What's the deal with Canik?

I own three Caniks. A TP9sfx in whiteout, a TP9sfx in carbon and a Tp9 Rival. All are the best shooting handguns, out of the box, I have seen. I also own two M2.0's and a Shield PC 9mm EZ
 
Bald1 said:
Luvsmiths and Boge, u are both welcome to go work and live in Turkey where the avg factory worker makes the equivalent of $3400 American dollars a yr. And for the Record Remington Arms in NY at the moment is union…….. but union/ non union was not my point. Americans can earn a living wage as a blue collar worker. I'm one of them. And I'll continue to support them whenever I can.
Click to expand...

I thought the Illion NY plant was closed? What are they making there?
 
Checking back in...

It seems that nearly everyone who laid hands on a Canik has enjoyed the experience. So, I'll get one or two. I like the TP9DA. It might need a grip chop for appendix carry. The TP9 Elite SC is a definite. Wish that it had a decocker too. I'll join the party some time this week.
 
I too have been drawn to the Canik. The combination of low price and many features is attractive. I like the CZ pistols, so I am already comfortable with the designs.
 
This is a very interesting thread, for multiple reasons.
I tried a Canik. Don't know the model, just a full size service pistol. Shot it bullseye style at 50 yds. Seemed to be reliable, and easy to shoot well.
I wanted to hate it, but didn't.

I agree with many of the posts regarding "buy American". I prefer to buy American and don't mind paying for it. But, US manufacturers have gotta deliver the goods. Yeah, it's easy to blame those "greedy execs". But, honestly, American workers aren't what they used to be. I know many business owners that can't find employees that don't slack off while on the clock or can even be counted on to show up for work, let alone do their job right. Given our lousy education system that rewards mediocrity and self-entitled attitude, all while passing everyone through with easy "A"s, this is no surprise.
It's all a big mess. Lots of blame for everyone, and rightly so. Who knows how or if it will ever get fixed?
But, I hope it does, and fast!

God help us!!

Meanwhile, how about some primers!!!!
 
6string said:
This is a very interesting thread, for multiple reasons.
I tried a Canik. Don't know the model, just a full size service pistol. Shot it bullseye style at 50 yds. Seemed to be reliable, and easy to shoot well.
I wanted to hate it, but didn't.

I agree with many of the posts regarding "buy American". I prefer to buy American and don't mind paying for it. But, US manufacturers have gotta deliver the goods. Yeah, it's easy to blame those "greedy execs". But, honestly, American workers aren't what they used to be. I know many business owners that can't find employees that don't slack off while on the clock or can even be counted on to show up for work, let alone do their job right. Given our lousy education system that rewards mediocrity and self-entitled attitude, all while passing everyone through with easy "A"s, this is no surprise.
It's all a big mess. Lots of blame for everyone, and rightly so. Who knows how or if it will ever get fixed?
But, I hope it does, and fast!

God help us!!

Meanwhile, how about some primers!!!!
Click to expand...

Sir, you " hit the nail on the head". I have been wondering when our dumbed down education system would ruin this Country. No wondering any more.
 
For the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to test fire Canik pistols in the demo bay at the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit. I find it to be a nice, easy shooting pistol. If I won one, I would gladly accept it, but I would not run out and buy one. Please, don't get this wrong. It's a nice pistol, but I really don't have a use for one. For combat-style shooting, I use my Glocks for GSSF (required), for the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit I use my Sig P320, and for PPC I use both my Sig P320 and P365. [Notice a pattern? All stationary matches!]

If I'm daring enough to trust my legs for an IDPA match, I'll most likely use a 1911 or a Glock.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CH4
Turkey Feast

Thank you for bringing up this Turkish made Canik
Pistol. I went to their website, very nice easy to
use site.

I'm interested in a 9x19mm pistol. I'm currently
leaning towards the S&W Shield Plus or the
Glock 43 series. I think these are slimmer and
a lighter carry pistols.

I will have to check the Canik Pistols out.
Maybe I should do something different.
 
My only gripe was that I found the trigger too light for any kind of serious encounter . Same as the Walther PPQ , great range toy , outstanding trigger for a striker fired gun , accurate . IMHO if one must have a polymer striker fired 9mm the HK VP9 or a Gen 3 Glock 17 / 19 are hard to beat .
 
boatbum101 said:
My only gripe was that I found the trigger too light for any kind of serious encounter . Same as the Walther PPQ , great range toy , outstanding trigger for a striker fired gun , accurate . IMHO if one must have a polymer striker fired 9mm the HK VP9 or a Gen 3 Glock 17 / 19 are hard to beat .
Click to expand...

For those that find the Canik trigger too light, an Arex Delta Gen 2 may be more to your liking. It has a very distinct wall in the trigger action, but the trigger face angle at that point in the travel is such that it doesn't seem to disturb your aim. Also, if the idea of a Turkish pistol doesn't work for you, the Arex is made in Slovenia.:D
 
Somewhat related story about workers.

A now friend, runs a detail/tint/wrap/ceramic coat shop in Garner. His business is exploding, so he needs more people.

He offers to pay folks while they learn the trade, and will pay them for all costs to attend factory schools in CA. Airfare, hotels, meals, etc.

He advertises in trade and shop schools, local car clubs, etc etc.

He has gotten a few kids just out of high school and offered them jobs while they decide what they will do with their lives going forward.

A few started off washing cars @$15 hr. He had to train them for that. After showing a couple how to properly vacuum the interior, he checked on their work. Not a one lifted the carpets to vacuum underneath even though that was shown to them. Not that it has to be.

A couple kids wanted $25 an hour to start. No skills.

So, he offered to get them professional training to learn a marketable skill, maybe even to leave afterwards and start their own business after he paid for everything. Not a one could make the cut.
 
C3Ranger said:
Purchased a TP9SF almost 5 years ago for use in local tactical competitions. Great trigger right out of the box. Thousands of rounds with no issues. Compares very favorably to many much more expensive and "elite" brands.

For more information, you might want to try CanikFanatikForum.com.
Click to expand...


I tried to join that forum…three times. It demanded that I answer questions, e.g, what is the best Canik for competition?, etc. Stuff that only folks who know about Canik can answer. I failed the test three times. Would not let me register. So, at this point, I'll pass.

EDIT: I was being an impatient baby. The registration process is annoying but found a way through it.
 
Last edited:
ladder13 said:
Somewhat related story about workers.

A now friend, runs a detail/tint/wrap/ceramic coat shop in Garner. His business is exploding, so he needs more people.

He offers to pay folks while they learn the trade, and will pay them for all costs to attend factory schools in CA. Airfare, hotels, meals, etc.

He advertises in trade and shop schools, local car clubs, etc etc.

He has gotten a few kids just out of high school and offered them jobs while they decide what they will do with their lives going forward.

A few started off washing cars @$15 hr. He had to train them for that. After showing a couple how to properly vacuum the interior, he checked on their work. Not a one lifted the carpets to vacuum underneath even though that was shown to them. Not that it has to be.

A couple kids wanted $25 an hour to start. No skills.

So, he offered to get them professional training to learn a marketable skill, maybe even to leave afterwards and start their own business after he paid for everything. Not a one could make the cut.
Click to expand...

Been afraid of this for few years. Seems any place for service either in person or on phone just " have no clue" about business and how it works. The US is in for bad times.
 
Greyman50 said:
Sir, you " hit the nail on the head". I have been wondering when our dumbed down education system would ruin this Country. No wondering any more.
Click to expand...

I've been in the "higher education" field for a little over 30 yrs.
How things have changed. The school here recently started an "Office for Success" to help students graduate, get jobs, etc.
At least that was the idea!
Now, they harangue faculty to do things like this:
-have tests not count towards the final grade.
-only grade the material that students actually complete, at their discretion, and ignore what isn't done.
-don't grade for poor grammar.
etc, etc.....
Over $200,000 for a four year degree!

What kind of "success" is that? Where do we go from there?
I could grouse about Canik being made in Turkey, but could they build their products here even if they wanted?
Meanwhile, Colt brings back the "improved" Python and many examples of the first run didn't even function out of the box!

The real kicker is this is all by design!
 
BB57 said:
With the global supply issue and the potential for a new Cold War in Europe, a lot of American companies are rethinking the wisdom of offshore production and globalization in general.

The good news is that can and probably will bring back a lot of manufacturing jobs, but those companies will need to pay a decent wage to both obtain and then retain skilled labor.

That will mean higher costs for products and that will be vilified as higher inflation. Unfortunately inflation isn't well understood by most folks and is mostly regarded as a four letter word, especially by companies having to pay better wages.

The point that is missed is that when people in the US are making more money, people in the US have more money to buy US made products. When you keep money in a local community or in a single country, it turns over multiple times and drives the economy far more effectively than spending labor costs offshore and then sending profits offshore, or parking them in investor's accounts.

What will get in the way of this move back to US based production will be decreased corporate profits in the short term, and reduced dividends for investors in the short term. We are all about the next quarterly profit statement and share value in the US and it's an attitude that ruined companies like McDonnel Douglas, Boeing, Winchester and Remington. Our derivative income economy is a rathole we've been sliding down for the last 3 decades and it hasn't been working in our national interest.

So keep an open mind.

Remember that as we try to make our economy great again that period of time when things *were* great was the mid 1950's when the administration implemented high corporate tax rates. It worked as an incentive for corporations to reinvest profits in R&D, skilled labor retention and benefits and improved production capacity and capability, rather than paying high taxes on those profits.

Those rates fell in the 1980s with the idea that lower taxes would allow higher profits to "trickle down", ignoring the fact it was high taxes that made it trickle down in the first place.


Most importantly as companies move toward bringing production back to the US, remember that we've got to make those efforts successful by buying American products, even if they cost a bit more. In the mid and long term, we'll be much better off and much less dependent on foreign countries and world events.
Click to expand...

well said...what would make a huge difference is if the US declared a tax holiday on offshore profits, currently estimated at over two trillion $, allowing our corporations to being them back to the US..provided they were reinvested in company infrastructure, R&D and wages - not shareholder dividends.
Such a tax holiday would do more to stimulate our economy than any other act of congress, and what better time to do it.

As to Canik, shot my friends TP9DA, and had the best trigger out of the box I've personally pulled, and liked the top mounted decocker that put it into DA mode.
 
Last edited:
Racer X said:
It's all because of bloated overhead. I've worked in the Defense and Aerospace industries. The amount of middle management whose entire week work load is on their asses in meetings is appalling.
Click to expand...


As someone who holds a job in middle management I can attest to this. You aren't making real decisions about anything and you aren't allowed to actually do anything cause you need to be in meetings spreading the gospel of your superiors. Sounds like I need a new job!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Omitting the politics, the generation gap, and the wage differences, the NRA just tested a top of the line Canik pistol and loved it. There was a line in that story that got my attention - the Canik is apparently the go-to handgun for the Turkish military and for a number of European countries as well. So factor in the concept that military executives favor reliable, simple to operate handguns and you have the reason that the Caniks are so good. All the rest is commentary.
 
ISCS Yoda said:
Omitting the politics, the generation gap, and the wage differences, the NRA just tested a top of the line Canik pistol and loved it. There was a line in that story that got my attention - the Canik is apparently the go-to handgun for the Turkish military and for a number of European countries as well. So factor in the concept that military executives favor reliable, simple to operate handguns and you have the reason that the Caniks are so good. All the rest is commentary.
Click to expand...

And if they are so widely used overseas, and in such large numbers, there is certainly an economy of scale at play.
 
dmthomp32 said:
As someone who holds a job in middle management I can attest to this. You aren't making real decisions about anything and you aren't allowed to actually do anything cause you need to be in meetings spreading the gospel of your superiors. Sounds like I need a new job!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

All depends on the company. The more top down they are, the less freedom middle management has to actually managed[. Been there, done that.
Also worked for companies that were structured so that senior management provided the strategies, and middle management was empowered to implement them.
Whole lot more rewarding to work in the latter as compared to the former.
 
Canik Fan

I have a Canik TP9SF Elite and TP9 Elite Sub Compact. Canik pistols are made in Turkey and imported by Century Arms. Most of them are only chambered in 9mm.
The TP9 series was originally based on the Walther P99 but much has changed since then. They are rated up to +p ammo and mine seem to like NATO type best. The negative comments I hear about Caniks seem to be ammo related. My SC doesn't seem to like CCI Blazer Brass, which is the only brand that had a hiccup.
As far as fit and finish between S&W and Canik, S&W wins.
Canik have excellent triggers out of the box which has led to my disappointment in my new CSX. I LOVE my new CSX and it feels really good in my hand, I wish my Caniks felt this good. But as far as the trigger, I did expect something more.
 
Last edited:
These are great guns, for a decent price.

I have one that is a few years old. It is a clone of a Walther P99AS. The Walther P99 is a world class pistol. So cloning it was a good idea.

I would take one to war and be perfectly happy to have it on my hip.

I read an article once that some model of Canik pistol, for military use, in testing must go 50,000 rounds without any parts breakage or spring replacement. If that is true, that is a testament to its durability and reliability.
 
All I know is that NC Beagle owes me money for starting this thread, I just ordered a Canik Rival. :)

It's so ugly it makes a Glock seem classy.

It's so ugly the bullets go faster to get away from it.

It's so ugly I can disable an opponent just by showing him the gun and therefore causing temporary blindness.
 
Bullet Bob said:
All I know is that NC Beagle owes me money for starting this thread, I just ordered a Canik Rival. :)

It's so ugly it makes a Glock seem classy.

It's so ugly the bullets go faster to get away from it.

It's so ugly I can disable an opponent just by showing him the gun and therefore causing temporary blindness.
Click to expand...

I think my .455 Mark VI Webley has it beat, but that's what makes it so cool.
 
I bought a TP9SF for $299 when they were first introduced in the US and have been nothing but happy with it. Solid yes, CZ quality no, unless maybe onenof their top tier models which I havent handled
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
It's raining holsters... for the Bodyguard 2.0
Replies
21
Views
4K
leadhead2
leadhead2
JHW
  • Locked
Sold/Withdrawn **SOLD** Thank you Smith and Wesson Model 63 No Dash
Replies
2
Views
3K
JHW
JHW
JHW
  • Locked
Sold/Withdrawn **SOLD LOCALLY** REDUCED 1973 Smith Wesson Model 43 No Dash Boxed .22LR Airweight C&R Okay
Replies
3
Views
3K
JHW
JHW
NCBeagle
Great Deal on a Beretta PX4 Compact Carry
Replies
5
Views
1K
hardluk1
H
J
What has happened to QC at Smith and Wesson?
2 3
Replies
83
Views
4K
JimW
JimW

Latest posts

Back
Top