These things any good?

[MikeNS]

Considering picking up a Rival-S for CO. These things any good? I have had and still have all kinds of guns. I’m merely an A class shooter and really don’t care to do what it takes to make M. I just want to shoot guns and have fun, and part of the fun for me is trying new guns. I haven’t been able to find a used one so I’m contemplating buying a new one. 
 

Thanks in advance! 

[Chutist]

I've been though the whole bunch of CO pistols:

G34

G47

Sig X5 

Rival-s

Walther PDP Steel Frame Match

 

I like the Rival- S but I just couldn't get it to run 100%.  Having malfunctions during matches really steals the fun for me.  I liked the gun and the trigger was good after some spring changes.  I've got the barrel shipped out to open the chamber and extend the lead in.  Malfunctions were largely failing to completely chamber the round.  Hoping the barrel work will fix that....

 

I bought a Walther PDP Steel Frame Match and it been 100% from the jump.  I've made detailed posts in the Walther section here on that gun.  If you're shopping for a new Toy, I'd suggest you take a hard look at it. 

Edited September 8 by Chutist

[dapribek]

If you’re willing to switch over to Limited Optics, please take a look at Stealth Arms’ Platypus, a double stack 1911 that takes Glock mags. I have two and they have been 100% reliable and a pleasure to shoot. Four of my buddies also have them and all say the same thing. So for under $2,000, you get a pistol fully customized to what you want. Highly recommend’

[bigtimelarry]

Get the Rival Polymer.. Mine runs 100%

[dons]

10 hours ago, bigtimelarry said:

Get the Rival Polymer.. Mine runs 100%

Mine does too.  2000 rounds so far, not a bobble.

[dons]

18 hours ago, MikeNS said:

Considering picking up a Rival-S for CO. These things any good? I have had and still have all kinds of guns. I’m merely an A class shooter and really don’t care to do what it takes to make M. I just want to shoot guns and have fun, and part of the fun for me is trying new guns. I haven’t been able to find a used one so I’m contemplating buying a new one. 
 

Thanks in advance! 

There's a couple in the classifieds right now, mine will be there soon.

[extremist]

My 2xRival - S run 100%, as do all of my other Caniks.  

 

I have one setup for Limited Optics and one setup for Carry Optics.

Edited September 9 by extremist

[DrewM]

I have a Rival-S, around 2-3k rounds so far and just one failure to feed - slide didn't go full into battery from a slide-lock loading, but a quick tap fixed it and it ran the competition just fine.  I did just throw a freedom smith trigger in it, and I replaced the trigger return spring - 200rnds and no issues so far.  I have the rest of the various spring kits, but the trigger has a good feel now and is light enough, so why risk changing the factory setup. 

 

I don't have any real experience with any of the others on your list.  I don't really like Glocks, so I never considered them.  I don't mind the 320, but I'm also not sure why it gets all the love it does.  I do have a Beretta 92x (optic) with an LTT trigger in it, I had convinced myself the DA/SA trigger would be a bigger problem than it is.  

 

I bought the Rival-S as I liked how the TTI I bought (for a range toy) felt in my hand, and it had a nice trigger in it (for a factory gun).  I'm quite pleased with the purchase.

[MikeNS]

5 hours ago, dons said:

There's a couple in the classifieds right now, mine will be there soon.

I haven’t been able to access the classifieds yet. I’ve been told not to ask. Maybe someday!

[hump]

My Rival S is absolutely reliable. I have between 4-5k rounds on it so far. It's the best striker fired pistol I have shot. 

[scottjackson556]

On 9/8/2024 at 5:16 PM, Chutist said:

I've been though the whole bunch of CO pistols:

G34

G47

Sig X5 

Rival-s

Walther PDP Steel Frame Match

 

I like the Rival- S but I just couldn't get it to run 100%.  Having malfunctions during matches really steals the fun for me.  I liked the gun and the trigger was good after some spring changes.  I've got the barrel shipped out to open the chamber and extend the lead in.  Malfunctions were largely failing to completely chamber the round.  Hoping the barrel work will fix that....

 

I bought a Walther PDP Steel Frame Match and it been 100% from the jump.  I've made detailed posts in the Walther section here on that gun.  If you're shopping for a new Toy, I'd suggest you take a hard look at it. 

I’m in the same boat. I sold my Rival-S, went to the Glock 47. I’m considering the PDP Match SF, my only concern is the grips seem small? I have rather large hands, I use a large back strap on my Glock to get a good support hand grip. How would you compare the grip size from the Canik to the Walther? 
 

I actually had no issues with my Rival but I thought it might be fun to try out a Glock. I will say it’s taken a lot more work to be able to shoot the Glock as well and I still don’t shoot it as good as I did the Canik. 
 

Thinking about going back to a Rival or trying out a Walther if they are okay for bigger hands. 

[Chutist]

I have big hands too.  I "fixed" the Walther with Lok Palmswell grips.  Bigger and better grip

I had the Canik reamed and it seems better - only a few mags test.  

 

Pictures of the grips on the gun in this thread:

 

[scottjackson556]

20 hours ago, Chutist said:

I have big hands too.  I "fixed" the Walther with Lok Palmswell grips.  Bigger and better grip

I had the Canik reamed and it seems better - only a few mags test.  

 

Pictures of the grips on the gun in this thread:

 

Thank you those grips still don't look massive. I was able to make a straight trade for another gun that I wasn't using for a newer production Rival-S. I haven't had any of the mentioned issues with it yet but it hasn't been through a ton of rounds. I find the Rival to be much easier to shoot predictively with over the Glock, it returns to zero every time if I have a decent support hand grip. If my grip isn't perfect with my Glock I will end up with high follow up shots. Farther shots are much easier with the Rival, it's just a more pleasant gun to shoot in my opinion.

 

I do think I'm going to try the Lok grips veloce palm swells for the Rival, those look much larger from the pictures I've seen. There is a guy that makes custom "ledge" style grips that provide a raised portion for your support hand that look interesting too. Either way I've tried several platforms out now and it seems to be that the Rival works best for me so hopefully I won't have any problems with it. 

[DrewM]

I did the Aluminum palm swell on the Rival-S, I couldn't be happier, I really like the way LOK palm swell stuff fits in my hands (I have them on some 1911's as well).  I did the AL as the texture is just a little nicer, adds just a little extra weight, etc.  

 

[scottjackson556]

 

On 9/30/2024 at 3:12 PM, DrewM said:

I did the Aluminum palm swell on the Rival-S, I couldn't be happier, I really like the way LOK palm swell stuff fits in my hands (I have them on some 1911's as well).  I did the AL as the texture is just a little nicer, adds just a little extra weight, etc.  

 

I like how the GridLok looks. When I have held them briefly they seemed pretty aggressive, have you compared them against the Veloce style grips at all? Do you find the GridLok to be too aggressive for lots of dry fire throughout the week or are they pretty easy to get along with? 

[DrewM]

The hard part is that I don't know what kind of grips you like...lol  I'm one of those crazy folks who likes more aggressive grips (for the shooting side, when it comes to carry time I'm a wuss), I like VZ Hydra and Diamond Back grips (as a common reference), Cheely 'regular' steel grips on a 2011 feel ok (but on the pedestrian side), etc.  The AL/Brass are a little more aggressive than the Veloce versions (I have them on Beretta 92, and a palm swell version on a 1911).  

But I don't find the Aluminum or Brass versions of LOK grips to be too bad, they lock in pretty well to my hands without being overly abrasive (as opposed to some grips, where I think they make them aggressive just to say it equivalent of 10 grit sandpaper).  But I don't dry-fire for a long time at a time, I'm more of a 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, etc kind of guy.  

[maddmaxx1961]

My son and I both have the Rival S and between the 2 of us almost every pistol that Canik makes. We have never had a problem with the Rival S or any Canik other than the TTI. The TTI is an ok gun but the Rival S is a much better gun with less recoil. They really should have put the TTI on a steel frame like the Rival S.