(Photo by Yamil Sued)
March 01, 2025
By Guns & Ammo Staff
The 9mm-chambered double-stack (DS) 1911 pistols are hot. Several brands are making them. The combination of 1911 ergonomics and functionality with more than twice the capacity of John M. Browning’s original Model 1911 are a hit with civilians and law enforcement. The barrier for many interested in purchasing one is the cost. A Stacatto P starts at $2,499 . The Military Armament Corporation (MAC) DS 1911 is its MAC 9DS-D. With a retail of $1,100, the Turkish-made alternative looks and performs like a double-stack 1911 having a considerably higher price.
The MAC 9DS-D disassembly procedure differs from conventional Model 1911 pistols in that it lacks a barrel bushing. Notably, the guiderod, spring and plunger are removed as a group. Not shown, the magazine funnel may also be removed. (Photo by Yamil Sued) The MAC 9DS-D is a larger variant of the 41/4-inch-barreled MAC 9DS introduced in the January 2024 issue of Guns & Ammo. However, the 4.9-inch barrel and extra inch in overall length are not the only details that differentiate the two guns.
The MAC 9DS was built on a 7075-series aluminum-alloy frame. The MAC 9DS-D is built on a carbon steel frame. Both pistols feature a hammer-forged carbon-steel slide and hammer-forged 4140 steel barrel, though, and a Tenifer quench polish quench (QPQ) finish provides corrosion resistance to the frame, slide and barrel on the MAC 9DS-D.
The muzzle of the MAC 9DS-D features a suppressor-height fiber-optic front sight, bushingless barrel and full-length rail. (Photo by Yamil Sued) The grip of both MAC pistols is polymer with a wave design on what emulates grip panels. It bears the MAC sword-and-shield logo, too. The flat mainspring housing and frontstrap both feature 25 lines-per-inch (LPI) checkering, which help to lock the pistol into the shooter’s grip. A redesigned beavertail on the MAC 9DS-D, coupled with its slightly undercut triggerguard, encourage a high-grip technique for optimal recoil control.
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The grip module mimics a 1911 frame, but is a one-piece polymer. The sides feature wave texture, and a 25-lpi checkered frontstrap. (Photo by Yamil Sued) Like the MAC 9DS, the MAC 9DS-D has a flared aluminum magazine well that helps guide magazines into the pistol for sure-hand loading. As beneficial as a magazine well can be, it can also print through the fabric of a cover garment, making the gun more difficult to conceal. Since the magazine well is removable, the user can decide whether it stays.
Lightening cuts at the front of the slide reduce weight and provide tactile touchpoints for cycling the slide. (Photo by Yamil Sued) The MAC 9DS-D comes with two metal 17-round magazines that protrude slightly from the magazine well. Scallops on both sides of the magazine well and corresponding scallops on the magazine basepad give the user something to grab should a magazine need to be stripped from the pistol.
The squared triggerguard is another feature carried over from the 9DS design, and it gives the shooter an option for placing and pressing the support-hand index finger against. Unlike the MAC 9DS, the MAC 9DS-D has a full-length accessory rail that runs the entire length of the dust cover. It’s also a single-slot rail as opposed to a four-slot rail.
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The hammer can be locked using the bilateral serrated thumb-safety lever. The beavertail grip safety protects against hammer bite. (Photo by Yamil Sued) Controls The beavertail grip safety on the MAC 9DS-D isn’t as upswept as that of the MAC 9DS, but it continues the memory bump, making it easier to disengage the safety. Similarly, the oversized, ambidextrous thumb safety is easily flicked on and off. Serrations support the thumb while pressing the safety lever. The “tactile” theme for controls include the slide-lock lever, and trigger, also. The bilateral safety lever doesn’t just benefit lefties, either. It’s useful when operating the pistol with the non-dominant hand. Like its predecessor, the no-texture magazine release on the MAC 9DS-D is reversible.
The grip module includes a molded square triggerguard fastened to the steel frame. The flat-face trigger was tested at just 3 pounds. (Photo by Yamil Sued) The oversized slide-stop lever is accessible to shooters with average-sized hands. The large slide-stop enabled a right-handed shooter to press and release the slide forward with their left thumb after inserting a magazine. Some feel this technique is more efficient than racking the slide, and prevents accidentally sending the slide forward before the magazine is seated, which can happen when the right thumb hits the slide-stop early. (Often, this can cause a shooter to assume there is a round in the chamber when there is not.)
Standard sights are tall for suppressor clearance and could be drifted for windage adjustment in the dovetails. (Photo by Yamil Sued) Of course, one of the main reasons for the 1911’s longevity is the single-action sliding trigger design. Since the trigger moves straight back, it’s more conducive to accurate fire than a hinged trigger. The MAC 9DS-D has skeletonized trigger shoe and hammer, and the trigger face is flat, save for a slight flare at the top and bottom. The trigger demonstrated little take-up, tested cleanly and offered a short reset.
The MAC 9DS-D features an optic-ready slide. The optic mounting plate has an RMR footprint and a dovetailed rear sight to co-witness with the front fiber optic in the lower-fifth of the optic’s window. The rear sight may also be adjusted for precise alignment. (Photo by Yamil Sued) The Slide Assembly Not only is the MAC 9DS-D distinctive, the rear serrations offer three ridges rather than five, and there are only two front serrations compared to three on the MAC 9DS. The sides of the slide have lightening cuts inside the front serrations, too, providing a nice aesthetic and reducing weight.
Dovetailed sights include a green fiber-optic at the front, and a black serrated notch at the rear. The pistol is optic cut, so the rear sight is removed with the coverplate plate. The adapter plate accepts the Trijicon RMR footprint, and includes a tall, dovetailed rear for a lower-fifth co-witness with the red dot. The sights are low enough that they do not obstruct the view through the window of an optic.
The lightening cuts within the front slide serrations support users who prefer inspecting the chamber status with a press check. (Photo by Yamil Sued) At The Range The pistol shot accurately during testing. An average five-shot group measured about 1.2 inches from a rest at 25 yards. The MAC 9DS-D favored Black Hills 115-grain jacketed hollowpoint (JHP) Extra Power (EXP) load during Guns & Ammo’s tests. The MAC 9DS-D was also soft shooting. It seemed as though the slide was under just enough tension to cycle, but sometimes not quite enough. The MAC 9DS-D incurred failures to feed and failures to extract with Black Hills 125-grain Honey Badger round and with Wilson Combat’s 135-grain jacketed training load. A heavier recoil spring could solve this problem, but the malfunctions served as a reminder that just because you pair a quality pistol with quality ammunition doesn’t equate reliability. Test your ammo prior to carrying it.
The MAC 9DS-D is unusual for its full-length dustcover and rail with a single slot available to mount a light. (Photo by Yamil Sued) If you’ve been wanting to add a double-stack 9mm 1911 to your arsenal, the MAC 9DS-D won’t cause you to overspend. It’s an updated version of the popular MAC 9DS with most of the features and aesthetics you’ve admired on guns from prominent manufacturers — but without the sticker shock.
(Photo by Yamil Sued) Military Armament Corp. MAC 9DS-D Cartridge : 9mmCapacity : 17+1 rds.Barrel : 4.9 in., hammer forged 4140 steel, Tenifer QPQ finishLength : 8.8 in.Height : 6 in.Width : 1.4 in.Weight : 2lbs., 11 oz. (tested)Slide : 4140 hammer-forged steel, Tenifer QPQ finishFrame : Carbon steel, Tenifer QPQ finish; polymer grip and mainspring housingSights : Green fiber optic (front), black serrated notch (rear); optic ready, RMR footprintTrigger : lbs., 8 oz. (tested)Safety : Grip safety lever, bilateral thumb safety leverMSRP : $1,100Manufacturer : Military Armament Corporation, militaryarmamentcorp.com; TISAS, Trabzon, TurkeyImporter : SDS Arms, 865-604-6894, sdsarms.com
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