I’ve been shooting double-stack 1911s for a few years now. This includes budget-friendly $800-$1,000 guns, guns costing $10,000+, and everything in between. What I can share from my time shooting various pistols is that the price tag doesn’t always reflect the quality of the gun. Sometimes, they’re way overpriced; other times, it’s hard to believe the price. Military Armament Corporation’s MAC 9 DS-D (Double Stack Duty) Comp pistol is one such gun whose value doesn’t match the price tag.

The Military Armament Corporation MAC 9 DS-D Comp

It’s everything you could want in a high-performance, double-stack 1911 without the price tag that usually comes with it. After shooting hundreds of rounds through this pistol and even having a few friends shoot it, I haven’t found a single negative aspect. In fact, if I were looking to buy my first double-stack 1911, this would be number one on my list.

Let me dive into what makes this pistol so impressive.

No Need for Aftermarket Parts

The biggest testimonial I can give about the MAC 9 DS-D Comp is that you do not need to purchase a single aftermarket part. With almost every double-stack 1911 I’ve owned, I’ve immediately gone to the aftermarket for parts. This usually consists of a flared magwell, a flat trigger, ambidextrous safety, or some internal parts.

In one extreme case, I completely replaced a grip and gutted every factory internal component in exchange for better parts. However, Military Armament Company nailed the design of the MAC 9 line. It features high-quality parts, ambidextrous controls, and a winning trigger straight from the factory.

Compatibility with Other 1911/2011 Parts

The MAC 9 DS-D Comp pistol is compatible with 70 Series Colt and STI 2011 parts. There is no real need for aftermarket upgrades. But the compatibility with these parts means it’ll be easy to find replacement or repair parts.

The best part about the MAC 9, in my opinion, is its compatibility with MBX, STI, and other 2011-style magazines. I tested STI and MBX magazines with competition followers and had no issues with ammunition feeding.

The MAC 9 DS’s Flat Trigger

I usually upgrade the trigger in any new gun, as most factory triggers aren’t great. However, the MAC 9 DS-D Comp pistol is already built with an excellent skeletonized hammer and trigger. The flat trigger in the MAC 9 is my go-to trigger for 1911 and 2011 pistols. It increases the value of this pistol in my mind.

Compared to my competition pistols, the factory pull weight is heavier than I’m used to. However, any qualified gunsmith can tune the trigger to make for a lighter pull.

AOS Red Dot Mounting Compatibility

The Agency Optic System (AOS) is a plate system developed by Agency Arms and Springfield Armory in collaboration. These plates are designed to be compatible with today’s most popular optics built on the RMR, Shield, Delta Point Pro, and Docter footprints. A rear sight is intentionally built into the plate design. It has the proper sight height to co-witness with almost all the red dot optic configurations.

The MAC 9 uses the AOS design. So, if you’re like me and already have adopted this system, you can swap optic footprints easily and be ready to mount your favorite red dot optic.

I mounted the Holosun 507C-X2 optic with the ACSS Vulcan Reticle to the DS-D comp. This was a new reticle for me and took a little getting used to. But it was relatively intuitive, so I picked it up quickly.

There is a wide circle reticle that you cannot see when the sight is perfectly aligned with the target. When you move the optic so that the sight is pointed too far left, right, up, or down, parts of this circle will come into view.

If you see parts of the ring of the circle, you need to move the optic in that direction. This corrects your misaligned sight quickly and trains you never to see the edges of the circle. The reticle is a chevron (an upside-down “V”), instead of the standard dot. The proper aiming point is at the apex of the chevron.

Shooting the MAC 9 DS

The features and functions of any new gun can only impress me so far. How a gun performs on the range tells me all I need to know about its quality. After shooting a few hundred rounds, the MAC 9 Double Stack Duty Comp left me speechless.

My friend Maggie and I tested different magazines with various types of followers (slide-lock vs. competition) to see how reliable the gun would be. We both had zero malfunctions, including any failures to feed or eject. We shot mainly 124-grain and 147-grain full metal jacket 9mm ammunition. Those are the loads I would use this gun with for plinking or competition.

The accuracy of this pistol was unbelievable. Every type of ammunition I tested for accuracy shot sub-1-inch groups. It was exciting to see how accurate this pistol is with various types of ammo, even with the different bullet profiles.

After shooting groups on Caldwell’s Orange Peel Sight-In Targets, I shot at 5-inch Caldwell C zone targets, 33% pepper poppers, and a tiny plate rack. I can tell you every miss on a target was all me and not the gun.

The lack of muzzle rise can’t be exaggerated. The single-port integrated ported barrel essentially makes any recoil this gun would have null and void. It was too easy to pick the red dot back up for follow-up shots, and I would get a little trigger-happy and forget I had to aim.

Can’t Beat the Price

There isn’t a double-stack 1911 that beats the MAC 9’s performance and value. The price tag makes this pistol a total steal. This is a gun I would recommend to anyone, especially shooters looking to get into competing with a 1911-style pistol. The accuracy alone puts this gun at the top of my recommendation list, as you’ll need it in sports like USPSA, PCSL 2 Gun, and more.

I can’t wait to get more rounds downrange and see more people’s reactions to shooting it for the first time. Once you shoot it, you understand how well designed this gun is from muzzle to beaver tail.

Military Armament Corporation MAC 9 DS-D Comp Specs

Performance

(5 Rounds Shot at 20 yards and Chronographed using the Garmin Xero C1 Pro)