Canik TP9SA

[umfan1]

In today’s market, striker fired pistols with their lightweight polymer frames have become the new standard. You would be hard pressed to find a firearms manufacturer not producing this type of pistol. Glock, Smith and Wesson, Springfield, H&K and even Sig Sauer are just a few companies that are producing this type of pistol. The average price for these pistols range anywhere from $500 to around $700. Generally speaking, any pistol that costs less than that is considered to be of a lesser quality and probably not as reliable. Well, all of that is about to change.
The all new Canik TP9SA (single action) is about to hit the market. This is the vastly improved version of the original Canik TP9SA/DA (single action/double action) that has been out for some time now. Century Arms is the exclusive importer of Canik and it even says CANIK by Century Arms on one side of the slide while on the other side it says CENTURY ARMS INC GEORGIA, VT. Centruy Arms is one of the largest firearms importers in North America. You should definitely go online and check out all they have to offer (you have to place an order through your local dealer, you can’t buy direct). The Canik pistol is manufactured in Turkey by a defense manufacturer that is well known for their quality. In fact, the factory where the Canik is built is ISO 9000 certified and has NATO certification, which shows just how important quality is to them. However, the most impressive thing about this company is how they listened to feedback from the consumer (that would be you) about the original Canik TP9, and went about making significant changes in just the second version. Imagine if every manufacturer would do that! For an example, how many versions of the IPhone did we have to go through before they finally produced a phone that did everything we wanted it to? So let’s take a look at the Canik TP9SA and all the changes.
First off they completely changed the frame and grip portion of the pistol. When you first grab the gun it feels like it was made to fit your hand. They have removed the finger grooves found on the original and redid the stippling on the front and rear of the grip. They have an aggressive feel but not too aggressive. The stippling on the sides is less aggressive, so if you are carrying concealed and the pistol is up against your body it won’t tear you up. It still comes with two back straps, a small and large. With the small back strap installed, I noticed the front sight was always a little low for me when presenting the pistol to the target. This was fixed by swapping it out for the large back strap. The tool needed to swap these is included. Now when I point the pistol it is flat like it should be and points very naturally, I’m not moving it around trying to find the sights, they are right there.
The controls on the frame are very streamlined. Nothing is sticking out to far and they all just flow with the gun. You only have a magazine release button, (which can be swapped for right or left handed shooters) a slide lock lever, and 2 take down levers. The take down levers and nicely sized with grooves on them to aid in pulling them down to field strip the pistol. The magazine release button also has nice texturing.
At the front of the gun there are now three picatinny rail slots versus only the one on the original. This should accommodate pretty much and light, laser or anything else you can think of to put on there.
Let’s move on to the slide now.
They have replaced the polymer sights for steel sights which is a big plus. The rear sight is drift adjustable. It is still a three dot system with an added bonus. On the rear sight there is a vertical line between the two rear dots. When you line up the front sight on top of this vertical line (it’s like dotting a lower case i) you are now centered perfectly both horizontally and vertically. This really helps the shooter, especially new shooters because with a three dot system it tends to take them a while to center the front dot both vertically and horizontally. They usually spend a few seconds kind of rolling the gun around. With this vertical line your just find the front dot and put it right on top of the line. You will also notice some serrations on top of the slide to help cut down on glare.
This new version now has a loaded chamber indicator. When there is a round in the chamber you can run your hand across the top of the slide and easily feel this.
The decocker is still there. Really the only time you would need to use this is when you want to field strip the pistol. First you remove the magazine, (the slide will not come off with the magazine inserted), make sure the pistol is clear, push the decocker, pull down on both take down levers, and at this point you will see the slide jump forward. Now just grab the slide and pull it off.
The rear cocking serrations are fantastic. They are aggressive, like they should be, which will help you rack the slide, especially when the gun is wet, or your hands are sweaty.
The gun has a really nice Cerakote finish that looks great. The finish on this gun is on par with any of its competitors. I also feel that with this finish the slide isn’t as slick as some other pistols out there, which is a plus.
Now for the biggest improvement, the trigger. Let me start off by saying “WOW”! This trigger is amazing. In my opinion it is definitely one of the top two triggers out there. Most shooters would probably say that the Walther PPQ M2 had the best trigger until the H&K VP9 came along. I have shot both of those guns and I can tell you that the Canik TP9SA trigger is just as good as the H&K VP9. I’m not sure which one is better, but they are both excellent, which says a lot about the Canik. The trigger take up is nice and smooth. There isn’t any mushy feeling, or grittiness, and there isn’t any pressure increase as you take up the slack. You just pull it till you get to the “wall”, and then there is a nice, clean break. The trigger pull is rated at 5.2lbs, but I’m telling you if feels way less than that. Plus, just think, it will become even smoother over time. The reset might be even better. It is very minimal, making follow up shots very fast and accurate. There is an audible click you can hear and feel on the reset which I like. This trigger will be such a huge benefit for new shooters. Trigger control is one of the hardest things to learn, especially with a not so great trigger. With this trigger being so smooth and having such a nice clean break and minimal reset, new shooters will definitely have a huge advantage with this trigger system.
So far I have put just over 250 rounds through this gun. It has run perfect. No malfunctions at all, ammo related, gun related or operator related. I plan on putting a thousand rounds through it by the end of the week and hopefully around 2,500 by the end of next week. Seeing as how this pistol has passed a 50,000 round torture test in Turkey, I don’t see any problems arising.
The Canik TP9SA comes in a nice case with two Mec-Gar metal 18 round magazines, a Serpa style holster with a paddle attachment and belt attachment, cleaning rod and brush, two back straps ( small and large), and a speed loader. The holster quality is great. I’m not a fan of the paddle attachment but the belt attachment is as good as any other.
Now, the most important part. The price. The MSRP is going to be…………….$399.99!!! That means you will probably be able to pick this gun up for somewhere around the $375 mark. That is a whole lot of gun for that price. The quality is outstanding, the trigger is one of the best striker fired triggers available, and the price is really unbelievable. As an NRA Certified Instructor I will be purchasing this pistol and adding it to my list of recommended pistols to students taking my concealed pistol classes. The best part for them will be that they will get to shoot it and see for themselves!
Overall, this is a no brainer. The Canik TP9SA is an excellent pistol and stacks up very nicely against its more expensive competition. For an individual looking to purchase their first pistol this is an excellent option. Right off the bat you have a quality pistol with a holster, you only need to add a quality belt. Also, anyone looking for a home defense gun, this is a great option. Simply add a light and you are good to go.
The rest of the firearm industry better take notice, there’s a new guy in town, and I have a feeling he’s going to be very popular!

[dwcopple]

not sure if you copy and pasted that from Mrgunsngear's posts...
they are $335 shipped from Bud's and grabagun.com right now

[umfan1]

No I did not. Original from me to Century Arms. My review was done way before his, however he is very well know and a great guy. We actually received the pistols from Century Arms the same day.

[stare-decisis]

I am tempted too. It seems like a great bargain. Sootch did a review too. Youtube that was positive.