MPA DS9 Open - Any reviews?

[CalTeacher]

45 minutes ago, jpeters11 said:

Guess they’re saving weight with the firing pin stop? 

Nice uneven gap between the frame tangs and the beavertail.

[mrvip27]

2 hours ago, jpeters11 said:

Guess they’re saving weight with the firing pin stop? 

 

Gross.

[asierra350]

It seems pretty easy to pick apart and complain about the exterior appearance and fitment, I’m waiting to hear about function, reliability, and accuracy before I form my opinion at this price point

[Shmella]

4 hours ago, asierra350 said:

It seems pretty easy to pick apart and complain about the exterior appearance and fitment, I’m waiting to hear about function, reliability, and accuracy before I form my opinion at this price point

 Just because companies like atlas charge wayyy too much for an open semi custom gun doesn’t make this price point good for the quality and workmanship shown.  Better options are out there. 

[adrone]

14 hours ago, CalTeacher said:

Nice uneven gap between the frame tangs and the beavertail.

Come on guys……I fit this beavertail with a dremel and a piece of sandpaper in my basement with a headlamp. And I’m really good at screwing things up. 

Edited October 25, 2022 by adrone

[mrvip27]

50 minutes ago, Shmella said:

 Just because companies like atlas charge wayyy too much for an open semi custom gun doesn’t make this price point good for the quality and workmanship shown.  Better options are out there. 

 

[CHA-LEE]

These threads are funny as they always evolve into nit picking the small things that really don't matter. What matters is a properly fit Frame/Slide/Barrel. If those things are fit properly, then everything else can be "Tuned Up" to whatever your personal cosmetic quality requirements are. If those primary components are NOT fit properly, then it doesn't matter what the rest of the gun looks like because its fundamentally built wrong.

 

I am not saying that these MPA guns are built right or wrong. I got a chance to finger bang and shoot the MPA blasters at the USPSA LTD/OPN Nats. From what I seen in the demo guns provided (One of Each Model), the fundamental building blocks were built properly. Did I get a chance to do a detailed strip and inspect every single part? Nope. But the things that I was able to check looked good to me. The build quality of the Frame/Slide/Barrel fit is better than what I see on the shelves at most gun stores from big brands, which is a good sign.

 

The build quality of these major components is also not indicative of overall reliability as many different things need to be tuned properly for that to happen. Including using quality ammunition. I have seen plenty of solidly built guns or gunsmiths get dragged through the mud because the person shooting it was trying to use horrible quality ammo. Yes, gun owners need to take responsibility in feeding guns high quality ammo. No, your sub par quality ammo that "works" in your Glock  isn't going to work as well in a precision fit 2011. That is a bitter pill that a lot of new 2011 owners usually have to learn the hard way.

 

Personally, I am not going to expect an Open gun at half the cost of others to have the same fit and finish on the non-critical areas of the build. Then again I have always put a higher priority on Functionality over Fashion. To me, competition guns are nothing more than tools to get the job done, which is winning matches. I don't care about winning a fashion show in the safe area.

 

But I also understand that some people have a higher priority on Fashion than me so the little details of the build quality are more important to those people. Spending multiple thousands of dollars on ANY pistol is a significant investment which the buyer needs to find value in purchasing. If the fit and finish of a specific builder/gun doesn't meet your minimum standard, then dig deeper in your wallet and pay more for those features on a different builder/gun.

[asierra350]

1 hour ago, CHA-LEE said:

These threads are funny as they always evolve into nit picking the small things that really don't matter. What matters is a properly fit Frame/Slide/Barrel. If those things are fit properly, then everything else can be "Tuned Up" to whatever your personal cosmetic quality requirements are. If those primary components are NOT fit properly, then it doesn't matter what the rest of the gun looks like because its fundamentally built wrong.

 

I am not saying that these MPA guns are built right or wrong. I got a chance to finger bang and shoot the MPA blasters at the USPSA LTD/OPN Nats. From what I seen in the demo guns provided (One of Each Model), the fundamental building blocks were built properly. Did I get a chance to do a detailed strip and inspect every single part? Nope. But the things that I was able to check looked good to me. The build quality of the Frame/Slide/Barrel fit is better than what I see on the shelves at most gun stores from big brands, which is a good sign.

 

The build quality of these major components is also not indicative of overall reliability as many different things need to be tuned properly for that to happen. Including using quality ammunition. I have seen plenty of solidly built guns or gunsmiths get dragged through the mud because the person shooting it was trying to use horrible quality ammo. Yes, gun owners need to take responsibility in feeding guns high quality ammo. No, your sub par quality ammo that "works" in your Glock  isn't going to work as well in a precision fit 2011. That is a bitter pill that a lot of new 2011 owners usually have to learn the hard way.

 

Personally, I am not going to expect an Open gun at half the cost of others to have the same fit and finish on the non-critical areas of the build. Then again I have always put a higher priority on Functionality over Fashion. To me, competition guns are nothing more than tools to get the job done, which is winning matches. I don't care about winning a fashion show in the safe area.

 

But I also understand that some people have a higher priority on Fashion than me so the little details of the build quality are more important to those people. Spending multiple thousands of dollars on ANY pistol is a significant investment which the buyer needs to find value in purchasing. If the fit and finish of a specific builder/gun doesn't meet your minimum standard, then dig deeper in your wallet and pay more for those features on a different builder/gun.

I completely agree with this approach, in the end more choices in the market is always a good thing

[Bravo_Victor]

3 hours ago, CHA-LEE said:

These threads are funny as they always evolve into nit picking the small things that really don't matter.

 

 

 

 

 

and the part where other builders are openly trashing someone elses work. Totally makes me want to look at them for future builds 

[Bakerjd]

@CHA-LEE so for $4500.00 you don't expect the interface between your hand and the gun to be fit well? Thats laughable at best dude. You're wrong man. Their claim to cost savings is doing 90% of all manufacturing in house. So why cut corners at the very first part of the gun the customer is going to feel?

 

As for "half the cost" and "dig deeper if you want better looks". No. Just no. The gun should be at least half way blended in the areas your hands touch it. On top of that for not much more (less then $1000.00) you can get a 100% well fit and FINISHED open gun. So no these aren't half the cost of a great open gun. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Bakerjd

[CalTeacher]

1 hour ago, Bakerjd said:

@CHA-LEE so for $4500.00 you don't expect the interface between your hand and the gun to be fit well? Thats laughable at best dude. You're wrong man. Their claim to cost savings is doing 90% of all manufacturing in house. So why cut corners at the very first part of the gun the customer is going to feel?

 

As for "half the cost" and "dig deeper if you want better looks". No. Just no. The gun should be at least half way blended in the areas your hands touch it. On top of that for not much more (less then $1000.00) you can get a 100% well fit and FINISHED open gun. So no these aren't half the cost of a great open gun. 

Quoted for truth.

 

The notion that it’s 9-10k for an open gun that is built to minimal visual standards is laughable.

[Bakerjd]

1 hour ago, CalTeacher said:

Quoted for truth.

 

The notion that it’s 9-10k for an open gun that is built to minimal visual standards is laughable.

Exactly. I know for a fact I can have one built that is perfectly fitted, and finished for WAY less then $9000. In fact I've posted plenty of pictures of the two I did have built that cost WAY less. 

[donnyglock]

1 hour ago, CalTeacher said:

Quoted for truth.

 

The notion that it’s 9-10k for an open gun that is built to minimal visual standards is laughable.

Couldn’t agree more. 

[yigal]

4 hours ago, Bakerjd said:

Exactly. I know for a fact I can have one built that is perfectly fitted, and finished for WAY less then $9000. In fact I've posted plenty of pictures of the two I did have built that cost WAY less. 

At this price, the gun should also know how to drive like a car

[CHA-LEE]

Personally, I would just build my own Open gun for much less than $4500 all the while having 100% control of what is or isn't done to it from a fit & finish perspective. But not everyone has that skill set.

 

Having yet another Open gun Manufacture on the market at a price point that isn't insane is a good thing.

 

I think that the primary challenge with offering 2011's at cheaper prices is maintaining quality as the production quantities start ramping up. Building a few guns a month isn't that hard to do a quality job at it. Building mass quantities of guns in a month is where the "Quality" wheels start falling off the wagon.

[Masterpiecearms]

Hi Guys, this is Phil from MPA. Its good to see the DS9 open is getting some attention. This is a product line that we have a high level of dedication and will continue to evolve and improve. Some of the pics shown in this post are older pics. Attached are pics of a demo pistol we took to the USPSA nationals for current reference. This one has about 10K rounds down it. The poorly fitted comp image was an early prototype and the one showing the uneven surface on the Beavertail was of a pistol when those were being built down at the old Freedom facility in Camilla. We have since moved the building of these to our main location in Comer. 

On the grip, LSI was involved with us early on in the production of our aluminum and stainless grips. That's why you see the similarity. But these are made by us in our manufacturing facility.

On this DS9 Open, the immediate focus was on functionality, accuracy and dot tracking. David L (our product line manager) spent a lot of time working on the comp and barrel poppels to get the tracking exactly the way we want, in unison with our barrel performance. 

As time goes by, we will continue to evolve and refine the product line. The guns perform exceptionally well and we are proud of the products that are shipping from our facility.

I know this is a tough crowd to please, but your constructive criticism/advise only helps us get better. If you have any direct questions or concerns, dont hesitate to reach out. 

[Boomstick303]

On 10/25/2022 at 5:55 PM, Bakerjd said:

On top of that for not much more (less then $1000.00) you can get a 100% well fit and FINISHED open gun.

 

Where would one find such an open gun?

Edited October 31, 2022 by Boomstick303

[yigal]

On 10/25/2022 at 8:23 PM, adrone said:

Come on guys……I fit this beavertail with a dremel and a piece of sandpaper in my basement with a headlamp. And I’m really good at screwing things up. 

looks like the headlamp is O.K. 

I think that if someone manages to see the unequal gap between these 2 parts while shooting, then he is probably the most talented person in the world.

[Superkaratemonkeyfighter]

We’ll said Phil.
It’s nice to see this type of attitude from a builder or gun company. 

being able to roll with the criticism and take the praise in stride. 
there’s a few out there that stay engaged and involved with there customers. 

[Masterpiecearms]

19 hours ago, Boomstick303 said:

 

Where would one find such an open gun?

We only have a small number of dealers carrying the open pistols. They tend to lean more towards the mainstream DS9 Hybrids. They are on our website or if you message me, I can see if we have some shooters or customers in your area that would be happy to show you the product. phil@masterpiecearms.com is my email.

[Bdh821]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:44 PM, Cbritt said:

I have a DS9Open & shot it at USPSA Nat’s last weekend. I had 2 malfunctions, both of which were “operator error” & not the gun. 
i shoot for team MPA, so take my review for what it’s worth to you…

it’s the flattest shooting 9major gun I’ve ever shot. I’m using a 10 MOA RTS2 V5 dot. It returns to zero perfectly. 

Do you wish they made lefty grips?!  I do!

[Cbritt]

37 minutes ago, Bdh821 said:

Do you wish they made lefty grips?!  I do!

They have had quite a bit of interest in a lefty grip. Several people asked while I was at the booth ay USPSA Nat’s. It is possible they will make one in the future, but not the near future. Quite a bit of re-engineering involved. 
I am so used to using my trigger finger to release the mags, that a left-handed setup feels weird to me. I also have tiny hands, so even if the release was on the right side, I’d still have to move my hand. 

[Bdh821]

22 minutes ago, Cbritt said:

They have had quite a bit of interest in a lefty grip. Several people asked while I was at the booth ay USPSA Nat’s. It is possible they will make one in the future, but not the near future. Quite a bit of re-engineering involved. 
I am so used to using my trigger finger to release the mags, that a left-handed setup feels weird to me. I also have tiny hands, so even if the release was on the right side, I’d still have to move my hand. 

Glen from LSI who they worked with on their grip can give a cheat sheet!

[CalTeacher]

On 10/31/2022 at 11:30 AM, Masterpiecearms said:

Hi Guys, this is Phil from MPA. Its good to see the DS9 open is getting some attention. This is a product line that we have a high level of dedication and will continue to evolve and improve. Some of the pics shown in this post are older pics. Attached are pics of a demo pistol we took to the USPSA nationals for current reference. This one has about 10K rounds down it. The poorly fitted comp image was an early prototype and the one showing the uneven surface on the Beavertail was of a pistol when those were being built down at the old Freedom facility in Camilla. We have since moved the building of these to our main location in Comer. 

On the grip, LSI was involved with us early on in the production of our aluminum and stainless grips. That's why you see the similarity. But these are made by us in our manufacturing facility.

On this DS9 Open, the immediate focus was on functionality, accuracy and dot tracking. David L (our product line manager) spent a lot of time working on the comp and barrel poppels to get the tracking exactly the way we want, in unison with our barrel performance. 

As time goes by, we will continue to evolve and refine the product line. The guns perform exceptionally well and we are proud of the products that are shipping from our facility.

I know this is a tough crowd to please, but your constructive criticism/advise only helps us get better. If you have any direct questions or concerns, dont hesitate to reach out. 

That firing pin stop looks pretty sloppy and I can clearly see daylight through that comp/slide gap even in that photo. Is it a lighting issue?  
 

That grip is great though.  The LSI profile is so comfortable.

[yigal]

2 hours ago, CalTeacher said:

That firing pin stop looks pretty sloppy and I can clearly see daylight through that comp/slide gap even in that photo. Is it a lighting issue?  
 

Do you think that because of these things the gun will have a tendency to shoot to the left?