Manufactured by Samsun Domestic Defense and Industry Corp. of Turkey, with Century Arms acting as the company’s primary importer and distributor, Canik’s polymer-frame 9 mm Luger-chambered semi-automatic pistols have enjoyed steady sales in the United States over the past few years. The company’s catalog has expanded to include a broad selection of the original polymer-frame TP9 service pistols, the Mete subcompact carry models and the award-winning SFx Rival series of race guns. Canik is also collaborating with other companies to provide unique offerings, such as the TTI Combat model developed with Taran Butler, founder of Taran Tactical Innovations.
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. This is a feature-rich pistol, shipped with an expansive set of accessories, at a suggested retail price noticeably lower than that of competing models. This evaluation takes a closer look at the standard chrome-finished version that ships without a factory-installed MO2 red-dot optic.
Like Canik’s other striker-fired offerings, the SFx Rival-S’s double-action-only, semi-automatic action employs a Browning-type tilting barrel. The configuration is based on that of the polymer-frame Rival. The barrel is forged for added durability, with a few refinements intended to appeal to competitive shooters. The steel frame noticeably increases the pistol’s weight to 42.9 ozs. with an empty magazine.
Three polymer inserts (l.) allow the user to fine-tune the circumference of the pistol’s grip; the smallest of the three comes installed on the gun. The Canik’s fully adjustable rear sight (middle) is mounted directly into its filler plate, so installing an optic will preclude its use. In addition to a drift-adjustable red fiber-optic front sight, the pistol’s slide (r.) features deep and wide cocking serrations and numerous bevels, ports and lightening cuts that, in conjunction with the straight-fluted barrel, serve to keep the gun’s weight manageable.
The chromed-steel slide’s surface features geometric bevels, ports, lightening cutouts and deep, wide canted serrations from the muzzle to the slide plate. These modifications are cosmetically appealing while reducing the slide’s weight and providing plenty of purchase points for manually cycling the slide. The barrel’s hood and the optics filler plate are finished and textured to match. A red fiber-optic pipe is housed in the dovetailed metallic front sight. The fully adjustable square-notch rear sight assembly is mounted directly into the matching 0.3"-thick filler plate; this means that the rear sight is completely removed from the pistol when an optic is installed.
Canik’s SFx Rival-S arrives with a total of five aluminum optics-mounting plates, along with a small tool and hardware kit for mounting these plates. Together, these plates will accommodate the majority of the micro red-dot optics currently popular for use with pistols. Other slide features include an oversize extractor claw and a metallic, serrated slide plate ported for a red cocked-striker indicator.
The 5" barrel is milled with straight fluting and treated with the same chrome finish as the slide and frame. The bore is cut with traditional six-groove, 1:10" right-hand rifling suitable for use with jacketed or lead projectiles. The full-length steel guide rod supports a single captured flat-wire recoil spring.
A 1.75"-long, four-slot Picatinny rail on the frame’s dustcover supports light or laser modules. The generously sized square-profile trigger guard has a checkered flat face, which serves as a finger rest, and it is undercut and beveled where it meets the grip for added comfort. Above the trigger housing on each side is a removable checkered plate that serves as a touch point for the tip of the trigger finger. Behind these plates is the takedown lever followed by extended bilateral slide-release levers.
The straight-profile aluminum competition trigger’s integral safety lever is broad and flat with a finely checkered surface; for all intents and purposes, it is the trigger’s face. The trigger’s total arc of travel measures 0.35" with a 90-degree vertical stop. It exhibits a smooth, light take-up with a firm wall before breaking at 4 lbs., 3 ozs., of pressure. Reset is an exceptionally short 1/8" with a tactile and audible “click.”
The top of the grip frame, behind the trigger guard, is deeply indented on both sides to better accommodate the thumb and trigger finger. The aluminum, square-button magazine-release button is reversible for left- or right-handed operation; a total of three buttons of varying heights are provided, with the tallest installed at the factory. A removable, one-piece, textured-polymer insert that covers the backstrap and most of both sides of the grip frame is fitted to the frame by four screws. The small insert comes installed on the gun, but medium and large inserts are included with the pistol’s accessories. Deep checkering on the frontstrap provides added purchase.
This pistol arrived with a pair of Canik’s full-size, 18-round, blued-steel magazines with flat polymer baseplates. The magazine well is flared and beveled to aid in quick reloads, and a removable aluminum extension, along with a pair of slightly thicker aluminum baseplates to use with it, are also included. Other accessories provided include a lockable hard case, polymer belt holster, magazine loader, pin punch, bronze bore brush, patch handle and a trigger lock.
Our range evaluation of the SFx Rival-S was conducted using a Swampfox Sentinel II featuring a 3-m.o.a. green-dot aiming point. The pistol exhibited the handling characteristics that define the race gun segment of the 9 mm Luger pistol market. Its weight is properly distributed for a handy, well-balanced feel that points quickly and naturally.
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.
Canik’s SFx Rival-S is another example of the company’s dedication to offering high-quality products that meet customers’ needs at reasonable costs. Just like the polymer-frame models, this steel-frame competition pistol punches above its price bracket and does so with class.
