I have long been a fan of Sarsilmaz (SAR) guns. This Turkish company built its reputation by producing, among other things, 9mm DA/SA pistols reminiscent of the CZ75.
I owned one once, a good while ago. It was nothing fancy, but it worked very well, and it was more accurate than I was. Like I tend to do, I sold it to get something else – I forgot what – and then regretted it later. I have 20/20 remorse-sight where selling guns is concerned.
Cut to the present… I requested a gun or two from Miami-based SAR USA, and promptly received them. They sent me a SAR9 Sport Gen 3, and a K12 Sport. Both are impressive pistols, geared toward the competitive shooter.
Let’s look at them individually. First, the Sport Gen 3…
Sport Gen 3
The SAR9 Sport Gen 3 is a 29-ounce, polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol with a 5.2” barrel. Let’s look at a summary of its specifications…
- Caliber 9MM
- Action Striker
- Safety Trigger/Ambidextrous Manual
- Magazines – One each, 17 & 19 Round
- Optic Ready RMSc
- Sights Tritium Night Sights
- Barrel Length 5.2in
- Weight 29 oz
- OAL 8.1in
- Width 1.4in
- Trigger Pull Weight 3 lbs, 7 oz measured
- Version Gen 3
- Ideal For Competition, Range
Where To Buy
And, with their corporate tongue firmly in their cheek, here are its features from the web page:
Thunderstruck: features a crisp aluminum flat face trigger, aggressive slide serrations, and lightening cuts for speed
Opposites attract: the forged steel slide and barrel are paired with a robust polymer frame for optimum weight distribution
More than a feeling: use the three interchangeable backstraps to create a pistol that feels like it was custom-made for your hand
Safety dance: the integrated trigger safety, manual safety, and firing pin/striker block ensure “bang” only when you want it
In plain sight: optic-ready for RMSc footprint; tritium night sights
Blinding lights: features a Picatinny accessory rail
I wish I knew the PR person who came up with these!
Photos
Here are a few photos…
Taking It Apart
Let’s go ahead and look at cleaning this gun. Make sure it’s empty and remove the magazine. Pull the slide back a half inch or so and pull down the takedown levers on the frame above the trigger. Pull the trigger, and slide the slide off. Separate the barrel and spring, and clean away.
When you put it back together, you’re going to expect the recoil spring to come to the front of the slide, to be flush… that ain’t gonna happen. The spring just sits in the cutout without going all the way in. Fooled me the first time, for sure.
The K12 Sport
Now, we’ll look at the second pistol they sent. Here we have a time machine case… a single-action pistol that could almost pass for a CZ75. Made of steel top and bottom, this 47-ounce blaster sports a 4.7-inch barrel. Made specifically for competition, its doorstop-type weight helps it to hold on target and minimizes recoil. This gun is old-school in terms of an optics cut… they ain’t one, to put it succinctly. You have a really decent set of iron sights that work.
Here are its specifications, again from its web page…
- Caliber 9MM
- Action Single Action
- Safety Ambidextrous Manual
- Magazines 2 x 17 Round
- Optic Ready No
- Sights Adjustable Rear/Black Front
- Barrel Length 4.7in
- Weight 46.9 oz
- OAL 8.5in
- Width 1.3in
- Trigger Pull Weight 3 lbs, 9 oz. measured
- Version Gen 1
- Ideal For Competition, Range
Features
- Custom, Polished, and Crowned Target Barrel
- Adjustable Rear Target Sight
- Crisp Single Action Target Trigger
- Ambidextrous Manual Safety
- Skeletonized Target Hammer
- Backstrap Checkering and Target Grips
- A Trigger Pull of Less than 4lbs
Notice that under “Ideal For”, both pistols list competition and range. They are not designed to be carry guns, although I suppose you could if you wanted to. They are optimized for competition.
Where To Buy
More Photos
Taking This One Apart
Before you start, notice the recoil spring. It’s not captive, so be aware of that… don’t let it fly across the room!
The gun is loosely based on the CZ-75, and comes apart in a similar fashion. Here’s how.
First, remove the mag and empty the chamber. Grab something stiff, like a plastic screwdriver handle – you’ll see why soon. Then, cock the hammer (it makes it easier to move the slide rearward). Pull the slide back until the dots on the frame and slide line up.
Using the butt end of the screwdriver, push the slide release pin from the right side of the frame out, to the left. When the pin pops out, then grab it and pull it out of the frame. Then you can slide the slide off the front of the frame.
Separate the barrel and spring; clean everything. To put it together, place the barrel in the slide. Then take the end of the spring away from the guide rod and insert it into the channel under the barrel. Compress it and seat the rod in the groove in the barrel’s bottom. You might have to wiggle a bit… not you, the spring. (I guess you could wiggle if you want to…)
We are used to captured recoil springs… when I recently ended up with a 1911A1 and a Hi-Power copy, I had to remember how to remove and replace the spring without launching it across the room. I do like the captured variety better.
Anyway, once the slide is complete, slide it over the frame rails and line those two dots up again. Press the slide release lever in until it comes through the other side. You might have to whack it… I used my palm. It will
Shooting This Pair
I am blessed to have my review ammo provided by Black Hills. This is primo stuff. I grabbed some 115-grain FMJ – as a practice load – and then a box of the 125-grain HoneyBadger subsonic load. (Nope, that’s not a typo – that’s how they spell it.) This would equate to a defense load… it is effective stuff.
They also make a 100-grain version at over 1200 fps; this subsonic load exits at around 1000 fps. If you’ve never used HoneyBadger, you might want to try it. It uses a machined, fluted solid copper bullet that just decimates whatever it hits… I’ve done ballistics testing using Clear Ballistics gel, and it works at least as well as advertised. Here you have a load for practice and another for serious stuff, and they both shoot to close to the same point of aim.
Here are a few targets I shot with these guns. They are fun and easy to shoot.
OK. I have to confess I placed the Sport 9 on the representative targets below that I actually shot with the K12. Smooth move. So, these final two are a couple of samples of what I shot with the K12…
These were shot over a bag at 25 yards right after a decent rainfall. Either of these guns would be good for their intended purposes. Given more time, we could try several brands of ammo and fine-tune what the guns are really capable of. Please note that I am not the best shot around, but I have fun. In the hands of a really good shot, we would most likely be looking at some one-hole groups.
Uses
So, why would you buy one of these? I will stick with the uses shown on the website… competition and range. You might add home defense… if magazine capacity is a criterion, you have at least 17 rounds with both of these guns, and the Sport 9 includes a 19-rounder.
One of our sons and a granddaughter are getting into Steel Challenge… I wrote an article on it that should appear soon. So far, my son and his daughter have used rimfire guns, but he keeps threatening to add a 9mm to his competition bag. He has eyed the Sport 9, but also loves the way the heavier, old-school K12 spits lead. I would not hesitate to use either one. Magazines are available, the guns had zero hiccups, and the accuracy was more than good enough for Steel Challenge competition.
Summing Up
For those looking for a decent, full-sized 9mm to fill a specific purpose, these guns deserve a look. I know that the “made-in-Turkey” tag will put some off… that’s a personal thing that I won’t address here.
However, if you simply look at the guns and shoot them, you most likely would be impressed. They are not the be-all and end-all of 9mm competition guns, but for what they can do, balanced against their prices, they are not bad at all. Do we have any owners out there? Let’s hear from you below!
Links To Items Used In This Review
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