Century Arms Shows Off a People’s Race Gun: The TP9SFX
Matt Korovesis 10.12.15
At last week’s Big 3 East event, Century Arms pulled back the curtain on a new variant of their popular Turkish-made TP9 pistol: the TP9SFX.
The 9x19mm TP9SFX sports several features that are attractive to competitive and recreational shooters alike, but at an incredibly affordable price point—$539. It could very well earn the title of “people’s race gun.”
The TP9SFX is a refinement of the TP9SF, itself a decocker-less version of the TP9SA that will be released later this year. Like its relatives, the SFX has a single-action, striker-fired trigger. Unlike its relatives, it features a tweaked, lighter trigger, that should bring the pull down to the three- to four-pound range.
Whereas the TP9SA and TP9SF have 4.47-inch barrels, the TP9SFX features a more competition-oriented 5.1-inch-long barrel. Century claims the barrels will last for 40,000-plus rounds.
The pistol will come ready for optics with four different mounting bases included in the box. The example available at Big 3 East was outfitted with a Vortex Venom dot. Dovetail front and rear slide mounts will allow owners to mount iron sights of their choice.
The front of the slide features ports that you’d typically see on four-digit-price-tag race guns, and a charging handle can be added to the rear of the slide to make reloads a breeze. With included two-round extensions, the TP9SFX’s mags can hold 20 rounds.
Three different sizes of magazine release will also be included, further enhancing the pistol’s customization potential.
Century is currently aiming for a March 2016 release, with a .40 S&W model to follow.
The TP9SFX was very well-received on the firing line and it may well help introduce more shooters to competitive disciplines. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one when they become available.
Note added 10-20-2015: This article has been updated to indicate the correct barrel lengths of the TP9SA and SF pistols.
I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.
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