Field Stripping, Cleaning, and Shooting the Grand Power 10mm Stribog SP10A3

Grand Power has released the new 10mm and .45 caliber Stribog, providing a big, pistol caliber bullet in a sub-gun size frame. I’ve had the 10mm Stribog SP10A3 on the range multiple times and it shoots like a champ. The most surprising thing about it is the recoil, which feels more like a .22 than a 10mm. Having a handgun that fires a 10mm bullet is a lot of firepower, but the recoil is often too hard for some to handle. Placing it in a sub-gun/PDW style weapon makes perfect sense and this thing is built like a tank. It makes the perfect home defense weapon but is still compact enough to carry in a backpack or vehicle for self-defense.

The Stribog SP10A3 uses 20-round stick mags with ambidextrous controls. The safety, mag release, and bolt catch are AR-15 style which is nice for muscle memory. I won’t get into the debate on if or when a gun should be cleaned because it would never end. Some clean their guns a lot, others periodically, and some people say they never clean their guns. I clean my firearms periodically depending on how much ammo I’ve put through them. Even when not cleaning my firearms, I always oil them before a day at the range.

I’ve grown accustomed to field stripping the gun, wiping off the dirty oil, and applying some new oil after firing the weapon. Scrubbing and cleaning with solvents is done only when I start to see carbon build up. Regardless of your thoughts on cleaning, it’s good to know how your gun comes apart. At a minimum, you should know how to field strip for basic maintenance, inspection, and/or repair.

Field Stripping the Stribog SP10A3

If you own an AR-15, you will be familiar with many features of the Stribog SP10A3. To field strip the weapon, first remove the magazine and ensure the chamber is empty. A takedown pin is located at the back of the lower receiver. Just like an AR-15, push the pin out and the receiver will swing forward on the front takedown pin. From here, you can inspect the fire control group (trigger and trigger parts). Stribog used a USGI Mil-spec trigger on the SP10.

To remove the bolt, first separate the upper and lower receiver using the take-down pins. Push down and then pull out the end plate. Next, the short stroke buffer system. This will contain a buffer block, spring, and guide rod. Next is the bolt carrier and roller-delayed blowback system. These will all slide out the back of the upper receiver freely. That’s all there is to it when field stripping the SP10. If you want to switch the charging handle to the other side, this is a good time to do this as well.

When switching the charging handle, pull it to the rear while it’s field striped. It will lock to the rear, and you can pull the charging handle out. It will release when you push the bolt carrier group back into the upper receiver. Global Ordnance, the importer for Grand Power firearms, provided 500 rounds of 10mm ammo for me to fire through the SP10. It wasn’t that dirty, so I wiped everything down, re-oiled it, re-assemble the parts, and put the lower receiver back on.

Oiled and ready to shoot?

There are not a lot of parts in the SP10A3 when you field strip it, which keeps it nice and simple. The model I have uses a back plate with picatinny rail, but that can be swapped out with a pistol brace or stock for those who want to go the SBR route. I used a pistol brace made for attaching to the picatinny rail, which I like because it’s simple to remove. With the ATF banning pistol braces and various courts putting a stay on the enforcement, what’s legal can change daily.

This type of attachment makes it easy to add or remove the arm brace. Another nice feature of the SP10 is the built-in micro sight system on the upper picatinny rail. Out of the box you have a low-profile sight system utilizing a groove that runs down the middle of the picatinny rail. It’s not the easiest sight to use, but it’s built-in, so you always have it. Add some larger iron sights or a red dot and it will be ready for the range.

Final thoughts

I have owned the SP9A1 for years and love shooting it. Grand Power makes good products at an affordable price but it’s not just their price that I like. They think outside the box and produce firearms that stand out and function unbelievably well. I’ve compared shooting the SP10A3 to a .22 on several occasions. Of course, there is a little more kick to a 10mm than a .22. But, it’s surprising how low the recoil is, not just for a 10mm firearm, but any firearm.

I’m a fan of their roller-delayed blowback system because it works. I was able to shoot an 8-inch metal gong at 25 yards as fast as I could pull the trigger. The red dot didn’t move much despite blasting out 10mm bullets. It’s easy to field strip and clean and, because it’s compact, easy to store. Another thing I didn’t mention earlier is the metal frame is the same size as the 9mm version, making a lot of the parts compatible.

At the range, I fired mainly ball ammo with some hollow-points and never had any cycling issues. That was out of the box without adding any oil. I own a B&T and Scorpion EVO III in 9mm, but the Stribog remains one of my favorites. If you are in the market for a sub-gun size pistol or PDW, I would check out a Grand Power Stribog. It’s hard to beat their quality for the price.