IWI’s Masada Pistol – SHOT Show 2020

in Levi Sim, SHOT Show 2020
IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
IWI’s Masada is a full-sized, full-featured gun with a surprising price tag.

For more information visit SwarovskiOptik.com.

Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) recently released its new full-sized striker-fired handgun: the 9mm Masada. Named for a mountain fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, it is IWI’s first foray into striker-fired pistol — but you’ll recognize the feel of an IWI gun right away, and it won’t require a mortgage to purchase.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
It includes three backstrap sizes, and they wrap around the sides, not just the back.

The glass-infused polymer grip fills the hand and comes with three different backstrap sizes to customize the feel of the textured grip. The Trigger guard is undercut and a little oversized for gloves.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
The trigger group is the serialized part of this gun.

An intriguing feature is that all the controls are ambidextrous. There are slide catches on both sides, and even the magazine release button is ambidextrous. No, the mag release isn’t swappable to the other side: it works from both sides all the time out of the box. Plus, it has front and rear slide serrations.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
All the controls are ambidextrous, including the slide stop and mag release.

The trigger seems crisper than most and is listed at about 6 pounds. The trigger mechanism is actually the serialized part of this gun. That means it can be removed and placed in a different grip frame or with a different slide without an FFL. The trigger also houses the gun’s only safety mechanism.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
Easy takedown pin, front serrations, a Pic rail, and textured trigger guard: they left nothing out.

It has 3-dot sights and the sights are steel. It is optics-ready and ships with four plates for the most popular optics: RMR, Delta Point, Vortex, and SIG’s ROMEO. There’s also a Pic rail under the barrel for accessories.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
It comes optics-ready with four plates for all the popular optics. The built-in sights are 3-dots on steel.

The barrel is 4.1″ long. This is intended as a duty-sized weapon. The barrel is cold-hammer forged with polygonal rifling with a 1:10 twist. It is also fairly low-mounted to reduce barrel rise between shots.

IWI's Masada Pistol - SHOT Show 2020
The 4.1″ cold-hammer-forged barrel has polygonal rifling and sits low on the frame.

IWI’s new striker-fired polymer-gripped Masada has been shipping since last summer and the great news is that it is relatively inexpensive. Full MSRP is just $480, and it’s much lower than that on the street.

For more information visit SwarovskiOptik.com.

Caliber9mm Parabellum
ActionSemi-auto
Operating SystemStriker Fired
Magazine TypeIWI, Steel
Magazine Capacity10 Round, 17 Round
Barrel MaterialPolygonal Rifled, Cold Hammer Forged
Barrel Length4.1″
Overall Length7.4″
Weight1.43 lbs.
Rifling1:10 RH
Sights3 Dot
MSRP$480.00

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About the author: Levi Sim Levi is an avid hunter, and an increasingly avid shooter. He strives to make delicious and simple recipes from the game he kills. He makes a living as a professional photographer and writer. Check out his work and he’d love to connect on Instagram: @outdoorslevi

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  • leon March 13, 2020, 9:31 pm

    i like it and the price is right

  • Area52 February 7, 2020, 2:20 am

    release a compact version it it might be worth a look. This one the grip is too large for conceal carry.

  • Jeff Clark February 6, 2020, 5:12 pm

    Bought one of these with a Vortex for under 560 when they first came out. I have ran it in two 3 gun comps and love it. Being full ambi, I’m sure my wife, the lefty, will try to steal it at some point.

  • PoliSci Gunsmith February 5, 2020, 4:10 pm

    Ok, but for the sake of completeness, the trigger doesn’t house the “gun’s only safety mechanism.” The Masada also has a firing pin block safety in the slide and a disconnector so it can’t fire out of battery.

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