The SAR9 SOCOM Compact is arguably America’s best-kept secret in high-performance carry guns. This refined Turkish combat pistol strikes the ideal balance between portability and effectiveness. Featuring state-of-the-art manufacturing and cutting-edge ergonomics along with a price that beats the Big Boys by at least a c-note, the SAR9 SOCOM Compact is the perfect self-defense gun for anybody who likes money.
Economics of Personal Protection
Just a quick show of hands…who here likes money? That’s obviously a rhetorical question. Everybody likes money. Even people who live in weird places where you can’t really buy much like money. Money has a timeless appeal.
It’s pretty stupid if you think about it. Money is just a handy, portable way to get the things you want. Trading one car directly for another car would be bulky and awkward. Trading one car for money that you can then use to get another car someplace else is much more convenient. That same axiom applies to most any consumer goods.
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In eras past, money has been shiny beads, rare metals, or scraps of colored paper. Today, it’s really just electrons in a computer someplace, which is pretty unsettling if you think about it. Regardless, it is breathtaking to appreciate the lengths some folks will go to get it.
People will steal, cheat, lie, and kill to get money. They’ll sell their souls, destroy their families, and wreck their lives. The allure of the Big Lick is both powerful and pervasive.
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Most of us will never win the Powerball. If lots of folks won the lottery, then it would no longer be so terribly special. The proper way to get money is to work hard and make sensible financial decisions. Sensible financial decisions involve comparison shopping to get the best value for your hard-earned cash. Amidst a cluttered field of modern combat pistols, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value than the guns from SAR USA.
SAR USA Origin Story
SAR USA is the exclusive importer of SAR9 pistols from the Turkish arms-producing powerhouse Sarsilmaz. Sarsilmaz is not really an American word. I find it exceptionally difficult to pronounce properly myself. A Turkish friend tells me that Sarsilmaz translates directly to “unwavering” or “unshakeable.” Sarsilmaz may not mean much to us, but the rest of the world sure recognizes it.
The Turkish Sarsilmaz company is an arms-producing powerhouse. They are the third-largest manufacturer of military and Law Enforcement hardware on Planet Earth. They are the largest arms producer in Europe. Their military drones and robots see combat action around the world. They build guns in a state-of-the-art one million-square foot facility outside Istanbul. An economy of scale allows them to offer top quality firearms at a price that is lower than their more readily-identifiable competition.
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The SAR9 is their flagship combat pistol. Available in half a dozen different flavors, the SAR9 is a mature and well-reasoned tactical handgun. The Sarsilmaz mob burned 150,000 rounds of 9mm Para getting the details right during the development process. You can tell this is an exceptional firearm the first time you pick it up.
It’s All In The Grip
The grip is the interface between a gun and the human form. The guys at Sarsilmaz nailed the grip on this pistol. They arrived at this particular geometry via gobs of trial and error.
The grip is exceptionally customizable. Three different interchangeable backstraps and six side plates let you configure the nuances of the pistol to accommodate your individual anatomy. You can thicken one side and thin the other while swapping out backstraps to optimize finger placement, trigger reach, and angle. If you can’t make this gun fit your hand perfectly, you might not technically be human.
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In fact, the grip of the SAR9 bears a striking similarity to that of the HK VP9, a top-end expensive combat pistol made in Germany. This gun will put your favorite blocky box store Glock absolutely to shame. The end result is reliably comfortable while helping to mitigate recoil effects and maximize control.
SAR9 SOCOM Compact Particulars
The SAR9 SOCOM Compact is a professional-grade firearm. In addition to that superlative grip, the gun features a nice flat-face, striker-fired aluminum trigger and suppressor-height tritium night sights. The dust cover is naturally cut for accessories, and the slide will accept any RMSc-standard red dot sight. There are ample gripping grooves both fore and aft as well as lightening cuts up front for fast lock times.
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The flared aluminum magwell adaptor makes for super-fast reloads. The gun comes with both a 15 and 21-round magazine. It also includes a well-executed cleaning kit, which is a nice touch. The gun can be had in either basic black or OD green.
The 4.7-inch barrel is threaded 1/2×28 for any standard 9mm sound suppressor. The gun comes with a thread protector. Once you trick this bad boy out, it is ready to head downrange.
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Accessorizing The SAR9 SOCOM Compact
The SAR9 SOCOM Compact is the perfect foundation for some serious bling. I threaded on a SilencerCo Osprey 9 to help keep the racket in check. The latest version of the Osprey 9 is a polygonally-shaped can that is one of the most innovative sound suppressors in the world. The eccentric design offers ample volume while keeping the sight line unobstructed. A pushbutton clutch built into the device makes indexing a snap. Just cinch it down tight, push the button on the bottom, and rotate the can until it is properly oriented.
The Osprey 9 can be used with a fixed mount or a LID (Linear Inertial Decoupler). The LID is necessary for reliable operation on short recoil handguns like the SAR9. The end result is reliable, effective, exotic, and cool.
I also fitted a Streamlight TLR-8G combination light and laser to the dust cover. The TLR-8G is not much larger than my thumb yet offers 500 lumens of brilliant white light as well as a bright green laser designator. The TLR-8G displaces the darkness and offers precision targeting even from unusual firing positions.
Synergy
The cumulative result is a truly world-class professional offensive handgun system. With the big magazine in place, the gun packs 21+1 9mm Para onboard. If that won’t solve your problems, perhaps you need to find some fresh problems.
The grip feels great, and the controls are well-reasoned. The gun was completely reliable during our extensive range time together. The unique design of the Osprey 9 retains access to the sights and takes the bark out of the gun’s report.
Standard 9mm Para is supersonic. That means there will always be a pretty hefty sonic crack no matter what you hang onto the gun’s snout. However, stoke the SAR 9 SOCOM with 147-grain subsonic ammo, and it starts to get fairly cozy.
At 12 meters from a simple rest I could easily keep my rounds inside a juice can lid. The overall package is not heavy, nor is it unduly bulky. The gun, even with the suppressor, moves quickly in tight spaces. The flared magwell funnel makes mag changes quick and seamless, while the TLR-8G keeps you prickly day or night.
Practical Tactical
Every law-abiding American should maintain a defensive handgun. That will keep you and yours secure while also ensuring that Uncle Sam doesn’t get too big for his britches. If you are going to keep a gun, you might as well keep a good one. Once tricked out with the Osprey 9 and TLR-8G, the SAR9 SOCOM Compact becomes a close quarters defensive machine.
This is the perfect weapon to maintain secured in your bedside table. It will also excise most residual anxiety you might have over safety during a long car trip. Strip off the light and can, and it would even pack the gun concealed should the Spirit so lead.
Verdict On The SAR9 SOCOM Compact
The SAR9 SOCOM Compact is an objectively superlative combat implement. It has all the bells and whistles and runs like a crack-addled beaver. It even looks cool. In addition to all of that, the gun is also very reasonably priced. With an MSRP of $529.99, that puts it significantly cheaper than most of its competition.
So, you have a decision to make. Should you be in the market for a state-of-the-art combat pistol, today’s market is cluttered. There are sources both foreign and domestic at a wide variety of price points. However, the SAR9 SOCOM Compact really does check all the requisite boxes while leaving you a little cash left over for ammo and bling. It’s the tactical handgun for folks who like money.
Specifications: SAR9 SOCOM Compact
Caliber: 9mm Para
Length: 8 inches
Barrel Length: 4.7 inches
Weight: 28.1 oz
Action: Striker-fired
Capacity: 15 and 21-round Box Magazines
Sights: Fixed Tritium Front/Drift Adjustable Steel Rear
Optics: Cut RMSc
MSRP: $529.99
Performance: SAR9 SOCOM Compact
| Winchester 115-grain FMJ | |
| Average Velocity | 1,210 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.80 inches |
| Black Hills 100-grain HoneyBadger | |
| Average Velocity | 1,251 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.60 inches |
| Winchester Defender 147-grain JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 1,035 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.90 inches |
| Remington 124-grain FMJ | |
| Average Velocity | 1,130 FPS |
| Best Group | 1.60 inches |
Group Size is the best four of five rounds measured center-to-center fired from a simple rest at 12 meters. Velocity is the average of five rounds measured with a Garmin Xero chronograph.
