Budget guns have come a long way. As firearms technology continues to improve, feature-rich guns with lower price tags are widely available. Turkey produces many of those guns, one of which is the Sarsilmaz SAR 9 9mm pistol. Firearms of America’s Frank Valentine gives us the rundown in the video linked below.
SAR 9 Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Capacity: 17+1 or 10+1
- Barrel Length: 4.4 inches
- Overall Length: 7.5 inches
- Width: 1.4 inches
- Weight: 27.8 ounces
- Action: Striker fired
SAR 9 Features
Frank likes the SAR 9’s layout, saying the 4.4-inch barrel and 17-round capacity are just about perfect for a 9mm pistol. He shoots several five-round groups in the video but notes that he shot it quite a bit before filming.
Frank says the grip is his favorite thing about the SAR 9. The grip panels have nice stippling, though Frank says he would like it to be more aggressive. The SAR 9 grip features finger grooves, which Frank says he likes after shooting the gun. He misses them on the Gen 5 Glocks. The SAR 9’s grooves are a bit more understated than the Glock grooves and look quite comfortable. Frank says, “It feels really, really good. Very ergonomic, very pleasant…perfect shape.”
The controls are solid, if not spectacular. Frank says the stippled mag release button is a bit too thin and “could probably use a little more area.” The mag ejection is very positive, however, and the ejected mags just fly out. The mag release is reversible.
The textured slide release is low profile but, again, very positive. It is not ambidextrous, though the SAR 9 does have a frame-mounted ambidextrous thumb safety. The safety locks the trigger but not the slide. Frank prefers to not have a manual safety but it’s not a deal breaker. The safety catch is textured as well.
The SAR 9 also features a forward picatinny rail section and the trigger guard is textured on the front. The slide has standard front and rear cocking serrations. The sights are standard three-dot. In a nice touch, there is a stippled spot for the offhand thumb on both sides of the frame.
Shooting the SAR 9
The trigger is Frank’s least favorite thing about the SAR 9. He shows that the trigger is very mushy, though it does break crisply. “A little bit too much stuff going on,” he says. You’ll need some time to get used to it, but Frank cautions that the SAR 9’s trigger is not one that you will ever really know exactly where it breaks.
Frank likes the Sar 9’s accuracy and reliability. The recoil is very easy to manage. The recoil spring is fairly heavy but “not too tough” to rack. The comfortable grip aids accuracy.
Nevertheless, the slide fails to lock open on the final round two out of three times in the video. Frank attributes that to the gun still breaking in, a stiff recoil spring, and his use of lower grain cartridges for testing. He doesn’t say which ammo he’s using, but many commenters said that 124-grain rounds run great in their SAR 9s. The slide finally locked back after the third five-shot group.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Franks likes the SAR 9. “I think it’s a great, great value. I’m a fan of pretty much everything. The trigger could be better, but considering the price, it’s definitely something I can deal with. I don’t think you can go wrong with this one if you want to stick to the budget.”
Budget guns do have their place. Not everyone can afford to be a gun snob. Companies like Sarsilmaz USA provide quality firearms for folks who need a reliable gun without blowing up the family expenses. Looks like the SAR 9 fits that niche. Sarsilmaz USA does not list an MSRP, but I found them in the $549.00 range.
About Frank Valentine
I don’t usually include stuff like this, but since I had never encountered Frank before watching this video, I did a little background on him. He immigrated to the US from the former Soviet Union in 2008. He became an American citizen in 2019. Frank is now a Second Amendment activist, focusing on teaching young people about the benefits of firearms ownership. That’s something I can get behind. You can check him out at firearmsofamerica.org.
