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In 2021 I reviewed the SAR USA SAR9 C for a magazine article and was quickly impressed as what at first glance appeared to be yet another gen 3 Glock build turned out to be a very well-made pistol with serious intent. Almost three years later the SAR 9C Gen 3 was shown at SHOT show with some smart upgrades. The branding and nomenclature has changed (from "SAR USA" to just "SAR" and nomenclature from "SAR9 C" to "SAR 9C"), let's take a look at what changes the shooters will care about.
I wasn't planning on reviewing this gun, but stumbled upon it at a price I couldn't say no to at Sportsman's Guide.
What Is It? The SAR 9C Gen 3 is a polymer-framed, striker-fired, 15-round, 4" barrel handgun. That size format has long be appreciated as the "do-all" size in that it's compact enough for carry, but usually also large enough to enjoy on theh range. Though some may be bored with description above, the value of a single gun that can be both carried and trained with is indisputable.
For the "Gen 3" slide mass has been reduced, the trigger greatly enhanced, sights upgraded, and an optics cut made.
Who's it For? Fitting in that "Goldilocks" size, and priced very competitively, the SAR 9C Gen 3 could be for anyone. As a first gun, as a carry gun, house gun, or just for fun. The feature set means the SAR 9C Gen 3 can grow with the shooter, or move right in as a next gun for an established shooter.
Take a closer look at the SAR 9C Gen 3 in the tabletop video below:
Specifications from SAR are rather basic, and since they didn't update the manual or product page (as of the time this was written) there is no guidance as to which optics fit the included plate. I was able to confirm through my own testing that Viridian RFX 15 (Shield Standard Footprint) fits perfectly and even permits co-witness with the iron sights.
Model | Caliber | Capacity | Barrel Length | Action | LOA | Width | Weight |
SAR9 C | 9mm | 15+1 | 4 in | Striker | 7.2 in | 1.4 in | 26.8 oz |
Pricing (as of 17APR24, click links for current pricing)
I was impressed with the Gen 3 upgrades, as well as what was kept from the original, namely the ergonomic grip options and dual-spring recoil system. Witht eh SAR9's pedigree as a military tiral and potential NATO service weapon of course the typical, "but does it run with American ammo?" question was present. We'll get to that in the range review.
Range testing was done before the comparative study and followed the GBGuns standard Range Protocol including:
With that in mind we hit the range. As always, to keep things fair, the standard GBGuns range protocl was followed including:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
Multi-Mag: If a firearm uses a common magazine pattern we try out possibly compatible magazines. If they work they're included in What's For Dinner with the caveat that should a malfunction occur we return to the factory-included magazines.
What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun we used the following ammunition:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
70gr Federan American Eagle Frangible $31.99 / 50 direct from Federal
100gr Hevi Shot Hevi Duty
115gr Winchester Silver Tip $19.49 / 20 at Optics Planet
115gr MagTech steel-cased FMJ $11.99 / 50 at True Shot
115gr Blazer Alumin-cased FMJ $11.99 / 50 at True Shot
124gr Hornady Critical Duty $27.15 /20 at Global Ordnance
124gr PMC SFX JHP $30.00 / 50 at Optics Planet
124gr Federal Premium Tactical HST $39.99 / 50 at Target Sports USA
138gr Federal Syntech Defense SJHP $19.59 / 20 at Optics Planet
150gr Federal Action Pistol $28.99 / 50 direct from Federal
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
The entire process can be seen in the Shooting Impressions video below.
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the range I had more fun witht eh SAR 9C Gen 3 than I can recall in recent memory with another compact-sized gun. They tend to be slightly too small for my hand and wahile always managable, It's hard to not remember that something slightly bigger would be more comfortabel to shoot. That wasn't the case with this "compact".
The Meprolight night sights were excellent, and I believe the combination of that dual-coil recoil assembly and great ergonomics made holding onto the gun easier than most. The new trigger, while not a wild competition trigger, is considerably better than the original. I've often said the most importabt attribute of a trigger is predictability and this new Gen 3 trigger is certainly that.
Considering this is an update on a gun that survived 50,000 rounds of NATO ammunition in military trials, if you're in the market for something new I have no reservations about recommending the SAR 9C Gen 3. Additional magazines are currently available directly from SAR USA, including 10-rd options for those trapped outside the Constitutional United States. What remains to be seen is what kind of holster support is or will be formed beyond those already listed by SAR USA.