MPA Protector .380 / .32 Pistols
MasterPiece Arms, who are known for their MAC-10/11 clones, have branched out into the fast growing (and crowded) subcompact market. The Protector series includes the .32 ACP chambered MPA32 and the .380 ACP chambered MPA380.
The pistols have a double action only action with a recessed hammer. Both models have a 6+1 capacity.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Action | DAO |
| Caliber | .380 ACP / .32 ACP |
| Capacity | 6+1 |
| Finish | Black/Stainless |
| Barrel | 2.250” barrel |
| Total Length | 4.4” |
| Width | .820” |
| Height | 3.150” |
| Weight | MPA32: 10.9 oz ; MPA380: 11.3 oz |
| MA Approved | |
| Front Sight | Fixed |
| Rear Sight | Fixed |
| MSRP (Price) | $322.90 (Black); $345.90 (Stainless) |
| Availability | Unknown |
UPDATE: Marshall at MouseGuns.com and Redchrome pointed out that it is probably an NAA Guardian / Seecamp clone (NAA cloned the Seecamp). It looks very similar.
Those who knock subcompacts are missing the point. As a 24 year veteran officer and firearms instructor I can tell you from experience that those of you who think you are hiding your full size pistol under your extra baggy shirt etc are fooling yourselves! The key to concealed carry is that the firearm not only remain out of sight but undetectable as well.
Bad guys search the crowd for their next victim including looking to see if they have a pistol. I can watch a person and tell most of the time if they are carrying or not. There will usually be telltale bulges under their baggy clothes, or their body language will give them away.
Why carry only one pistol? When I carry my Kel-Tec 380 in a custom pocket holster I also have a full size pistol nearby someplace! The key to concealed carry is to have a gun!
I teach concealed carry to lots of folks, if a lady can carry a 380 on her person that is far more effective than a full size pistol in her purse, the likely target of her mugger. Most robbers aren’t going to stand around and wait while a lady digs through her purse, makeup, keys etc. for her gun, which has likely migrated to the bottom. With a good concealment holster like a Flashbang holster she can dress in stylish clothes and have that firearm on her person.
As far as getting out of range, accuracy is limited by the shooter, not the pistol. I qualify with my little Kel Tec twice a year and manage to keep every shot on the silhouette even at 25 yards!
The MPA 380 should not be dry fired without the magazine since the spring will come off and have to be reset. Also the 380 magazine will not be able to be inserted with 6 rounds in the magazine of the MPA 380, it can only handle 5 rounds. The MPA 380 is actually a 5+1 not a 6+1.
Jim
You are welcome to stand in front of my mouse gun 380 with Hornady Critical Defense ammo anytime and give me your opinion of a head or neck shot..
Shot Placement > Caliber
There is a market for summer pocket guns, 380 is my minimum but even a 32 is better than nothing.
Agreed. The reason you choose that type of gun is the need of concealing it. Good “summer” gun, where clothing is scarce. The alternative is nothing. Also, regarding the “step back” comment… Really? Are you going to call time out and step back to get out of .380 range? I own a Colt Trooper in .357, and it’s the sweetest thing ever, but it just does not fit in my pocket, and open carry, even where legal, tends to make lots of people nervous.
PS what hides those full sized undercover pistols? a really baggy tee shirt. I wear Large,the tee is 2XX.You’d be surprised what you can hide on you.
hey Redchrome! A 454 casull is good for over 100yds. run,run,run ha ha.I’m just spoiled,i’m ex military cop-ex cop,i’m used to full sized handguns.If you might have to engage in closein combat ( 32 auto range ) make sure you have a big KaBar on your belt.If i really believed that this was the day that my life would be in jeopardy and my choice was a handgun,i’d be partial to the glock 31.The only real reason for mouseguns is that you aren’t supposed to have a gun on you where you are,example,the workplace.During most of the year i carry a standard sized glock,Xd or M&P undercover and no one notices. take care redchrome.run,run,run. jim
Jim Mullin,
if the bad guy is taking steps back; you should be doing the same (i.e. run away if possible).
I do evaluate the ‘shootability’ of my guns, and the ability to put the bullet where I want it to go is a higher priority than caliber (so long as minimum penetration requirements are met). I can consistently and easily hit targets out to 15 yards with at least one example of a Kel-Tec .32. (Not that I can do this with all guns; there’s some pocket guns I would have trouble hitting a barn with from the inside).
Better a .32 in your pocket than a .45 at home.
I don’t know why so many people are buying these tiny 32 and 380 pistols. What do you do if confronted by a guy holding a 6″ barrelled 357 mag revolver or a 10mm glock 20? He can step back a few steps to increase the range to him,that’s when you’ll be in trouble.My SMALL undercover pistol is a Glock model 33 357 sig loaded with doubletap ammo.Get a small gun if you must but get in in a combat worthy caliber.You don’t even get a break on the cost of ammo for the 32s and 380s.I kept a Ruger LCP for a few months then sold it to get money towards a Glock 17rtf2.Buy the tiny pistols,i just hope you never have to use them. Jim
Pics look real nice . Wish I knew more of when it will be available to the public and where . I want to read some reviews before I purchase . I’m waiting on a real good 32 caliber . Let’s have it . It’s August 1 already .
It looks a lot like the old Autauga, but the upper slide looks different. Also the Autauga was never available in 380 nor was it available in all black.
The price on their website looks good. $325 MSRP. They also say fully machined upper slide and lower receiver. I wonder if they really mean its machined from a solid chunk of metal or machined from a casting?
Either way, its priced in the range of the LCPs but if its all metal, I like it.
I hope they offer an extended magazine/grip for this thing. Getting your pinky on the grip makes a big difference.
http://www.e-gun.net/more.asp?gid=20012&gun=Pistol
It is the old Autauga Arms MKII. When the company went belly up, the last of them were sold for $200 by CDNN. They still have .32 mags for $8.99.
http://www.cdnninvestments.com/marii32ac6rd.html
I was going to ask if the copied the NAA schematics and somehow made it less reliable.
The shape of the butt and placement of the magazine release looks more like the Autauga pistol, another Seecamp knockoff.
Redchrome, I doubt it will be in .25acp. .25acp Is basically an obsolete round.
Rusty, that was a typo in the original blog post. It is not in .25.
Seems like every company is trying to stick their nose in this market. I don’t really understand why they’re butting in on a flooded corner of the market…
However, I did notice a few semi-auto subgun clones (Sterlings and Thompsons, to name a few) dripping in after they came out with their MAC derivation. Maybe they’re just trying to get out of their niche into something that sells better?
On kind of a side note, I noticed on MPA’s website that they don’t list MAC-10′s in .460 Rowland anymore….
….but yeah, total seecamp clone. It will be interesting to see if its any good though.
More Info:
I believe it’s .32 ACP and .380.
Receivers are 4140 Steel
Some slides are stainless
Nick, you are right. Somehow I got it wrong in my head! Its fixed.
There are some inconsistencies in your article. Is the MPA32 chambered in .32ACP or .25ACP?
Inquiring .32 ACP fans want to know.
Seecamp / NAA Guardian clone.
Still, it’s a decent enough design. Been meaning to get something of that ilk for years.
Total Seecamp clone. Blowback, same slide. Look at the plate near the trigger, the takedown hole on the slide. the profile, dimensions and weight are very similar.
I was actually thinking along the lines like Taurus PT25..
I’m hoping the action is DAO, and not “DOA” as listed!