10 Apr 17
Canik TP9SF/Elite
I’ve been carrying my copy of the Canik TP9SF/Elite pistol (imported by Century Arms) for several months. I’ve used it to demonstrate techniques at a number of Courses, and my Instructors and students have shot it extensively, with all kinds of ammunition.
Frankly, there is little not to like. No hiccups. It runs and runs!
I was not sure what to think of it when I first starting using this Glock-like entry into the serious pistol market. However, it has proven itself reliable and well-suited to the task of personal protection.
One concern was the pistol’s ambidextrous, long, cantilevered slide-release levers. When operating the one on the left side of the pistol with your thumb (assuming you’re right-handed), there is no problem. We prefer racking the slide, of course, but using the lever may be necessary from time to time.
However, when a right-hander uses his right index finger (trigger finger) to push down the lever on the right side of the pistol, his finger often slides off, enters the trigger-guard, and hits the trigger! On the left side of the pistol, the thumb is too short to cause that problem.
On my copy of the Canik, I thus had my gunsmith simply remove the lever on the pistol’s right side. With it gone, that potential problem goes away!
When the Canik came to me, its sights were excellent, but needed adjusting. The wonderful gunsmiths at Gunsite Training Center performed the necessary drift for me, and sights are now dead-on.
This pistol comes with two magazines and a Serpa holster, all at a price significantly below its competitors.
Based on personal experience, the Canik TP9SF/Elite now enjoys a place on my Recommended List!
/John