Paul I wanted to add I apologize if I overstepped my bounds bring up wondering where you were did not mean to start up anything like that. You don't owe us anything at all but the fact that there is a video coming is excellent and much appreciated! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and very happy to hear from you. 💪
@@hankwilliams-hx9ww I think several of us got concerned and maybe overstepped, but on the other hand, while our speculations ran high, at least it does show how many fans really care about Paul and worry for his well being.
Don’t get me wrong I like the channel but the most valuable? To who? Annual prostate patients? Tactical considerations, honest outlaw. Eh I guess to each their own. You can see the 92fs, colt GI and model 29 for edc crowd a mile away.
@@peterreily1490 paul harrell is one of the few guntubers that remembers not every gun owner is a tacticool operator. he always remembers that not everyone can run out and buy the new hotness, sometimes people have to use what they got. paul harrell makes videos for regular people using regular guns and he keeps it down to earth. he also refuses to shill for any company and never makes click-bait. if i had to recommend a channel to a new gun owner, it'd be this one.
Why Paul is not above the 1 million subscriber is kind of a mistery. He is a great communicator, with a very down to earth approach to the scientific method and videos that are short enough to be easy to consume.
Maybe not so mysterious. It seems many YT gun channel viewers are looking for info on tactical firearms & related accessories, & some also want to be entertained. Paul sticks to the basics, so to say, and provides in-depth information with little redundancy and no bluster. I thinks Paul's core fans appreciate an informative lecture, while other viewers want some type of entertainment.
Could it be that: 1. He already has all the thoughtful, intelligent, discerning UA-cam subscribers that are available? 🙂 2. A significant number of viewers don't want to be counted as subscribers fearing that UA-cam might volunteer or be coerced to share his subscriber list with ATF? 3. Hickok45 sneaks on late and night and lures potential subscribers away? (full disclosure - I'm subscribed to his channel as well as Paul's) 🤪
Paul emphasizes quality over quantity and useless hype. Those with 30 second attention spans and addicted to eye candy porn aren't going to watch him or appreciate his methodical approach to shooting.
I'd say it's because most people are into the more ADHD type of content, in the guntuber world, you can see this in people who make baseless claims like ".30-30 doesn't work" or "9mm is just as powerful as .357 mag" or "11.5 inch barrels are useless" followed by some montage of overly edited shooting drills. Paul's videos are the polar opposite of that - they're slow, thorough and whatever conclusions are drawn, are done so based on evidence
You ARE the ultimate professional. Thorough, honest, and frankly a damned impressive shooter for a man with a bad leg and a significant health issue. My total respect, Sir.
Considering the life expectancy of either esophageal or pancreatic cancer is roughly 6 months I have a bad feeling. I don't mean to be that person but my father passed from that and the timeline is about right where he may be having some complications at this point. Not doing a holiday special is a huge red flag and makes me very depressed. Praying for Paul.
@@hankwilliams-hx9ww I hate to think that....man he didnt seem off or weak just a few weeks ago. Witts still about him and aside from the hip, looked ok.
Dear Paul Harrel, I’m a german resident and regular viewer of your presentations. You could call me a fan when it comes to anecdotes etc. I thought to myself that I’d like to wish you a get well soon, speedy recovery, everything that helps. I’m so sorry to see you injured. To recovery!
The Browning BDA was a licensed copy of the Beretta 84. Mec-Gar is original equipment maker for many gun manufacturers, e.g., Browning, Girsan, Smith and Wesson, etc. I'm going to try and get these guns in my store. I have a lot of older folk who like the Smith and Wesson EZ series and could use a lower cost alternative.
I watched someone with a 9mm EZ have all manner of trouble getting the,pistol to fire because of the grip safety which wanted to lead to thumb safety confusion and uunecessary slide manipulation with muzzle discipline a distant second consideration. Not exactly an experienced shooter but I suspect that a lot of buyers are not. So the Giran with its tip up barrel might be better thing…
@@Lexicologist1971 The walther is not a browning tilting barrel gun, it uses gas pressure to lock the action. Most pistols that dont rely on spring tension will be light for that reason. (I'm not saying this to counter you or whatever, its a great tip. I'm just expanding on that tip!)
@@jason200912 Because the Beretta 86 is incredibly rare, they imported very few of them and they haven't been made in decades. Definitely not worth the cost considering they don't shoot any differently than any other 80-series Beretta but collectors are a different breed. The expression "A fool and his money are soon parted" definitely comes to mind
@@bobdobalina779Beretta has revived the Cheetah as the 80X and they’re available for around $800-$1000. I’ve also never seen a $2k cheetah unless it was something special. Always seen them go for $400-$700 depending on condition.
Just learned about this model today. Saw one at the gun store / range. Felt great in the hand. It was the pop-up barrel that caught my eye. If it had been in 9mm I would have purchased it. I was thrilled to see you had reviewed this gun. You will be missed Paul. My thought is the longer barrel will help the performance. It felt light in my hand.
Looking for a review on this for my wife...find Paul, immediately watch this video again because even after he's passed, I trust his opinion. Keep the standard high Roy!!!!!
Always puts a smile on my face when we get a Professor Harrell video just in time for lunch break! We tune in anytime you are up! Godspeed to a quick dismissal of that Pain in the Azz Crutch! Much love from Northern New England to you and you family! ❤❤❤
I hope you had a great Christmas, I hope you are healing well and doing well with your other health problems. It's been a while, hope everything is okay.
Been having a pretty crap day, honestly seeing a new video from Paul made it a little better. Love your content brother, always a joy to watch your videos even with your Shatner-esque pauses.
Very good video Paul - I really enjoyed and appreciated it. I like the consideration of older shooters with potential hand issues and/or others with the same.
I absolutely love this channel, it's the best on UA-cam. I don't mean just firearm channel I mean best period. Informative, funny and beautiful scenery. Make sure you vote for Paul to win the Gundies he nominated for, I did!
Paul, a great video presentation and thus a great service! if not to an experienced shooter watching this video before taking the gun out to shoot, at least to someone with a good sense of gun safety who hasn’t had to deal with one of these yet and now has a clue. I have had a couple of Beretta 21A Bobcats with that tip-up barrel. The original Beretta DA tip up 380s were classics. Again, great video.
A excellent option for the criteria you laid out would be the S&W EZ Shield. It comes in .380 and 9mm. Single stack ez load 8 rd magazine. Super light slide. Bought one for my wife and she loves it Has a tactical rail on it for a light too I’d love your thoughts on that fireaem
I saw one at a gun show when I was looking for my daughter. Got to say I was impressed with how easy the slide is and the sights are great with the fiber optic.
hand strength/arthritis hand loading of a double stack is done with a chonk of rawhide that you put the cartridge on then push the magazine down onto and forward. A classic leather work glove does the job just fine. For the target audience in this case I'd strongly advise using the other glove to hold the magazine.
They've changed the designs in the past several years, but I remember getting some MC-14's into my shop about six or so years ago through Zenith imports. They were essentially a Beretta '84/85 frame with a full-top slide. The build quality on it was excellent for a $350 Turkish gun and the action was insane at 6lbs DA and 3.5 SA. Girsan knows what they are doing as an MFG and I have no doubt that gun will smooth out after 200 rounds.
@@majorpayne5289 I really think people overlook turkish guns, and really doubt the quality. I'll know tomorrow how I feel about it, as I bought a Tisas Fatih (basically a Beretta 84BB copy) for my CCW that arrives tomorrow. A friend of mine has a turkish copy of a M1014 shotgun, and it works very well. Turkey has a history of firearms production, and I've always heard their quality was remarkably high for the low price point. The Tisas Fatih isn't a clone, it is a copy. It is fully licensed from Beretta, I hear the same machining was used in almost every way, and the mechanical quality is nigh identical. I'm not trying to sway you, but I do wanna say that it might be worth looking into.
@@Stargun-vj1uh It’s never been about TURKISH quality. It’s more personal and political. I suggest researching Turkey & their un trustful ways of life. I’ll never be a fan or owner of a Turkish made weapon or its people. (To each their own)
Your information is more valuable imho than most.. most people speak from things written on paper by guys who test in labs.. you have real world experience most do not.. thank you for your information and service
One thing I think may have been the cause for the premature slide lock for the other magazines in this video may be different follower designs. I actually ran into that issue when I used Remington RP45 mags in my custom double stack 1911 built off a Para-Ordnance frame. Remington bought Para-Ordnance and reused their magazine body, so the mags actually fit and locked in perfectly. However, the follower between the RP45 and an actual double stack 1911 mag was slightly different, with the shelf that engages the slide stop being much higher on the RP45. That caused constant premature slide lock with one round left. You can fix it by shaving the follower down if needed, or even have yourself or someone else 3D print a new follower to replace the old one. Might be worth checking out.
Great work Paul. I really like that you addressed the issue with finding additional magazines. Most guns these days only come with 1 or 2 magazines top, but I've always believed it's best to have at least 3. Mec-Gar puts out some really great magazines for the money. However, I think that for the money you get far more bang for the buck with S&W's EZ Shield. While the magazine is smaller, it is available in 9mm as well as .380 ACP and I've fired both and find the recoil to be very light. Granted, they don't have the pop up barrel but the recoil spring is very light and easy to run and I've found them to be VERY reliable out of the box. I have a friend who's had several hand and wrist surgeries and she has no issue at all with them, and the manual of arms is more similar to standard handguns.
Same. I noticed it seemed a little odd that it’s been a few weeks already. Hope things are ok, possibly just a more meaningful Christmas time with the family.
There's something about Paul's jacket that Yellow Jacket Hornets seem to love. As for shooters with reduced 'grip strength' and the 'pop up' barrel to save on the slide, wouldn't the weak hand shooters have issues gripping the pistol when fired or loading the difficult magazine as you show? Considering how unlucky the number 13 is maybe a 12 loaded magazine is better. Nice grouping on the head shot, I'm thinking that's lethal. Thanks for showing off this mid sized handgun considering the layers of issues going on. Australia is always rooting for your good health
@nucleargrizzly1776 Yes I have. It's a soulless Cheetah. Unnecessarily heavy and larger than a Glock 19. If you want better ergos, smaller size & weight, similar capacity, and really want to defend yourself with .380, the Ruger Security 380 is a far superior option at fully 1/3rd the price. I love Berettas. Have an original Cheetah 81, a 92SF, and the magnificent APX A1 Tactical. The 80x was...unnecessary.
Awesome Paul Harrell review as always, and showing us the pros and cons of the GirsanMC14T. This remake of the original Berretta 86. Girsan improved the original model just as Berretta recently did making their new 80X a doublestack. (The original 86 berretta was an 8 round singlestack) The 86 is also the rarest of all 8 of the original Berretta series pistols. Its the only tip up barrel 380 that I know of. The fixed barrel, Blowback, 380s like the Bersa Thunder or Walther PPK have more recoil than Colt style titling barrel pistols. Paul also showed they have more accuracy being a fixed barrel, blowback design. They tend to need a bit of break in time also because of the design. I recently purchased one as its such a interesting design. I recently saw an original 86 at auction here in Mo. with its case, manual, and extra 8 round mag for $1599.00 at auction. I doubt I will ever see an original but there are a few out there. Other than the rail and the mag capacity it seems a near exact reproduction. The Browning BDA was a licensed Berretta copy, and the 84 was a Beretta 380 non tilting barrel series 80 so all the mags should work with the Girsan.
Yes Paul, I and my petite wife are in our 60s and 70s and carry on a daily basis. Yes I use a mag loader (UPLULA). Normally I ( carry a Glock WITH a slide assist tab on the rear of it to aid in racking the slide as it is difficult for both me and the wife to do so otherwise. I also own an LCP and a Bersa in .380 which I do carry with a chambered round in the firearm because of the difficulty of racking the slide. The MC 14T seems that it could be a great addition to my inventory, especially for the wife's use! Kudos to you for your videos, I watch the all the time!
11:18 Before year 2020, good 380 self defense rounds (according to the testing done by shootingthebull410) were either Hornady XTP or those ammo that used this bullet, or Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator. Lehigh has an unusual profile that may not work in every gun, and XTP's performance still has room to improve. Federal released the Hydrashok Deep for 380 and 38sp in 2020. It's unique in that most of its hollow cavity wall is made with just the copper jacket, so it hardly uses any energy to cause the expansion. Lead is only piled around the base of that cavity so the pedals will flare out at the end of expansion to maintain a larger diameter. Federal claims this offering will consistently penetrate beyond 12 inches while still expanding, in both bare and denim-cover gel :)
Some of the testing, including Paul's using the meat target, showed the the Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown to be good ammo. There was some inconsistency in expansion from 380 pocket carry pistols, much like the with the Critical Defense (better than most, but not perfect every time).
I really appreciate the review on this pistol, as it has been on my radar. Ano5her pistol you may look at as a competitor is the S&W shield EZ 380. The other gun I consider a strong contender for this niche. I would love to see a comparison.
What interests me about the MC14T is it's longer barrel than just about all other .380s and, heaven knows, .380 HPs need all the velocity help they can get.
Dear Mr.Harrell, as always, thank you for another excellent video. My hope is that your health will only improve in the near future. Best Regards from S.E.Tennessee.
The grip being full also helps a lot for arthritis. Im fairly "Experienced" and arthritis has definitely gotten hold of me. I cant shoot those tiny guns because its painful to grip those little guns. M&P EZ's are worth a look too.
I was just at the range today and I always notice how good Paul's patterns are while standing and firing. Great video, and great information, as usual. Keep up the good work. I was surprised to see this today, but glad I found it. BTW, that crew of yours going to have to improve the stage lighting. They keep leaving you in the dark in the last few videos. I'm sure the director is going to have a fit when he sees the dailies. More reflectors, more lights up front. Before long, someone will notice the green screen. Oh, and where are your deer? We haven't seen them lately. Did someone cheap out on the budget and not hire them this quarter? Or is that CGI artist out?
I have a GIrsan Beretta 92 clone and I love it. It came with Megcar 18 round mags, thinner grip (and more comfortable imo), 4 slot pic rail, and a steel guide rod so in a lot of ways it was superior to the stock M9.
I live mine too. Only bad part is the barrel lockup is canted and so it points to the low left literally. Like you can literally see the barrel touching the left of the slide and big fat gap on the right-side of the muzzle end slide. Exact same thing with my girsan hi power which bhpss Discovered too
@@jason200912man i am sorry to hear that. i had to check mine and it is nice and centered. prob have really poor QC tho. I'll have to look for that in the future.
@@weepingwell you can also unchamber and close the slide and you can see whether the barrel is symmetrical and centered on the barrel bushing of the slide
@@jason200912 My Italian made 92FS is down and slightly to the left versus my slide opening. The down is easily seen, the slightly to the left can be seen with good eyes or a mic/caliper.
Thank you Paul and crew for all your time and effort. I have looked at these a couple of times. A little surprised at the hollow point results from a 4.5" barrel.
Good to see you hanging in there, Paul 👍 I'm surprised by the amount of recoil this semi has. I was expecting longer barrel combined with heavier gun equals less recoil than a Ruger Max 380 for instance. Is the recoil coming from the none traditional slide configuration with the pop up barrel? Thanks for sharing the video. Merry Christmas to you and your team. ☃️🌲🎁🎅
I had a short part time stint working in a gun store. And so many older gentlemen would come in looking to buy the LCP, BodyGuard or some similar compact 380 and had a terrible time working the slide. Arthritis or lack of dexterity makes working those tiny pistols almost impossible. I would often suggest they look at a S&W 642 or some other small revolver instead. Which was sometimes met with hostility as if i just insulted their intelligence or abilities. I dont think the shield ez was around at the time , let alone this gun. But its something the manufacturers need to take into account when designing a gun that needs to be operated by someone with weaker hand strength.
Thanks, Paul. Hope your hip is getting better. Actually the design is quite ingenious, and I am really glad you mentioned the fact that these guns do not have an extractor. It's a blowback operated handgun and blowback operated handguns do not need an extractor _except to remove an unfired round_ from the chamber. The tip up barrel handles that task perfectly. The gases pushing the bullet out of the barrel, push the cartridge out of the chamber. The cartridge becomes a "gas piston" of sorts, to push the slide open. It pushes the slide pack until it hits the ejector and is thrown out. Extractors, and extractor fit are very common sources of reliability problems. That is not an issue with these guns. The gun size is that of a compact 9mm which many people prefer. For holster carry it is a great size! It is well suited for people with weak hand strength and for people who do not wish to handle a lot of recoil and is a better cartridge than .22 LR, .25 ACP, or .32 ACP. Downside? Ammo isn't cheap.
A lot of guns suggest or require a break-in period, it's just that some mfgs do the breaking in before they are sold. That is calculated into the price of the gun.
@@n0tthemessiah So once I buy the gun I have to put in easily close to $100 worth of ammo and more likely closer to $200 and up to get to the point where I can begin to evaluate whether the gun is reliable or not? No thanks. It would seem to me that the two things happening during break and are 1. parts that should have been polished are getting polished 2. never before flexed springs getting used and becoming weaker/losing resistance
Hey everyone. We will have a new video out in a few days.
Oh thank God...😂😂😂 I am literally in tears here
Paul I wanted to add I apologize if I overstepped my bounds bring up wondering where you were did not mean to start up anything like that. You don't owe us anything at all but the fact that there is a video coming is excellent and much appreciated! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and very happy to hear from you. 💪
@@anonymousf454 same 😅
@@hankwilliams-hx9ww I feel I may have been a part and want to apologize too. Man we love you Paul..lol
@@hankwilliams-hx9ww I think several of us got concerned and maybe overstepped, but on the other hand, while our speculations ran high, at least it does show how many fans really care about Paul and worry for his well being.
Gotta say Paul, you have the most valuable firearm channel on YT. Thank you for investing in us!
and therapy!
Don’t get me wrong I like the channel but the most valuable? To who? Annual prostate patients?
Tactical considerations, honest outlaw.
Eh I guess to each their own. You can see the 92fs, colt GI and model 29 for edc crowd a mile away.
@@peterreily1490 gr8 b8 m8, i r8 8/8
@@peterreily1490 paul harrell is one of the few guntubers that remembers not every gun owner is a tacticool operator. he always remembers that not everyone can run out and buy the new hotness, sometimes people have to use what they got. paul harrell makes videos for regular people using regular guns and he keeps it down to earth. he also refuses to shill for any company and never makes click-bait. if i had to recommend a channel to a new gun owner, it'd be this one.
@@tbone9903 Spot on.........honest outlaw is fantastic also tho..... paul harrell is the scientist of youtube gun channels......
Why Paul is not above the 1 million subscriber is kind of a mistery. He is a great communicator, with a very down to earth approach to the scientific method and videos that are short enough to be easy to consume.
Maybe not so mysterious. It seems many YT gun channel viewers are looking for info on tactical firearms & related accessories, & some also want to be entertained. Paul sticks to the basics, so to say, and provides in-depth information with little redundancy and no bluster. I thinks Paul's core fans appreciate an informative lecture, while other viewers want some type of entertainment.
YT algorithms, throttling of specific content (guns), unsubscribing individuals unkown to them.
Could it be that:
1. He already has all the thoughtful, intelligent, discerning UA-cam subscribers that are available? 🙂
2. A significant number of viewers don't want to be counted as subscribers fearing that UA-cam might volunteer or be coerced to share his subscriber list with ATF?
3. Hickok45 sneaks on late and night and lures potential subscribers away? (full disclosure - I'm subscribed to his channel as well as Paul's) 🤪
Paul emphasizes quality over quantity and useless hype. Those with 30 second attention spans and addicted to eye candy porn aren't going to watch him or appreciate his methodical approach to shooting.
I'd say it's because most people are into the more ADHD type of content, in the guntuber world, you can see this in people who make baseless claims like ".30-30 doesn't work" or "9mm is just as powerful as .357 mag" or "11.5 inch barrels are useless" followed by some montage of overly edited shooting drills.
Paul's videos are the polar opposite of that - they're slow, thorough and whatever conclusions are drawn, are done so based on evidence
You ARE the ultimate professional. Thorough, honest, and frankly a damned impressive shooter for a man with a bad leg and a significant health issue. My total respect, Sir.
3 weeks since last video posted. Paul never misses a holiday special...Hope all is well. Semper Fi!
Was thinking the same thing
Agree, it’s concerning - wherever he is right now I hope he’s ok.
Considering the life expectancy of either esophageal or pancreatic cancer is roughly 6 months I have a bad feeling. I don't mean to be that person but my father passed from that and the timeline is about right where he may be having some complications at this point. Not doing a holiday special is a huge red flag and makes me very depressed. Praying for Paul.
@@hankwilliams-hx9ww I hate to think that....man he didnt seem off or weak just a few weeks ago. Witts still about him and aside from the hip, looked ok.
@@anonymousf454 my dad was fine until he wasn't. It happened very quickly
Imagine getting groups like those shooting off of a crutch 😮.... impressive doesn't even begin to define this level of experience. Wow! 👍
I needs one of them tactical crutches. I wonder if they come in SWAT black.
@@brucebelvin2058 FDE is what all the real tacticool operators use.
I don't want to be shot in any of the spots that are in the black.
on a crutch at 20 yards.. Jeez...
While in excruciating pain from a shattered bone and terminal cancer. Paul was the man.
Paul Harrell, you Sir are a trooper. Thank you for taking care of us when you obviously dont need to be. Hope you are getting better.
Miss you Paul ❤
Dear Paul Harrel,
I’m a german resident and regular viewer of your presentations. You could call me a fan when it comes to anecdotes etc. I thought to myself that I’d like to wish you a get well soon, speedy recovery, everything that helps. I’m so sorry to see you injured.
To recovery!
Hey Paul, I see you have serious medical issues and you keep putting up videos. I want to salute your "Don't quit " attitude. Keep it going.
As always, you've given us a thoughtful and unbiased point of view. Thank you. I hope all your issues resolve themselves quickly.
The Browning BDA was a licensed copy of the Beretta 84. Mec-Gar is original equipment maker for many gun manufacturers, e.g., Browning, Girsan, Smith and Wesson, etc.
I'm going to try and get these guns in my store. I have a lot of older folk who like the Smith and Wesson EZ series and could use a lower cost alternative.
Have you tried getting the Ruger Security 380?
I watched someone with a 9mm EZ have all manner of trouble getting the,pistol to fire because of the grip safety which wanted to lead to thumb safety confusion and uunecessary slide manipulation with muzzle discipline a distant second consideration. Not exactly an experienced shooter but I suspect that a lot of buyers are not. So the Giran with its tip up barrel might be better thing…
In addition to the EZ and Ruger, already mentioned, the Walther CCP is also very easy to manipulate.
@@Lexicologist1971 The walther is not a browning tilting barrel gun, it uses gas pressure to lock the action. Most pistols that dont rely on spring tension will be light for that reason. (I'm not saying this to counter you or whatever, its a great tip. I'm just expanding on that tip!)
Ruger Security 380 Lite Rack also.
Very useful review of a gun explaining the pros and cons and letting viewers make the final decision.
Long live Paul Harrell. That particular gun is a shooter.
For someone that wants a Beretta 86, but doesn't want to spend $2000+ this gun is perfect.
Why is a 380 cost 2000 base price?
@@jason200912 Because the Beretta 86 is incredibly rare, they imported very few of them and they haven't been made in decades. Definitely not worth the cost considering they don't shoot any differently than any other 80-series Beretta but collectors are a different breed. The expression "A fool and his money are soon parted" definitely comes to mind
@@bobdobalina779You're just poor and have no meaningful hobbies.
@@bobdobalina779Beretta has revived the Cheetah as the 80X and they’re available for around $800-$1000. I’ve also never seen a $2k cheetah unless it was something special. Always seen them go for $400-$700 depending on condition.
@@synystur21the 80x isn't a tip up barrel like the 86 was. Beretta had a whole series of tip up barrels
Just learned about this model today. Saw one at the gun store / range. Felt great in the hand. It was the pop-up barrel that caught my eye. If it had been in 9mm I would have purchased it. I was thrilled to see you had reviewed this gun. You will be missed Paul. My thought is the longer barrel will help the performance. It felt light in my hand.
9mm might be a bit much to ask for a direct blowback design like that unless you make the slide a lot bigger and heavier
Just want to wish you a happy, healthy, and safe new year. Hope you are well.
Looking for a review on this for my wife...find Paul, immediately watch this video again because even after he's passed, I trust his opinion. Keep the standard high Roy!!!!!
Always puts a smile on my face when we get a Professor Harrell video just in time for lunch break! We tune in anytime you are up! Godspeed to a quick dismissal of that Pain in the Azz Crutch! Much love from Northern New England to you and you family! ❤❤❤
I hope you had a great Christmas, I hope you are healing well and doing well with your other health problems. It's been a while, hope everything is okay.
Great way to start a week! Thank you Mr. Harrell
Thanks, Paul, for the weekly entertainment.
It's appreciated more than you know.
Thanks for all you do. Praying you have a Blessed Christmas !!
Excellent video, informative. Retired 70 y/o 07ffl class 2 sot manufacturer and why I don't know but 380 are fun!
Hope you are good Paul
Been having a pretty crap day, honestly seeing a new video from Paul made it a little better. Love your content brother, always a joy to watch your videos even with your Shatner-esque pauses.
Happy Christmas Mr Harrell!
Thank you for your excellent videos.
Wow. Great find Paul. I love that you are finding essentially the "hole in the wall " guns that still fit a valuable and underserved market.
Very good video Paul - I really enjoyed and appreciated it. I like the consideration of older shooters with potential hand issues and/or others with the same.
My god, Paul could not have timed this better. You the man!! 👍
Mondays are always better when Paul uploads a new vid
The king of nuance! Your final words really tie everything together.
Rest in peace 😥
This guy always goes above and beyond. Thanks for testing to see if the other magazines work.
I hope you are doing OK Paul.
I absolutely love this channel, it's the best on UA-cam. I don't mean just firearm channel I mean best period. Informative, funny and beautiful scenery.
Make sure you vote for Paul to win the Gundies he nominated for, I did!
Great that there are affordable, in production alternatives (it even looks somewhat modernized) for the Beretta 86
Paul, watched you for years, never commented, but now, well into my 70’s, appreciate this vid..thanks
Paul, a great video presentation and thus a great service! if not to an experienced shooter watching this video before taking the gun out to shoot, at least to someone with a good sense of gun safety who hasn’t had to deal with one of these yet and now has a clue. I have had a couple of Beretta 21A Bobcats with that tip-up barrel. The original Beretta DA tip up 380s were classics. Again, great video.
Hope that you had a good Christmas and that everything is going well for you Paul. Always appreciate your videos. Bless.
A excellent option for the criteria you laid out would be the S&W EZ Shield. It comes in .380 and 9mm. Single stack ez load 8 rd magazine. Super light slide. Bought one for my wife and she loves it
Has a tactical rail on it for a light too
I’d love your thoughts on that fireaem
I saw one at a gun show when I was looking for my daughter. Got to say I was impressed with how easy the slide is and the sights are great with the fiber optic.
I've shot the 380 and 9mm. I carry a small 357 Sig. Those guns felt like squirt guns to me.
@@meddlesome9252 yes, really enjoyed how nice the sights are on it. You can also switch them out for true glow tridium sights
@@Lexicologist1971 I actually think that is a benefit. It’s a midsize gun that is very lightweight.
Some shooters don't like grip safeties.
What a awesome guy Paul is! Thanks for all the helpful content! Keep rocking on.
hand strength/arthritis hand loading of a double stack is done with a chonk of rawhide that you put the cartridge on then push the magazine down onto and forward. A classic leather work glove does the job just fine. For the target audience in this case I'd strongly advise using the other glove to hold the magazine.
Ah, so the leather stops the round moving when you push the mag forward? That's a good tip.
I usually just use a Maglula.
Maglula the best 35 bucks I ever spent on accessories.
Love you paul. Stay in the fight brother.
They've changed the designs in the past several years, but I remember getting some MC-14's into my shop about six or so years ago through Zenith imports. They were essentially a Beretta '84/85 frame with a full-top slide. The build quality on it was excellent for a $350 Turkish gun and the action was insane at 6lbs DA and 3.5 SA. Girsan knows what they are doing as an MFG and I have no doubt that gun will smooth out after 200 rounds.
Meh… TURKEY = Nope! Not for me.
@@majorpayne5289 I really think people overlook turkish guns, and really doubt the quality. I'll know tomorrow how I feel about it, as I bought a Tisas Fatih (basically a Beretta 84BB copy) for my CCW that arrives tomorrow. A friend of mine has a turkish copy of a M1014 shotgun, and it works very well. Turkey has a history of firearms production, and I've always heard their quality was remarkably high for the low price point. The Tisas Fatih isn't a clone, it is a copy. It is fully licensed from Beretta, I hear the same machining was used in almost every way, and the mechanical quality is nigh identical. I'm not trying to sway you, but I do wanna say that it might be worth looking into.
@@Stargun-vj1uh It’s never been about TURKISH quality. It’s more personal and political. I suggest researching Turkey & their un trustful ways of life. I’ll never be a fan or owner of a Turkish made weapon or its people. (To each their own)
This was a useful and informative video and topic. Also glad to see many other recommendations in the comments
Merry Christmas 🎅 hope you are holding strong. Thought you would have post a videp just hope you are busy. Prays for your healing .
Your information is more valuable imho than most.. most people speak from things written on paper by guys who test in labs.. you have real world experience most do not.. thank you for your information and service
One thing I think may have been the cause for the premature slide lock for the other magazines in this video may be different follower designs. I actually ran into that issue when I used Remington RP45 mags in my custom double stack 1911 built off a Para-Ordnance frame. Remington bought Para-Ordnance and reused their magazine body, so the mags actually fit and locked in perfectly. However, the follower between the RP45 and an actual double stack 1911 mag was slightly different, with the shelf that engages the slide stop being much higher on the RP45. That caused constant premature slide lock with one round left.
You can fix it by shaving the follower down if needed, or even have yourself or someone else 3D print a new follower to replace the old one. Might be worth checking out.
I hope your hip is healing well Paul, we appreciate your continued efforts
Happy New Year 2024
Thank you for another video, Paul
Great work Paul. I really like that you addressed the issue with finding additional magazines. Most guns these days only come with 1 or 2 magazines top, but I've always believed it's best to have at least 3. Mec-Gar puts out some really great magazines for the money. However, I think that for the money you get far more bang for the buck with S&W's EZ Shield. While the magazine is smaller, it is available in 9mm as well as .380 ACP and I've fired both and find the recoil to be very light. Granted, they don't have the pop up barrel but the recoil spring is very light and easy to run and I've found them to be VERY reliable out of the box. I have a friend who's had several hand and wrist surgeries and she has no issue at all with them, and the manual of arms is more similar to standard handguns.
Good info.
thanks Paul I've been waiting for you to review this gun
Paul, hope your ok, been weeks and the wife is waiting on a new one, it's a daily search.
Getting worried....he rarely goes this long, and to miss a Christmas Special...concerns me. I pray our deer professor is doing well🙏
Same. I noticed it seemed a little odd that it’s been a few weeks already. Hope things are ok, possibly just a more meaningful Christmas time with the family.
Paul thank you for this presentation.
Great presentation, Paul ! The pistol sure looks like a Beretta.
Best wishes to you Paul! Always look forward to your videos.
There's something about Paul's jacket that Yellow Jacket Hornets seem to love. As for shooters with reduced 'grip strength' and the 'pop up' barrel to save on the slide, wouldn't the weak hand shooters have issues gripping the pistol when fired or loading the difficult magazine as you show? Considering how unlucky the number 13 is maybe a 12 loaded magazine is better. Nice grouping on the head shot, I'm thinking that's lethal. Thanks for showing off this mid sized handgun considering the layers of issues going on. Australia is always rooting for your good health
They make magazine loaders that will depress the spring in the magazine for you, making it easier to load the magazine.
@@csolivais1979 The Maglula loader is very easy to use. I have arthritis, and it saves me a lot of pain.
Wasp. Yellow jackets are wasps. All hornets are wasps but all wasps aren't hornets.
Paul has been a voice of sanity and immensely useful information for a long. He will be missed by many of us.
Don’t forget to vote on the gundies thing. Paul’s got my vote.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Paul! I hope you feel better soon!
For those that don't know, this is Grisans' take on the Beretta Cheetah series.
Specifically, the model 86.
Have you handled one of the new Beretta Cheetah's? Sweet sweet gun.
@@nucleargrizzly1776i really want to get one for a conceal carry, but its a lot of money for me right now
@nucleargrizzly1776 Yes I have. It's a soulless Cheetah. Unnecessarily heavy and larger than a Glock 19. If you want better ergos, smaller size & weight, similar capacity, and really want to defend yourself with .380, the Ruger Security 380 is a far superior option at fully 1/3rd the price.
I love Berettas. Have an original Cheetah 81, a 92SF, and the magnificent APX A1 Tactical. The 80x was...unnecessary.
Did the Cheetahs have the tip up barrel?
Awesome Paul Harrell review as always, and showing us the pros and cons of the GirsanMC14T. This remake of the original Berretta 86. Girsan improved the original model just as Berretta recently did making their new 80X a doublestack. (The original 86 berretta was an 8 round singlestack) The 86 is also the rarest of all 8 of the original Berretta series pistols. Its the only tip up barrel 380 that I know of. The fixed barrel, Blowback, 380s like the Bersa Thunder or Walther PPK have more recoil than Colt style titling barrel pistols. Paul also showed they have more accuracy being a fixed barrel, blowback design. They tend to need a bit of break in time also because of the design. I recently purchased one as its such a interesting design. I recently saw an original 86 at auction here in Mo. with its case, manual, and extra 8 round mag for $1599.00 at auction. I doubt I will ever see an original but there are a few out there. Other than the rail and the mag capacity it seems a near exact reproduction. The Browning BDA was a licensed Berretta copy, and the 84 was a Beretta 380 non tilting barrel series 80 so all the mags should work with the Girsan.
We need a Christmas special!
Much respect to you sir.God bless.🙏🏽
I'm sad there was no Christmas video! My heart is empty
Yes Paul, I and my petite wife are in our 60s and 70s and carry on a daily basis. Yes I use a mag loader (UPLULA). Normally I ( carry a Glock WITH a slide assist tab on the rear of it to aid in racking the slide as it is difficult for both me and the wife to do so otherwise. I also own an LCP and a Bersa in .380 which I do carry with a chambered round in the firearm because of the difficulty of racking the slide. The MC 14T seems that it could be a great addition to my inventory, especially for the wife's use! Kudos to you for your videos, I watch the all the time!
11:18 Before year 2020, good 380 self defense rounds (according to the testing done by shootingthebull410) were either Hornady XTP or those ammo that used this bullet, or Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator. Lehigh has an unusual profile that may not work in every gun, and XTP's performance still has room to improve. Federal released the Hydrashok Deep for 380 and 38sp in 2020. It's unique in that most of its hollow cavity wall is made with just the copper jacket, so it hardly uses any energy to cause the expansion. Lead is only piled around the base of that cavity so the pedals will flare out at the end of expansion to maintain a larger diameter. Federal claims this offering will consistently penetrate beyond 12 inches while still expanding, in both bare and denim-cover gel :)
Some of the testing, including Paul's using the meat target, showed the the Sig Sauer Elite V-Crown to be good ammo. There was some inconsistency in expansion from 380 pocket carry pistols, much like the with the Critical Defense (better than most, but not perfect every time).
Keep going with your great videos, am hoping to be watching you for years to come.
I really appreciate the review on this pistol, as it has been on my radar. Ano5her pistol you may look at as a competitor is the S&W shield EZ 380. The other gun I consider a strong contender for this niche. I would love to see a comparison.
And the 15+1 Ruger Security 380 with their Lite Rack Slide as well .
God bless and keep you, Paul.
Posted 7 minutes ago and already viewed 647 times. Paul is the mac-daddy of gunTubers!
Averaging 100 views/minute and will go up later. 😃
The P-Diddy of Pew-Pew
Thanks for comparing expansion with a 2.5" barrel vs this 4.5" barrel. Haven't seen this before in other reviews of this gun.
What interests me about the MC14T is it's longer barrel than just about all other .380s and, heaven knows, .380 HPs need all the velocity help they can get.
The extra barrel length adds very little to velocity, though I agree that 50fps extra won't hurt. The primary benefit is better accuracy.
@@knurlgnar24 50 fps can make a difference in hp expansion
Excellent presentation as usual Mr Harrell Sir.
Beretta Model 86 pistols are also 380s with tip-up barrels, but good luck finding them cheap! Gorgeous guns, though.
Yup... $1200 to $1500 depending on conditions ect
Great job explaining the pro snd cons. Thank you. I hope you heal fast.
How about doing a review of the Browning Black Label 380? I would think that might be something might fit the bill here as well.
Dear Mr.Harrell, as always, thank you for another excellent video. My hope is that your health will only improve in the near future. Best Regards from S.E.Tennessee.
The grip being full also helps a lot for arthritis. Im fairly "Experienced" and arthritis has definitely gotten hold of me. I cant shoot those tiny guns because its painful to grip those little guns. M&P EZ's are worth a look too.
Yes, and the 15+1 Ruger Security 380 with their Lite rack slide as well.
My lovely spouse has both the S&W Shield EZ and the MC14T for the reasons cited. Beautiful episode kind sir. THANK YOU.
If you didn’t stop your work to watch Paul Harrell, are you really a fan?
Hey Paul just want to say that I have been a long time watcher and I really like your videos, hope your having a good one!
I was just at the range today and I always notice how good Paul's patterns are while standing and firing. Great video, and great information, as usual. Keep up the good work. I was surprised to see this today, but glad I found it.
BTW, that crew of yours going to have to improve the stage lighting. They keep leaving you in the dark in the last few videos. I'm sure the director is going to have a fit when he sees the dailies. More reflectors, more lights up front. Before long, someone will notice the green screen.
Oh, and where are your deer? We haven't seen them lately. Did someone cheap out on the budget and not hire them this quarter? Or is that CGI artist out?
Points taken but will any add to the message or will they just be fluff?
@@raidall340 - we don't want the subscribers to know that Paul really films this in an old abandoned hanger in New Jersey.
Thank you for the commentary.
I miss you ❤
Thank you for this review, I’m very satisfied with my new mc14
I have a GIrsan Beretta 92 clone and I love it. It came with Megcar 18 round mags, thinner grip (and more comfortable imo), 4 slot pic rail, and a steel guide rod so in a lot of ways it was superior to the stock M9.
I have one too n like it a lot.
I live mine too. Only bad part is the barrel lockup is canted and so it points to the low left literally. Like you can literally see the barrel touching the left of the slide and big fat gap on the right-side of the muzzle end slide.
Exact same thing with my girsan hi power which bhpss Discovered too
@@jason200912man i am sorry to hear that. i had to check mine and it is nice and centered. prob have really poor QC tho. I'll have to look for that in the future.
@@weepingwell you can also unchamber and close the slide and you can see whether the barrel is symmetrical and centered on the barrel bushing of the slide
@@jason200912 My Italian made 92FS is down and slightly to the left versus my slide opening. The down is easily seen, the slightly to the left can be seen with good eyes or a mic/caliper.
Thank you Paul and crew for all your time and effort. I have looked at these a couple of times. A little surprised at the hollow point results from a 4.5" barrel.
Impressed with Paul actually going to the trouble of doing a comparative test of hollow-point ammo.
Good to see you hanging in there, Paul 👍 I'm surprised by the amount of recoil this semi has. I was expecting longer barrel combined with heavier gun equals less recoil than a Ruger Max 380 for instance. Is the recoil coming from the none traditional slide configuration with the pop up barrel?
Thanks for sharing the video. Merry Christmas to you and your team. ☃️🌲🎁🎅
Short answer is blow back slide action. No lock-up creates significant recoil.
Paul i hope you are well.We are all waiting for your new videos ! I wish you health and happiness for the new year!
Does anyone know if Paul is ok? Not trying to be nosey, but just haven't seen any activity on his channel lately. Hope he's ok!
Just trying to spend as much time as he can with the family during what's possibly the last holiday season ever. Very understandable.
@@greatBLTShut...your...mouth...Mr!!!
Paul will be enjoying many more Christmases with us
Thank you Paul. Another excellent review video. God bless you.
I had a short part time stint working in a gun store. And so many older gentlemen would come in looking to buy the LCP, BodyGuard or some similar compact 380 and had a terrible time working the slide. Arthritis or lack of dexterity makes working those tiny pistols almost impossible. I would often suggest they look at a S&W 642 or some other small revolver instead. Which was sometimes met with hostility as if i just insulted their intelligence or abilities. I dont think the shield ez was around at the time , let alone this gun. But its something the manufacturers need to take into account when designing a gun that needs to be operated by someone with weaker hand strength.
Thanks, Paul. Hope your hip is getting better.
Actually the design is quite ingenious, and I am really glad you mentioned the fact that these guns do not have an extractor. It's a blowback operated handgun and blowback operated handguns do not need an extractor _except to remove an unfired round_ from the chamber. The tip up barrel handles that task perfectly.
The gases pushing the bullet out of the barrel, push the cartridge out of the chamber. The cartridge becomes a "gas piston" of sorts, to push the slide open. It pushes the slide pack until it hits the ejector and is thrown out.
Extractors, and extractor fit are very common sources of reliability problems. That is not an issue with these guns.
The gun size is that of a compact 9mm which many people prefer. For holster carry it is a great size!
It is well suited for people with weak hand strength and for people who do not wish to handle a lot of recoil and is a better cartridge than .22 LR, .25 ACP, or .32 ACP.
Downside? Ammo isn't cheap.
Guns that require a break-in period to function correctly is definitely one of my pet peeves.
I don't let anyone pet my peevs, this is not a petting zoo. 😂
A waaay different sort of kink for the average gun-nut@@fruitfarmfords8243
A lot of guns suggest or require a break-in period, it's just that some mfgs do the breaking in before they are sold. That is calculated into the price of the gun.
@@n0tthemessiah So once I buy the gun I have to put in easily close to $100 worth of ammo and more likely closer to $200 and up to get to the point where I can begin to evaluate whether the gun is reliable or not? No thanks. It would seem to me that the two things happening during break and are
1. parts that should have been polished are getting polished
2. never before flexed springs getting used and becoming weaker/losing resistance
God bless you, Paul.
hi PAUL, HOW YA DOING MERRY CHRISTMAS A DAY LATE.
Thanks Paul. Great job. Good info. God bless. Happy trails.