Back in the early 1980s and ’90s, the Joint Special Operation Command (JSOC), the Army’s SFOD-D or Special Forces Operational Detachment, Delta more commonly known as Delta Force and the Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) guys didn’t care for the new Beretta M9 bumping the tried and proven 1911 to the side lines. They preferred the thump the .45 Auto gave, so they took 1911s left over from World War II and decided to enhance and update the platform by combining combat and competition features of the time. That’s where Military Armament Corporation (MAC) JSOC 1911 gets its inspiration.
Don’t let the dated 1980’s Delta Force demeanor fool you, the MAC JSOC is an old-school 1911 fighting pistol circa 1980s that’s just as relevant today as it was back in the jungles of Central and South America and the dry grit of North Africa and the Middle East.
The Gun
The JSOC 1911 is built in Turkey by Tisas, and I have had good luck testing Tisas-made 1911s. The JSOC starts with a forged frame and slide that is mated to a stainless match-grade barrel, and it uses a Series 70 mechanism.
The retro look comes from the domed, GI-style slide vertical serrations only on the rear of the slide. The rear sight is a Bomar-style fully adjustable rear target sight with the side facing the shooter serrated to cut glare. The notch is wide so it offers a good and fast sight picture. In lieu of a fiber optic, the front uses a brass-bead on the serrated blade. It pops on dark targets. The rear sight has sharp edges, and you will tear up the palm of your hand racking back the slide on a reload. Use the slide stop.
The MAC uses a GI-style bushing, and the cycling was fairly smooth. I like GI bushings since they don’t require special tools to field strip the pistol. Adding to the old-school look is a frame. It doesn’t have a rail which is fine by me for an EDC gun, which the MAC JSOC can easily fill.
The metal finish is a matte QPQ Tennifer that looks all business. There’s nothing flashy about the MAC JSOC. The flat mainspring housing is checkered. The front grip strap wears a toothy 25 LPI checkering, which is more common on pricier 1911s. That texture ensures a grip when shooting fast. A beveled magazine well is nicely blended into the frame, and that tapered mag well funnel helps speed up insert the skinny single stack magazine into the pistol. The grip, frame and mag well were all nicely blended.
The wood grips also give the gun a retro look. They are checkered dark walnut with the MAC logo tastefully laser engraved in the center. That’s another thing about the MAC JSOC, the roll marks are tasteful and discrete, keeping with the military theme. They aren’t billboards announcing the brand.
The beavertail grip safety was comfortable offering a high hold. The finely serrated trigger is curved with an 1/8-inch take up before you hit the wall then a crisp break.
Reset is an eighth of an inch, while the trigger pull weight averaged 6 pounds. I prefer a trigger closer to 4 pounds, but I had no issues with this trigger. The ambi safety had low profile paddles like one you would find on an EDC 1911. The magazine catch was GI style, so not too tall, not too short. Just right.
Range Time with the MAC
When shooting the MAC, groups averaged across all ammo about 2.73 inches. The best group measured 1.34 inches with Winchester Silver Tip loaded with a 185-grain JHP. The next best load was Hornady Critical Duty, which measured 2.46 inches. The Armscor Ball ammo had a best group of 2.63 inches. Accuracy was good. There were two initial failure to fires (FTFs), but that sorted out quickly and the gun ran well with all magazines. The FTFs could have been due to the ammo.
Test ammunition consisted of an assortment of defense and training rounds. In the training category was Armscor 230-grain FMJ ball ammo, a classic GI-style ammo for 1911s. Defense loads included Winchester Silver Tip ammo with a 185-grain JHP and Hornady Critical Duty .45 Auto+P with a 220-grain FlexLock bullet.
Accuracy was tested at 25 yards using a rest. At seven yards, I ran a modified Bill Drill by firing as fast as I could into an 8-inch circle and performing reloads. I also loaded different round counts into all the magazines so I never knew when I’d have a slide lock and need to reload.
Winchester Silver Tip had the smallest 5-shot group at 25 yards, measuring 1.34 inches. That made me smile. The best groups with the Hornady and Armscor was 2.46 and 2.63 inches, respectively. Average accuracy across the three ammo choices was 2.73 inches for the MAC.
The heft of this pistol makes it easier to shoot faster. Speed shooting groups measured 2.6 inches for the MAC. In the speed shooting, I didn’t count flyers but looked at the concentration of the holes or on some cases one massive ragged hole.
In the first magazine, I had two FTF jams with the MAC. The gun is new and needs to be broken in. I squirted lube on the barrel without field stripping the gun and continued to run the MAC hard. From that point forward, the MAC JSOC preformed perfectly.
The mag well made reloading smooth and quick.
After running a few hundred rounds though the JSOC at one time, the checkered wood grip started to rub the web of my hand. Not a deal breaker by any means just a characteristic of a retro pistol.
The MAC JSOC comes with two, eight-round MecGar steel-body magazines. These magazines have polymer followers and bumper pads. The bumper pad ensures you seat the magazine all the way. A cleaning brush and rod are also included in a hard case.
With a street price running about $685, the MAC JSOC 1911 is an exceptionally well-built pistol with excellent accuracy, a decent trigger, user-friendly sights, texture where you need it on a .45 Auto 1911 and mag well that speeds reloads.
If you like retro-looking 1911s or just want a 1911 for EDC, take a look at the MAC JSOC.
Specs
Military Armament Corporation MAC JSOC 1911 Specifications
- Make: Military Armament Corporation
- Model: MAC JSOC
- Caliber: 45 Auto
- Action: Semi-automatic, Single Action Trigger
- Capacity: 8+1
- Grips: Checkered wood
- Frame & Handle Finish: QPQ Tennifer
- Overall Barrel Length: 5 in.
- Overall Length: 8.5 in.
- Overall Weight: 32.4 ounces (unloaded)
- MSRP: $685
Rating
Fit and finish **** Notes: Very good even for the price point
Reliability **** Notes: Initial FTFs, then no issues
Accuracy **** Notes: Average group size at 25 yards measured 2.73 inches, plenty accurate for defense work
Handling & Comfort ***** Notes: Smooth cycling, fast to reload, user friendly sights
Overall **** Notes: It may look a bit dated by today’s 1911 standards, but still a solid choice for EDC.
I glad there are people with $$$ who can spend it on these guns. American liberty is still alive.
$700.00 is pretty middle of the road for a solid, reasonably well made 1911 on todays market. Not cheap, but well below the cost of many major brand names.
I have a couple guns from the same manufacturer. Seem to be well made and the fit and finish, while not as nice as some more upscale guns, is decent for a less expensive weapon.
I have a full sized 1911 made by TISAS I couldn’t pass up for the price. Only failure to feed was with some surplus ammo I got cheap at the Pensacola gun show several years ago. Same stuff has had the same problem in a couple other weapons as well. Not much of it left so I’ll have sot it up be fall. Makes for good training ammo on the range. Because you know you will have a malfunction drill with each magazine load.
Property taxes on the land I own seem to be extremely high this year.
Food prices are very high, but the wheat crop is looking good as is the corn. Cows are fattening up on the grass since the drought seems to have broke. Hoping that all together will lower food prices, doubtful.
Veehickle is going to need new tires in about 3 months. Disregarding a major set back I can start saving up to buy some more gunms. I’m a 1911 fan and “Gobble Gobble” turkey gunm don’t look to bad of a deal. Kinda like the A1 though.
I’d like to retire the one 1911 I’ve got, sentimental values, and make it a closet queen.
I’ve got a Browning SilaFlex rod and FX reel I really like but closet queened it too. Some stuff I can’t replace so I get as close to what I like as I can as cheap as I can anymore.
Money’s tight.
I’d certainly like another 1911.
bidenomics put the hurt on my fixed income big time, its getting hard to stay drunk all week, might have to cancel Sundays.
Just took possession of a Tisas 1911 for $300 odd , will probably snag a couple these. They shoot solid.
Yeah support our enemies buy Turkish trash that won’t last a high round count. Turkey is no friend of the US.
It took a while but sure as shootin’ the first bigoted usual suspect just had to vent…At least the skidmark didn’t attempt to specify which component or components that would make the firearm not last. Then it’s the enemy of the US aspect which is being hypocritical after probably using a Made in China device to vent. Then there are goods he probably owns from numerous countries that were enemies of the US like Germany, Japan, Italy, etc. In other words the usual suspect doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
As for the firearm it’s probably like most assembly line firearms and needs tweaking which anyone who owns firearms should be able to do or get off their behind and learn how.
And while the dumbfuk usual suspects were bad mouthing products made outside the US here’s comes a pint-size woman from China who stood up and made coleslaw out of Gun Control’s frontman david hogg…
Maybe you should condemn him a little harder, that’ll surely teach him. Maybe drop some F-bombs on him or call him a D-bag
speaking of the usual suspect it’s deb straight up berating someone for expressing their opinion on a product.
Almost like she? is being paid by the turks.
Or does it hurt her feelings.
tired of your wimpy bs…you bozo can lint lick all you want but where there is smoke there is fire and there was more than enough smoke coming out the behind of the font z whose only opinion was based on country of origin and guessing the firearm wouldn’t last…That’s not the basis for an opinion. That’s the ingredients for being a bigoted azzhole.
deb you shrieking twat we can all have our own opinion and you are allowed to disagree but you really are out there.
. I guess watching you make a fool of yourself is free and I should just enjoy the show.
Buy American, support America your country depends on it
Get back in the kitchen toots!
Fuckoff you supporter of racist and genocidal countries.
aq&noid…You two butt buddies have never stood against bigotry on this forum so it is safe to conclude you two are gutless wonders who condone it…The proof is you two wouldn’t be responding to me you’d be responding to the gun ignorant bigoted z who is probably a regular going incognito.
noid you can take your slander and shove it back up your behind…Garbage like you two will not deny or block any person or manufacturer from bringing their products to compete in the US…Made in Turkey firearms are here to stay, your only recourse to that is to go pound sand or gfy.
We all have the right to vote with our pocketbooks. I have no problem with the Turkish people, but I won’t be supporting the Turkish economy, particularly their weapons industries, until their government stops backsliding into a theocracy.
Deb I got to know, how much is the check for promoting turkish arms ? Do they pay monthly or what? Direct deposit, 401, days off?
You do seem obsessed with gay shit but third world authoritarians often are.
Disappointing not made in America, and double disappointing made in Turkey, which has devolved into an Islamic theocracy, and is increasingly not an ally of the west. Islamic countries, due to intrinsic characteristics of Islam, are opposed to western values, and are enemies to anyone who is not a Muslim, especially Christians and Jews.
I can get more or less the same thing, for more or less the same price, with a Ruger SR1911 made in the USA, so why would I buy this?
The SR1911 will run circles around any Turk gun.
Debbie, I’ve dismantled your argument before so I’m not sure why you’re trying to keep making it, knowing it’s nonsense. Japan and Germany? The Third Reich and the Empire of Japan don’t exist anymore so you can’t buy their products. As for China, it’s impossible to avoid buying current computers without any Chinese components. Computer buyers are not choosing to buy Chinese because they don’t get to make a choice.
When it comes to guns, the overwhelming majority of choices are not Turkish. You have to go out of your way to ignore most of the options and choose a Turkish firearm. So please stop trying to justify your questionable personal choices by dragging out these already-debunked talking points of yours. Nobody is buying it.
That Turkey (or more properly Erdogan) is not our friend has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with local (i.e. Middle East) politics. Erdogan thinks of himself as the next Sultan He has been slowly eliminating opposition (and Kurds and Armenians) from Turkish society, and expanding the footprint of his territory. His aims in Syria do not align with ours, notwithstanding that Turkey is a NATO member (but doesn’t always act like it).
He sells eggs to Russia too.
Bush Legs and Edrogan Eggs.
My Tisas is stuck in my Polaris Ranger console, I doubt I ever fire more than a couple boxes through it at best, so I’m not too worried about the round count. As for the virtue signalling, I’m proud to buy stuff from my friends at Palmetto State Armory, and if they get these reviewed here, I’ll buy at least one, maybe more, at this price. I guess I’ll be keeping Turkey in business, then.
If its stuck in your console you probably can’t shoot it to much.
“Stashed” might be the better word. But, no, I don’t shoot it too much.
8 rounds, 32oz empty, then described as a great choice for EDC…..Ummmm ok, may be a good gun but not a great carry choice when things like the Glock G30 are on the market which are smaller, 23oz, and hold 10 rounds.
Happy to know Tisas is doing well.
With a good holstein a 1911 isnt that hard to EDC, it’s what I use, and besides the weight helps me stay in place during a high wind.
Glocks are wider too.
If I were to inherit one of these from a family member that carried it in the Special Forces, I would absolutely cherish it.
It isn’t something I would ever buy without it being part of a collection sold in bulk. I might if I had a collector FFL though. But that would only be for the novelty of it. You may have what you like though. But then, Tisas will never be found in my home either.
No rail?
32 Oz seems light for a 1911 unless it is an aluminum frame.
IMO – 45ACP has inadequate penetration at rural ranges (>20yds) – plus I would wager the 2″ 25 yd groups will be very difficult to replicate with a random out-of-box sample.
So, not for me.
Again, IMO – better to buy the enttry pointonit and
Copper solids from Lehigh will get you all the penetration you could want.
Reminds me I need to test the 68 grain 9mm out to 100 yards once I can get access to a chrono.
I prefer Springfield Armory or Colt. Just my personal preference.
Follow the money that he’s getting paid!
Not to draw too much hate but this product reeks of boomer bait.
Joking aside I get the market of limited income nostalgia but if I get into 1911 at this point it would probably be for 38 super to learn about something new (to me anyway damn that is an old cartridge/weird).
Great article, keep them coming. Pistol has a lot going or it and let’s not forget what bidenomics has done to gun prices. Firearms from all countries can be appreciated on their own merits. Double crapload of AK variants in U.S. homes and not much gun owner hostility over decades of those imports, Lol.Yeah, I know Kalash USA makes them here but where do the profits go?
My standing complaint: another GI-ish 1911 without the lanyard loop.
Do we need another 1911? regardless of where it’s made?????