IWI Masada 2,000 Round Test Assessment

My IWI Masada, having had 2,000 rounds run through with zero failures with no cleaning or lubrication added at all during the test, certainly makes it sufficiently reliable.

It's easy to disassemble and clean, which is good as Federal Black Pack seems to refer to the gunk that particular ammo leaves behind.

A good thorough cleaning last night, and it was good as new. There's a slight bit of wear to the finish at the barrel hood, but nothing major.

The 2,000 rounds included:
1,000 rounds federal black pack
500 Remington 115
250 Federal M82 9mm NATO
150 Winchester 147 Gr Ranger
50 Blazer 9mm 115 FMJ
50 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P

Zero failures of any kind and it all fed without a hitch, including a session of 250 rounds of the quite dirty Federal Black Pack that was rapidly fired through it leaving the barrel visibly smoking.

Ergonomically, I rate it higher than the comparable Glock 17 - It just fits the hand better as the grip is thinner and less "blocky" and it points better naturally for me. The interchangeable rear grip pieces also let you customize it further to your hand if desired.

With the thinner grip, it is easier to manipulate the magazine release, and the release, being ambidextrous, is a plus for those who are left handed shooters.

The trigger is definitely better than a box stock Glock trigger and comparable in my opinion to the VP9's trigger, with an excellent tactile reset.

There's now many holsters available for the Masada from several holster makers making a lot of choices now available for carry. The LightTuck I bought from Vedder Holsters has been excellent.

The best part of the Masada is you get an optics ready firearm for less than the cost of many competitor's standard pistols without an optics mount. The Optic mounting system on the Masada works very solidly and the pistol definitely shines with a red dot mounted to it.

Magazines for the Masada are reasonably priced and can be had for about $25 which is not bad for an all metal 17 round magazine and comparable or cheaper than a lot of competitor's magazines.

There's not a lot of aftermarket parts for the Masada as of yet, and it probably doesn't really need any to be an effective carry pistol. But, if you like to tinker that can be a factor.

Overall, the IWI Masada is an excellent and well designed striker-fired pistol with a great trigger. While it's not a "Glock-killer" as let's face it, Glock is highly entrenched and is the name in striker-fired pistols, the Masada is a viable carry pistol on its own merits. It's especially nice that it is both relaible and offers a lot of bang for the buck, most notably coming in optics ready for less than a Glock 17 without the MOS option, and a lot less than a Glock 17 MOS, with a nicer trigger out of the box to boot.

If you do not already have an optics capable handgun, and want to acquire one that you can carry and shoot accurately, the IWI Masada would be an excellent choice.