The world of 2011 pistols is ever-expanding. Starting a scant few years ago, the idea of marrying a 1911 to a double-stack frame seemed pretty radical, but I guess it was the natural progression of things. Of course, a major change came in the caliber… from .45 ACP to 9mm. Of course, 9mm is no stranger to the 1911 platform… Colt saw to that in 1950 when it introduced the Combat Commander 1911, with its shorter 4.25” barrel, in 9mm.
Jump to the present time. Every company that makes a double-stack (DS from now on) 1911 in 9mm wants to sit at the front of the sales bus. Consequently, we have guns at almost every price point. It isn’t as complete a market saturation as is the 1911 in .45 ACP, at all price points, but it’s barking at its heels. There are DS 1911s – 2011s, to use the current term, ranging from about $450 to whatever you want to pay.
One company that makes a less expensive 2011 is MAC (short for Military Armament Corporation). Made in Turkey and imported by SDS Arms, the MAC-9 has developed a following. The guns are made very well, with forged internals, 70 Series Colt & STI 2011‑compatible parts, and an optics cut for a red dot sight. These guns punch well above their weight class.
Let’s look at the one we have here. Also note the red dot on this gun… we placed a C&H Precision COMP red dot sight on it, to make a possible Steel Challenge gun. We’ll talk more about the sight later… suffice it to say, it works very well for the Challenge role.
You will also see a light on this gun, but that’s for another conversation.
Here are some photos I took…
Note the extended magazine release. There’s no missing that!
The slide cuts lighten it just a bit, which allows it to not slam quite as hard to the rear in recoil. The gun is very well behaved, especially with Black Hill’s HoneyBadger ammo. More on that below.
Features Of The MAC 9 DS Duty
- Forged Steel Frame & Slide
- 70 Series Colt & STI® 2011‑Compatible Parts
- Target‑Crowned Bull Barrel
- Precision‑Machined Internals
- Skeletonized Hammer & Trigger
- Extended / Oversized Controls
- Agency AOS Optic Plate System w/ Glock‑Pattern Dovetail Rear Sight
- Tisas Dovetail Front Sight
- Co‑Witness Capability with Most Optics
- 1‑Year Warranty + Lifetime Service Plan
- What’s Included
- Hard Case
- Agency Arms RMR Optic Plate
- (2) Magazines
- Cleaning Kit
- Owner’s Manual
- Let’s look at the specs, while we’re on the subject…
- Caliber 9MM
- Frame/Receiver – Slide Finish QPQ Tenifer
- Sights Fixed Rear Black, Front Fiber Optic
- Optics Ready/Cut AOS Plate System
- Capacity (w/Two Included Mags) 17+1
- Barrel Length 5″
- Threaded N/A
- Barrel Finish QPQ Tenifer
- OAL 8.5″
- Height 5.8″
- Width 1.5″
- Weight (Unloaded) 2.36 lbs. (38 oz.)
- Warranty One Year Limited/Lifetime Service
- MSRP: $1119.18
Where To Buy
Observations
Here’s where I get to say what I like or don’t like about this pistol. Hint… there isn’t a lot to not like, from my standpoint.
Overall Feel/Ergonomics: The gun sits right in my hand. Sometimes 1911s or 2011s (especially) can feel a bit chunky in my hand. Not “Glock chunky”… you just know you have a substantial shootin’ iron in your hand. My hands are not overly large – you see them in the top photo – so sometimes guns feel a bit larger than they are. This one doesn’t do that.
Shooting Impression: The gun shoots very softly. I was totally impressed, especially with the uber-hot HoneyBadger (not a typo – that’s how they spell it) load. It puts a 125-grain, machined, solid copper fluted bullet out of the muzzle at over 1000 fps. You’re bumping into low .357-magnum territory (especially from a snubbie) here, but it was the softest-shooting load I tried. It was also the most accurate… more on that below.
Controls: The magazine release is extended, for starters. You also have dual safety levers, a feature we southpaws appreciate. The slide release works as intended, and the grip safety/beavertail operates perfectly.
The Red Dot
Before we get to the shooting part, I wanted to discuss the sight we used.
C&H Precision sent me a red dot to try, and we thought it might be a good match, so we put it on the MAC. The sight is a C&H Precision COMP red dot. You can see it here. The company makes 16 red dot sights, priced from $200 to $350, rounded off. There are closed emitters, open emitters, and finishes such as black and camo.
What got my son’s attention was the window size. He is getting into Steel Challenge competition and has been looking for a red dot with a large window that is fast and easy to acquire. This one works great for that. This $300 sight comes in red or green – we got the red one, with the multi-reticle feature – and is made of aluminum. Sporting the popular RMR footprint, it will fit many guns.
Let’s look at its specifications…
- Magnification: 1x
- Lens Diameter: 27mm
- Elevation/Windage adjustment range: 45 MOA (Total 90 MOA)
- Click Value: 1 MOA per click
- Dot Size: 3 MOA (2MOA dot and 21 MOA Circle in Multi-Reticle)
- Dot Color: Red or green versions are available
- Parallax Free: 33 Yards
- Red Dot Brightness Setting: 10 levels
- Power Supply: 1x CR 1632 3V Lithium battery (one was supplied)
- Auto Wake/Sleep: 5 Mins after no movement
- Dimensions: (LxWxH) 52.5mm x 30.7mm x 31.7mm
- Weight (with battery installed): 28.4g (approx.)
- Rated For: +P and +P+ Ammo
- Footprint: RMR
- MSRP: $299.99
- Shockproof & Waterproof
I am truly impressed with this sight. I see a lot of optics, as you can imagine, and some are better than others. I have found that having a choice of reticles is important, especially if you intend to use the gun at varying light levels.
I’ve used red dots for hunting, even (up close stuff), and being able to dial in a larger circle reticle can be important as light fades. Also, having 10 levels of intensity is a good thing for the same reason. Making the dot duller or brighter, as conditions dictate, helps you.
Here are some photos of the sight…
The sights on the pistol were tall enough to co-witness with the sight.
As I said, I really like this sight. It has stood up to whatever we could dish out.
Shooting Impressions
I am blessed to have ammo sent to me by Black Hills for my reviews, so I grabbed a couple of loads and headed to my backyard range.
I set targets up at 25 yards and let fly. I shot two loads… a 115-grain FMJ and the 125-grain HoneyBadger. (This was one of two HB loads they make. This one is subsonic, with a velocity of around 1000 fps. They also make a 100-grain load at 1200 fps.)
Here are a couple of representative targets…
This gun exhibited the best accuracy of several recent 9mm pistols I’ve reviewed. I could see using this in whatever competition you wanted… from my experience, it wouldn’t be hard to come up with a great load.
All you’d need to do is experiment with a few loads, and then dial in the red dot when you get your winner. To sum up, in my Hoosier vernacular… this gun was a hoot to shoot!
Conclusion
Are you in the market for a 2011 in 9mm? Looking for something to compete with, possibly, or do you just like to take 2011s to the range? I was really impressed with this MAC 9. Some shooters compare it to a much more expensive pistol, whose name I won’t mention… whether or not that’s true, I think you could do a lot worse.
The gun was tight – no wobbles – and accurate. Given the lifetime service that you have, you have nothing to fear if something breaks. With a “real-world” price of around $900, the gun becomes very interesting, indeed. You get a lot for that amount. Let’s hear from you, owners out there below!
Links To Items Used In This Review
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