MasterPiece Arms
MasterPiece Arms is a relatively small Georgia-based company that started in 2000. Over the next few decades, it quietly became a dominant figure in the competitive tactical long-range rifle world. At any given PRS event, over half the guns are in MPA chassis. I personally own two MPAs.
The company did this by focusing on performance and shooter feedback. With most machining done in-house, they could easily produce new iterations, continually improving their designs.
Around 2020, MPA started producing wide-body 1911s, also known as 2011s, with the same attention to detail. By 2024, MPA 2011 pistols were on top of the leader board.
In USPSA, the largest action shooting sport in the world, MasterPiece Arms guns are the most popular in three divisions. In 2024, MPA ranked No. 1 in Limited and Limited Optics and No. 2 in Open.
These competitors can, and do, purchase anything including Infinity, Atlas, TTI, Staccato, and Nighthawk pistols, many of which can cost over twice the price of this MPA. When tenths of a second can separate podium standings, all these competitors care about is performance. Shooters are choosing MPA over bigger-name guns because the extra cost is not translating to performance.
Test Gun
My test DS9-TC Hybrid came from the Guns.com Certified Used section. “DS9” means it is a double-stack 1911 chambered in 9mm, and “TC” stands for Tactical Comp. Tactical comps are compensators small enough be carried on a duty handgun. (MPA also offers competition compensators, which are much larger and used for Open division guns, where basically any accessory is allowed.)
The DS9-TC Hybrid has a 4.25-inch barrel, steel frame and slide, and full-length dust cover with accessory rail. All parts are machined in the U.S. from bar stock and billet, and nearly all the parts are in-house designed and built. I can’t tell you how rare this is, even in full custom shops.
This one has an aluminum grip with MPA’s medium texture. The company also offers a fully steel grip for those who like a heavier gun. The grip safety has been deleted, so the only safety on this gun is the ambidextrous thumb safety levers. It also comes with a magwell that works very well.
What everyone wants to know about is the trigger, and I would say it is equal to other high-end competition triggers. It has a consistent 2-pound break with a very short reset.
Optic
Rounding out the features is the Accuracy X sight system. You have the choice of Kensight Bomar-style adjustable rear sight and fiber-optic front or the Accuracy X optic plate system. This is a proven design that MPA licensed from Accuracy X.
Since I see dots better, I installed the new Osight C. This is the latest competition-sized optics from Osight. I know Osight has many critics, but I’ve had good luck with my Osight flashlights, so I wanted to give its red dot line a chance. By most reports, these seem to be a good and very affordable product.
My experience has been outstanding so far. The window size is generous, with clear and sharp glass. The optic has all the popular dot features such as a side-loading battery, click adjustments, and shake-awake technology to conserve battery life. Even the multiple reticles look good to my astigmatism-plagued eyes. Usually that means the emitter is of higher quality. I didn’t destructive test it, but so far it has been reliable.
Performance
I’ve been putting the DS9 through its paces for a few months, taking it to several competitions and even a night match. It has been dead reliable and a dream to shoot. The single-port comp is well designed and makes the gun shoot very softly. It is also so well sprung that every factory load I’ve used has run flawlessly.
Compensators are tricky to balance. The better they work to reduce recoil, the less energy is available to work the action. Typically, compensated pistols are tuned to a specific ammunition load, so the fact that the DS9-TC runs everything is commendable. If you do want to tune your gun to tweak performance, there are numerous instructions on MPA’s website.
Accuracy was outstanding, as one would expect. First, it’s mechanically accurate. You can just tell from the build quality. Barrel lockup is perfect, and slide-to-frame fit is so tight there is barely any movement. The fantastic trigger makes it easy to hit your target.
For competitive shooters, the most important feature is the grip. It is how the shooter interfaces with the gun, so a grip can make a decent gun into a great gun or ruin a good gun.
The MPA grip is very good. It is not my absolute favorite 2011 grip, but it is up there. It’s not overly thick and has excellent sculpting to really fit the hand. The medium MPA texture is a good do-it-all texture – not too aggressive but not too slick. Overall, the grip is on the larger size, so I would say it is better for people with bigger hands. My medium-large hands didn’t have a problem.
Pros & Caveats
Honestly, I have no criticisms on the Masterpiece Arms DS series, but there a few things to note. First, while it is the best value for a high-end double-stack 1911, it is still expensive. This is not a budget firearm. While it is half the price of some of the other guns in this class, it is still a significant chunk of change.
Secondly, it is heavy at 41 ounces. That’s not super heavy for a competition pistol, but there is heft to it. I’m still getting used to it. The platform is super stable when shooting fast, but drawing and transitioning from target to target is a more deliberate act than with light polymer firearms.
Other than that, there is not a bad thing I can say about it. Racking the slide feels buttery smooth, like it’s riding on glass. It feels just as good as an Atlas, Nighthawk, or any other $10,000 gun.
