Canik TP9SA, I carried it for 4 years as my CCW

Here’s what I learned

A little over four years ago I sold an old pickup truck that had been sitting at my parents house for over a decade and bought a new gun. I got a lot more than just the gun with that money, but it was the most notable purchase with the money. People said Canik was making Glock killing handguns, and I decided that I couldn’t live another day without getting in on that action. I bought the Canik TP9SA, a thousand rounds of 9mm, and the only CCW holster I could find (that has changed) that fit the gun.

Why the Canik TP9SA?

Like I said, Canik was being advertised all over YouTube and in the forums as a Glock killer. Most of this came from guys who were getting fatigued by Glock fandom. The TP9 had been a huge hit, and the TP9SA was getting rave reviews as a great improvement over the original. The TP9 SF was about to launch, but I couldn’t wait for it and needed mine instantly. I do not regret that decision, but I do think each evolution of the TP9 is increasingly awesome. Finally a pistol that could be considered potentially as reliable as Glock, the same capacity, an objectively good trigger, and for less that $400.

Who wouldn’t want to try one of these out? Not only did I want to try one out, but I wanted to carry it every day and see what is up. I have done exactly that, and the Canik TP9SA is sitting on my hip as we speak.

Great points (not hipoints)

For a full sized handgun, the weight is pretty manageable on the Canik TP9SA. The reliability is superb; I have never had a malfunction and I have run light target loads, hollow points, and steel cased ammo through mine. The gun is boringly reliable. The trigger, as advertised, one of the best you can get on a striker fired polymer handgun. 19 round capacity from the provided MecGar magazines is a great draw to the Canik. No manual safety makes it a great choice for CCW, and possibly a duty pistol. The factory stippling is just aggressive enough, and makes for a very controllable handgun. The coating on the slide is more durable than some detractors suspected. The decocking lever has never accidentally been actuated (more on that later).

The not so great points

While the weight is manageable, it is no better than that. This gun will pull on your belt and you will know it’s there. I got used to mine after awhile, but it’s definitely there. More so than the weight, the Canik TP9 is a large handgun. While not completely absurd, I have found myself planning my outfit around my gun more often than I really want to. I usually don’t mind printing, but there are places I go in my daily life that I don’t want to advertise that I’m carrying. There is a limited aftermarket for Canik at this point; it’s better than it was when I first bought mine, but I still have trouble finding improved sights and holsters are not as available as many other handguns. The stock sights are very much OK, and I do wish there were a few options to upgrade them.

I carry mine in a Crossbreed holster. I know a lot of people talk smack on Crossbreed, but I’ve had no issues with mine.

The weird

This is a single action handgun that has a decocking lever. That’s really kind of weird. While mine has never actuated unintentionally, and there are ways to defeat it, it’s dumb that it’s there. I have a theory as to why that is, so you get to hear it. The decocking lever is a standard component of the original Canik TP9, and I believe that when they designed the TP9SA it was probably cheaper to leave it on than redesign the slide without it. Maybe I’m wrong, but I wish it wasn’t there.

What now?

Due to the weight, size, and lack of aftermarket I am planning on switching up my EDC. I don’t regret my Canik TP9SA, and I plan on keeping it. I do want something a little smaller and lighter with comparable capacity. Aftermarket sights and more options for holsters are other things I’m looking for in my new EDC. There are several options that check those boxes in M&P, Glock, Sig and HK, so my hunt continues.

I definitely think that the Canik TP9SA checks a lot of boxes for both carry and duty handguns. If you want to carry a full sized handgun, I can easily recommend Canik. If you are looking for CCW options, this one fits, but it is no longer my first choice in that role.

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