Ultimate Ported 2011 Showdown: MPA DS9-TC vs. Staccato XC - full teardown and comparison
Welcome back to Jim's Armory. A few weeks ago, Jim called the Masterpiece Arms DS9-TC Hybrid a "Staccato killer" in a review. Today he puts that claim to the test with a full teardown, setting the MPA DS9-TC side by side with a Staccato XC to see if the internals actually back it up. Piece by piece, finish by finish, Jim scores both guns to find out which one really comes out ahead.
The Finish: DLC vs. Black Nitride Both guns arrive with premium finishes - the Staccato in DLC (diamond-like carbon) and the MPA in black nitride, with gold-toned steel accents done in PVD (physical vapor deposition). Jim explains that DLC is an applied coating, while black nitride is a thermochemical surface hardening process that diffuses nitrogen and carbon into the steel rather than sitting on top of it. After the same holster wear on both guns, Jim notices scratches forming on the MPA's finish and frame, while the Staccato shows little more than a possible shiny spot. His early edge goes to the Staccato here, though he notes DLC can still wear off since it's a coating rather than a hardening treatment.
The Slide and Barrel: Island Comp vs. Threaded Compensator The Staccato's slide is machined around the sight and barrel in an "island comp" cut, which Jim views as an impressive but likely expensive way to build it. The MPA's slide is straight in comparison. On the barrels, the Staccato's is machined from one piece, DLC coated, with only the sight dovetailed in separately. The MPA's compensator is threaded on and secured with a high-temp thread locker, confirmed by Masterpiece Arms - a cheaper way to build it, in Jim's view, though he doesn't think the smaller port on the Staccato versus the larger one on the MPA makes a functional difference when shooting.
Slide Fit and Disconnector Feel Testing slide-to-frame fit without the barrel or guide rod, Jim feels movement in both guns, more on the Staccato, which he specifically flags to push back on any notion that Staccatos run especially tight. The MPA shows less movement but a bit more hang-up on the disconnector. Looking at the disconnector rail, the Staccato has a slight chamfer while the MPA's edge is more rounded - neither uses a true Marvel cut/ramp, a design named for gunsmith Bob Marvel that Jim notes would smooth out that feel almost entirely.
Pro-Tip: Reassembling a slide without the barrel or guide rod is a quick way to feel for any disconnector hang-up before final assembly.
Slide Cuts, Safeties, and Sear Work The Staccato features lightening cuts in the slide that the MPA lacks, despite Jim noting there's clearly enough material to support them. Both thumb safeties are machined, not MIM, though the Staccato's is slightly narrower and shows visible hand-honing marks. Both sear and disconnector sets look hand-fit as well - the MPA's parts are EGW, and Jim confirms this by comparing the hammer directly against a known EGW hammer, finding them identical apart from color.
Grip Safeties and Trigger Feel The Staccato in Jim's hands has had its grip safety pinned as a modification - something he covered in a recent video - while the MPA comes from the factory with a dummy beavertail that doesn't function as a grip safety at all, which Jim appreciates for competition use where he doesn't want it as a reliability variable. Out of the box, Jim's Staccato trigger measured about 1.5 lbs versus a little over 2.5 lbs on the MPA, though he's since lightened the MPA to just under 2 lbs.
Grips and Mainspring Housings This is where Jim is most critical of the Staccato as it ships. His unit has since been fitted with a Cheely grip, an Atlas trigger, and a large magwell, so he acknowledges the factory comparison isn't entirely fair - but he still takes aim at the factory plastic mainspring housing, calling it a pet peeve and explaining that molded plastic parts with a hollow core can cool unevenly and end up slightly oblong, potentially adding uneven pressure against the hammer strut. By contrast, the MPA's aluminum grip impresses him with an extremely tight, smooth bushing fit - to the point he needed a plastic hammer to seat it - with no cleanup needed around the trigger slot, unlike the Cheely grip he installed on the Staccato.
Mag Release and Accessory Rail Jim points out a functional difference in the mag releases: the MPA's Gen 2 style release has a cutout that positively catches the magazine to prevent overinsertion, while the Staccato's does not. He also prefers the look of the MPA's fully grooved accessory rail over the single-groove rail on the Staccato.
The Scorecard Tallying it all up, Jim scores the Staccato ahead on finish, guide rod design, barrel/comp construction, and trigger feel out of the box. The MPA takes points for slide fit, thumb safety ergonomics, grip safety configuration, mainspring housing, overall grip quality and texture, trigger shoe, magwell, mag release design, and accessory rail looks. Final tally: Staccato 5, MPA 2.
Final Thoughts Despite the score, Jim is careful to note this isn't a simple knockout - he has real respect for Staccato and the team behind STI, and his own Staccato XC remains one of his favorite guns to shoot. But for the price difference, he views the MPA DS9-TC as an exceptional value, particularly with its factory grip and safety ergonomics. Jim encourages viewers to weigh the categories themselves, since not every point matters equally to every shooter. Subscribe and stay tuned for more teardowns and comparisons from Jim's Armory.
