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  4. Review: EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm

Florida-based European American Armory has been bringing in the Girsan Regard MC series for years, and the new MC X ups the features and aesthetic of the platform without sacrificing reliability. 
 

Table of Contents
 
Overview
The Specs
Features
Trigger
Reliability
Accuracy
Pros & Cons
Conclusion

Overview

 

The Regard MC series has been made in Turkey by Girsan going back to the 1990s – issued to the country's law enforcement and military – and has been imported by EAA to the States since at least 2019, winning fans on both sides of the pond. A faithful clone of the Beretta 92 series at a fraction of the price, the pistols have a proven history. 

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
We caught up with Girsan in Germany at last year's IWA Show in Nurnberg and were impressed with the variety of the line. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The Regard MC X has an extended 5.2-inch threaded barrel with spiral flutes as well as an accessory rail on the frame. The overall length of the pistol is 8.7 inches. Note the two-tone Tungsten finish to the frame and barrel balanced against the black grips, slide, and controls.
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The height is 5.4 ­inches including the flush-fit 18+1 round magazine. Note the finger grooves molded into the grip frame and a lanyard loop, the latter a call back to the design's mil/LE lineage.
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
Compare the Regard MC X to a classic Beretta 92F Inox. The Regard MC is compatible with most Beretta parts including grips and magazines, notably except for the barrel, cam, and locking block, which have been redesigned on the Turkish guns to be beefier. This means a lot of simple upgrades can be made via spring replacements. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
As Americans have been fans of the Beretta 92 series since at least 1985, there is a ready audience for the platform. 

 

For full disclosure, EAA sent Guns.com a Regard MC X for review purposes. All testing was done on this one gun, which has been under evaluation since December.

 

The Specs

  • Overall length: 8.7 inches
  • Barrel length: 5.2 inches 
  • Sight radius: 6.2 inches
  • Overall width: 1.44 inches at the widest point over controls, slide is 1.1 inches.
  • Overall height including mag: 5.4 ­inches
  • Magazine capacity: 18+1 rounds, flush fit 
  • Trigger pull: 4.9 pounds (10-pull average), single action; 11.5 pounds double action. 
  • Weight, with empty 18-round magazine: 34.4 ounces.
  • Weight, loaded: 48.2 ounces (with 18+1 rounds of 124-grain 9mm Speer Gold Dot JHP)
  • MRD Optic Footprint: None

 

Features

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The Regard MC X field-strips via the standard frame-mounted takedown lever once the knurled end cap is removed from the threaded barrel. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The fit and finish is excellent, and EAA ships these guns with a lot of lube. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The low-profile white three-dot sights are steel, and the pistol has a long sight radius. Sorry, guys, no optics cut here.
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The Regard MC X ships in a blue clamshell box plastic box with two MecGar 18-round magazines, and we found the gun to work fine with the standard 92-series mags we had on hand. EAA used to ship these guns back in the day with a single mag, so it’s nice to see two come in the box. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The classic 92-style open-top slide design shows off the spiral fluted barrel. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
Surface controls include a push-button magazine release on the left side of the frame and an ambidextrous slide-mounted F-type manual safety/decocker. The controls all work as advertised and are easy to manipulate, although the same might not be said by those with small hands. 
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
When it comes to ergonomics, the rear of the grip has vertical serrations, while the front uses understated finger grooves, which are sure to have a mixed response. 

 

Trigger

 

The short story is that the trigger on the Regard MC X works and breaks at about 4.9 pounds in single action and 11.5 pounds in double. That can be tweaked a bit with a trigger spring replacement. 

Then there is the longer story (no pun intended).

The boogeyman on any 92-style DA/SA trigger isn't the weight of the break but rather the length of the pull, due in large part to the trigger's dramatic bow. That's why folks like Volker Precision, Wilson Combat, and Langdon Tactical exist and have made/installed thousands of flat-faced/straight triggers over the years to try to shorten the distance of that rearward travel. 

We found the trigger on the Regard MC X to have the typical long and creepy travel familiar with 92 series guns before reaching the wall and breaking. Reset is short and both tactile and audible to the user. It would be nice if the trigger were better, but it is acceptable. 

 

Reliability

 

We ran just over 500 rounds through the Regard MC X throughout three range sessions. This was on a pistol right from the box with no additional lube or treatments. We used the two factory-supplied MecGar 18-shot magazines as well as a pair of older Beretta Italy-marked 15s. The gun ran smoothly with a controllable recoil impulse. 

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
The ammo used was primarily Federal's 115-grain Syntech Range, 124- and 147-grain Syntech Training Match, and 150-grain Syntech Action Pistol, along with Blazer 115-grain FMJs. Personal protection loads included Federal Punch 124 and Speer Gold Dot 124 JHPs.
EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
Of those 500 rounds, about 120 were run with a booster-equipped SilencerCo Omega 36M modular multi-caliber suppressor installed. It should be noted that the low-profile sights do not index. 

 

In terms of functionality, we found the Regard to be dependable, with the only non-user-related malfunction being the failure of the slide to lock back on an empty magazine a couple of times. 

When fired suppressed, it chewed through the ammo with no issues, although the slide did seem a little sluggish when going back into battery when dirty. A stronger recoil spring when firing with a can may fix that. 

 

Accuracy

 

The Regard MC X proved reasonably accurate. While not firing from the bench on a lead sled, we had zero issues keeping it in the center mass of a target out to 25 yards. 

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
Results with the Regard MC X at 15, firing unsupported, rapid. The lean to low left is on the shooter, not the gun. This shows excellent practical accuracy. Tighter groups were achieved in slow-fire single action, but you get the idea. 

 

Pros & Cons

 

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Reliable
  • Threaded barrel
  • Familiar
  • Uses common magazines, grips, holsters, etc.

Cons

  • No optics capability
  • Users may not like the finger grooves. 

 

Conclusion

 

The Girsan Regard MC X by EAA is affordable, familiar, dependable, and just flat-out looks good. With a long track record behind it in the same general platform and the addition of upgraded styling and a threaded barrel, it is a win, especially for the price of $519, suggested (typically lower at retailers). 

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
Retail on the EAA Girsan Regard MC X is $519. 

 

Attempting to get a more outright Model 92 with the same feature set sees that entry level get steeper. 

Currently, Beretta only catalogs three 92-series 9mm handguns with factory threaded barrels – the M9A4 Centurion, the M9A4 full size, and the 92XI SAO Tactical – with an asking price starting at $1K and heading north from there. Opting to save some money on a used Italian stallion, it’s tough to get even a beat-up police trade-in Beretta 92F or ex-Italian government service 92S for less than $400 these days, and those guns typically come with old springs that need to be replaced and a locking block with who knows how many rounds through it. Even these "deal" guns, after updating the springs and locking block, then picking up a bargain on a threaded barrel, are going to put the price at well over $600, for an often very well-used pistol.

This illustrates the inherent value of the Regard MC X.

 

EAA Girsan Regard MC X 9mm pistol
For someone looking for a full-sized 92 clone with great features without breaking the bank, the Girsan Regard MC X fits the bill. It is a tool in the toolbox for sure. 

 

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