Mossberg MC2sc: Gun Review

For years there has been a seemingly indirect correlation with Everyday Carry guns that puts barrel length and accuracy on one side of the graph and comfort and concealability on the other. Choosing which gun to carry meant deciding where on the chart you felt comfortable being; longer barrel length and increased size for great sight radius and better accuracy, or smaller and lighter weight for better concealability and comfort. One new gun is blurring the lines we have lived by for so long—the newly released Mossberg MC2sc.

Truth be told, I am not a fan of sub- and micro-compact pistols and have never really gravitated much towards them. I believe that the longer sight radius of full-size handguns allows me to hit targets consistently at greater distances, and I don’t personally carry for comfort but rather for purpose and protection. I am also able to admit when I am wrong and the Mossberg MC2sc has made me rethink everything I know and believe about these small-sized pistols.

A few months ago I was invited to attend a Mossberg-sponsored training course at Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona. I was able to conduct various courses of fire using the MC2sc, and I spent much of the time truly impressed. This is a production pistol at an incredibly reasonable price point made with some real thought going into what is desired and needed by the end user. The construction materials utilized create a gun that is light enough to carry comfortably for long periods of time while still having enough weight to mitigate recoil when fired. The flat profile trigger featured a smooth and consistent trigger pull with a short reset and reduced overtravel, which allowed for faster follow up shots.

One of the best aspects of this gun, in my opinion, is the optics cut. I have over 30 years of experience shooting and presenting firearms with iron sights and find that, when shooting with a red dot optic, I change how I present the gun. Mossberg milled the optic channel as low as possible without affecting the internal parts, and the result is that the optic (the gun that I was provided with had a Crimson Trace CTS-1550) co-witnesses perfectly with the front and rear sight, which allowed me the benefit of my normal presentation coupled with the ease of acquisition provided by the red dot sight.

When I think of micro-compact platforms, I believe they are feasible for use out to about 10 to 15 yards. In shooting this gun, I experienced very acceptable shot placement within that distance hovering at about 1.4” at seven yards and averaging 2.5-3” per grouping at 15 yards. I was also able to consistently hit a 10” steel plate at 30 yards. The gun felt smooth in my hands, recoil was very manageable, and the gun shot consistently well using 115gr and 124gr FMJ as well as 135gr Hornady Critical Defense ammunition.

I went into this experience viewing the Mossberg MC2sc as a novelty gun and came away thinking that it is a very well made, well-thought-out gun that I would feel very comfortable carrying for everyday use and personal protection. It can be used by shooters of all sizes and brings with it the reliability and quality commensurate with the Mossberg name. I have had this gun for a few months now since the original event at Gunsite and can only say that I continue to be impressed with it. The Mossberg MC2sc has single handedly changed my view of the micro-compact market and shown me what a gun of this size is capable of. 

Specifications:
Action: Striker Fired Semi-Auto Pistol
Caliber: 9 mm
Slide: 416 Stainless Steel, Matte Black DLC Coating, Front & Rear Cocking Serrations
Sights: Metallic Low Profile 3-Dot
Micro Red-Dot Slot: Direct Mount, JPoint/Shield Footprint
Barrel: 3.40″ 416 Stainless Steel, Matte Black DLC Coating
Frame: Glass-Reinforced Black Polymer
Trigger: Flat-Faced Polymer with Integrated Blade Safety
Trigger Pull: 5.5 lbs
Overall Length: 6.25″
Height: 4.30″
Slide Width: 0.90″
Grip Width: 1.10″
Weight: 25 ounces loaded
Capacity: 11+1 or 14+1 Rounds
Twist: 1:16” Right-Hand Twist
MSRP: Standard 3-Dot Sights $556, TRUGLO Tritium Pro Night Sights $662

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