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Tax refund = Sphinx Subcompact


rhart123

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After having the Sphinx SDP compact for about 3-weeks now I went ahead and sprung for a Sphinx Subcompact. I had to do something with my tax return, you know? I was influenced by a review on Sigforum by Prefontaine and by the quality of the SDP. It should arrive at my LGS for me to pick up tomorrow night. I'm excited!

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Review is needed as well as size comparisons. Really thinking the sub compact is the way I want to go. But compared to a czp07 or shield its a big step up in price so I want to make sure I'm making the right selection

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It depends on what it's being compared to I guess. I think in the CZ line it is best compared to a RAMI and the SDP Compact is best compared to a Compact/P-01/PCR/P-07. A stock RAMI is going for ~$650 in my neck of the woods (may find it cheaper online - I think I've seem them for $589 somewhere) and then you have to invest around $130 or so in parts to get a SA as crisp as the Sphinx with a short reset. The Sphinx can be had online for as little as $800 plus transfer fees/shipping (free shipping with some dealers and I pay $10 for xfer fees) - let's say $850. The Sphinx Compact spring kit from CGW is $20 to lighten the DA (I'm betting it will fit the subcompact since they are essentially the same gun with different barrel lengths). So for more or less $870 for the Sphinx and for more or less $780 (if you do the parts install yourself) for the RAMI we have a difference of $90 - $160 between two similar guns. The built-in buffer, high undercut trigger guard, step up in quality and improved grip ergonomics (to me) of the Sphinx is well worth the extra investment. I left out polishing as both weapons are similar platforms and can probably be equally improved in this area. I'm betting that before it is all said and done CGW will be selling an extended firing pin so the double action can be made as light as a CZ. If you don't shop around you can pay as much as $1050 for the Sphinx though.

The above statements are based on my assumption that the RAMI is basically like all other CZ products I have experienced (I have only held the RAMI in my LGS and never even dry fired one). Bottom line is it is a matter of personal preference and how much value one places on high quality workmanship in a firearm.

Edited by rhart123
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Got the Subcompact last night and took pictures to compare it with the Sphinx Compact, Glock 19, P-01, P-07, SP-01 & SIG 229, but all the pictures turned out too dark and not very clear with my cell phone so I'm not going to post pics until I can get some decent ones. Need to get some outside in daylight, but I work during the day and my company is not "gun friendly" so I can't do it at work.

First impressions so far:

DA is kind of heavy ~ 10 lbs, but smooth. SA is sweet - feels like it has a crisp CGW competition hammer in it - around 4.0-4.5 lbs with no creep and no hammer camming. Reset is also nice and very short - can feel and hear it (again similar to CGW). Sights are the same as the Sphinx Compact (I like). The feel of the grip is not as good as the Compact and there are no interchangeable backstraps and no rubber pads on the butt to help absorb the shock of firing (all plastic grip like the P-07 Duty). Nice undercut of the trigger allows all fingers on the grip (for me anyway). The recoil spring is heavy and requires some effort to rack the slide. The trigger guard is quite large and would allow a gloved finger to easily access the trigger. The hammer is different from the Compact and reminds me of the old CZ 75 hammers (only with a shorter spur).

It looks like the spring kit from CGW for the Compact will probably not work since the hammer spring is probably shorter. The CGW firing pin spring may work even though it looks like the firing pin is almost 1/4" shorter based on slide comparisons with the Compact (rear of slide to breach face is shorter).

Not impressed with the lock up as the barrel can be moved slightly and it does not appear to be that tight of a fit around the barrel and bushing. :angry2:

Hoping the weather stays nice so I can go shoot it (may try to sneak off from work sometime this week and do this).

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I got to shoot it yesterday and today. Pretty accurate for a small gun with a short barrel - I put 8 out of ten in the outside ring and all shots on paper and one almost center of the smallest ring at 50 yds (first shots out of the gun). I was pretty shaky (tremors) both days so the sights were moving around on me pretty much. At 7 yards I was getting small groups and at 5 yards even smaller. I know I can do even better on a day when I have better control of my body. I noticed today that I had a blister on my trigger finger in the area where the finger is closest to the trigger guard. I have heard talk of this happening with some CZs, but this is a first for me. Does not happen with the SDP compact. Strange.

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I'd get the subcompact except I hear the holster variety is pretty limited. I have an H&K P2000SK in a Stealthgear IWB holster and love it - I never notice it when I'm carrying and I'd want the same type holster for this as well. If Stealthgear were to make one I'd get a Sphinx Subcompact in a heartbeat.

Edited by Supranatural
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Safariland makes an OWB holster for it, but I also want an IWB for it. Someone on another thread was saying that it fits pretty good in a holster for a P228. I've tried it in my holsters for the Glock 19 and the CZ P-07 but it does not fit past the trigger guard. It fits into a generic leather holster I have for appendix carry though. I think Kriss/Sphinx has links to holster makers on their site.

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