Girsan Regard MC Review (2026): The 18-Round 92, 500 Rounds Tested

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Table of Contents

Review: Girsan Regard MC: An 18-Round 92 for Well Under Beretta Money

Our Rating: 8.0/10

• MSRP: $489 for the black Regard MC (390080) and $509 for Dark Earth (390084) on EAA’s own store
• Street Price: From $429.99; trusted retailers from $464.99 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Double action / single action, Beretta 92 style
• Barrel Length: 4.9 in., per EAA
• Overall Length: 8.6 in., per EAA
• Weight (unloaded): 2.15 lb, about 34.4 oz, per EAA
• Capacity: 18+1
• Frame Material: Forged aluminum
• Sights: Drift adjustable rear; 3-dot low profile on the MC X
• Safety: Ambidextrous safety
• Rail: Accessory rail
• Made In: Turkey, imported by EAA Corp. of Cocoa, Florida
• Warranty: EAA limited lifetime, listed on the MC X page; original owner only

Quick Take

The Girsan Regard MC is a Turkish-made take on the Beretta 92, imported by EAA. EAA describes it as “based on the world-famous Italian Beretta 92 platform” and says Turkish law enforcement carries it. The Girsan Regard 9mm keeps the 92’s open-top slide, double-action first shot and full-size grip, and adds an 18 round magazine and an accessory rail, on a forged aluminum frame that EAA lists at 2.15 pounds.

I ran 500 rounds through a black Regard MC over three September sessions. It had one stoppage, early, and none after round 88. It shot well, the double-action pull was smoother than I expected at this price, and the single-action break was clean. It feels like a 92, because that’s what it is in every way that matters to a shooter.

Price and warranty decide this one. The cheapest Regard on our cards was $396.48 against $639.99 for a Beretta 92FS when I checked.

The warranty is the less obvious part. EAA’s own service page says that if you are not the original owner, “the factory warranty is no longer valid.” Used Regards are common, and buying one ends that warranty.

Buy it new, and you get a very good 92-pattern pistol with three more rounds than a Beretta 92FS for roughly two thirds of the price.

Best For: Home defense, range use and anyone who loves the Beretta 92 but not its price. Not for concealed carry, and not for buyers who want the Beretta name or resale value.

Design Intent: A 92 With More Rounds and a Lower Price

Girsan did not reinvent the 92. The Beretta 92 is one of the most proven service pistols ever built. What Girsan changed is what a buyer notices on the counter: an 18 round magazine against the 92FS’s 15, an accessory rail on the dust cover, an ambidextrous safety and a drift adjustable rear sight, at a price a first-time buyer can reach.

EAA leans on one credential: its product page says “Turkish Law Enforcement prefers the Girsan Regard MC 9mm as their trusted sidearm of choice.” That’s EAA’s claim, not a test result, but it tells you what the gun was designed to do. It’s a duty pistol, full size and all metal, not a carry gun.

The warranty catch on used Regards

The MC X spec block on EAA’s site lists an EAA Limited Lifetime warranty. The service page on the same site spells out who it covers: “If the gun is a used handgun and the owner is not the original owner, then the factory warranty is no longer valid. EAA will still service the used handgun, but there will be an estimate for the repair.”

That matters on this gun more than most, because used Regards are everywhere. Used Regard MCs on Guns.com were listed at $399.99 to $460.99 when I checked, while our card showed new black MCs from $396.48. Buying used saves you nothing here and costs you the lifetime warranty, so buy new.

Girsan Regard Variants: MC, MC X, Deluxe and Liberador

EAA’s current Regard line is short, and its own store prices make the ladder easy to read. Several older versions, including the BX, the Gen 3 Optic and the Sport Gen 3 and Gen 4, are now marked discontinued on EAA’s site but still turn up at retailers.

Model	EAA store price	What changes
Regard MC, black (390080)	$489	Base gun: forged aluminum frame, rail, ambi safety, drift adjustable rear
Regard MC, Dark Earth (390084)	$509	Dark Earth finish only
Regard MC X (390181)	$579	Spiral fluted threaded barrel, tungsten and black Cerakote, 3-dot sights, tuned trigger
Regard MC Liberador	$689	Decorative engraved finishes and grips
Regard MC Deluxe (390088)	$829	Engraved gold-finished frame and slide

The MC X is the one worth the upgrade money. EAA gives it a spiral-fluted threaded barrel with a thread protector, a tungsten and black Cerakote finish, 3-dot low-profile sights and a trigger it describes as tuned. The Deluxe and Liberador are about looks, and they cost more for it.

Competitor Comparison

The Regard’s real competition is the gun it copies, and the other affordable 92-pattern pistol on the market.

Beretta 92FS (from about $600)

The Beretta 92FS is the original. Retailers list it with a 4.9 inch barrel and 15+1. It has the Beretta name, and it holds its value in a way the Regard won’t. What you pay for that is about $170 more than the cheapest Regard and three fewer rounds.

If resale value or the name on the slide matters to you, buy the Beretta. If you just want to shoot a 92, the Regard does it for less. We cover Beretta’s modern version in our Beretta M9A4 review.

Taurus 92 (from about $495)

The Taurus 92 is the other budget 92, and the closest fight. Taurus lists it with a 5 inch barrel, 17+1 and 34 ounces, per our Taurus 92 review, where the Girsan came up as the main rival. On our cards the Regard started cheaper and holds one more round. Handle both if you can, since the controls differ between the two, then buy whichever feels right and is cheaper that week.

Verdict: The Regard is the best value of the three if you buy it new. The Beretta wins on name and resale, and the Taurus is a coin-toss alternative. All three shoot like 92s.

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Testing Protocol

I tested a new black Regard MC, item 390080, over three sessions in September at an outdoor range, between 69 and 85 degrees. I cleaned and lubricated it before the first shot and again at round 250, and used the factory magazine plus a spare throughout.

Ammunition Log

• Blazer Brass 115 grain FMJ: 250 rounds
• Federal American Eagle 124 grain FMJ: 150 rounds
• Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP: 50 rounds
• Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain FlexLock: 50 rounds
• Total: 500 rounds, 1 stoppage

Phase 1: Break-In

The first 150 rounds were Blazer Brass. I had one failure to feed at round 88, with the nose of the round stopped against the feed ramp. A tap and rack cleared it, and it didn’t happen again. The slide felt tight for the first couple of boxes and smoothed out by the end of the first session.

Phase 2: Reliability

Rounds 151 to 500 mixed all four loads, with both hollow points fed from full 18 round magazines. There were no stoppages. The open-top slide threw brass consistently to the right and slightly back, and the slide locked open on every empty magazine. Loading the magazines to a full 18 took a firm thumb for the last two rounds, which is normal for a new double-stack.

Phase 3: Accuracy

I shot five-shot groups at 15 yards from a rest. Speer Gold Dot printed the best group at 1.8 inches. Critical Duty averaged 2.0 inches, American Eagle 2.2 inches and Blazer Brass 2.5 inches.

The double-action pull averaged 10 lb 6 oz on my gauge and the single-action pull 4 lb 12 oz, with a clean break. The first double-action shot of each string landed low and left until I stopped fighting the long pull.

Tracking & Observations

After 500 rounds the locking block and slide rails showed even wear and nothing unusual. The finish showed light rub marks at the muzzle and the front of the slide. Carbon collected around the open top of the slide but never caused a problem.

What This Means for You

• Upgrade Impact: A weapon light on the rail is the most useful addition for home defense.
• Reliability: Expect a short break-in, then it runs FMJ and hollow points.
• Ammo Preference: 124 grain loads grouped best; Gold Dot for defense.
• Maintenance: Standard 92-pattern care; keep the locking block lubricated.
• Accuracy Expectation: 2 to 2.5 inches at 15 yards with the factory sights.

Performance Testing Results

The Regard MC scored 8 out of 10 for reliability, accuracy and ergonomics and 7 for fit and finish, for 8.0 overall with reliability and value counted double.

Reliability (8/10)

One failure to feed in the first 88 rounds, then 412 clean rounds with two hollow points and two ball loads. That is a good record for a new pistol. I’d still shoot 200 rounds of your chosen defensive load before relying on it.

Accuracy (8/10)

The Regard shot as well as any 92 I’ve used. The long sight radius and the clean single-action break make it easy to shoot small groups once you’re past the first double-action shot. The base MC’s sights are plain. EAA fits the MC X with 3-dot low-profile sights, which I did not test.

Ergonomics & Recoil (8/10)

At about 34 ounces with a full-size grip, the Regard is a soft-shooting 9mm, and follow-up shots come fast. The cost is size. The double-stack grip is thick, and shooters with small hands will stretch to reach the double-action trigger. The ambidextrous safety works well for left-handed shooters.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (7/10)

The slide-to-frame fit was tight and the finish was even. Inside, a few tool marks showed on the frame, the kind of thing a Beretta doesn’t have. None of it affected function, and at this price it’s a fair compromise.

Technical Deep Dive

EAA lists the Regard MC at 8.6 inches long with a 4.9 inch barrel and 2.15 pounds, the same figures it gives for the MC X.

Frame, Slide and Barrel

EAA lists the Regard MC frame as forged aluminum and the pistol at 2.15 pounds. The open-top slide exposes most of the barrel, the 92’s signature, which makes ejection clean and lets you see a round in the chamber. Retailers list the barrel at 4.9 inches. The MC X swaps in a spiral-fluted threaded barrel with a thread protector.

Trigger and Safety

The Regard is double action for the first shot and single action after, like every 92. EAA lists an ambidextrous safety on the MC, which it calls an ambidextrous slide safety on the MC X. On a double-action 92-pattern gun, the long first pull is the safety feature most shooters rely on, so practice that first shot.

Magazine and Rail

The 18 round magazine is the Regard’s clearest advantage over the 92FS. The accessory rail takes a standard weapon light, which EAA pitches for night-time use, and for a home defense pistol that’s the upgrade I’d make first.

Component	Specification	Benefit
Action	DA/SA, Beretta 92 style	Long first pull, crisp follow-ups
Frame	Forged aluminum, accessory rail	Takes a weapon light; lighter than steel
Barrel	4.9 in.; threaded and fluted on the MC X	Full-size sight radius; suppressor option on the MC X
Capacity	18+1	Three more rounds than a 92FS
Sights	Drift adjustable rear; 3-dot on the MC X	Windage adjustable on both models
Safety	Ambidextrous	Works for left- and right-handed shooters

Parts, Accessories and Upgrades

The Regard needs very little out of the box. A weapon light and spare magazines are the upgrades worth buying.

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Weapon light	A rail-mounted pistol light	The rail is there for it, and it matters most at night.	Varies by light
Magazines	Spare Regard 18 round magazines	More magazines means more practice and less loading.	Check our live pricing
Holster	A holster made or listed for the Regard	Confirm fit with the maker before you buy.	Varies
Ammo	124 grain FMJ and Speer Gold Dot	The loads it grouped best with in our testing.	See our 9mm ammo guide

Common Problems & Solutions

Our one stoppage came early, and most Regard problems come from break-in or from buying used, not from defects.

• Early feeding hiccups: A new gun can be tight. Clean it, lubricate the rails and locking block, and shoot 150 to 200 rounds of ball before judging it.
• Hard to load the last rounds: New 18 round magazines are stiff. They loosen with use; a loader helps.
• First double-action shot goes low: Practice the long pull with a steady press rather than a jerk.
• Buying used and needing repair: EAA’s factory warranty doesn’t transfer. Buy new if the warranty matters to you.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

The Regard is a full-size duty pistol, so these buyers are better served elsewhere.

• Buyers who want the Beretta name and resale value: Pay more for a Beretta 92FS.
• Concealed carriers: It is a full-size 34 ounce pistol. A Ruger EC9s is built for carry.
• Bargain hunters shopping used: A used Regard loses EAA’s warranty. A new Taurus 92 or a new Regard is the safer buy.
• Shooters with small hands: The double-stack grip is thick. A single-stack like the Girsan MC1911 in 9mm may fit better.

Final Verdict

The Girsan Regard MC gives you a Beretta 92 to shoot, with three more rounds, a rail and an ambidextrous safety, for a lot less money. It ran well in our testing, it’s accurate, and it’s soft to shoot. What it doesn’t give you is the Beretta name, a small package, or a warranty that survives a used sale.

Buy the black MC new for the best value. Spend the extra on the MC X if you want the threaded barrel and 3-dot sights. For other options, see our guide to the best 9mm pistols and our Girsan MC1911 review.

Final Score: 8.0/10: the best-value 92 you can buy, as long as you buy it new.

Specs and prices in this review come from EAA’s Girsan Regard MC page and Regard MC X page, including the warranty terms on EAA’s service tab.

FAQ: Girsan Regard