Tag Archives: military armament corporation

MEU(SOC) pistol redux

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One of the coolest things I came across at the NRA Show in Atlanta last month was this bad boy from the Military Armament Corporation (MAC).
Compare it to the 800~ MEU(SOC) pistols made by the Marine armorers at the Precision Weapons Section, MCBQ around 2001 that took vintage M1911A1 frames and upgraded them to a more modern combat handgun with a mix of Springfield Armory, Ed Brown, and Wilson Combat slides and internals, capped off with Pachy grips. The program had run earlier variants on the same theme in smaller numbers, going back to 1985.

The SN (2431001) denotes the frame as a circa 1945 Remington Rand. Everything else is commercial.

The Marines kept using the in-house built MEU(SOC) guns in Force Recon, Provost, and SRT units well into 2013, when they were replaced by the purpose-built all-new Colt M45 Marine Close Quarters Battle Pistol, which in turn was only retired in 2023.

26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Maritime Raid Force Marines and Sailors conduct live fire exercises with M1911 MEUSOC .45 caliber pistols aboard the USS San Antonio (LPD 17), at sea, April 11, 2013. Note the Novak sights. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Christopher Q. Stone/Released)

MSRP on the MAC MEUSOC.45 is expected to be in the $700 range.

If an HK MP5 and a Colt SMG had a Turkish Baby

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Tennessee-based SDS Arms, whose brands include Military Armament Corporation, Tisas, Inglis, and others, brought a slew of new guns to SHOT Show.

We’ve been covering the company for a while and SDS always has some interesting stuff that you just don’t see everywhere else. Giving us a sneak peek at the 2025 catalog, Jahred Gamez introduced us to the new MAC IX.

SDS introduced the MAC 5 series last year, an MP5-style roller-locked pistol series sans the MP5 price.

The MAC5, in its two variants, as introduced in 2024

For those who prefer direct blowback rather than roller lock, with a more AR feel, the company will be introducing the MAC IX in March (just in time for the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta).

The MAC IX runs an AR-style safety and trigger group. Note the slingshot-style charging T-handle rather than the forward slap-and-go of the MP5. However, it uses MP5 mags, which are increasingly available at better prices than in previous generations.

Note the rear Pic rail for mounting a pistol brace or stock (NFA rules apply).

More in my column at Guns.com.

If you want a cheap MP5 clone, they keep getting cheaper…

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The Cold War-themed Tennessee-based subsidiary of SDS Imports has gone MP5 and plans to hit the market with two very affordable 9mm roller locks.

“While we take our inspiration from the days of caterpillar mustaches, Thomas Magnum and Sonny Crockett, our contemporary products represent the cutting edge of technology in design and manufacturing for government and commercial clients,” notes MAC as part of its company ethos.

And what could be more 1980s cool guy vibe than an MP5, right? 

The new MAC-5 series are both 9mm pistols that use a very well-known style of roller-locked blowback actions and are compatible with HK and most other aftermarket products designed for MP5 variants. Both models have a 1/2x28TPI muzzle thread under a tri-lug, adjustable rear sights, use a paddle-style mag release, and sport a SEF pattern trigger with a 4.25-pound pull. They are HK claw mount compatible and have button-rifled barrels with fluted chambers.

The series introduction includes two models, the short MAC-5 and the shorter MAC-5K.

The Military Armament Corporation MAC-5 is 17.9 inches long with an 8.9-inch barrel and is 5.5 pounds unloaded. (Photos: MAC)

Meanwhile, the MAC-5K is 13.7 inches overall with a 5.8-inch barrel and weighs 4.6 pounds.

While it is not clear who the manufacturer of these semi-auto MP5 clones is, MAC says they are “Built on modern tooling based on original HK specs and decades of expertise,” which would seem to point to MKE in Turkey, who has been in the MP5 biz for generations. That would track as SDS gets most of their other stuff (Tisas, etc) from Turkey.

Similarly, Century has been importing its AP5 line from MKE as of late while Virginia-based Zenith had long been an importer for MKE before striking out to make guns domestically.

The MAC-5 Series pistols have an MSRP of $1,099– which could be lower at dealers– and ship with a premium case, sling, two 30-round magazines, cleaning kit, tri-lug flash-hider, trigger lock, and instruction manual. That undercuts all but the most fire-sale sub-MAP AP5s, is roughly half the ask of an American-made PTR-9, and is about a third the price of a German-made HK SP5.

I’ll bring you more on these from this year’s SHOT Show.