The MPA 30: More Than A Novelty Gun?

Just about everyone has heard of the MAC-10 and 11, but few know much else about them. The MAC-10 was originally designed as a prototype for the US Military, but it was never selected. Like many gun companies whose designs are not selected by the government, they began producing them for the public. The Mac 11 looks similar to the 10 but is made differently and is lighter.

Both guns were made as automatic submachine guns in multiple calibers including .380, 9mm, and .45. Today, most people recognize the Mac-11 as a gun used by gangsters often portrayed in Hollywood movies. Today, the gun market is producing just about any type of gun you can think of. There used to be trends in the gun world, but it seems like everything is coming back. Lever actions, micro-compact pistols, big pistols, revolvers, bolt action rifles, and everything in between.

One of those in-between guns is the Masterpiece Arms almost-MAC-11 clone, the Defender MPA 30. The MPA 30 is a compact 9mm pistol that sells in the $500 range and while not an exact copy, looks a lot like a MAC 11. Offered in semi-auto only, the MPA 30 is small and compact for this type of gun, but it brings to question what its purpose is. We will discuss this and take a close look at the MPA 30, how it’s made, and how it shoots.

So, is it more than a novelty gun?

The quickest answer from my point of view is no. There is not really any advantage of the MPA-30 over modern handguns and PCC sub-guns. But before you think I’m gearing up for a bashing session, let me start off by stating I own one and love it.

So back to the question of the MPA’s purpose: I don’t see one. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun gun to shoot and own. Could it work for self-defense? Sure. But I don’t see how this gun is more effective than a Glock 17 with a 30-round mag. In fact, it’s almost harder to hold the MPA-30 with both hands than it is to hold a Glock. With a sling, though, this little 9mm gun is a lot more comfortable to shoot.

If you really wanted to, this gun would probably be fine for home defense. After spending some time with it at the range, I feel like the quality is fine. I never had any issue with cycling or feeding from the mag. But the mag sticks down a long way, making it hard to conceal anywhere. Using tension on the sling, I was able to shoot decently with it out to 20 yards or so.

After that, it was hard to keep the groups from opening too far. For close-quarter drills, it was a blast to shoot. Some of my buddies couldn’t help from holding it sideways like they do in the movies as they emptied the mag downrange. And just for the record, that’s not how you shoot a gun.

What do you do with a novelty gun?

The first thing you do is hide it and don’t tell your gun-loving buddies you bought a Mac-11 lookalike. They will make fun of you before they ask to shoot it. When I picked mine up at the gun store, the workers were already making jokes and warning me not to rob the convenience store down the road. But not every gun you buy must be a battle-ready, zombie-killing, apocalyptic gun.

It’s okay for some guns to be the fun range gun. If you want to keep a gun on a sling that is light and easy to pull up with one hand, this could come in handy every now and then. I’m still not sure I would ever carry it anywhere, but it’s comfortable to carry on a single-point sling. The QD attachment on the back of the frame makes it perfect for carrying with a single-point QD sling. If you keep the sling short enough, you can raise the gun and push against the sling for a stable shooting stance. If this were an automatic version like the MAC-11 that would be a different story, but it’s not so I’ll keep it labeled as the fun gun.

Is it cheaply made or well-built?

Although I don’t consider this a serious contender in the self-defense realm, it’s a solid gun. Because I can’t help my curiosity about guns, I was only home with the MPA 30 for about 15 minutes before I had it taken apart. And not just field stripped, I took the barrel out, the trigger, handguard, firing pin, and well, you get the point. I did have to look a few things up because I have never owned one of these before.

But overall, the gun was simple to take apart and put back together. To field strip the gun, you remove a pin at the front of the gun (on the bottom) and the top frame slides off the lower like a handgun. You do have to pull the trigger to get the upper off so of course make sure it’s unloaded, and the chamber is empty. You remove a smaller tension pin from the left side and then pull out the larger pin from the right. I had to use a flat screwdriver to get the larger pin out.

With the pin removed, the upper receiver will slide off the lower frame. The charging handle pulls off when the bolt is back all the way to the rear. Next, the bolt and buffer spring will slide out the back of the upper receiver. The bolt uses two guide rods, but only one of them has a spring on it. There are several upgrade options from the company including an upgraded handle for Glock mags. I’ll cover those and a little more details about breaking the gun down in another upcoming article.

Want a fun gun?

Regardless of your opinion on their relevance, MAC-11/UZI-style guns are cool. They were designed to be fully auto so they’re not as effective in the civilian semi-auto configuration. But they are still one of those iconic-looking guns that make you want one. A Glock pistol is much more practical for self-defense but get them both out and see which one attracts all the attention.

So yes, I think it’s more of a novelty gun than anything else, but I also love novelty guns. Soon I will cover some of the parts available for the MPA Defender series guns including an extended handguard and Glock conversion magwell. After all, if you’re going to have a novelty gun, you may as well dress it up, right?