Sphinx SDP Compact Review

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JJ Hiryuu

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I noticed a lack of content here in the review section so I figured I'd contribute with a brief(ish) review of a recent purchase of mine.

New in box initial impressions.

Being a fan of the CZ75 series of pistols for a while now the Sphinx SDP Compact had my interest as soon as it began popping up in magazines and in the hands of youtube gun review personalities. I have had quite a bit of experience in the past with both a CZ P-01 and an EAA Witness, neither were my preferred pistol (I shoot a lot of striker fired guns and HK DA/SA) but I can appreciate good engineering regardless of personal preferences.

The Sphinx SDP is imported by Kriss USA Inc. of Kriss Vector fame. The pistols themselves are built by the current manifestation of the Swiss firm Sphinx. Sphinx has quite a name for itself thanks to the 2000 and 3000 series of competition handguns; I'd say calling them the European STI of CZ75 based guns is an accurate comparison. They tend to have a very high level of fit and finish in addition to a very stand out angular look. That brings us to the current offering...

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The Sphinx SDP Compact is an attempt to build a gun deserving of the Sphinx name that still remains in the realm of financial possibility for us working schmucks. The focus of this particular model appears to be decidedly more duty use with a spattering of competition rather than the pure race machines of the 2000 and 3000 series pistols.

The SDP uses a rather novel combination of materials for construction with a steel slide assembly, an aluminum upper frame, and a polymer grip and trigger guard. All three main components fit together so well the transition between materials is almost seamless. Picking the Sphinx SDP up for the first time gives the impression of a perfectly balanced all steel gun...which is a nice way of saying it's surprisingly heavy! Perhaps heavy is the wrong word, it feels dense. The weight is incredibly well balanced over the grip, and that grip rivals my much loved HK VP9. In the box three different sized wrap around grip panels are offered to suit the gun to your mitt size but I found the already installed medium to be about right.

slide to frame.jpg

Fit and finish are excellent with a slide to frame match that leaves zero perceptible wiggle. The story is much the same with the barrel in the slide, no side to side play what so ever. Racking the slide isn't quite the gliding-on-ball-bearings impression I've gotten with a few other guns but it is smooth. One of my major complaints with the CZ P-01 during a defensive pistol class was trying to slingshot the teeny slide in frame most CZ75 based guns feature with dirty sweaty hands. It can be hard to get a good purchase! Not so with the Sphinx SDP, the slide serrations are deep and angled and that slide is going to move! Barrel hood lockup feels like slamming a bank vault door shut, yet a firm rearward pull of the slide and the snap caps cycled easily.

This brings me to the controls. Don't bother trying to thumb the slide lock down, mine requires quite a bit of pressure and I generally prefer to sling-shot anyway. The single action trigger is fantastic. There is a bit of near effortless take-up and then it smoothly rolls through a crisp break somewhere in the range of 3lbs. Reset is crisp and audible, short enough I'd compare it with a SIG SRT, but lighter and smoother. The double action is...mediocre. This isn't as bad as I make it sound, as I find most double action pulls on DA/SA pistol to be somewhere between "awful" and "I can live with this". The Sphinx SDP decocks to a half-cock notch so this is where I dry fired from. There is a bit of take-up with almost no weight before you hit the real pull. From there the DA throw is rather short but suffers from a bit of grit and some very obvious stacking towards the end before the break. Not bad, not great, just good. It may actually wear in some with time and did in fact seem to smooth over some with the couple hundred dry fires I did leading up to my range time.

Speaking of range time...

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I started off with a magazine fired at a casual pace to get used to the pistol at a distance of around 7 to 9 yards. I didn't keep a good eye on how far I was actually shooting but most of my practice is within that range. I took a few shots decocking each time to try the double action and found the bit of grit and stacking had no real effect thanks to the shortish throw, landing shots right in with the following single action pulls. The next few boxes were mostly "failure to stop" drills starting with the gun decocked. The above picture is a testament to this guns "shootability".

(continued...)
 

JJ Hiryuu

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20150821_184805.jpg

Sending an IPSC target out to nearly the full length of the range and taking my time single action only for a full 15 round magazine gave me the above result. I'm pretty happy with it though I must admit I've been shooting a much larger pistol a lot more lately that really made the Sphinx SDP seem tiny. You see, I recently got a very lovely new stamp from our friends at the ATF and have been blasting away with my Mark 23. When the Sphinx SDP arrived I had plans to make very good use of that threaded barrel and had the appropriate metric piston already waiting...

20150819_053620.jpg

The Sphinx SDP was right at home with a SilencerCo Octane 45HD hanging off the end and digested an additional 100 rounds flawlessly. Total round count this first session was 400 rounds of a variety of brands. (S&B 115gr FMJ, PPU 115gr FMJ, Geco 124gr FMJ, Blazer Brass 115gr FMJ). My only gripe about shooting suppressed is that the sights are not high enough to clear. Normally this isn't an issue but because the Sphinx SDP uses a forward single dot and a blacked out rear sight I had no real reference for elevation. Luckily this thing is a natural point shooter!

Cleanup and final thoughts

The Sphinx SDP disassembly procedure should be familiar to anyone that has used a CZ75 (or Hi-Power, or...). Line up two marks on slide and frame and press out the slide release lever. Easier said than done as that slide release is very tight. I had to use the edge of a magazine base plate to get it started. Cleaning was a breeze as whatever process they use to finish this gun causes carbon to wipe right off, even after getting filthy with suppressed shooting. No unusual wear patterns were noted and the Sphinx SDP essentially still looked pristine. The only obvious area of wear I could find was the barrel hood.

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I've seen a lot of comparisons between the Sphinx SDP and the CZ P07, usually referring to the P07 as a sort of "budget version". Having handled both and gone over the internals of both...they share nothing in common except a general profile and some very general operating mechanics.

Bottom line, this is the best "CZ75" based pistol I have handled. It's up there with CZ Custom shop guns except the the Sphinx costs less. I may post a follow up after a few more range sessions. I plan to run a variety of JHP ammo through it to see how it performs, then it's holster shopping and I'll give this beauty a go at being a carry piece.

For accessories, holsters are available from a number of sources. Magazines are the one major failing of the aftermarket at the moment but I have found a solution! At the time of writing this Sphinx SDP Compact magazines are out of stock including direct from Kriss USA (at $54 each). The factory magazines are made by MecGar of Italy and just so happen to resemble another magazine made by MecGar for the Turkish Canik Stingray Compact...

...and by resemble I mean I bought some for $19 and discovered the magazine tubes, followers, and springs to be dimensional twins. The floorplate on the Canik magazine is a bit taller but 10 seconds on the flat grinding wheel and I've got extra magazines that fit and function exactly like the "factory also from MecGar" Sphinx magazines.
 

JJ Hiryuu

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UPDATE!

I've just crossed the 1000 rounds fired mark and have not had a single issue. Today I fired a mix of FMJ and two brands of JHP (Winchester Ranger 147gr and Hornady 124gr XTP). Wear patterns continue to only be obvious on the barrel, particularly the hood and towards the muzzle end.

Between range sessions I've been dry firing with a snap cap, doing presentations, learning the trigger and just generally dry firing the snot out of it. The double action pull has smoothed out significantly and the single action is just as crisp and 'perfect' as I could ask. After it has worn in a bit I'd rate the double action pull as amazing, on par with my old S&W Model 10.

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Range day is always a good day.
 

promiseofwar

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Nice review. I have been entertaining picking up a Sphinx since I first saw them for sale on Rainier Arms, the price is the only thing holding me back. I used to be a Glock shooter until I picked up the CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical. I heard H&H sales the Sphinx so I may go by and handle one to see how it feels. Again, thanks for the review.
 

Jeff Hughes

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I've had one about two weeks. I think they are a bargain for the quality...

1000 rounds of NATO 124g and 200 rounds of HST 147g +P. Flawless so far. I carry it with confidence.

Accurate, natural pointer, low recoil, great trigger, fast follow up shots.

I look forward to a subcompact and a full size Sphinx SPD....
 

rhart

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I have had the compact for about 6 months now and with about 2500 rounds through it has been flawless in stock configuration. I tried lighter recoil springs - 14#, not sure what stock RS weight is - and had failure to go into battery issues so back to stock for now. I tried lighter hammer/main spring 13# and had light strikes so back to stock. My eyes are too bad to test the long range accuracy adequately, but out to 15 yards grouping is excellent.
I also have the subcompact model and it is a good shooter as well although perceived recoil is a touch harsher without the recoil-absorbing grip inserts.
I'm thinking of getting an all steel Duotone model next if they don't come out with a full size all steel model soon.
 

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