TISAS DS CARRY BULL BARREL 2011 | TURKISH STACATTO CLONE
The 1911 design dates back to, well, 1911, and comes from a time before computer aided drafting and robotic manufacturing processes. It comes from an era when parts were fit and assembled by craftsmen trained and familiar with the platform.
Today, many of the high quality 1911s are still built in the old ways. Guns are fit and tuned by skilled workers who take pride in a job well done. Guns assembled thusly are as much a work of art as a functional tool. The downside? Labor costs. Time spent fitting parts equates to a higher purchase price. What happens, then, when modern production techniques are applied to this legacy design? Can these modern methods produce a quality 1911?
Enter Tisas, a modern Turkish weapons manufacturer producing firearms for military and commercial markets. Tisas products are imported into the U.S. by SDS Imports in Knoxville, Tennessee, and distributed under several different names.
The Tisas 1911s are sold under the Tisas USA banner and have made quite a stir; offering a good quality pistol at a very reasonable price. Tisas has recently started making high capacity 1911s. These new guns are being sold under both the Tisas USA and Military Armament Corporation (MAC) labels.
Enter the MAC 1911-9 DS
The MAC pistol is called the MAC 1911-9 DS — 9 for 9 mm caliber and “DS '' to denote its higher capacity double stack magazine. It shares many features of the less expensive Tisas USA 1911 double stack but is marketed as a more custom level handgun.
Fit and finish of the MAC 1911-9 DS
The general fit and finish of the MAC is good. There is some slight play or movement between the frame and slide. The barrel locks up tightly at the muzzle with just a hint of play at the ejection port. The grip safety is nicely tuned and only requires about half its travel to release the trigger. The ambi safety snaps on and off cleanly and the trigger on our test sample was surprisingly good and crisp with a five pound break. The exterior surfaces are generally smooth and free of sharp edges or rough spots.
MAC 1911-9 DS specs
Action: Semi-automatic. Recoil operated
Frame: Forged steel. Black QPQ finish
Slide: Commander length. Forged steel. Black QPQ finish
Barrel: 4.30” length. 1x10 right-hand twist. Forged steel. Black QPQ finish
Grip: Black polymer
Caliber: 9 mm Luger
Capacity: 17 round standard. Accepts STI pattern 126 mm or 140 mm length magazines
Weight: 33 ounces without magazine
