The Design
With roots in the Beretta 86 design, the .380 ACP Girsan MC 14T X uses a tip-up barrel. This blowback handgun features a similar recoil system to the Beretta Cheetah, with a lever on the side of the frame that unlocks the barrel, allowing it to tip up.
Related Review: Tip-Up 14-Shot EAA Girsan MC 14T .380
The design is marketed to shooters who might struggle to pull the slide back on a semi-automatic design. With a simple push of the lever, the barrel tips up to allow a single round to be loaded.
A custom tungsten and black two-tone color scheme sets the MC 14T X apart from the regular MC 14T. The barrel is spiral-fluted and threaded at 1/2x28 TPI, making this one of the few .380 handguns that is suppressor-ready out of the box.
The MC 14T X is a double/single-action pistol with a standard 13-round capacity. The frame features an ambidextrous safety and a left-mounted slide release for those who like to run the slide. There’s also a rail for adding a light or laser. Deep texture cuts on the black grips make it easy to maintain a good purchase.
On the range
The big benefit of the MC 14T X is the threaded barrel. I had never shot .380 ACP suppressed, so I was excited to take this handgun to the range. Now, .380 ACP is a snappy cartridge. Even though it is smaller than 9mm, it has a sharper recoil. The .380 cartridge is popular because its size lends itself to smaller handguns.
The first couple of magazines were a little snappy, yet very controllable. With the white three-dot sights, it was easy to get good hits on steel, and the grip texture made it easy to hold onto the smaller frame.
The real treat was shooting the MC 14T X suppressed with a Silencer Central Banish 45. While this can is longer than the handgun itself, the suppressor is extremely light and easy to maneuver.
Related Review: Light and Quiet, the Banish 45 Suppressor Puts Any Handgun Into Stealth Mode
Also of note, the .45-caliber baffles are much larger than the .380 round, but the sound reduction is still incredible. Just as intended, the suppressor makes the handgun safer for your ears and improves the shooting experience. Along those same lines, the weight of the suppressor and the bleed-off of gas in the baffles seem to tame the .380 ACP round as well.
Pros & Cons
Overall, I had zero malfunctions with the MC 14T X, and it was a pleasure to shoot. This is one of the quietest handgun-suppressor combos that I have shot, and that always makes shooting more enjoyable. The tip-up barrel design is different, and for some reason, it is more fun than just racking the slide.
There are two drawbacks to this handgun, and both have to do with the addition of a suppressor. First, suppressors add a tremendous amount of backpressure, as the gases are not allowed to escape and rapidly expand at the muzzle. This backpressure forced a lot of debris into my face as I shot, and if I were not wearing eye protection, it would have been an issue. I suspect the open nature of the Beretta barrel design offers more surface area for debris to escape.
The second issue is that the handgun has normal-height iron sights. This means that once the large suppressor is added, the iron sights are basically useless, as they sit below the suppressor. I was still able to get accurate shots out at close distances, but at longer ranges, it would be difficult.
Summary
Girsan has made a great little .380 handgun that is perfect for those who prefer the tip-up barrel over charging the slide. With so few suppressor-ready .380s, the MC 14T X is a welcome option for anyone looking for a versatile handgun made with quality.
