Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Canik 55 (Tristar T-100) Range Report

Took a while to get this gun. Academy Sports has them for $349 right now. Mine was $329 on sale. Not that great of a sale, but for what you get, this is one of the best gun deals in existence!

Aluminum frame. 3.7 inch barrel, 15 round magazines.
Very tight slide to frame fit. Absolutely no side to side play. Bank-vault tight.
The slide slips back and forth like glass. No machine marks. Anodizing or Cerakote is flawless. No chips, scratches or blemishes.

Double wound coil spring and steel guide rod.

Double action/single action.
Can be carried cocked and locked. No hammer drop/decocking mechanism.

Double action sucks. May smooth out some, but it's heavy. If there's a spring kit, I may look into it, but for cocked and locked, it doesn't matter. Single action is decent. A bit of take up and then a fairly light, but not "target grade" let-off. It works fairly well.

When dry firing, I noticed on let-off that the front sight seemed to jump a fraction to the right. In actual shooting, this was born out with the target. This is unusual for me as I tend to pull left with new guns. But the trigger reach on this is long, just like other CZ pistols.

My daughter was shooting the SR-22 and in between her loading magazines, I fired the first 5 shots at 10 yards off hand. The first was double action and it went high and right and the following four all went into a single hole about the size of a quarter. I thought...hmmm this has potential. I didn't photograph that target because it was liberally peppered with .22 holes all over the place and I didn't want anyone thinking I'd done that!

So, I swapped out targets (pictured) and loaded up two mags with 30 rounds. Backed up to 20 yards and standing, fired the first round double action and then 14 more. Then swapping mags, I fired the first shot double action and finished with 14 more.



The double action shots were both very high. I'm wondering if this might also be that first shot chambered syndrome where they don't fall into the rest of the group? Don't know for sure. Time will tell. But 20 of the 30 rounds went into that single cluster off hand.

All in all, I fired 100 rounds of mixed stuff. No bobbles or hiccups. During cleaning, everything was nice. All the mating surfaces still had their anodizing of Cerakote intact, though I've read that it's not particularly hard and that the frame rails will show some shine after a few hundred rounds.

Impressions? This is a very soft shooting 9mm and empty, it's feather light! With a 15 round mag, it still feels lighter than a BHP and it shoots as good as any BHP I've ever owned.

The T-120 is an inch longer and has 2 more rounds per magazine. There are also steel models and another compact called the C-100 that is identical to the CZ compact. There is one in .40 caliber at the local Academy for $299!

Looks like a CZ 75 variant.

On further reading, I see that you imply that it is, in fact, a CZ variant.

Dan,

Thanks!

What's the loaded and empty weight?

You'd have to get that off the specs. I don't have a scale. But unloaded, it feels no heavier than an unloaded Charter Arms Bulldog. It literally feels feather light with the aluminum frame.

ONCE again the c-100 are not steel n ok slide is steel lower is alloy

idholton - if you reread what I wrote, you'll see that I didn't say the C-100 was steel. I was very clear on that point. The inserted "And" should have clued you in. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.

you were not that clear and it's a lower case L not an i so ...

He was quite clear.

It really doesn't matter. I put together a pretty in-depth range report and your only comment was to remind me you corrected me once before. I appreciate your input.

in depth report lol ok

Sorry if it didn't measure up to your standards.

Dan thanks for the write up. I enjoyed reading this. It looks like you found quite the bargain!

Kingston, appreciate it. This wasn't a feature article in a gun rag. I used to get paid $500 per feature article in Handguns Magazine. I know this wasn't up to those standards, just a taste. If "id" expects my best work, he'd have to pay for it.

Best to you.

Let's see. Inexpensive alloy-framed, CZ inspired, compact, high cap, traditional DA. Accurate in SA, not so much in DA, Cerakote, dependable. 1911-BHP-CZ type safety, no decocker.

Pretty clear to me.

Sounds like the something to recommend to a friend.

Wish they were more left-hand friendly, I'd think about one for myself.

Thanks Dan.

The Canik's are also parts interchangeable with CZ.

I've heard there is a CZ kit to reduce the trigger reach. Anyone ever tried it?

Hmmmm....

Do CZ mags work?

I think I like what I see.

Here's a ambidexterous version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8-DCMvXV9w

Yes they do!

Yes, CZ mags interchange.

Last I looked, CGW did not recommend trying the TRRK in the Tristar pistols, but that's been some months ago. They're always putting together new things, may behoove you to give them a call.

Lots of good CZ clone info here

Thanks. Visited there and the registration process seems to be broken. Can't make it work.