Canik Prime Showdown: MC9 LS Vs Prime Vs Prime NC Vs Prime Radian
- Graham Baates
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
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Canik has done a great job of making sure we have options. With the Prime line of pistols there are currently three options, four if we include the MC9 LS as it's of the same size class. So what's the difference between them? We set out to look for performance differences by running a simple drill once, without practice or do-overs to see if there was a measureable raw difference. The experiment was setup as such:
Two shooters: One experienced, one newer to shooting and such drills. Different hand sizes, different personal preferences.
"Bil" Drill: 5 shots at 7 yards at speed onto a grid target. The five shots at speed give the handgun's features a chance to have an impact on how easy the pistol is to control. The grid target gives us an easy way to measure impact spread.
Shot timer used for a surprise initiation and to watch out for both personal errors in speed and measure if one Canik enabled a drastic difference in speed.
This is not meant to be definitive, nor should any test conducted by someone other than yourself be taken as definitive. As you'll see in the results, when a test like this is done cold and data not cherry-picked, things aren't as clear-cut as some of the influencers out there might want you to believe. For this test to be more fair it would need to be conducted several times on different days with the order of the pistols scrambled each time. What you see below is meant to be an exploration, but the data might point us in a general direction.
See the Process in the video below, or scroll past to the results. Rumble Link. Original reviews with specifications, pricing, and sources are linked for each pistol. (Prime Radian review coming soon)
Ranked by Total Combined Hit Area
51 sq in combined Canik Prime Radian
The Canik Prime Radian takes all the advantages of the original Canik Prime and adds to it with a more aggressive magazine well to help hold onto larger hands, aggressive barrel proting, and the combination we saw in the TTI Combat of a shorter/lighter slide and addition of a muzzle weight to help counter muzzle rise. This was the best run for Anna, 3rd-best for Graham.
Prime Radian | Average Split | Spread | Area |
Anna | ~0.37s | 12"h x 3"w | 36 sq in |
Graham | ~0.18s | 6"h x 2.5"w | 15 sq in |
56 sq in combined Canik Prime NC
The original Prime had great potential for carry aside from the use of ports. The Prime NC removes those ports making the gun better for close-contact and non-standard position shooting as well as giving hollow points a better chance of performing as intended. This was the best run for Graham and 2nd-best for Anna.
Prime NC | Average Split | Spread | Area |
Anna | ~0.365s | 16"h x 3"w | 48 sq in |
Graham | ~0.19s | 2.5"h x 3.5"w | 8.75 sq in |
87.5 sq in combined Canik Prime
A considerable upgrade from the MC9LS with popular ported and back-bored barrel to ensure those ports don't require a special diet. 2nd-best run for Graham, 3rd-best for Anna.
Prime | Average Split | Spread | Area |
Anna | ~0.35s | 14"h x 5.5"w | 77 sq in |
Graham | ~0.19s | 3"h x 3.5"w | 10.5 sq in |
121.5 sq in combined Canik METE MC9LS
The largest of the MC9 family giving us more velocity and more capacity, but without the traction advantages intropduced with the Prime line. Worst run for Graham and Anna suggests the Prime advatnages are real, or that because it was our first run of the day we weren't fully engaged. Note that the MC9LS also has a shorter dust cover than the Prime line, though being polymer the weight difference is minimal.
MC9LS | Average Split | Spread | Area |
Anna | ~0.4s | 13"h x 7.5"w | 97.5 sq in |
Graham | ~0.17s | 6"h x 4"w | 24 sq in |
Did we see dramatic differences? That's hard to say. This test would need to be repeated over the course of several days and with various types of ammunition to have a more complete picture, but I think we can settle on the Prime line's traction advantage being real, and it appears the slide mass tweaking and muzzle weight of the Prime Radian offer further advantage. If you are trying to decide between the four I think the choice will come down to your intended application, budget, and personal preferences.