Guns & Outdoors Forum

So I finally was able to get to the range and test out all the dirt cheap SAR USA pistols I stupidly bought over the last few days. BLUF: go buy one of the SAR9 pistols that PSA is selling for $179 right now:
https://palmettostatearmory.com/sar-usa ... 9rdbl.html
It has great ergos, and is basically a Glock copy married with a Walther-esque grip frame. Mine is stupid accurate, has a better trigger than any of my Glocks or not-a-Glocks and is less than $200 delivered to your FFL. Downsides- proprietary magazines and a thumb safety. The thumb safety can be replaced with a “delete kit” from Galloway Precision for less than $20.

Ok, more detailed info:

First, the SAR B6 guns.
The B6 is a poly frame “full size” CZ-75 pattern gun that uses CZ-75 mags, and comes with 2 17 rounders that appear to be Mec-Gar mags stamped with the SAR logo. It is a traditional DA/SA gun with cocked and locked capability. This one shot really well, and functioned with MOST of my CZ mags- the ones with thick baseplates did not lock in. DA trigger was “ok”, kinda gritty and mushy, but the SA was “good” fairly light and crisp enough. 100% reliable with all the mags I had with me and pretty accurate. Not a bad buy for “High-Point” money, and will serve as a beater and backup gun: First full magazine, offhand at 7 yards

B6C- compact version of the above gun. Comes with 2 13 rounders mags. All the trigger stuff and mag compatability is the same as above. Both have good serviceable steel 3-dot sights. One thing on the mags for the compact- the baseplate ‘heel’ hits the palm of my hand and keeps them from dropping free in mag changes. I’ll probably be taking the baseplates to the grinder and making them ‘better’ over the next few days. The B6C hit a bit low for me with the cheap 115 grain ball ammo I was using and the threaded barrel I swapped into it before even shooting one shot. I’ll try some different ammo and the standard barrel and see if it will go to POA with that. But, all in all.. a good gun for $179. It was 100% reliable with all the mags I had with me.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/sar-usa ... 6c9st.html First mag, 13 rounds, offhand at 7 yards.


Now, the SAR9. As I said above- get one if you want an impressive, inexpensive, Not-A-Glock. Very comfortable grip, and comes with replaceable grip panels and backstraps. Very soft shooting, and 100% reliable. I also procured a 21 round mag straight from SARUSA, so I have 2 17 rounders and a 21 rounder. It has a rail for a light and is… ‘kinda?’ Optics ready. It has two holes in the top of the slide that allows you to bolt on an included optics plate. Weird setup, but Ok! Maybe I’ll put a dot on it sometime in the future.
Here is the first mag dump at 7 yards: Eh, not bad, but I was learning the trigger.
Now, same target dot after the other 2 mags ran through it: Now that I was used to it, I was just running the shots through the same hole. Nice!
So, I had an idea… can I pull off a “Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon” smiley face at 25 yards off hand?
Eh, it was close. If I’d had more ammo and time, I would have tried it a few more times

Nice range report

Here is what I mean about the compact baseplate getting hung up on my hand: So, I’ll take the biblical approach and if my baseplate offends me… grind it off!

Also, I just checked, and it looks like I can swap the slides and frames on the B6 models. Need to test if they work like this on the range:

yeah, that base would have to be worked on

It is interesting what you can get at that price point these days, always wonder if durability is going to rear its ugly head, but magazines are not proprietary so that is a plus.
I too have attempted the Martin Riggs target

I bought one of the $199 models today for one of my sons.

I appreciate your report. I’ve been looking at them for a while.

Ordered the $179 one today.

Rugerfan wrote: ↑Mon Dec 29, 2025 9:54 pm I bought one of the $199 models today for one of my sons.

I appreciate your report. I’ve been looking at them for a while.

It came in this morning. I’m surprised at how fast it got here considering the holiday yesterday. It feels really good in my hand. It’s raining here so no range report today. Hopefully we’ll get a chance this weekend.

My deep dive inside a $300 Tisas WW2 replica 1911 was all the proof I needed that the Turks are perfectly capable of making a good handgun at a low cost. I looked and looked HARD to find faults or obvious shortcuts or omissions inside the gun and didn't. It ran like a top and shot hardball to the sights. Were I a U.S. Ordnance inspector in 1943, I'd be saying, "Yeah. Let's contract with these guys for more".

I'm glad to see other stuff like this hitting the market. I'm not interested in it for myself since I'm living in a world of actual duty pistols, factory support, downstream availability of parts, availability of retention holsters that won't make injury lawyers tumescent, etc..., and at this point in my life, I don't NEED any new ones. But at a third to half the cost of the Big Boys, it's going to tend to keep the Big Boys a little more honest on their price points for the entry level recreationalists and non-enthusiast home defenders.

Free market competition - it's all good.

GrapeApe wrote: ↑Mon Dec 29, 2025 3:25 am yeah, that base would have to be worked on

Finally had a few minutes to grind off that lip. Based on my bench testing, mags drip free now without hitting my hand. Gonna try and hit the range tomorrow and test it in live fire

good deal