MPA DS9 IDPA - First Impressions

[LHshooter]

I've always been a striker fired pistol guy, had never even fired a 1911 pistol. When I had a chance to shoot an MPA DS9 several months back I knew I wanted one, it just was a great experience. I had never heard of MPA so I looked into them and found that some people were negative because of earlier quality issues but most people seemed to be positive. I saw the company took care of customers issues and stood behind the product. I then met someone else with a DS9 that also loved it so placed an order. In the meantime, I learned about 1911's in general and read about the gripes that some people had about the DS9 so I would know what to look for.

 

Just under 18 weeks from day of order to day of delivery I picked mine up yesterday. My FFL told me she didn't like the grip because it hurt her hand but thought the slide was amazing. My hands sweat a lot in the summer so I ordered the A3 aggressive grip and it is pretty aggressive. This grip texture is not for dainty handed people. That said, I don't find it too uncomfortable. The only place where I really notice it is the inside of my fingers where I grip the front strap of the grip. The rest of my SH feels fine, even at the meat of my palm where it hits the backstrap. My WH has no issues. I'm pretty sure I will get used to the grip texture pretty quickly and I doubt the gun will slip in my hand when I sweat. Don't know what my hands will feel like after 10 or 15 minutes of dry fire.

 

As far as the finish goes, there are no rough edges, tool/machine marks anywhere. The DLC coating is terrific over the entire pistol and it feels silky smooth to the touch. I think I'm gonna cry the first time this pistol gets a scratch. As far as the fit, the slide to frame fit is amazing. There is zero movement in the left/right, up/down, fore/aft, and rotational directions. It's as if the slide is fused to the frame. There is no movement of the barrel at all. When I rack the slide it is amazing, it's like a well-oiled machine. The feel is like it is gliding on ice. The magwell fits the grip very nicely, there are no gaps, no unevenness around the circumference of the magwell with the grip. The back edge of the extractor is flush with the slide and there are no gaps. Someone had complained that their trigger had a lot of slop and that there was excessive movement up/down. This is the only part of my pistol where I have found some movement. I can move the trigger up/down less than 0.025". Don't know if this is normal or too much. I imagine that some 1911 aficiondos can tell me what if anything else I am missing to look at.

 

Overall, I think MPA has built me a masterpiece but I won't know for sure until I shoot it over the next week. I have 11 different kinds of ammo, a combination of factory and reloads. My plan is to zero the dot using Blazer 124's and then run 25 rounds of each ammo to see how the gun likes it. I'm hoping it shoots as well as the one I shot previously where I had no issues. I will write another post once I get the range results

 

Finally, I also purchased a ported barrel along with the pistol and will get around to testing that as I may want to use it in IDPA CO matches. I'm not familiar with shooting ported barrels so if anyone has any ideas re factory ammo or what reloads work well I would appreciate it. Not sure if I have to look for velocity or PF when finding the right load. May have to pose this question on the Reloading thread.

[truespode]

Beautiful. I ordered my DS9 LO Comp in November. Only a couple more months to go

[LHshooter]

1 hour ago, truespode said:

Beautiful. I ordered my DS9 LO Comp in November. Only a couple more months to go

I know the LOCs have been running about 26 weeks but they may have shortened that. In December they told me my model was running 20 weeks but they were working "diligently" to reduce that. Ended up shipping about 2 1/2 weeks quicker. Mine was worth the wait, hope yours is too.

[waynes_world_45]

Great write up. The gun will shoot better than it looks. Congratulations 

[Bdh821]

Congrats on your new blaster!  Looks great, ya crazy southpaw

[andrew1220]

Just picked mine up today. Great gun but I’m surprised that the grips aren’t more grippy. Kinda bummed about that. 
And I’d like an extended slide stop but not sure if any one will fit

[LHshooter]

10 hours ago, andrew1220 said:

Just picked mine up today. Great gun but I’m surprised that the grips aren’t more grippy. Kinda bummed about that. 
And I’d like an extended slide stop but not sure if any one will fit

What grip did you select - A2 or A3? I have the A3 and everyone who has held it calls it a cheese grater but I like it. My only beef is I wish they offered a true LH ambi safety with the wider "ledge" on the RH side. I may end up replacing that with one from Atlas if it will fit on the DS9.

[mandiesel]

I have a DS9 Open with the A3 grip texture. It’s definitely super aggressive and I’ve noticed that it only tears up the pad of my pinky finger. 
 

when it’s hot and humid outside it’s far more tolerable- but when it’s cold, you can definitely see the torn skin. 
 

all in all, I wouldn’t change it to A2. 

[LHshooter]

It didn't take long for my hands to get used to the A3 grip texture. The only place I get some rough skin is on my support hand just below the base of my thumb. I think it's from when I "twist" my hand against the grip surface when I form my grip. Definitely shows up after a bunch of dry fire, not so much during a match.

I would not change mine to a less aggressive texture either. My hands really sweat in the Summer so I'm looking forward to shooting it later this year.

[truespode]

I have wussy hands I guess. I have the S2 and it definitely feels grippy. Makes the Talon grips on my polymer guns feel like Charmin.

[Jim Watson]

On 1/27/2024 at 10:02 AM, LHshooter said:

I may want to use it in IDPA CO matches.

 

Sidebar

Now that we have IDPA SSP 15 and USPSA Production 15, I asked the MD/AC yesterday if he thought IDPA would increase Division Capacity for ESP/CO.  He would not comment.  On the one hand, that would obsolete a lot of single stacks, on the other hand, it would create an arms race, selling a lot of sponsors' guns.  On the gripping hand, I tried SSP 15 when it first went in but soon returned to ESP 10 so I can remember where to reload.    

[Click9]

Thank you for the review,  pretty close to pulling the trigger so to speak on one myself.

[allamericanbp]

Just dropped the hammer  on one this week. My team came together from all around the country and several guys had 2011's. Anything from ATLAS to VUDOO's. Even though it is against my moral standing, I have to admit I shot around a little. Test drove a few of them. I think at the end of the day, the platform is pretty similar. I just did a few days worth of reading up and settled on the MPA DS9. I asked a question through their website/help and within a few hours received a response from the president which is pretty impressive. I would never expect that. I just hope they keep that going and not turn into a huge company and we are never able to get help. Either way, excellent post! We are looking forward to your testing results and I will try to do the same! 

[LHshooter]

I now have 2800 rounds through my DS9, half in the regular barrel and half in the ported one. Have not had any issues with the gun, it fires and cycles every type of ammo I've put through it.

The only complaint I had was the rear of the safeties digging into the web of my hand and they reworked them to where the issue is solved.

Customer service has been excellent , they answer every question I have fairly quickly. I bought a another optic plate system and the tiny screw that attaches the front sight delete plate was missing. They fedexed one to me overnight, all that money for a 5 cent screw. I lost the safety plunger/spring set when I removed the safeties and they sent me another one.

I'm a very happy MPA customer

[andrew1220]

Dumb question but is the ported barrel a drop in part that I can buy direct from MPA?

[LHshooter]

I ordered both barrels when I ordered the pistol. They may sell the barrel separately but obviously it will have to be fit. If you send the pistol to them I'm sure they'll do it. If you want someone else to fit it I don't know.  They seem very flexible. Doesn't hurt to ask 

[waynes_world_45]

On 6/28/2024 at 7:55 AM, allamericanbp said:

Just dropped the hammer  on one this week. My team came together from all around the country and several guys had 2011's. Anything from ATLAS to VUDOO's. Even though it is against my moral standing, I have to admit I shot around a little. Test drove a few of them. I think at the end of the day, the platform is pretty similar. I just did a few days worth of reading up and settled on the MPA DS9. I asked a question through their website/help and within a few hours received a response from the president which is pretty impressive. I would never expect that. I just hope they keep that going and not turn into a huge company and we are never able to get help. Either way, excellent post! We are looking forward to your testing results and I will try to do the same! 

You will not be disappointed. Customer service is the #1 priority with MPA. 

[Seakphotog]

I've put 650 rounds through my week old DS9 Hybrid, comparing it side by side to my much-loved Bul Air.  So far, I'm very impressed.  The fit and finish are terrific, as is the trigger - all a slight step up from the Air. The barrel lock up is absolutely, impressively solid - better than the Air, which has some play. I've got the medium texture aluminum grip on it. It balances well enough and I like the weight savings.  The grip texture is effective while still being comfortable.  I would like to see more aggressive textures on the side panels tho.  I also have a new MPA Commander with an aggressive grip.  That darn thing had a downright painful front strap.  I'm not a masochist so I sanded it down slightly.  Spec'ing out a MPA with an aggressive grip and sanding it to one's desired pain level might be the way to go. I was slightly worried the aluminum grip would make for a harsh shooting experience but I'm not experiencing that with factory ammo.  It's very pleasant to shoot.  The Air might be a bit softer due to the plastic grips but it's really a wash AFAIC.  I did have them install an extended safety on my Hybrid. I like it far better than their standard safety that's on my Commander (and will soon be replaced), but that's just a personal, ergonomic thing.  The safety is slightly hard to engage but that will loosen up a bit.  The safety on my Air is about perfect - a great in-between size and it's got a super nice action. One last observation; my SRO sits higher on the Hybrid compared to the Air.  Pretty significantly so.  Not really sure that much matters to me but it is what it is. So far, I shoot both the guns about the same, for accuracy, on paper and for speed, on steel  I'll get around to posting in an in depth comparison between the Hybrid and Air soon, as well as the Commander vs Staccato P and Bul Tac 4.25.  Bottom line on my Hybrid is that I'm very pleased and I'm having a blast shooting it.  

[pcar157]

@Seakphotog how does the DS9 compare to the Air pricewise?

[Seakphotog]

46 minutes ago, pcar157 said:

@Seakphotog how does the DS9 compare to the Air pricewise?

The Air was about $1000 less expensive.  It was an amazing value.  They don't offer that model anymore (but if you could find one it'd be worth thinking about).  The newer, better version is the Blaze (no grip safety, better optics plate system, shielded safeties and flush cut barrel, 3 or 4 mags included) but I haven't seen them become available yet. At $2750 tho, if the quality is the same as the Air, it'll be another terrific value and still much less expensive than a DS9 Hybrid.

[pcar157]

On 7/2/2024 at 3:14 PM, Seakphotog said:

The Air was about $1000 less expensive.  It was an amazing value.  They don't offer that model anymore (but if you could find one it'd be worth thinking about).  The newer, better version is the Blaze (no grip safety, better optics plate system, shielded safeties and flush cut barrel, 3 or 4 mags included) but I haven't seen them become available yet. At $2750 tho, if the quality is the same as the Air, it'll be another terrific value and still much less expensive than a DS9 Hybrid.

Thank you Sir for the info. Much appreciated.

[ES13Raven]

On 1/27/2024 at 8:02 AM, LHshooter said:

My hands sweat a lot in the summer so I ordered the A3 aggressive grip and it is pretty aggressive. This grip texture is not for dainty handed people. That said, I don't find it too uncomfortable. The only place where I really notice it is the inside of my fingers where I grip the front strap of the grip. The rest of my SH feels fine, even at the meat of my palm where it hits the backstrap. My WH has no issues. I'm pretty sure I will get used to the grip texture pretty quickly and I doubt the gun will slip in my hand when I sweat. Don't know what my hands will feel like after 10 or 15 minutes of dry fire.

Can anyone compare the A3 & A2 grip texture to Lok Bogies?

[Seakphotog]

On 7/9/2024 at 11:27 AM, ES13Raven said:

Can anyone compare the A3 & A2 grip texture to Lok Bogies?

I have 2 MPAs; 1 with aggressive grips and 1 with standard. I've currently got Lok Boggies on another gun and have had them on more. I'd say the standard grips are slightly less aggressive than new Boggies. The front strap on the aggressive grips is far more aggressive than Boggies.  Mine basically had a lot of needle points.  It was painful.  I've got desk jocky who works out a lot hands - not too soft, but not overly callused either.  I sanded down the points just a touch with 1000 grit paper.  It's kinda perfect now. The side panels of the aggressive grips are similar to the Boggies. I actually wish the side panels on the MPA grips were more aggressive. Anyway, I'd suggest just getting the aggressive grips and if they're too masochistic, just hit them with some fine grit wet/dry sandpaper. Took me 5 minutes to get mine to feel great. 

[allamericanbp]

Random question to the group, I know it comes with an MBX magazine but does anybody know which magazines will work for it? Any 2011 (STI Style) magazine, or specific ones, etc. 

[Seakphotog]

50 minutes ago, allamericanbp said:

Random question to the group, I know it comes with an MBX magazine but does anybody know which magazines will work for it? Any 2011 (STI Style) magazine, or specific ones, etc. 

I'm pretty sure any 2011 STI style mags will work. My Staccato mags work.