MAC 9 DS Comp Unboxing
Welcome back to Jim's Armory. It's snowing outside, Jim's bored, and that means it's the perfect time to crack open a box. This time it's the Military Armament Corp MAC 9 DS Comp, a budget-friendly 2011 that's been getting some attention online. Jim walks through everything in the box, points out a handful of clever included parts, and gives his first impressions of the fit and feel before this gun heads to the workbench for a proper teardown.
What's in the Box Digging in, Jim finds two 17-round magazines right off the bat - standard fare, nothing exciting there. The gun itself is a MAC 9 DS: 9mm, forged frame and slide, polymer grip module, aluminum magwell, and 17+1 capacity from Military Armament Corp.
Beyond the pistol and magazines, the accessory package is where things get interesting. There are two different trigger shoes included, with a visible joint on each that lets you swap the shoe size to fit your hand. You also get optic mounting screws, a couple of Allen keys, and a guide rod tool, along with an optic mounting plate and what looks like an extra mainspring housing pin.
Jim also calls out two different mag release buttons in the box - a smaller standard one already installed, and a larger, noticeably thicker one included separately. Mag release fitment is a common complaint among shooters, so having an alternate size in the box right out of the gate is a nice touch.
Sights, Slide Release, and Small Details On the gun itself, Jim notes the sights come in at co-witness height, and the slide release is an extended design - easy to reach without having to break your grip. He holds it up next to a few other guns to show the difference: the 2K11 has a fairly small, tucked-in slide release, and even the Staccato's is on the smaller side. Jim points out that if you don't have particularly large thumbs, those smaller releases can be tough to reach without altering your grip. He notes the Romulus, another budget-oriented gun, also runs an extended slide lock, so the MAC 9 isn't alone in offering this feature.
The Comp: More Than a Simple Port The comp is one of the details Jim spends the most time on. Rather than a simple hole cut straight through a chunk of barrel, he shows that the barrel itself actually ends before the port, opening into a larger expansion chamber with a hole on top to direct gases upward. Getting a light inside to illustrate it, Jim points out that this chamber area is noticeably larger in diameter than the bore of the barrel itself.
Pro-Tip: If you want to actually see how a comp is built, shine a light down the port from the muzzle end - it'll show you whether the barrel ends early into an expansion chamber, or if it's just a straight-through hole.
Jim doesn't expect this design to compete with something like the Sig P211's 3D-printed comp, and he doesn't think it'll match the Staccato's compensator either, since the Staccato's chamber and port are both noticeably larger. Still, he's holding off on a final verdict until he's actually run rounds through it.
Fit, Feel, and Trigger Pull Handling the grip module, Jim's first impression is mixed but leaning positive - he agrees with some of the reviews he's seen that the texture "could be grippier," but he's clear that it's far from bad. In his words, "it doesn't suck."
Jim wraps up the unboxing by checking the trigger pull. He guesses somewhere around four and a half pounds before pulling out the gauge to confirm - it lands right at 4 lb 8 oz, exactly four and a half pounds as predicted.
Price and What's Next Jim repeatedly comes back to the price point on this one: coming in at under $1,000, it's the cheapest 2011 he's gotten his hands on so far. He jokes that he's a little wary of going any cheaper than this, but says he's seen a few reviews suggesting the gun performs better than its price tag might suggest. That combination of curiosity and skepticism is exactly why this gun is headed for a full teardown on the channel - Jim wants to get inside it and see what corners, if any, were cut to hit this price.
Final Thoughts The MAC 9 DS Comp arrives with a surprising amount of included hardware for the price - swappable trigger shoes, an extra mag release, a guide rod tool, and an optic mounting plate all in the box. The extended slide release, co-witness sights, and an interestingly designed comp chamber all stand out as thoughtful touches for a budget 2011. Jim's early impression of the grip and trigger pull are both reasonably positive, but as always, he's saving final judgment for the teardown and range time ahead. Stay tuned for the full breakdown, and subscribe so you don't miss it.
