Sphinx SDP review and critiques

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Worc

New member
I just received my Sphinx SDP (Alpha) yesterday. While I've shot four different one's and handled at least that many different ones. It was nice to spend some quality time with my own where I did not feel rushed while examining the minute details.

Frist off this gun is very tight and stiff while working the action and controls. I'm sure that it will loosen up some as I dry fire and work the action in addition to shooting the gun. This is likely the first real virgin one that was not fired and handled a million times before me.

As always, I've come up with my likes, dislikes, not sure's, and misses/wishful thinking.

Misses/wishful thinking: I really wish all auto loading hand guns , including this model had paddle magazine releases ala HK and Walther. I would like to have seen a slide catch/stop/release lever on the left side of the gun like on their 2000 and 3000 series models. I would have liked to had another 1/8" of grip length as this model is right at the cusp for me.

Not sure's: The back sight is solid black and I prefer three dots. I'll use it for a little while to see how it goes. If I decide I don't like it, I'll just remove it and drill a set of dots into it. The magazine button a tough for me to reach without adjusting my grip. That may improve once I play around with the different grip sizes.

Dislikes: Not a whole lot. The slide grooves and controls are pretty sharp. Their control levers are all machined and could have stood a little bead blasting to soften the edges some. The tips on most on my fingers and thumbs became raw feeling after an hour of fiddling with them. I'm not a fan of beavertails. This one is not bad but, I'd rather not have one. It must just be for looks. No way to get slide bite with the thin slide so high above the grip. Hammer pinch could happen to some but I doubt it. The hammer is a good distance from the beaver tail unlike a 1911 where it recesses into it. The trigger shoe could have a little more contour on the edge which would be nice for the DA pull.

Likes: The gun has very good ergonomics and has three different grip inserts that are for the back strap and palm swell (sides). Quality is very good and looks to be all machined except for the springs and lower frame. I like how the lower frame is polymer and the upper is aluminum. This helps keep cost and weight down some yet provide full length slide rails. The lower polymer is done well and the seams are almost non-existent all around the trigger guard. There is evidence of one at the front of the grip that's been blended to the rest of the texture. The SA trigger pull is smooth, light and breaks like glass with zero creep and over travel and has little take up. The reset is decent in terms of distance and tactile feel/sound. It does have a slight amount of take up right after the reset. I've not measured anything yet but will in the next day or so. Magazines drop freely when empty and on angles. The action will close when inserting a fresh magazine when done quickly like in a tactical reload drill, which is something I like. I like DA/SA with a decocker and this has levers on both sides. It's a fairly decent model for ambidextrous use and I be interested in what my son's take on it will be as a lefty.



Once I get to the range to shoot it, I'll post another review and maybe do some comparison's to some other models.
 
That's a real beauty, congrats. Forgive me if I missed in the review, but how is the initial DA trigger pull?

I've wanted a Sphinx for many years now and hope to have one in the collection some day.

Looking forward to your follow up.

Thanks for posting.
 
Thanks Shadi Khalil. I did not mention the DA pull which is long and heavy but, smooth. I do notice a bit of a flat spot when pulling it slowly in DA until the hammer hits the "Half Cock" position where it's smooth. Pulling it as if I were shooting it's not noticeable.

One thing I forgot to mention in the dislike section is the break down. I'd rather not have to line up hashes on a thin slide and then need something to push out the pin/lever. I would also rather not have to remove the pin/lever from the gun. It's just another part to keep track of. Makes the take down on my HK P-30 seem easy. Not a huge deal or a deal breaker, just not the best break down in the business.

I did manage to take some measurements and play with the grip inserts. I had the large in and after trying all three that's the one I'm going with. I could not reach the magazine release without adjusting my grip with any of the inserts.

The gun with an empty magazine weighs in at 31.0 oz which is only .2 oz less than my Sig 226 and 4.6 oz more than my HK P-30. Most of that weight is in the slide assembly with barrel and RSA which comes in at 17.2oz. The complete frame and components is 11oz and the magazine 2.8oz

The trigger pull in DA is more than 12 pounds which is the max of my scale. The DA pull in the "Half Cocked" position was 11 pounds 12 ounces on a three pull average. The SA pull was 5 pounds 1 ounce 3P avg. DA take up was only 1/16" with 11/16" travel. DA in "Half Cocked" was 3/16" with 11/16" travel. SA take up was 3/16" with 5/16" travel. The reset was 1/4" with 1/16" of take up.
 
I'm glad sphinx are getting more press time and notice. They kinda were uncommon before. I really dislike the 3000s new styling since Kriss started importing them.
 
The SDP is based off the CZ design that has some similarities between the 75 and P-07 models in addition to their own unique touches. The SDP is basically a higher quality CZ. Sphinx has made other models prior to the SDP that you may be thinking of.

The SDP is a lower cost model for Sphinx. The Alpha model has a polymer lower frame along less caliber options for the whole SDP line.
 
I have the same gun, on loan from KRISS (the importer.) I like it so much I'm in the process of buying it.

My only complaint was the relatively heavy DA trigger. Kriss suggested using lighter CZ Compact hammer springs -- which I did, and it improved it to the point that I was ready to leave it that way. But then I found that Cajun Gun Works has a spring kit for the SDP and I'll probably install that. (I've exchanged messages with several SDP owners with that kit installed, and they all rave!)

David Milan (CGW) has his own springs made to his spec. The CGW kit has a 13 pound hammer spring, but it ignites. I used a Wolff 16 pound spring and it was less reliable; the 17 pound spring now installed works well. I'm looking forward to installing the CGW kit.

For me, it's a near-perfect gun. I have a Gray Guns SIG P228r (with their duty package) and I like the Sphinx better. (I've had other Sphinx 2000s... and they were great, but too pretty for my taste: I didn't like the high-gloss stainless. This gun is more to my taste.)
 
g.willikers said:
That's not the one I was expecting to see.
Didn't Sphinx once make a very high quality CZ type pistol?
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They still do. It looks like a P-07, but internally is very much a traditional CZ (while the P-07 is not), and the fit and finish are outstanding. It's a high quality gun with some minor improvements you don't appreciate until you use them -- like when replacing hammer springs... Ergonomically, it is pure CZ, but the trigger reach might be a bit shorter. The trigger is very nice, crisp, smooth, and no hammer camming (as it typical on most CZs.) I'm a CZ fan, and have had many...

(The SDP uses a two-part frame, and offers alloy upper/lower, alloy upper/poly lower, or stainless upper/lower. The 3000 line does the same, but it's just BIGGER. The slides are all steel (or stainless steel). All poly frames are NOT an option.

This particular model, which can be found for under $900 is the equivalent of a CZ Custom Shop gun, which typically sells for more. I think the one above is like mine, and the lower part of the frame (the grip frame) is poly -- but you don't know it by feel or look.
 
This particular model, which can be found for under $900 is the equivalent of a CZ Custom Shop gun, which typically sells for more.
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In fit and finish I'd say the SPHINX is actually superior to a CZ Custom gun. However, the trigger to me still leaves something to be desired. Maybe the three SDPs I handled were oddballs, but they weren't any better than a stock CZ P-01, with the P-01 actually having a lighter DA pull. That's not bad, but I've pulled the triggers on a few CZ Custom guns and they are well above that.
 
Having handled about 10 different SDP's, I can say that they all had good triggers. Not Sig good but better than most including any CZ that I've shot or dried fired which were all pretty good in their own right. No doubt there's room for improvement on the SDP's trigger, more so on the on the DA than the SA. I may add the CGW spring kit but not until I get at least 1,000 rounds through the gun to see what the trigger does after that along with dry firing.

I don't think the grip on the SDP feels like any CZ that I've held.
 
I added the CZ compact spring that Walt mentioned and it works great. It made a big difference in trigger pull. I also made a couple of additional mags for the SDP using MecGar CZ 75 16 round mags and the CZ SP-01 18 round mag spacers. I had to use sand paper and a Dremel but they appear to fit well.

sphinx-1.jpg
 
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TunnelRat said:
In fit and finish I'd say the SPHINX is actually superior to a CZ Custom gun. However, the trigger to me still leaves something to be desired. Maybe the three SDPs I handled were oddballs, but they weren't any better than a stock CZ P-01, with the P-01 actually having a lighter DA pull. That's not bad, but I've pulled the triggers on a few CZ Custom guns and they are well above that.
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If you mean the trigger was HEAVY, I'd agree -- and I made that comment in my earlier response. The factory trigger, for me, does leave something to be desired. That is easily fixed by changing the hammer spring - which is a very simple process with the SDP, unlike the CZs. You just pull the grips off (using their small grip tool), undo the screw on the base of the grip, drop the old hammer spring out, slip the new one in, reinstall the screw, slip on the grips, and go. Changing hammer springs on the CZs are much more time-consuming and involved. I much prefer the Sphinx approach.

When I first talked with the Kriss rep about the heavy trigger, he said they had originally delivered them with lighter springs, but folks found them too light and too slick. [I had that sort of experience with a otherwise marvelous ASAI One Pro .45 some years back -- and eventually sold it.] I was double-tapping when I didn't mean to, and I didn't feel in control. I've learned a bit since then, and now realize that I was DUMB of me to sell it -- I should've just gotten a HEAVIER hammer spring for the gun. I'd know better how to handle that situation, now.

If you mean the so-so trigger was due to something other than being HEAVY, then we'll have to disagree. Mine, even when heavy, was very smooth and broke cleanly in SA mode. The original trigger actually weighed about 12 pounds in DA mode but felt MUCH lighter.

I will be ordering the Cajun Gun Works spring kit, which offers a 13 lb. hammer spring; the factory spring is probably 20 lbs. The 17 lb. spring I installed was a big improvement and it measures about 5 pounds, but feels lighter.

The Swiss have a well-deserved reputation for building fine machinery, and even though Sphinx has made an effort with the new line of Sphinx pistols to make the design more suitable for mass production, they're still building very fine machines. (My favorite AT-84s, a semi-custom gun, was also made in Switzerland, by ITM, a predecessor of Sphinx.)

Worc said:
I don't think the grip on the SDP feels like any CZ that I've held.
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The grip feels similar or different, depending on which of the three different-sized grips are installed on the guns. (Most folks don't understand that the grips can be changed!) I installed the largest grips on mine -- and that seems to be the one most folks like. They probably come with the mid-sized grips installed... swapping them is quick: use the supplied tool, pull the grip off, put the next one on. I probably takes a minute or two.
 
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Walt Sherrill wrote:The grip feels similar or different, depending on which of the three different-sized grips are installed on the guns. (Most folks don't understand that the grips can be changed!) I installed the largest grips on mine -- and that seems to be the one most folks like. They probably come with the mid-sized grips installed... swapping them is quick: use the supplied tool, pull the grip off, put the next one on. I probably takes a minute or two.
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Grip feel being so subjective it does not matter which grip module is installed on the Sphinx. I don't think they feel like any CZ. The P-07 and P-09 feel more blocky with less palm swell. The Sphinx feels like it has more palm swell than the 75. There's no transition from frame to grip at the back of the Sphinx and it has mild finger groves at the front and 3/4 of the grip is covered in soft rubber.

Even though I knew I liked the big grip the best, I played around with the M and S just to confirm.
 
chrisp51 wrote:I added the CZ compact spring that Walt mentioned and it works great. It made a big difference in trigger pull. I also made a couple of additional mags for the SDP using MecGar CZ 75 16 round mags and the CZ SP-01 18 round mag spacers. I had to use sand paper and a Dremel but they appear to fit well.
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What kind of change in terms of weight did the spring make? Nice job on the magazine modification. How many rounds does you Frankenmag hold?
 
Worc said:
...Grip feel being so subjective it does not matter which grip module is installed on the Sphinx. I don't think they feel like any Z.
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When I said the same great CZ ergonomics, I didn't really mean to suggest that they FELT exectly the same.... but they do feel similar to me. The ergonomics point was they just fit most hands very well, point well, etc. Just like a CZ. Different than my SIGs or Glocks or S&W M&P pros.
 
Walt Sherrill wrote:When I said the same great CZ ergonomics, I didn't really mean to suggest that they FELT exectly the same.... but they do feel similar to me. The ergonomics point was they just fit most hands very well, point well, etc. Just like a CZ. Different than my SIGs or Glocks or S&W M&P pros.
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Agreed, for the most part. When I hold CZ's, I don't think of exceptional ergo's grip wise. Control layout on CZ's and the Sphinx SDP are very good. Balance on the Sphinx SDP (Alpha) is also quite different that any CZ I've handled or shot. More than likely due to the polymer lower and aluminum upper frame materials. I do find the grip on the Sphinx SDP comfortable but not as good as some of my other 9mm's. It's all subjective though.
 
On my SDP, with the 17 lb. Wolff Compact springs installed, I get a bit more than 8 lbs DA (from the decocked position) and a hair over 5 lbs. SA -- but both feel lighter, due to the smoothness and the clean break.

David Milan at CGW says says HIS "shopped-tuned" guns have an 8 lb. DA trigger and a 3.5 lb. SA trigger and reliable ignition, so with the Cajun Gun Works springs installed I might expect to see both measurements drop a little. (He adds a more than the hammer spring to his kit.)

(I'm using a new Spring-type trigger weight scale from Dillon and not a digital one, so I suspect my measurements might be less precise than others who use digital models.. A digital one is on my wish list.)
 
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