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First Look: Canik SFx Rival-S

Yep…followed me home today.
Putting rounds down range tomorrow… hope this gun shoots as good as it looks and feels.
Really nice and it will shoot accurately.

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So, I had a few growing pains with mine…Rival S.
Put roughly 150 rounds down range yesterday. To start, when I took it home Saturday I field stripped and cleaned/lubed it.
First 50 rounds, 5 to 6 FTE from either mag I used.
Next 50, maybe 2.
Last 50, well oiled machine, just kept going. 2-3 mags of double taps, etc. It ran perfect.

I thought the gun just didn’t like the reloads I use (which, fired fine all day in my X5 Legion, S&W Competitor and SA Prodigy, all in all went through 350 rounds).. So I loaded up a couple mags of new CCI 124 gr (I only shoot 124gr) and I got a single FTE from the new CCI. After 50 reloads, 50 new CCI, I went back to the reloads and no issues…just real nice holes in paper.

I’m gonna field strip it again, check wear marks, clean it/lube it up again and get it out to the range soon. My week and a half old S&W Competitor has roughly 300 rounds through it, same ammo..all reloads, not one single FTF or FTE, also a very good shooter.

I bought the Canik for the feel in hand, the outstanding trigger and the value of all that comes with it.
I really like it. I like the weight for range/target pistols as well.
It’s got promise, but I need to get through a solid 500 rounds of no issues before I truly believe in it.
 
None of my Caniks will feed sterling ammo, everything else they will. Canik makes a weaker recoil spring and rod for underpowered ammo. i didn't buy one just stopped using sterling ammo.
 
Interesting Belt Fed.
My reloads are 130 power factor and the Blazer ammo is 135.
Is there a PF that the weaker recoil spring is recommended for?
 
Blazer ammo
Mine will feed that and also the white boxed winchester with no problem. that sterling stuff must be really weak. i have a couple other brand guns it won't feed in. now mine are not the metal framed ones so i don't know if there is a difference or not.
 
Gotcha.. I’m going to keep on running it as is for now. The last 5 mags of 10 rounds it ripped through them, a few normal shots, then a few mags of double taps. I never owned a plastic frame, shot my friends..but this steel frame is just unreal. The trigger in the Canik is hands down the best striker fired trigger I’ve shot in any factory pistol.
My Sig is nicer, albeit via a Sig Armorer’s comp kit. My S&W I’d say is on par with the Canik, slight edge going to Canik…but that’s after an Overwatch trigger kit and comp striker. My Prodigy…well…that’s a 19/2011… :)

According to Sterlings published numbers on their 115 ammo, it’s power factor of 132. That’s me assuming you’re using the 115 from Sterling.
 
I've got the original Rival Darkside and it is one of the most impressive striker fired pistols I've seen to date. The trigger is amazing.

Looking forward to dajogejr's review. I'd like to pick up the Rival S because of the all metal construction but can't decide if it's worth it since I already have the Rival. From reviews I've seen, the difference between the two is very noticeable.

It's almost worth buying it for the case and accessories that come with it alone. It's amazing what it comes with. It really puts to shame the cheap cardboard box that the Prodigy comes with.
 
RLB, I hear ya.
In the past 2 months I’ve bought a Prodigy (4.25), S&W Competitor and now this Canik.
I’m done…LOL <just in case wife looks over shoulder…lol>

I’ve had my Sig X5 Legion for just over a year. Originally, I put the Apex kit in it. Good, not great but good.
I then sought out the Sig Armorer, at the time, he only took guns in and did his magic. In the past few months, he came out with a kit that drops in… simply put, amazing. I still really like shooting that gun.

I have two carry guns, a compact P320 with WC grip and factory sites. Nice gun, serves the purpose…but I’m all about the range since my bike sits in the garage while it’s cold…

I have 4 pistols now that are absolute pleasure to shoot. I have 100% confidence in my first 3… too early with the Canik but it’s looking better as the day went on yesterday.
At 7-10 yards I was able to double tap a 2-4 inch group pretty consistently. Call that good, call that rookie.. I call it very acceptable for my shooting ability :). I really, really love everything about this Canik. The case is really, really amazing.
All the accessories, while I won’t probably use most of them, are nice for the guy/gal that doesn’t have a range bag and all the tools known to man :)

I will say this, for the price point, I was not expecting what I got as far as fit, finish and quality. My Competitor looks and feels cheaper than the Canik. 4 Mags with the S&W was nice, but I dumped 200 plus into it to get a compatible trigger to the out of the box Canik. For range/target guns I’m an optic guy… carry, irons.

Once I got past the FTE issues, I shot nice groupings/holes. I just need to dial in the dot a little bit more.
 
dajogejr, glad to hear that the Rival S is coming around. Canik is one brand that I pretty much glossed over for a long while but after hearing so much good said about it, I finally broke down and bought the Rival Darkside. It's been a pleasure to shoot.

Canik in general is one brand that seems to almost unanimously gets nothing but praise heaped on it. The regular Rival has been great, but from I've heard the Rival S takes it to a whole new level.

It sounds as if you've been on a bit of a spending spree of lately. They keep coming out with more and more cool guns. I've looked at the Competitor and that's on my to get list. I'm also looking for a Dan Wesson DWX. I love CZs and 1911s and the DWX combines both of them into what I've heard is quite a gun. Although it's not a true 2011, it does share a lot of characteristics with it.

The one that surprised me the most is the Prodigy however. I've rarely been this impressed with a new gun. Granted it took a little break in period that had me worried in the beginning, but now it all seems to have worked itself out and I love everything about it, so much so that I've been looking at Staccatos (gulp). The new C2 and the P have really caught my eye, but at about $2500 per pop that's a lot to consider. On one hand the Staccato P is very similar to the Prodigy so does it warrant spending that much money? I would love to hear from someone who has both to see if they really notice that much of a difference between the two. I don't doubt that the Staccato is the better of the two, but is it really THAT much better, especially for someone who doesn't shoot competitively?

My want to get list keeps growing......M&P Competitor, Dan Wesson DWX, CZ TS2 Orange, Sig P320 AXG Comp Legion, and now Staccato P....my bank account just can't keep up. I should have picked a less expensive hobby....something like bird watching. Nah!
 
RLB, if I’m being honest… having the Canik Steel now, shooting it along side my Competitor.. if I did all over, I’d leave the competitor at the store.
But as is…it came up first, I’ve always liked M&Ps, shot them well. Carried a compact for a long time.

The only thing I like better about the M&P is 4 mags. I also paid 80 bucks more…so, wash.
In addition, I’m kinda a trigger snob when it comes to range/target guns. The M&P was awful compared to my X5 stock and especially once done by Sig Armorer, and awful compared to the Canik out of the box.
Now that I spent another 220 on the trigger, it’s 90% of how good the Canik is.

It shoots well, eats everything, is reliable as a cynder block so far….it just doesn’t feel as good or come with as much stuff as the Canik for a much lesser price point.
 
Thanks for the honest review of the Competitor. It always helps to hear someone who has experience with a particular model and has been able to shoot it. I'm still interested in it but I may just move it down a couple of notches on the list and look at some of the more desirable models. It was actually the all metal frame that really got me interested.
After spending some time with the Prodigy and finding out how much I like the 2011 platform I'm really leaning towards either the Dan Wesson DWX or like I said a Staccato P.
 
Thanks for the honest review of the Competitor. It always helps to hear someone who has experience with a particular model and has been able to shoot it. I'm still interested in it but I may just move it down a couple of notches on the list and look at some of the more desirable models. It was actually the all metal frame that really got me interested.
After spending some time with the Prodigy and finding out how much I like the 2011 platform I'm really leaning towards either the Dan Wesson DWX or like I said a Staccato P.
The big difference is this…and it’s huge. The Competitor is aluminum frame. Just a notch up from polymer, but…stiffer nonetheless. The Rival is steel… much heavier than Polymer or Aluminum. I think bare bones the Canik S is 42.7 ounces. I think the competitor is 29. You can feel the heft and it’s most noticed on recoil and return to target.
Stacatto P is on my list…but…a ways away. That’s the price of a Cam and tune for my Harley… :)
 
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