Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X, an all-steel semi-automatic pistol for IPSC Dynamic Shooting

Most contemporary semi-automatic pistols have a polymer frame, are striker-fired and allow for the mounting of a mini red dot sight directly on the slide. However, there are niche markets where a semi-automatic gun built entirely of steel and with an external hammer still makes sense, and a lot of it. Take the world of Practical Shooting, for example: in this sport, guns could be described as traditional, i.e. with external hammer and single action trigger. The greatest champion of all time, the Frenchman Eric Grauffel, won nine IPSC world championships and as many European championships, shooting first with a Tanfoglio, then with various CZ models (Shadow 2, Shadow 2 OR, CZ 75 TS Czechmate, CZ P-10 C), all of which derive from the common archetype, the CZ 75. This semi-automatic pistol was designed by brothers Josef and František Koucký in the late 1960s, and since it was a pistol intended for the armed forces and classified as "secret", it was never patented. Thanks to this "oversight", the construction scheme of this pistol, characterised by internal slide rails, has been taken up worldwide by various manufacturers, without any legal problems. Besides the Italian Tanfoglio, CZ 75 clones have been manufactured by companies such as the Swiss Sphinx, the British Spitfire, the Israeli IMI, the Chinese Norinco and others. Even the legendary Bren Ten pistol, made in the USA to a design by Jeff Cooper, is openly inspired by the CZ75.

The Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X, from Turkey for IPSC shooting

Turkey has also made several clones and variants of the CZ 75 pistol over the years, such as the one we present here, manufactured by Sarsilmaz Silah, that makes guns since 1880. It is called the Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X and is a sport pistol made entirely of steel, designed for the IPSC Production Division.

The K12 Sport X takes up the tried and tested layout of the pistols built on the CZ 75 platform, featuring internal slide rails and a double-stack frame made of steel to give the gun more stability in faster shot strings. The only concession to lighter materials are the aluminium grips bearing the manufacturer's logo. In order to reduce weight where it is not deemed necessary, this version does not have the miniature magwell at the base of the grip. The finish of frame and slide is Cerakote, with a pleasant shade of grey.

The K12 Sport X has a steel slide with front and rear cocking serrations and a series of lightening cuts on the slide front that help to slightly reduce the moving mass, reduce muzzle flip, and dissipate heat. A set of mechanical sights consisting of a micrometrically adjustable notch and a dovetailed front sight, which can be easily adjusted laterally or replaced, is fitted on the slide.

As befits a gun dedicated to IPSC shooting, the manual safety on the frame is ambidextrous and there is a beavertail on the grip to protect the shooter's hand from contact with the moving slide. The lightened hammer and trigger have a blued finish that contrasts nicely with the gun's grey tone.

The trigger of the K12 Sport X is single-action only, with adjustable pull weight factory set at approximately 2,700 grams. The trigger is a rounded type, with a trigger stop to reduce overtravel. The barrel of the Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X is 120 mm long and has a traditional profile rifling.

The capacity of the standard double-stack magazine is 17 9mm rounds, but 21-round extended versions or 15- 10-round  reduced versions are available to suit the legal restrictions of different countries. The weight of the Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X is approximately 1,170 grams without magazine.

The Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X is an interesting and inexpensive alternative (in the US it is priced under $800) for those who want to approach the world of IPSC shooting in the Production Division without having to shell out an intimidating sum.

Sarsilmaz K12 Sport X technical specifications