Every year, Shooting Illustrated staff members gather to review the firearms, optics, gear and ammunition launched in the past year. Out of this group, they choose the best of each category, which become the recipients of the next year’s Golden Bullseye awards. For 2020, SI staffers chose the Mossberg MC1sc as the Handgun of the Year. Here’s what SI Managing Editor Jay Grazio had to say about the gun:

At the MC1sc’s launch at Gunsite, we spent multiple days running drills—drills ostensibly designed for full-size handguns—using the MC1sc. Mossberg’s subtle grip design kept fatigue to a minimum, despite hundreds of rounds sent downrange, and the trigger on the MC1sc deserves plenty of praise. It really is that good; it’s the sort of trigger you’d expect to upgrade to, but in the entry-level variant. With nearly two dozen shooters running as many pistols, I cannot recall a single failure from my pistol, and don’t remember any of the other writers or editors having problems (and this is one picky group).

But, really, the written word doesn’t convey the full extent of the experience: go out and shoot one. You’ll understand the MC1sc much better, at that point. In fact, it relates to an interesting moment at the MC1sc’s release. In a room full of seasoned gunwriters and editors, the folks at Mossberg were a little perplexed at the muted reaction to the MC1sc at first. They were somewhat concerned there wasn’t more buzz about the pistol, when finally one of the writers kinda shrugged and related that, yes, it’s neat, but it’s another single-stack, polymer-frame, striker-fired 9 mm pistol. We’ve seen a bunch of ’em.

After three days in the Arizona sun, though, we were impressed. Solid reliability, excellent accuracy and stellar ergonomics had virtually everyone a believer. I’ve had a chance to run a few hundred rounds through the pistol Mossberg sent to NRA HQ with similar results. Bottom line? If you’re looking for a subcompact 9 mm pistol, there’s a lot going right for the new MC1sc. Mossberg’s re-entry in the concealable-handgun market is poised for success, and offers another solid choice for those looking for a self-defense pistol.

For the full review of the Mossberg MC1sc, click here.

To qualify for consideration for a Golden Bullseye Award, the product must have been recently introduced and available to consumers prior to the selection of the Golden Bullseye Awards. Each potential product has to have been used/tested by a staff member or regular contributor to the magazine and/or affiliated media. In that testing, the product must be reliable in the field, meeting or exceeding the evaluator’s expectations. It must be innovative in design and function, readily perceived as a value to the purchaser and styled in a manner befitting the shooting and hunting industry and, perhaps more importantly, its enthusiasts.