Turkish Delight

I was recently given the chance to test fire a SARB6P. I was at my favorite gun shop and I was told basically to take this gun home and a box of bangs and report back. I was in the right place at the right time and I sure like when that happens.

The SARB6P is a compact single-action/double 9mm from SAR (Sarsilmaz) Arms out of Istanbul, Turkey. SAR Arms has been around since 1880. This was one of several of the Rockledge Florida-based importer EAA ( http://eaacorp.com ) guns in the display case at my shop. The European American Armory corporation also imports Tanfoglio.

The "sarby" that I test fired is a 9mm with a 3.8" barrel. It has an overall length of 7.5 inches and a light weight of 1.6 pounds (polymer frame). Magazine capacity is 13. The gun can be carried 13+1. This is a clone of the CZ-75. MSRP is $377, but the tag on mine was right around $300.
                                                                       
When I was handed this gun for evaluation I had wondered what type of gun I would get for three hundred dollars. I was rather skeptical that this would be a gun that I would consider purchasing. I was a bit surprised that at the end of the test run that my opinion changed.

Prior to firing I "felt up" the gun. The grip felt great in my hand. There is texture on the front and backstrap of the grip. This will help you hold on to the gun even with sweaty hands.

The sights are standard 3-dot style, equal-sized. The safety is easily thumb-operated (right hand, not ambi) while my hand was properly positioned on the grip. I couldn't operate slide release without shifting my hand out of my firing grip, but I pretty much expect that. Dropping the magazine also required a slight shift in hand position, but I suspect the new magazine release will loosen up after some use. I had to move my thumb a little bit forward to get the leverage I needed.

I dry-fired a few times. The DA (long pull) was less effort at the beginning of the pull, but just before engaging required more effort. You can carry this gun uncocked and rely on the long pull to help prevent negligent discharges. The SA action of the trigger was light and sweet with a short reset.

I took the gun to my winter wonderland... er outdoor range... to fire. The recoil of the gun is very manageable. From standing I put the rounds from a full magazine into a paper plate 25-30 feet away. I then sat down and rested my forearms on a bench to try for a tight grouping at the same distance. I was hoping to tighten to a 3-4" group. Unfortunately 10 degree wind was messing up my eyes - I saw six dots most of the time - and the second plate was no better than the first. For a few more shots I just blinked away the tears and fired to get the feel of the gun.

It was harder to find negatives with this gun than I thought. There is no decocker, which I like in a carry gun. Also a negative to me is the length of the grip - just a bit longer than I would like for concealment. Feels great in the hand, though. It would be nice if it came with another magazine, again for the purpose of concealed carry. Not really a negative, but there are no less than three places on the gun for the serial number.
             
The positives are that I feel like I'm getting a $450 gun for $300. The trigger is awesome, the gun fires well with manageable comfortable recoil. The controls operate easily and the grip of the gun is comfortable. My hand fits up high against the tang under the hammer. The weight is excellent for carry. The barrel is a striking silver peeking out from the mat black of the slide. This is a good looking light gun.            
             
The price to performance ratio on this gun makes it an attractive gun for a fist-time purchase and for anyone wanting to add a CZ-75 clone to their collection. I'll have a herd time returning this little gem to the shop.