Peripheral equipment has changed, so it’s only logical for our firearms to change as well. Thirty years ago, mounting a flashlight to a pistol seemed obscure; however, as these devices became more mainstream, any pistol without a means of attaching one would sit in the showcase far longer than a dealer would care to look at it. We’ve experienced the same phenomenon with electronic sights, as consumers have begun to consider a slide with an optics cut to be standard equipment. Now, with the ATF's waiting period for suppressors sometimes being measured in days instead of months, a threaded barrel is poised to be the next big feature modern handgunners seek.
The importer, European American Armory Corp. (EAA), is not shy about what the MC9 Disruptor is doing to the industry. Yes, it is a polymer- framed, striker-fired semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9 mm Luger with a detachable box magazine, which is a description a great many current handgun designs share, but few of them could claim a feature set as expansive as the Disruptor's, especially at this price point.
If we begin with the slide, we find mild cocking serrations both fore and aft, as well as an overall streamlined footprint. Up top, an optics cut is designed to accommodate anything with the Shield RMS or RMSc footprint. Those who lean toward iron sights will be pleased to find an oversized fixed three-dot system that grabs focus and is effortless to align. Inside is a full-length barrel threaded in ½-28 TPI, which is the most common pitch for this chambering. An included protective cap keeps the threads clean when shooting the gun unsuppressed.
Moving down to the frame, the Disruptor offers an interchangeable backstrap system. The gun arrives with the medium option installed and includes both a large and a small alternate to help fit the gun to your hand. An ambidextrous relief cut for your thumb couples with the customizable backstrap to create an uncompromising firing-hand grip. The slide stop is also bilateral, affording lefties the same comfort as righties and giving both dexterities the ability to use two fingers to drop the slide. The magazine release is not ambidextrous; however, it is reversible. Lastly, the entire package is Cerakoted in either black or olive drab green camo, the latter of which should please the feature junkies.
In dry testing, I found the Disruptor’s trigger a little stiff but not unserviceable. I’m also fond of the trigger's blade-in-bow style safety, as it reduces the steps required to get hits on target under stress.
Adding a red-dot sight means losing your rear iron sight, which some shooters might not love; however, EAA settled on this design with good intentions, as this system allows them to maximize the Disruptor’s sight radius, increasing the likelihood of achieving accurate hits. Likewise, most individuals who choose this pistol are going to want to take advantage of its entire feature set, including a suppressor—so, they'll want a red dot mounted such that it is still usable above that suppressor. This configuration provides an unobstructed view of the electronic optic and makes for a cleaner, less-distracting sight picture.
I chose a Shield RMS2 for its simple, rugged design and because it added back in that rear sight notch that I lost by removing the optics plate. Although designed to ride low, it still provided enough height to see over the suppressor I planned on using, while offering iron-sight backups for when I leave the can at home.
To give it a fair shake, I selected a wide variety of ammunition. For lightweight fodder, I chose Remington’s UMC jacketed hollow-point ammunition, a decent option for both practice and self-defense. For those interested in this pistol purely for target work, I included Federal’s Syntech Training Match load. The polymer-coated bullets don't have the traditional copper jacket, making them safer for steel targets while generating less heat than conventional projectiles. Last was Winchester’s Super Suppressed load, which offers subsonic velocities for a quieter shooting experience when running a suppressor.
I began the day with some 25-yard group testing. This revealed excellent results, just so long as I fed the gun what it liked. While all three rounds functioned without issue, my most-consistent groups were fired with Winchester’s product.
Slow-fire paper punching exposed a noticeable amount of creep in the trigger, which is admittedly a subjective evaluation aspect. Although most shooters enjoy a clean break, thousands of two-stage triggers are sold every year for their lengthy pull. With that said, if you end your trigger press with the fluidity with which you begin it, you won’t notice a negative impact on your accuracy.
Stepping away from the bench, I mounted the suppressor and engaged the same paper targets with the sole purpose of gauging how much the gun's report was reduced. The supersonic ammunition still had that telltale crack and did become uncomfortable after a few shots, but the subsonic ammo was outlandishly quiet. The function wasn’t impeded when I added the can, nor was accuracy, although I did experience a point-of-impact shift of four inches.
I finished my day by removing the suppressor and working on my splits and transitions, using an array of Caldwell AR 500 IPSC silhouettes. With this testing, I found the reset on the trigger impressive, as it aggressively snapped back into place. This let me drop in controlled pairs with split times as low as 0.28 of a second. The pistol recovered very well and was settled before I could finish my swing to the next target. It was evident from this portion of the test that some careful engineering went into the Disruptor’s geometry.
A cursory search, which included checking the in-stock price at a local brick-and-mortar retailer, revealed a “street price” of around $379 for the MC9 Disruptor. The gun only comes with one magazine, so if competition is on your mind, you’ll need to order a few more. These are readily available, though, so you won’t have to look far. Holster options are a bit limited, but there are some, as well as plenty of affordable custom options. Of course, if you don’t plan on carrying or competing, neither of these shortcomings affect you. Ultimately, this introduction from EAA meets market demand head-on and gives the modern shooter the tools they need to enjoy a plethora of available accessories.
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