Following the success of a subcompact pistol, fans almost immediately demand a larger, higher capacity model. Mossberg is no different and riding off of the success of the MC1sc comes the MC2c. The new, larger compact pistol sports more than twice the capacity of its little brother while sacrificing very little extra girth. At the recent 2020 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous in Idaho, I was able to meet with Mossberg’s Linda Powell and get a little trigger time with the pistol on an array of steel targets. It left me impressed.

The Scoop on the Mossberg MC2c Pistol

The MC2c is larger than its subcompact counterpart, however, only slightly. At less than 7/100ths of an inch thicker—and only about half-an-inch taller—it’s hard to believe that it can accommodate a 13-round flush fit magazine and a 15-round extended mag. Mossberg accomplished this by opening up the grip to take a double-stack magazine. It went with metal instead of plastic this time. By swapping magazine body material the walls can be made thinner without the loss of rigidity and of course; that means magazine capacity can be increased within the same space.

Aside from added capacity, the new pistol also includes an accessory rail for flashlights or lasers; this should satisfy shooters who don’t want to abandon their favorite accouterment.

Beyond that, all of the Mc1sc’s most popular features carried over to this pistol; those features include the straight trigger with integrated safety, ambidextrous index points, and the safe takedown system that doesn’t require pulling the trigger to take it apart.

Mossberg MC2c Testing at Rendezvous

On the range, I had a dueling tree and a pair of 12-inch target plates at my disposal. Mossberg brought out the standard 3-dot sight model along with the TruGlo Tritium Pro enhanced version of the MC2c. With that in mind, I started my test fire by confirming the point of impact for each sight system.

I found the Truglos to impact about three inches high on our 10-yard target. However, the standard sights were dead on. Both guns caught the flappers of the tree without any sort of hold correction. I also found lateral transitions to be effortless and instinctual. I liked the way the gun felt in the hand, but I am partial to the 1911 grip angel for sure.

Something else I enjoyed was the stippling on the mag release. It’s also reversible for lefties, or righties who like to use their trigger finger to depress the button. All controls were low-profile to help deter snagging on clothing during a draw, but the gun was still accurate on the fly.

Final Thoughts

My time on the range ended all too soon. But before I left I asked Linda, “Why add a new pistol to the market?”

Linda was very forthcoming with her answer. She pointed out the obvious: “Mossberg knows how to make something affordable without sacrificing quality.”

Anybody who as ever picked up a Mossberg 500 or Patriot Predator can easily get behind Linda’s statement. The new pistol has an MSRP of $490. But, realistically, you can probably expect to find them on shelves for around $399 for the base models. Overall, it makes a great range companion or something that can be carried comfortably by most individuals. For more info, please visit Mossberg.com