If any more evidence was needed that personal defense and concealed carry are the core of the civilian gun market today, the well-known shotgun company O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. provided it at the 2019 National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show.
Although the mood of the SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range was generally subdued, most people I spoke with took note of Mossberg’s introduction of the MC1sc, a 9mm pistol designed for concealed carry.
One of the advantages of getting into a market late(r) is that you can take advantage of the trials and errors of other manufacturers. So, the Mossberg has features that we have come to expect from small pistols today: “ergonomic” palm swells and “aggressive” grip texturing, “snag free” design, a reversible magazine release, and 7+1 capacity with the extended magazine.
Among the pistol’s claimed novelties is the Safe Takedown System(tm), which requires the user to remove the striker assembly before removing the slide for cleaning and maintenance. I guess you can never be too safe.
I had a longer than normal wait in line to try to MC1sc. (I shot the Mossberg Shockwave [not a] shotgun while I was waiting on the pistol, so I have that going for me now.) I have to say that it was very comfortable in the hand and I liked the flat-faced trigger. Using proper shooting mechanics, I hit where I was aiming. But that is true of every gun I tried at Industry Day at the Range.
The choice to get into this crowded market is interesting, and Mossberg must think there is still some unmet demand out there for a 7+1 9mm concealed carry pistol. Many, like me, will shy away from a new pistol until we have confirmed the bugs are worked out. Others, no doubt, given the fetishism of some gun people, will want to be among the first to own a Mossberg pistol, whether they carry or shoot it much or not.
Both at Industry Day at the Range and in their booth at the SHOT Show proper, Mossberg made clear that it has made pistols before. Releasing the MC1sc on its 100th anniversary in 2019 is sort of going back to the company’s roots. Sort of.
In addition to possible bugs in a newly release handgun model, in terms of concealed carry I wonder whether high-end, specialized holster makers like Dark Star Gear and PHLster will make holsters for the Mossberg? I don’t know, but it seems unlikely, unless it does huge sales. That means those who rush to buy the Mossberg MC1sc will have to use a cheap kydex, universal fit, or nylon pouch holster, not optimal for safe and efficient concealed carry.
On the upside, most locations with a decently-sized gun community will have local holster makers who can make anything you want for a reasonable price. Having a guy make one for my Remington R51 soon.
Making holsters is fairly easy, most existing designs by any manufacturer are easy to tweak, some merely require different boning with the size remaining the same.
I would suggest the biggest sticking point is the lack of “mold guns.” A sharp manufacturer would produce those themselves for every pistol they make and offer to damn near give them away to any holster maker with a business license who requests one. That would ensure that buyers of their guns could have rigs for it on introduction. Even if they aren’t produced in enough quantity to be on the shelf of Cabela’s, they could be offered online for quick-ship as “semi-customs.”
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[…] the many guns — like the Glock 48 and 43X and new Mossberg MC1sc pistol — and the shooting stars seen at SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range, there were any number […]
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