SAR9: Some Thoughts

The SAR9 was a personal purchase that I made almost immediately after SHOT show 2018. The pistol shot well enough at range day, but wasn't anything special, really. I figured that I would get this pistol because it seemed to have promise in being a good Glock alternative.

Now, before anyone gets their panties in a wad, I just wanna be clear that I do not dislike Glock or hate the pistol. But what I do hate is the fact that it is a "me too" pistol. There is nothing more annoying to me than following the herd. With that said, I am not a Glock owner and I don't intend to be any time soon. I feel that there are plenty of other options that do many things better. I will say that I do like the Glock trigger, except for the safety bar that left a mark on my finger when shooting. ​The SAR9, for me, was an opportunity to own a Glock again, but without actually owning a Glock.

I can not honestly say that the SAR9 is a replacement for the Glock entirely, but I think that it is a better gun than a VP9. The H&K VP9 is a pistol that many people love and cherish. The SAR9 took the VP9 grip system and took it as their own, effectively making the pistol a hybrid of two popular striker fired pistols. The only thing that is problematic with the SAR9 is the manual safety. I feel like the manual safety is a cheap and screwed up idea for this pistol.

Through the 1000 rounds that I put through the SAR9, I found the pistol to be extremely easy to shoot well. Hell, the pistol ran like a better VP9 with lower recoil, easier controls, and more durable components. I love the pistol, and I feel like it could be one of the best pistols in my collection. But that damn safety just bugs the hell out of me physically. When I shoot this pistol, my trigger finger knuckle gets hammered hard. It is hard to shoot continuously or be encouraged to shoot continuously when you are being punished for shooting and left with bruises on your hand.

I do continue to put more rounds through the SAR9, but I think that I will have to go about it slowly, and try to hold out for when SAR USA sells plugs for the safety. The other option is to sell the SAR9 I have and get one that doesn't have a safety. Yup, I think this pistol is THAT good. $350 is what I paid for this pistol and it is in the same quality class as pistols twice that price. But, until I get a plug for the safety, or they start importing pistols without one, I am just gonna have to sit on my SAR9 and drag my feet on slamming rounds through it.