Sarsilmaz SAR9
Subcompact Gen 3 U80
Today we’re taking a look at a Turkish-made pistol with a lot going for it: the Sarsilmaz SAR9 Subcompact Gen 3.
It’s a 9mm striker-fired pistol with a polymer frame and forged steel slide. It comes with two magazines — a 12+1 and a 15+1 — plus a nifty little cleaning kit that fits together into its own handle. It’s a small touch, but a nice one.
This particular gun has a fiber-optic front sight and good, big, bold square sights, which I like. The grip texture feels good, and I’ve really come to appreciate flat-faced triggers. This one has a pretty darn good trigger, too. It’s sharper and crisper than what I find on many polymer-framed pistols.
The slide is also cut for optics, although you’ll want to do your homework to make sure your particular optic fits.
At just 21 ounces, the SAR9 Subcompact is surprisingly light. I’d call it more of a midsize pistol than something truly tiny, but it still feels downright feathery in the hand. MSRP is $529, and we all know what MSRP tends to mean in the real world.
Of course, we needed to shoot it. I loaded six rounds of Black Hills HoneyBadger and headed for the steel. I’d never fired this particular gun before and had no idea where it was sighted. Cross your fingers, boys and girls.
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