Mossberg MC1 9mm Subcompact Pistol

By Randy Wakeman


Mossberg surprised a lot of folks, in a good way, at the 2019 Shot Show with their new MC1 pistol. Sure, the compact concealed-carry handgun market is a crowded place, but it is also an extremely popular place in the United States, with handguns dwarfing the sales of rifles and shotguns.

It is a 6 or 7 shot 19 oz. Striker-fired polymer pistol. Mossberg calls out the features as follows.

  1. Mossberg signature multi-angle slide serrations for positive slide manipulation.
  2. Standard snag-free dovetail white three-dot sights for easier target acquisition, windage adjustment, and after-market customization.
  3. Stainless steel slide with upgraded Diamond-Like Carbon Coating.
  4. barrel with upgraded Diamond-Like Carbon Coating.
  5. Extended trigger guard for easy access.
  6. Mossberg flat-profile trigger with integrated blade safety.
  7. Reversible magazine release.
  8. Aggressive signature Mossberg grip texturing.
  9. Palm swell and grip angle provide superior ergonomics.
  10. Glass-reinforced polymer frame for enhanced durability.
  11. Mossberg Clear-Count polymer 6-round flush-fit and 7-round extended magazines offer low friction and high wear-resistance.

I like the size, I like the feel, I like the clear magazines, and I like the flat-bladed trigger. Take-down, thanks to the licensed push-button system from Strike Industries, is just about as easy as it gets. Mossberg calls this the MC1sc Safe Takedown System

The tested model is the MC1sc TRUGLOŽ Tritium PRO Sights #89003, with an MSRP of $526. Suggested retail prices don't mean much as they are greatly discounted. I've seen the base MC1 sell in the three hundred dollar range. The new Mossberg is quite competitive with the S&W Shield, for example.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber

9mm

Frame

Subcompact

Capacity

6-Round Flush-Fit / 7-Round Extended

Safety

Integrated Trigger Blade Safety

Barrel Length

3.40"

Barrel Rifling

Button Rifled Six Groove

Sight

TruGlo Tritium Pro Night Sights

Sight Radius

5.4"

Twist

1:16 RH Twist

Trigger

Flat-Profile Trigger

Trigger Pull

5-6 lbs.

Trigger Travel

.5"

Frame Finish

Polymer, Matte Black

Barrel Finish

416 Stainless Steel, DLC

Slide Finish

416 Stainless Steel, DLC

Weight

19 oz (Unloaded), 22 oz (Loaded)

Length

6.25"

Height

4.30"

Width

1.03"

UPC

015813890038

The see-through plastic magazines are easy to load, but don't always drop as freely out of the gun as I would like. The trigger breaks at 4 lbs., 11 oz. And is perfectly acceptable. The included 6-round flush magazine is worthless to me, as it only allows for a two-finger grip on the stock. The included 7-round magazine is much better. Mossberg's one year limited warranty is poor compared to many striker-fired pistols of this type. This handgun can be used with +P ammo, according to the owners manual.

The Mossberg MC-1 is very, very easy to take down and clean. I didn't find the grips particularly aggressive, though, and they certainly are not as aggressive in that department as the S&W M&P Shield 2.0 or the Sig P365, but they are bit easier to hang on to than the Ruger LC9, at least for me.

This is a good, solid first effort from Mossberg. However, it doesn't leap away from several other models. I'm referring to pistols that offer the same basic compact 9mm package at similar price points, such as the Walther PPS M2 (my PPS M2 is now at Walther, a recall gun), and the S&W Shield 2.0, and again, the one-year Mossberg warranty isn't impressive. If it sounds like I'm damning it a bit with faint praise, it is only because I am. I find the S&W Shield and the Sig P365 all far more satisfying. The new Mossberg is certainly worth a look, and you may well find that it fits you particularly well. In my hands, the only ones I'm equipped with, there are better options.


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Copyright 2019 by Randy Wakeman. All rights reserved.


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