News: Hellcat Pro Threaded Barrel, SA Operator in 9mm, More Turkish 1911s, & a Ruger Suppressor Host

This week in gun news: Springer launches a threaded Hellcat Pro & Operator in 9mm, we get even more Turkish 1911 stateside, & Ruger updates the MKIV to host suppressors.

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

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Updated

May 2023

Hellcat Pro Threaded Barrel Version

There are lots of micro-compact 9mm pistols on the market today, with SIG alone having like 30 different variants and subvariants of the P365 and everyone from Stoeger to Smith & Wesson and Kimber to Canik making more. However, none that I can think of have a factory threaded barrel option, until lately.

Springfield last week announced a threaded barrel kit option for the 3-inch Hellcat that included a compensator and now, this week, went live with an all-up version of the Hellcat Pro that ships with a threaded barrel. It still has all the standard Hellcat Pro features and an MRSP of $667.

Springfield Armory Operator in 9mm

The Operator series has been a bedrock item in Springfield Armory’s lineup for more than 20 years and once upon a time, these 1911 “rail gun” .45s were about the most popular thing for SWAT-style units in the country to include the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Teams. Lots were also bought with Marine Corps unit funds for MEUSOC 1911 program before the adoption of the Colt M45 CQBP, which was basically just an Operator that said “Colt” on it.

Well, now Springfield has introduced the Operator in a 9+1 round 9mm variant, and it still looks sweet. Will it be sweet enough that the 2011 crowd will want it at half the capacity while still having an MSRP of $1,184? That’s the question.

More Turkish 1911s

It used to be that, if you wanted a quality 1911 that was made overseas, you had to reach out to West German sources and expect to pay a premium for the privilege. Then, throughout the 1990s, Philippine and Brazilian companies started catching up while keeping the prices down and now you have Turkey trying to do the same. Companies like Tisas and Girsan are coughing up lots of genuinely nice 1911s, complete with forged steel slides and frames, at a cost that even Rock Island can’t compete with.

Now, a company called Balistik Defence has paired up with GForce Arms to bring what they are calling the ADAM Series 1911 pistol in from Turkey. It has all the basic bullet points covered: forged steel construction, straight mainspring housing, button rifled barreling, Novak style sights, ambi controls, extended beavertail, etc. The price is in the $600s.

You know what they say about what competition does to the marketplace, eh?

Balistik Defence ADAM Series 1911 pistol 1300

Ruger Suppressor Host

The Ruger Standard .22, the pistol that Bill Ruger started his company with in the late 1940s, has long been an ideal handgun to convert for use with a suppressor. Guys like Mark Serbu made them integrally suppressed back in the 1980s and that is still popular, with Maxim Defense last year introducing their be-quieted Ruger MKIV-SD.

Now, Silencer Shop has joined forces with Ruger to market a dedicated suppressor host version of the MKIV, complete with a 3-inch barrel with a 1-inch diameter to give that sweet seamless profile look when paired to most rimfire cans. Plus, since it isn’t integrally suppressed, you can still buy it even without a tax stamp. MSRP is $749, but SilencerShop was running these for $559 initially.

Meet the Experts

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).