Oops! I did it...Standard Arms SA-9

C

Cruzer

New member
Got it for $130 plus transfer fees. You can see it at http://www.standardgun.com

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Anyone know what I got myself into? I figured at worst it will be a project gun.



[Edited by Cruzer on 03-12-2001 at 02:46 PM]
 
Looks like I will have a project gun. These (un)kind words from Gun Tests Magazine, who gave the SA-9 a "Don't Buy" rating:


"Standard Arms of Nevada SA9
It is hard to get a good look at a gun that gives you trouble. We did manage to render accuracy and chronograph data (barely) despite many failures to feed. It is easy to see that this is a very close copy, a clone in fact, of the Kel-Tec product. The mags are also very similar, but the Kel-Tec magazines are branded with the Mec-Gar logo. We tried using the Kel-Tec–supplied Mec-Gar magazine, but it did not seem to help. Mec-Gar also supplies the magazine for the Taurus PT111, but the lockup is different, preventing interchanging with the P11 or SA9. Both the Kel-Tec and Taurus pistols fed flawlessly throughout our week-long test, so we would be hard pressed to blame the failure to feed on magazines...

...But the SA9 couldn’t match the P11’s reliability, and for us, that was enough to pass on the gun. "
 
Cruzer, regardless of what Gun Tests says, please let us know your experience. Gun Test may have got a "lemon". It happens. You may have a good one. Or Standard may have diagnosed and fixed the problem that GT had.

A pistol that concealable and that inexpensive looks attractive to cheapos like me.
 
Cruzer- sounds interesting for the price. Can you tell us where you ordered it from? You can email me also. Gunhound
 
I got the SA-9 on a gunbroker.com auction from R&D Sporting Goods in Vienna, IL. It will take a week or two since my FFL has to send their license, etc. Funny thing about the Gun Tests article is that they recommend the Taurus PT111, and they say "Don't Buy" the Kel-Tec P11. The feedback on this board is more positive for the P11 then for the PT111 - go figure. I'll post a review when I get it. Thanks.
 
Good Luck

I played with a borrowed SA-9 this last weekend. Not only would I have to agree with Gun Tests - I'd have to say they weren't emphatic enough.

With factory ball, flat points and hollow points I was not able to completely run one magazine full without a FTF and/or a failure to eject.

With Rem. ball the gun shot to point of aim at 25 yards. All other tested loads shot way low. (I've yet to figure any rational reason why.)

The ball worked better, but still had at least one failure to feed (round jambed against the feed ramp) per magazine.

The problems with FTF may have been due to the magazine - I only had the one. I don't think I could blame the failures to extract on the magazine - but maybe. The empty casing would be in the chamber with a fresh round nudged up against the expended primer.

3 times in a 100 or so rounds I had a failure to fire. Two of them fired after the second trigger pull.

It may have been the individual gun - and for your sake I hope it was. How-some-ever, IMHO the one I was playing with was one I'd sell to my best enemy if I was reasonably certain he was going into harms way.
 
Jim,

How was the fit and finish? Was it comfortable in your hand? How was the recoil? Did you take it down?

Based on what I've heard, I'd guess the extractor needs some work, and maybe some additional fluff and buff all around. I have never worked on a gun, so I'm hoping to learn some gunsmithing skills on this one. I'll try to develop some troubleshooting guidelines... I'm not worried about FTF's or extraction problems, I have never had one with my Kel-Tec P32, Sig P239, USP40c, or Trailside. Maybe I can use it to practice my Tap, Rack, Bang exercises :)
 
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