Competition firearms are not something that you expect to be priced for the average gun buyer. After all, these types of firearms aren’t something designed for everyday carry (though some people do carry competition pistols daily). They’re designed for specialized use: competitions.
With that specialization, competition firearms can often run into the multiple thousands of dollars. You can easily spend more on a competition gun than you would spend for several months of your home mortgage in some areas of the country.
One company, though, decided to release a pistol that clearly is a competition design, but that reviewers are also saying doesn’t just look like a competition pistol. They say that it is competition worthy. And the MSRP is under $900 for the non-optics installed model (which, of course, typically means an even lower street price).
For those who like these types of pistols but aren’t flush with cashflow in this era of high inflation, this is an exciting combination. The American Rifleman Staff gives us the details:
In 2023, Canik returned to its steel-frame pistol roots with the release of the competition-style SFx Rival-S. This model incorporates the popular features of the Rival series with the added stability that a weightier, all-steel frame provides.
American Rifleman noted that this pistol is chambered in 9mm, weighs 42.9 oz, and has a trigger pull of 4 pounds, 3 oz. American Rifleman continues:
Operation of the controls and the slide-to-frame fit were smooth and clean right out of the box. The grip configuration is comfortable, with all four sides textured in a manner that is effective without being abrasive. The trigger is exceptionally good, especially for a more budget-friendly model. Using a total of five factory magazines, the pistol, magazines and tested ammunition loads all performed reliably, resulting in no malfunctions throughout the course of testing. This model demonstrated top-shelf accuracy potential with five-shot group sizes in the 2″ to 2.5″ range.
You can watch another review, including range time, of this pistol below.
Is this pistol for you? Obviously, that will depend on what you are looking for in your next pistol purchase.
If you like competition pistols (or are at least curious about them) and like the idea of getting that pistol at a budget price, the Canik SFx Rival-S may be one to consider in your shopping process.