When it comes to aftermarket accessories, the firearms market is full of companies vying for your attention. Some companies pop up overnight and disappear in as much time, while others help define entire categories. When it comes to the latter, True Precision is one of those companies I consider very influential.
I remember back in early 2019 seeing True Precision barrels on a number of my buddies’ pistols, mostly threaded variants, and I was impressed. Fast forward five years, and True Precision is manufacturing slides, barrels, custom frames, triggers and other parts for a wide array of pistols, and more specifically the beloved Hellcat Pro.
On My Radar
As a fan of the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro, this obviously caught my attention. While doing some research for this article, I got the chance to chat with the owner of True Precision, Jimmy Allen, about what helps his company stand the test of time and continue to innovate.
“True Precision was founded in 2016 out of a need for affordable, high-end precision parts — along with a great customer experience,” he explained. “Our goal was to reach the everyday carry person outfitting them with quality in the sub compact and compact market.
“We are agile in bringing new desirable products to market, and the key for us is listening to our customer base,” he continued. “The market is very competitive, so True Precision stands out by consistently producing items while fully backing our products with excellent customer service and an experience that end users want to share.”
I love to hear stuff like this from the owners of companies, because it trickles down into everything they do, and ultimately into the products we purchase. I also think he nailed it on the “shareability” aspect of their products. When you add aftermarket parts to your firearms, you’re making very personal choices as to how it’s customized. This creates pride in your creation, and usually a desire to let others see how you decided to configure your firearm.
When I saw True Precision was coming out with parts for the Hellcat Pro pistols, I was immediately intrigued. I wanted to see what they could do to transform my Hellcat Pro — already an excellent EDC pistol — into something with even more personality and potentially enhanced performance.
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As much as I love the factory Hellcat pistols, there will always be a part of me that wants to customize and create something new. As an artistic person, I look at everything through the lens of what could be, or how I would adjust or change something visually to be unique to me.
[Don’t miss Massad Ayoob’s review of the Hellcat Pro here.]
To be clear, I also very much value a bone-stock pistol, especially when it comes to my daily carry. There are fun guns, carry guns, range guns and safe ponies, and I fully endorse anyone willing to own or build any number of these. My goal for this Hellcat was to build out a fun range gun that could just as easily be a great carry gun.
The Details
One newer product True Precision has been offering is stippled frames. I am a huge fan of custom stippled frames, both lasered and or hand-stippled. Remember I mentioned I like to customize my guns? The Hellcat Pro comes from the factory with “Adaptive Grip Texture,” and I’ve found it to be excellent. However, my desire to customize my guns led me to wanting to try out what True Precision had to offer.
True Precision will take a factory Hellcat Pro frame and work up a part laser-/part hand-stipple process to create a wonderful-looking frame texture with superb utility. The frame is kept the factory black color, while the hand stippled portion is an even deeper black, creating a stand-out look. They even laser the True Precision “TP” logo into the bottom portion of the grip, which I think is a nice touch. The hand-stippled portion of the frame is at the front and rear of the grip, while the lasered portions are on the left and right side of the grip.
I also decided to try out their Hellcat Pro slide, the Axiom optics cut slide in all-black DLC. They offer it in a wide range of finish options, by the way. The Axiom slide is a sleek design with side-cut windows to reduce weight while also adding some style. The reduced and scalloped front of the slide creates a unique look, and accentuates the view of the True Precision threaded barrel (more on that in a moment). The Axiom slide features angled rear serrations that are aggressive, allowing you to easily manipulate the slide. The slide is cut for the SMSc footprint (which was perfect for keeping my Shield SMSc on my pistol). I also selected the optional optic-height Nightfision night sights.
Regarding the barrel on the Hellcat, I chose a TiN (for “Titanium Nitride”) barrel in a rich gold color. I also chose the threaded barrel option with thread protector so that I could one day add a comp or a suppressor to the pistol. It’s always nice to have the option, and there are no downsides to the extra length on the barrel, even if you are carrying in a holster. Down the road, I would love to test out the True Precision Micro Compensator on the pistol to squeeze out every bit of performance on the range.
I’ve always been fond of the True Precision barrels from an aesthetic perspective, from the colors down to the “TRUE” mark on the right side. The barrels are machined with advanced cuts, chamfers and a feed ramp designed to perform reliably with all types of ammunition. True Precision utilizes a proprietary stainless-steel broach cut rifling to deliver the highest accuracy and reliability possible.
Range Time
I hit the range with the pistol to get a feel for the new parts and see how they performed. I loaded up with some Remington UMC range ammo, which is generally what I use for all my sessions to keep things consistent.
I immediately noted the laser- and hand-stippled frame. Keeping the pistol firming planted in my hands was easy. Thankfully, the stippling was not so aggressive as to tear up my hands, which I have experienced with other pistols. I also noted that the slide did have slightly less mass to it due to the lightening cuts, and manipulating/cycling the slide with the rear serrations was easy. Also, with the tough black DLC coating, you can count on this slide looking and performing flawlessly for thousands of rounds.
As far as accuracy is concerned, I easily got fist-size groups offhand at 15 yards. The TP barrel was reliable, with no feeding issues or malfunctions during my entire range visit. Recoil was manageable, and accuracy was quite good.
Pricing
- Frame Stippling: $295.00
- Axiom Slide: $395.00
- Barrel (Gold TiN): $199.99
Conclusion
I started out with the goal of spicing up my Hellcat Pro and squeezing some extra performance out of it for some fun range trips. I think I accomplished that and more, as the pistol looks great and shoots fantastic.
I think the color scheme is classy with shades of gray and black, and the pop of gold with the barrel really catches your eye. I am extremely pleased with this build, and if anyone out there is looking to spice up their Hellcat Pro, I would highly suggest taking a look at the True Precision website to see what they have to offer. They make stellar products that are sure to last you a lifetime.
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