Took this one to the range Saturday afternoon and it was a blast. I ran another 700 rounds through it using Herter's 115gr this time and she ate them all with ZERO issues and wanted more. I, unfortunately, ran out of time and energy. Ran her easy for the first 200 then hard for the remaining 500. I did slow fire, rapid fire, double taps, Mozambique drills, Bill drills, and qualification tables. I’ve noticed (and so have my friends at the range) that I’m bringing my MAC-9s to the range more than any of my other pistols. You can spend much more on a 1911 DS platform, but at the price point, you can have a great 1911 DS pistol and with a very modest investment in parts, time, and effort, one can easily elevate this pistol to another level. This is now at a higher level than my Prodigy and can definitely run with my higher priced 1911 DS pistols. My range now has two MAC 9 Comps (a 5" and a 4.25") for sale. They've noticed how often I've been bringing my MAC 9s to the range over my other pistols. Again…MAC, please improve the grips out of the box on all the MAC-9s and these will be at the top IMHO. The Safariland 6378RDS - ALS® Concealment Paddle Holster molded for the Streamlight TLR-7X light I use on this pistol along with the Osight C are a winning combination. I’ve seen comments out there about MAC-9s being nothing more than “range toys”. Mine has been more of a “workhorse”. I’ve got no issue or reservation with this or any of my other MAC-9s being an EDC and definitely home defense!

This was my second MAC 9 DS...the first being the 4.25 comp. The good: lightning cuts (had to pay extra for that on my Staccato P), three different trigger shoes, flared magwell, AOS optics plate included (also an extra purchase for my Staccato). Accuracy was spot on out of the box. The bad: as with the 4.25 comp, action was stiff and would bind at points. The breach face has a flat angle where it meets the disconnector causing additional binding in the action. The fiber optic insert in the front sight fell out before the first 500 rounds (Fiochi 124gr FMJ). The stippling on the grip is sub-par in my opinion. My remedies: Like with my 4.25 comp, I polished the rails, adjusted the angle of the breach face and disconnector allowing for a less impactful strike and smoother transition into battery. The action is so much smoother now than it was in factory configuration even after a total of 1000 rounds of break-in. Like my other MAC 9, I chose to match the rates on my Staccato P and tuned the sear spring to about a 3lb trigger pull. I also did the same dragon skin stippling on the grip as with my other MAC 9. I’ve put another 500 rounds thru it and she definitely “runs” now. To remedy the optic plate screws issue, I replaced the factory optic plate screws with torx head plate screws available for Prodigy. The C&H Precision screws and the screws that came with my Osight C did not adequately allow for mounting the plate or optic without grinding down the screw heads to make them flat on the plate. The screws I got for the Prodigy were flat mounting and I have no concerns about the optic coming loose again. Like my 4.25 comp, I gave it 4 stars (would have given it 4.5 but still not an available option) because of the fixes to what was a great pistol for the price and with a minor investment I was able to make it so much more refined and run without issue. I would definitely carry this pistol.

I've been drawn to the 1911 platform since the early 90s when it was standard issue (Colt 1911 A1). Carried Beretta 92F (I happened to have one of the last Italian made versions) and Glock over the years on duty and off duty but finally decided to come back to the 1911 platform a few years ago. This was my first MAC 9 after having three Tisas pistols (Service A1-45, Carry 45, and Tisas DS 9mm) so let’s jump into my observations. The good: lightning cuts (had to pay extra for that on my Staccato P), three different trigger shoes, flared magwell, AOS optics plate included (also had to purchase separately for my Staccato). Accuracy was very good once I got used to blacked out sights. The bad: action was stiff and would bind at points. The breach face has a flat angle where it meets the disconnector causing additional binding in the action. I’m not fond of the blacked out front sight and would have preferred some type of dot for contrast. The trigger pull from the factory was about 4.5lbs. Seems a touch high for a 1911 platform. The stippling on the grip is sub-par in my opinion. The recoil and main springs were higher than necessary in my opinion. And let’s not forget the optics plate screws. The first 1000 rounds were Blazer Brass 124gr FMJ. My remedies: I polished the rails, adjusted the angle of the breach face and disconnector allowing for a less impactful strike and smoother transition into battery. The action is almost buttery now. After reviewing the spring rates on my MAC 9, my Staccato P, and Springfield Prodigy, I opted to match the rates on my Staccato P. Tuned the sear spring and have a consistent sub-3.5lb trigger pull. To correct the grip issue, I was able to use my soldering iron with a 5mm attachment (normally used for indexing threaded heat inserts) and create a dragon skin pattern. The grip is solid now without being overly aggressive. I’ve put another 1000 rounds thru it (also Blazer Brass 124gr FMJ) and she definitely “runs” now. I haven’t mounted an optic on this pistol yet, but plan to replace the factory optic plate screws with torx head plate screws available for Prodigy. I gave it 4 stars (would have given it 4.5 but that wasn’t an option) because there were some fixes to what was a great pistol for the price and with a minor investment, I was able to make it so much more refined and worthy of a pistol costing twice as much.