s the real negative for an otherwise awesome pistol IMHO. That and the roughness of the grips chews up your side during concealed carry if its up against bare skin. I solved that issue by taking the "bite" off the inboard side of the grip (where it touches me in the holster). Still get an excellent grip during use, because other than the thumb, my hand and fingers all use the outboard side for traction. Just my 2 cents to add to the mix. Thanks for the video.



  35. Lars on May 7, 2023 at 4:42 am

    After viewing many M&P Shield 1.0 and 2.0 vs several subcompact pistols the Shield consistently has tighter groups at various distances. The other handguns were very accurate but just not as tight a group. I don’t know why but these results were across several excellent marksmen.



  36. Louis Matassa on May 7, 2023 at 4:42 am

    Smith & Wesson are the choice for revolver βœ‹ πŸ”« than πŸš› 🚘 matic πŸ”«



  37. Alexander Sig on May 7, 2023 at 4:43 am

    If i was going to buy one of this two, i would buy the P365 from Sig SauerπŸ˜‚



  38. Domenik on May 7, 2023 at 4:44 am

    The real difference between the two, and what sets the hellcat apart from the sig p365 as well is the quality control. See the chipped emblem on the s&w symbol? Their laser engraver has been having issues for literal years and has lead to sharp scalloping and chipping engravements like that. Also the trigger is an absolute crapshoot on them. Mine is currently 8 lbs and hasn’t broken in over 1000 rounds in.



  39. Steve F on May 7, 2023 at 4:46 am

    i disagree on the front site of the hellcat fuzzing out. Even in your video it’s twice as bright as the Shield.



  40. quoththeraven7 on May 7, 2023 at 4:47 am

    People complain about the hinged trigger on the M&P. But they never say anything about the one on the FN. Just like they say, they don’t like the grip safety on an XD, but they love a 1911. It’s just weird. But anyway, I have both of these guns, and really like them. I rotate them Sping & Summer. But in the winter, I rotate my XD40 sub compact. And my Glock 27, Gen 5.



  41. Louis Matassa on May 7, 2023 at 4:49 am

    Springfield hell 🐱 most certainly!!!!



  42. Roy Perkins on May 7, 2023 at 4:50 am

    You need to compare the hellcat with a shield pro which can hold 13 rounds. And is still cheaper than the hellcat. No matter how you figure it the hellcat is a lot more money it was when they first came out and it still is. In comparison they both shoot very well and there is virtually no difference in the shooting of them and the accuracy. But like I said the hellcat is a lot more money. So I guess if money is something you want to lose then go ahead and pay more money for the hellcat.



  43. Louis Matassa on May 7, 2023 at 4:50 am

    πŸ’˜ πŸ“Ή!!!!!!!!



  44. Tech-Nobility on May 7, 2023 at 4:52 am

    I have both and I’m more accurate with the M&P, but the Hellcat is an easier carry. I forgot to mention my Shield has a laser so that may be a bit of a cheat on accuracy but the Hellcat is a bit more "snappy" than the Shield. Love them both though.



  45. gary s on May 7, 2023 at 4:53 am

    The grip is perfect on the Hellcat, that is if you have been a shooter for more than three weeks!



  46. Gudda Cuhz on May 7, 2023 at 4:54 am

    I love my hellcat just got it last week



  47. J Lor on May 7, 2023 at 4:56 am

    Got bored one day and took my calipers to my HC barrel and Shield barrel. To my surprise, the HC barrel was a tad longer even though it is advertised as .1" shorter.



  48. AJ on May 7, 2023 at 4:57 am

    Anyone who makes the argument the hellcat is a better won’t get a fight about it from me, fair enough. Granted I don’t own a hellcat and have only held one once and seen videos and am very biased, I’d to shield all day any day. I’m a smith and Wesson fan boy and the shield is just a beautifully designed great looking and capable firearm. I don’t need anything else.



  49. Ryan on May 7, 2023 at 4:58 am

    There are 3 models of the hellcat… they just don’t advertise it.. (10 round mag low capacity hellcat) really made for areas with stricter laws is what I was told.. found that out the hard way… dont be fooled by some of these gun shops …



  50. mrperfecttt001007 on May 7, 2023 at 4:58 am

    I ❀. Hell cat. Better. I have 15 round clip. I own. The shield. I don’t like it