Mossberg MC1sc Review by Alien Gear Holsters

Mossberg MC1sc Review

The Mossberg MC1sc is one of the more hotly anticipated pistols in recent memory, so doing this Mossberg MC1sc review was something we were keen on doing at SHOT Show 2019. A pistol? By MOSSBERG? Sounded a little unusual, to say the least...which got us intrigued.

The MC1sc is a striker-fired, polymer-framed single-stack 9mm subcompact, as a great many other pistols are. Mossberg, while definitely one of the more dominant gunmakers as a whole, is new to the modern handgun market. It faces some stiff competition.

Does it stack up? Is it worth considering over so many similar pistols? Let's find out...

Mossberg MC1sc: Next Step In Mossberg's Tactical And Home Defense Offerings

The Mossberg MC1sc is the next logical step in Mossberg's offerings for the tactical and self-defense markets. They've been making shotguns for law enforcement and the military for ages, and branched into rifles some time ago, so why not a handgun?

It wasn't the first Mossberg pistol, mind you; the company got their start making four-shot "pepperbox" style pistols (called the "Brownie") in the early 20th century. OF Mossberg himself actually started his career in the gun business working for Iver Johnson, helping develop the Iver Johnson revolvers. So really, handguns were kind of in their DNA to begin with.

The personal defense market these days leans toward small, light-weight, moderate-capacity pistols chambered in 9mm, especially of the striker-fired variety that are easy to conceal and carry in . So, they set to work creating one.

As with most Mossberg designs, it had to offer innovative design but also to be functional, durable, reliable, accurate and be offered at a working person's price-point. They have, rest assured, delivered.

Mossberg MC1sc Specifications

Mossberg MC1sc specifications are as follows:

The pistol has a 3.4-inch barrel matte black stainless steel barrel. The pistol is 6.25 inches long, standing 4.3 inches tall with the flush-fit magazine (slightly less than 5 inches with the extended magazine) and 1.03 inches wide. It weighs 19 ounces unloaded and has a flat-profile blade trigger safety.

Base model are three white dots, though night sights are available as an optional upgrade as is a factory Viridian laser.

There are no swappable grip panels, but the pistol has two textured grip panels for grippiness. Controls (magazine release and slide release) are left-side only, but the magazine release can be swapped if desired.

The gun ships with two magazines, one holding 6 rounds and the extended magazine (with a pinkie rest) holding 7. The magazines are a clear, hard polymer - called Mossberg Clear-Count magazines - so you can accurately count how many rounds are in them before inserting into the pistol.

The slide has fore and aft serrations, and racks fairly easily. The standard model has no , though you can order the pistol with a cross-bolt safety (located near the trigger guard on the grip, which you push left-to-right to activate) if so desired.

That's a bit unusual. The last pistol with a cross-bolt safety made by a major manufacturer that I'm aware of was the H&K VP70, and that feature was an oddity even then.

The party piece is the takedown system. You remove the rear slide plate and pull the firing pin out. This allows you to simply take the slide off the frame, meaning A.) you don't have to pull the trigger to take the gun apart and B.) the need for a takedown lever is eliminated. Pretty trick, huh?

Mossberg MC1sc Review

We were pretty keen to do a Mossberg MC1sc review, so we made sure to hit the Mossberg tent during Industry Day at the Range. And it did not disappoint!

Reliability remains to seriously be tested. We heard of no failures or defects during the enormous number of test shoots that the Mossberg pistols were subjected to, so it would appear the gun is made to run. Mossberg said they had already received more orders than they had production guns for, so the public is apparently receptive already.

The MC1sc has a very comfortable palmswell, so it sits well in the hand. It is a wee bit snappy - but what single stack poly-striker subcompact doesn't snap a bit? - but is otherwise very easy to shoot and easy to handle. The crossbolt safety sits in a somewhat awkward spot, just above the magazine release, so it's not the easiest thing to access with the shooting-hand thumb, but isn't unmanageable.

The trigger has a short travel, with not too much take-up and a decent break and short reset. Very easy to use, and with a comfortable feel thanks to the flat blade profile.

There isn't a rail, per se, but the lower dust cover is indented kind of like the Shield, so a few more laser attachments are likely pending. It's not likely that Mossberg will make a version given

The sights are of good size, easy to pick up and use. The white dots are fine, but the night sight model uses TruGlo, which adds $101 to the base model's $425 MSRP. The Viridian laser model has an MSRP of $514. Expect street prices closer to $350 for the base model.

Now...what you're likely wondering about is "okay, but should I buy one instead of a Shield?" The answer is that you should try one out yourself first. With that said, the grip is a little more comfortable than that of the Shield. The MC1sc also has a slightly longer backstrap, which enables a high, tight grip. It's on par as far as accuracy and shootability is concerned with the Shield and other pistols it will compete with.

It's a solid value pistol, no doubt about it. Mossberg specializes in working guns, so they wouldn't make a gun just to make one; they would make it because they believed they could offer a solid working gun at an affordable price, and that is what the MC1sc is. Not too many frills, not too many gimmicks, just a simple, well-made carry pistol for everyday folk.

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