Tristar P-120 Review and Dirt Test [2018]
Before and after testing.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The sights aren't very good and neither is the finish - it'll show cosmetic wear pretty fast. However, it can shoot a 2.15" group at 25 yards, it has the softest recoil of any 9mm on the market, it's not picky about ammo, and when faced with dust and dirt, it's as reliable as any steel-frame CZ, clone or otherwise. Finally, it can be found for under $400 and meets weight and size requirements for IDPA Stock Service Pistol class. This is a Canik pistol - a good gun, for not much cash.
Review Contents
This review is organized as shown below. You can read the whole thing, or just use the below guide to find to the section that’s most interesting to you.
- P-120 Overview and the Tristar Pistol Lineup
- In the shop:
- P-120 Overview and the Tristar Pistol Lineup
- In the shop:
- Tabletop Handling Observations
- Internals
- User Interface (Trigger, Sights, Magazines, Grip, and Other Controls)
- Live Fire Handling Observations
- Bullet Salad Test
- Dirt Test
- What you are (and aren’t) getting by paying more for a CZ SP-01
P-120 Overview and the Tristar Pistol Lineup
The P-120 is an economical, all-steel 9mm DA/SA hammer gun with a striking similarity to a CZ SP-01. We called up Tristar to ask if they would send us one for review and testing, and a few days later we got the call from our local FFL, Tri-State Outfitters (TFO). TFO a great shop for hunting, hiking, fishing, or really anything outdoorsy in southern Washington and Idaho, and best of all, they actually stock cool guns in addition to the requisite rows of hunting rifles and clay shotguns.
But okay, back to the P-120: It’s made in Turkey by Canik (the same Canik that made a splash with the TP9) and imported to the USA by Tristar Arms.
But okay, back to the P-120: It’s made in Turkey by Canik (the same Canik that made a splash with the TP9) and imported to the USA by Tristar Arms.
Tristar imports a whole line of Canik CZ-75 clones in various flavors besides the P-120. The S-120 is an all-steel CZ-75B clone (no bottom rail). The T-120 is a full-size aluminum-framed version inspired by the Israeli Jericho/Baby Eagle. All of the aforementioned Tristars feature the same 4.7" barrel and full-size grip. The P-100 and T-100 are compact variants with shortened barrels and frames.
All Tristar Caniks come with two Mec Gar magazines, a magazine loader, a gun lock, and a manual inside a competently-made plastic case.
All Tristar Caniks come with two Mec Gar magazines, a magazine loader, a gun lock, and a manual inside a competently-made plastic case.
In the Shop:
Tabletop Handling Observations
Let's get one thing out of the way: this is a BIG pistol. Old-school wonder 9s are not known for being svelte, and the P-120 (like the CZ SP-01 it is based on) is just about the biggest, heaviest one out there due to a steel frame and full-length bottom rail (sometimes called a dust cover). The P-120 is 38.4 oz (2.4 lb), empty. Toss in a 19-rd magazine brimming with brass and you've got 49.8 oz (3.1 lb) hanging off of your hip. For comparison, a Glock 17 with a loaded 17-rd magazine weighs in at 32.4 oz (2.0 lb). This weight is a drawback to some and a blessing to others - less comfortable to schlep around all day, but weight soaks up recoil (more on that in the Live Fire Handling Observations section).
Let's get one thing out of the way: this is a BIG pistol. Old-school wonder 9s are not known for being svelte, and the P-120 (like the CZ SP-01 it is based on) is just about the biggest, heaviest one out there due to a steel frame and full-length bottom rail (sometimes called a dust cover). The P-120 is 38.4 oz (2.4 lb), empty. Toss in a 19-rd magazine brimming with brass and you've got 49.8 oz (3.1 lb) hanging off of your hip. For comparison, a Glock 17 with a loaded 17-rd magazine weighs in at 32.4 oz (2.0 lb). This weight is a drawback to some and a blessing to others - less comfortable to schlep around all day, but weight soaks up recoil (more on that in the Live Fire Handling Observations section).
The grips are actually flat black - the brown hue shown here is dirt from the range caught in the grip’s texturing.
Okay, so it's big. But what else?
It's well-made. Build quality is often a big question mark surrounding Turkish guns, but the P-120's build quality is comparable to a true CZ SP-01. Yes, yes, we can hear the collective indignant gasp, but let us explain ourselves: in some areas, the SP-01 is more finely crafted than the P-120. In other areas, the P-120 is more finely crafted than the SP-01, so in the end, it's a wash. Examples:
The P-120 has a metal-injection-molded (MIM) hammer, a cost-saving production technique that isn't as tough or as tightly toleranced as the SP-01's billet-machined hammer.
Point to the SP-01.
It's well-made. Build quality is often a big question mark surrounding Turkish guns, but the P-120's build quality is comparable to a true CZ SP-01. Yes, yes, we can hear the collective indignant gasp, but let us explain ourselves: in some areas, the SP-01 is more finely crafted than the P-120. In other areas, the P-120 is more finely crafted than the SP-01, so in the end, it's a wash. Examples:
The P-120 has a metal-injection-molded (MIM) hammer, a cost-saving production technique that isn't as tough or as tightly toleranced as the SP-01's billet-machined hammer.
Point to the SP-01.
This telltale circle is a tool mark from MIM production. It’s left by the fill nipple as the metal-liquid mixture is injected into the mold.
The P-120 has octagonal machining under the chamber - an expensive, time-consuming machining process that makes a stronger structure when executed on a hollow tube. A historical example of this would be when Mosin-Nagants moved from nice, pre-war hexagonal receivers to cheap, mid-war round receivers. The SP-01 has a simple, round chamber – cheaper and faster to machine but ultimately weaker.
Point to the P-120.
Point to the P-120.
Machining like this is meant to strengthen the chamber, and requires many precise passes with a cutting tool.
The more common round chamber is simply cut all at once on a lathe, like the rest of the barrel
The more common round chamber is simply cut all at once on a lathe, like the rest of the barrel
The CZ SP-01 has CZ's "polycoat" finish, which is mysterious but effective. Anecdotally, CZs with polycoat have shown little wear after several years of leather holster use. The P-120 has Cerakote or some similar spray-on finish, which wears off quickly on bearing surfaces, exposing bare steel to the elements.
Point to SP-01.
Point to SP-01.
This is a lot of wear marks after only a few hundred rounds. Also, note that the strip of steel showing through the finish on the hammer doesn't go all the way across, indicating that the hammer is not striking the slide completely on-axis.
The P-120 has a solid steel guide rod, which is more costly than a plastic rod, but it’s also stiffer, heat-proof, and has a longer lifespan. The SP-01 used to have a steel guiderod, but nowadays its plastic unless you buy one of CZ’s custom/competition models.
Point to the P-120.
Point to the P-120.
We could go on, but the point is that both Canik and CZ build their guns better, or worse, in various ways. At the end of the day, it all pretty much equals out because our reliability testing of the P-120 didn’t show any flaws that the SP-01 would not also have suffered from (see the Dirt Test Results Discussion section). The only points where the P-120 could be called "poorly made" are the sights and the finish, both of which are extremely forgettable, but forgivable given the P-120's price point. More on the sights later in the User Interface section.
The "Picatinny" rail under the barrel is an oddity. It’s not a true Picatinny rail - Picatinny recoil grooves must be 0.118" deep, and the P-120's are only 0.056". The center-to-center distance is also off at 0.52” – Picatinny rails should be 0.394” center to center. It’s not a Weaver rail either, because the groove width is bang-on at a Picatinny rail’s .206”, not a Weaver rail’s groove width of 0.18”. See our Picatinny vs Weaver vs Dovetail article if you want to know more.
Before you get upset, pistol rails tend to mix-and-match rail dimensions between Weaver and Picatinny quite a bit. This is common even among esteemed manufacturers and is usually an attempt to ensure that as many lights/lasers fit as possible. That said, the extremely shallow rails on the P-120 are definitely an oddity, and will limit what accessories can mount to it. Buy a light for it by all means, but keep the receipt.
Given that the rest of the gun is so well-made, it’s unlikely that someone at Canik simply goofed up the measurements - we suspect importation, branding, or copyright concerns are behind this "flaw".
The "Picatinny" rail under the barrel is an oddity. It’s not a true Picatinny rail - Picatinny recoil grooves must be 0.118" deep, and the P-120's are only 0.056". The center-to-center distance is also off at 0.52” – Picatinny rails should be 0.394” center to center. It’s not a Weaver rail either, because the groove width is bang-on at a Picatinny rail’s .206”, not a Weaver rail’s groove width of 0.18”. See our Picatinny vs Weaver vs Dovetail article if you want to know more.
Before you get upset, pistol rails tend to mix-and-match rail dimensions between Weaver and Picatinny quite a bit. This is common even among esteemed manufacturers and is usually an attempt to ensure that as many lights/lasers fit as possible. That said, the extremely shallow rails on the P-120 are definitely an oddity, and will limit what accessories can mount to it. Buy a light for it by all means, but keep the receipt.
Given that the rest of the gun is so well-made, it’s unlikely that someone at Canik simply goofed up the measurements - we suspect importation, branding, or copyright concerns are behind this "flaw".
If these “Picatinny” slots look oddly shallow, it’s because they are
Finally, serrations on the front of the slide and the trigger guard are nice touches that you don’t often see in budget guns.
Internals
Let's pop the hood on this thing.
Let's pop the hood on this thing.
First up: it's been a while since we've seen locking lugs, and we miss them. Most pistols since the Sig Sauer P226 just use the ejection port as one big locking lug - this saves time and money during production and it works just fine. But still - locking lugs are cool, and we were happy to see them again.
But oh my, what's this? Full-length, all-steel frame rails? *fans self. There is something deeply satisfying about setting a tub of good grease on the bench and having those long, long stretches of frame rail to apply it to. Not many manufacturers make guns like this anymore.
That said, the reason 'they don't make 'em like they used to' is that full-length, all-steel frame rails aren't the most dirt-tolerant of designs (although they do good things for accuracy). The internal placement of the rails does a decent job of sealing the internals of the gun from outside debris, but they're not impervious (as we will see later in the Dirt Test section), and those long, long rails also offer a lot of real estate for gunk to build up with no good place for it to get ejected. Modern polymer-frame CZs only have frame rails for about the first 1/2 to 1/3 of the frame, cutting a compromise between the accuracy of a long frame rail and the dirt tolerance of a short frame rail. Many modern handguns, like Glocks, use small "stubs" as frame rails - just enough to maintain accuracy while leaving plenty of space for grit to blow free.
The weight of the P-120's reciprocating assembly (slide + barrel) is fairly light at 15.8 oz. For reference, that's one ounce lighter than the equivalent assembly in a Glock 17.
That said, the reason 'they don't make 'em like they used to' is that full-length, all-steel frame rails aren't the most dirt-tolerant of designs (although they do good things for accuracy). The internal placement of the rails does a decent job of sealing the internals of the gun from outside debris, but they're not impervious (as we will see later in the Dirt Test section), and those long, long rails also offer a lot of real estate for gunk to build up with no good place for it to get ejected. Modern polymer-frame CZs only have frame rails for about the first 1/2 to 1/3 of the frame, cutting a compromise between the accuracy of a long frame rail and the dirt tolerance of a short frame rail. Many modern handguns, like Glocks, use small "stubs" as frame rails - just enough to maintain accuracy while leaving plenty of space for grit to blow free.
The weight of the P-120's reciprocating assembly (slide + barrel) is fairly light at 15.8 oz. For reference, that's one ounce lighter than the equivalent assembly in a Glock 17.
Left: P-120 Right: Glock 17
User Interface
Trigger:
The P-120 sports a very competent factory SA/DA trigger, with no trigger blade safety to spoil the feel. Pull weight is 5.5 lb in single-action, and somewhere above 9.0 lb in double-action (our trigger gauge only goes up to 9.0 lb). The reset is quite good at 0.25” (6.35 mm) - for reference, a Glock 17 Gen 4 has a 0.2” (5.08 mm) reset and a 8.0 lb trigger pull. There is no missing the P-120s very audible and tactile reset, and trigger jobs specifically for the P-120 (not the CZ SP-01) are available on the internet to shorten the reset and lighten the pull even more.
Sights:
In a word, the sights are “fine”.
Low and basic, but effective for slow-fire target shooting. They are a three-dot arrangement, all dots in white, and there is no distinction in size or color for the front dot. The rear sight is not ramped, giving good leverage for one-handed racking on belt or webbing, a feature that is getting less common for reasons we don’t really understand. The rear notch is quite small, 0.12” (3 mm) in diameter. Your average duty pistol is likely to have a rear sight notch more in the neighborhood of 0.18” (4.5 mm), which we find more useful. Our sample P-120 also shot consistently to the left. This is probably because our P-120’s front dot is drilled slightly off-center in its ramp – it’s slight, but it’s definitely off. This could be fixed by drifting the rear sight, but little QA hiccups like this are one reason the P-120 is so much cheaper than the CZ SP-01.
Replacement sights are available just for the Tristar/Canik pistols from Cajun Gun Works (CGW) for reasonable prices, but sources differ on whether or not standard CZ sights will work in the P-120 and other Tristars. Further complicating matters, CZ uses different sights for some models within their lineup, and Canik could easily have moved from a unique sight dovetail to an industry-standard dovetail over the years (like they did for the TP9). Long story short: yes, you can put better sights on it if you want, and no, they will not cost an arm and a leg (don’t expect a bargain, though).
For those looking to rig up their own sight solution, the front sight appears to be a standard CZ front (slide in from the front and pin under it), and here are the dimensions for the rear dovetail groove: 0.375” at bottom, 0.32” at top.
Finally, the anti-glare strip along the top of the slide is a nice touch.
Trigger:
The P-120 sports a very competent factory SA/DA trigger, with no trigger blade safety to spoil the feel. Pull weight is 5.5 lb in single-action, and somewhere above 9.0 lb in double-action (our trigger gauge only goes up to 9.0 lb). The reset is quite good at 0.25” (6.35 mm) - for reference, a Glock 17 Gen 4 has a 0.2” (5.08 mm) reset and a 8.0 lb trigger pull. There is no missing the P-120s very audible and tactile reset, and trigger jobs specifically for the P-120 (not the CZ SP-01) are available on the internet to shorten the reset and lighten the pull even more.
Sights:
In a word, the sights are “fine”.
Low and basic, but effective for slow-fire target shooting. They are a three-dot arrangement, all dots in white, and there is no distinction in size or color for the front dot. The rear sight is not ramped, giving good leverage for one-handed racking on belt or webbing, a feature that is getting less common for reasons we don’t really understand. The rear notch is quite small, 0.12” (3 mm) in diameter. Your average duty pistol is likely to have a rear sight notch more in the neighborhood of 0.18” (4.5 mm), which we find more useful. Our sample P-120 also shot consistently to the left. This is probably because our P-120’s front dot is drilled slightly off-center in its ramp – it’s slight, but it’s definitely off. This could be fixed by drifting the rear sight, but little QA hiccups like this are one reason the P-120 is so much cheaper than the CZ SP-01.
Replacement sights are available just for the Tristar/Canik pistols from Cajun Gun Works (CGW) for reasonable prices, but sources differ on whether or not standard CZ sights will work in the P-120 and other Tristars. Further complicating matters, CZ uses different sights for some models within their lineup, and Canik could easily have moved from a unique sight dovetail to an industry-standard dovetail over the years (like they did for the TP9). Long story short: yes, you can put better sights on it if you want, and no, they will not cost an arm and a leg (don’t expect a bargain, though).
For those looking to rig up their own sight solution, the front sight appears to be a standard CZ front (slide in from the front and pin under it), and here are the dimensions for the rear dovetail groove: 0.375” at bottom, 0.32” at top.
Finally, the anti-glare strip along the top of the slide is a nice touch.
Magazines:
Two Mec Gar magazines are included with the P-120 and every other CZ clone sold by Tristar. The P-120's magazines are 19-rounders, although the website and literature say 17. Mec Gar makes a good magazine, and these are no exception. The mags do not have round counters, but there are witness holes on the side for brass casings to peep through at approximately the 1/3, 2/3, and full points. We did not have any true CZ mags on-hand, but the internet consensus is that factory CZ mags, as well as any aftermarket brand intended for CZs, will work fine in the Tristar clones.
Grip:
Backstraps? What in the Sam Hill is a backstrap? Replacement grip panels, that's how you adjust the grip of a pistol (or so says the P-120). Two very competent plastic grip panels are bolted to the P-120's frame, each featuring some actually pretty above-average texturing. Some very modest stripping on the heel and front strap rounds out the package. CZ grip panels will fit on the P-120, sometimes with minor sanding required, so the world is your oyster if you want to customize - hardwood, G10, rubber, etc.
As an aside, there don't appear to be rear-wraparound grip options for CZs, so there is no way to adjust the reach to the trigger like a modern pistol's backstraps. Additionally, metal framed handguns without wraparound grips get very toasty if you leave them sitting in the sun. If carrying this gun exposed on the hip in weather consistently above 90 degrees, we recommend adding grip tape to the exposed steel between the grip panels.
Other Controls
The P-120 has no loaded chamber indicators of any kind (although the front slide serrations make press checks easier). A non-ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety will triple-lock the P-120, immobilizing the hammer, slide, and trigger. The safety can be engaged whether the hammer is cocked or at rest, and it's a little bit stiffer to actuate than we'd like, but that could be cured by attention with an emory cloth. Additionally, a firing pin block protects from drops. Unlike a true CZ SP-01, which has an optional decocker, there is no decocker on the P-120 so if you want to carry with a loaded chamber and lowered hammer, you're out of luck unless you cowboy the hammer down with your fingers. For what it's worth, we feel this is a bad idea (and we don't care how long you've been doing it, how many times you've done it before, or how "foolproof" your particular method is).
The non-ambidextrous slide release is a long reach, typical of many older pistol designs that crowd a lot of controls like safeties and decockers into this area. Most shooters will need to shift their grip a bit to engage it, or you can just ignore the slide release and rack the slide instead (a move which many shooters prefer anyway).
Two Mec Gar magazines are included with the P-120 and every other CZ clone sold by Tristar. The P-120's magazines are 19-rounders, although the website and literature say 17. Mec Gar makes a good magazine, and these are no exception. The mags do not have round counters, but there are witness holes on the side for brass casings to peep through at approximately the 1/3, 2/3, and full points. We did not have any true CZ mags on-hand, but the internet consensus is that factory CZ mags, as well as any aftermarket brand intended for CZs, will work fine in the Tristar clones.
Grip:
Backstraps? What in the Sam Hill is a backstrap? Replacement grip panels, that's how you adjust the grip of a pistol (or so says the P-120). Two very competent plastic grip panels are bolted to the P-120's frame, each featuring some actually pretty above-average texturing. Some very modest stripping on the heel and front strap rounds out the package. CZ grip panels will fit on the P-120, sometimes with minor sanding required, so the world is your oyster if you want to customize - hardwood, G10, rubber, etc.
As an aside, there don't appear to be rear-wraparound grip options for CZs, so there is no way to adjust the reach to the trigger like a modern pistol's backstraps. Additionally, metal framed handguns without wraparound grips get very toasty if you leave them sitting in the sun. If carrying this gun exposed on the hip in weather consistently above 90 degrees, we recommend adding grip tape to the exposed steel between the grip panels.
Other Controls
The P-120 has no loaded chamber indicators of any kind (although the front slide serrations make press checks easier). A non-ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety will triple-lock the P-120, immobilizing the hammer, slide, and trigger. The safety can be engaged whether the hammer is cocked or at rest, and it's a little bit stiffer to actuate than we'd like, but that could be cured by attention with an emory cloth. Additionally, a firing pin block protects from drops. Unlike a true CZ SP-01, which has an optional decocker, there is no decocker on the P-120 so if you want to carry with a loaded chamber and lowered hammer, you're out of luck unless you cowboy the hammer down with your fingers. For what it's worth, we feel this is a bad idea (and we don't care how long you've been doing it, how many times you've done it before, or how "foolproof" your particular method is).
The non-ambidextrous slide release is a long reach, typical of many older pistol designs that crowd a lot of controls like safeties and decockers into this area. Most shooters will need to shift their grip a bit to engage it, or you can just ignore the slide release and rack the slide instead (a move which many shooters prefer anyway).
Unlike the Glock on the left, you can only get a thumb-tip on the slide release of the P-120.
Like any CZ or clone, racking the slide is more of a fingertip-pinch than a palm-grab. Despite having substantially lower bore axes than the P-120, guns like the Glock 17 and Steyr M9 actually have much more real estate on the slide for grabbing due to their external frame rails. See our Pistol Bore Axis Comparison article if you’d like to know more.
In the Field
Live Fire Handling Observations
Steel frames are great. Polymer frames and aluminum frames are great in their own ways, too, but a big steel gun like the P-120 swings like a battleship and plants like an oak tree. Recoil is very, very mild. We shot the P-120 back-to-back with a Steyr M9-A1, which is about as soft-shooting as polymer-frame strikers get. The massive ~40 oz P-120 was markedly softer-shooting than the M9, proving that low bore axis is only one part of the felt-recoil equation. One of four parts, to be exact: 1) bore axis height, 2) reciprocating mass, 3) non-reciprocating mass, and 4) recoil spring stiffness. See our Beyond Bore Axis article if you'd like to know more. The P-120 goes all-in on non-reciprocating mass with that gigantic steel frame, and its reciprocating mass and bore axis height are better-than-average. All together, the P-120 (and SP-01) is likely the softest-shooting, non-compensated, factory 9mm on the market, bar none (although it definitely isn't the lightest).
The trigger is very competent, but it could use some polishing before being taken to a competition. It was oddly “springy” and had a particularly strong push immediately after the reset, making the reset feel much longer than its extremely respectable 0.25” (6.35 mm). Ditto the sights, which feel a bit cramped in addition to shooting to the left, although they provide good accuracy from a rest – a reviewer for American Rifleman shot a 2.15" group at 25 yards off a rest. We did all of our shooting standing and found that the P-120 turned in decent but not spectacular groups – try as we might, we could not get the holes to touch consistently at 10 meters. We grouped tighter with our own personal pistols, which we know cannot turn in a 2.15” group at 25 yards, so this indicates that (for dynamic shooting, at least) the P-120 in stock form is limited by its sights, not its inherent accuracy.
Steel frames are great. Polymer frames and aluminum frames are great in their own ways, too, but a big steel gun like the P-120 swings like a battleship and plants like an oak tree. Recoil is very, very mild. We shot the P-120 back-to-back with a Steyr M9-A1, which is about as soft-shooting as polymer-frame strikers get. The massive ~40 oz P-120 was markedly softer-shooting than the M9, proving that low bore axis is only one part of the felt-recoil equation. One of four parts, to be exact: 1) bore axis height, 2) reciprocating mass, 3) non-reciprocating mass, and 4) recoil spring stiffness. See our Beyond Bore Axis article if you'd like to know more. The P-120 goes all-in on non-reciprocating mass with that gigantic steel frame, and its reciprocating mass and bore axis height are better-than-average. All together, the P-120 (and SP-01) is likely the softest-shooting, non-compensated, factory 9mm on the market, bar none (although it definitely isn't the lightest).
The trigger is very competent, but it could use some polishing before being taken to a competition. It was oddly “springy” and had a particularly strong push immediately after the reset, making the reset feel much longer than its extremely respectable 0.25” (6.35 mm). Ditto the sights, which feel a bit cramped in addition to shooting to the left, although they provide good accuracy from a rest – a reviewer for American Rifleman shot a 2.15" group at 25 yards off a rest. We did all of our shooting standing and found that the P-120 turned in decent but not spectacular groups – try as we might, we could not get the holes to touch consistently at 10 meters. We grouped tighter with our own personal pistols, which we know cannot turn in a 2.15” group at 25 yards, so this indicates that (for dynamic shooting, at least) the P-120 in stock form is limited by its sights, not its inherent accuracy.
Expect groups like these when casually plinking at 10 meters - close to touching, but not quite.
Grit your teeth and focus, and you can get some of the holes to hug, but a better set of sights will make the task a lot easier.
Target shown is the CHCOF Stage 1.
Grit your teeth and focus, and you can get some of the holes to hug, but a better set of sights will make the task a lot easier.
Target shown is the CHCOF Stage 1.
The stiffness of the safety was inconsistent. While doing holster-to-fire drills, it would disengage smoothly most of the time, but every once in a while there would be a pause after the draw while whoever was shooting fenagled their grip to get better leverage on the sticky lever. This is definitely an item that will wear in as both the gun and shooter get used to one another, or some deft work with polishing compound or emory cloth could get it slickened up right away.
One more thing: the P-120 consistently released the slide when a loaded magazine was slammed home. Lightly loaded or slowly-inserted magazines did not get the same result, but loaded magazines tripped it every time. This behavior is seen occasionally in other guns, from Glocks to 1911s, but the P-120 was startlingly consistent about it. Whether it's a bug or a feature, it makes for a pretty fast reload and its safety implications are minimal - we can't imagine a situation where we'd put a loaded mag into an open action and NOT want it to close immediately after.
Oh, and magazines drop free energetically, loaded or not.
Bullet Salad
We had enough 9mm on hand to feed the P-120 what we call bullet salad - a quick way to learn a pistol's appetite. Skip to the results section if you’re familiar with the GunTweaks bullet salad concept.
Bullet salad is a three-magazine recipe that starts with a clean, lubed gun:
Magazine #1: Load with USA-sourced brass-cased target ammo (Winchester white box, Federal Premium, etc.)
Any pistol worth its salt should be able to eat this first mag. This step verifies the pistol is working properly, and helps the gun "wake up" (spreads grease around evenly, knocks down any machining burrs left from manufacturing, etc.)
Magazines #2 and #3: Load the magazines with as many different manufacturers, case materials, bullet weights, and bullet types as you can afford, two to four rounds at a time, in a known order. This is only a little bit more expensive than stacking deep with just one or two kinds of bullets, and it's worth it to see how your new gun behaves.
A bullet salad test takes a little planning - be sure to write down the order that the mags are loaded in. That way, if the gun jams, you can count how many rounds remain and determine which type of ammo caused the malfunction. Loading two to four-round "stacks" completes several full firing cycles for each type of bullet - firing, ejecting, and re-chambering, giving the gun several opportunities to choke on the particular ammo before moving to the next.
For extra credit, use a different target for each bullet type to add in a small accuracy test.
If the gun gets through all three mags without hiccuping, you can give a small, appreciative nod - you might have a decent firearm on your hands. Three magazines is by no means a conclusive reliability test, but you've at least verified that it's not picky eater and you can begin reliability testing in earnest with your favorite ammo.
If the gun does run into problems, that's not the end of the world. Just buy more of one of the ammo that it ate happily and use the "bad" ammo for plinking - you only committed to a box or two.
Bullet Salad Results
Here are the flavors that we fed to the P-120, ranging from 80 gr frangible bullets to 147 gr JHPs and brass, steel, and aluminum casings:
Magazine #1: 115 gr FMJ – brass-cased Federal American Eagle
Magazines #2 and #3:
The P-120 experienced not one single malfunction despite firing 7 different flavors of 9mm back-to-back. We also found about ten JHPs of unknown origin rolling around in the bottom of a range bag. The stamps were too worn to see more than the caliber, but for grins we fed those to the P-120, too, and it ate them without complaint. In normal range use, the P-120 does not appear to be a picky eater and we found it to be dead reliable.
After the P-120 ate bullet salad happily we ran through several more boxes of mixed ammo types, to a total of somewhere around 300 rounds and still no malfunctions. A blend of slow-fire drills, holster-to-fire double taps, and other drills gave us a good feel for the pistol (see the Live Fire Handling Observations section), and with nary a malfunction throughout, it was time to put the P-120's reliability to the real test.
Dirt Test
Skip to the results section if you’re familiar with the GunTweaks dirt test.
One more thing: the P-120 consistently released the slide when a loaded magazine was slammed home. Lightly loaded or slowly-inserted magazines did not get the same result, but loaded magazines tripped it every time. This behavior is seen occasionally in other guns, from Glocks to 1911s, but the P-120 was startlingly consistent about it. Whether it's a bug or a feature, it makes for a pretty fast reload and its safety implications are minimal - we can't imagine a situation where we'd put a loaded mag into an open action and NOT want it to close immediately after.
Oh, and magazines drop free energetically, loaded or not.
Bullet Salad
We had enough 9mm on hand to feed the P-120 what we call bullet salad - a quick way to learn a pistol's appetite. Skip to the results section if you’re familiar with the GunTweaks bullet salad concept.
Bullet salad is a three-magazine recipe that starts with a clean, lubed gun:
Magazine #1: Load with USA-sourced brass-cased target ammo (Winchester white box, Federal Premium, etc.)
Any pistol worth its salt should be able to eat this first mag. This step verifies the pistol is working properly, and helps the gun "wake up" (spreads grease around evenly, knocks down any machining burrs left from manufacturing, etc.)
Magazines #2 and #3: Load the magazines with as many different manufacturers, case materials, bullet weights, and bullet types as you can afford, two to four rounds at a time, in a known order. This is only a little bit more expensive than stacking deep with just one or two kinds of bullets, and it's worth it to see how your new gun behaves.
A bullet salad test takes a little planning - be sure to write down the order that the mags are loaded in. That way, if the gun jams, you can count how many rounds remain and determine which type of ammo caused the malfunction. Loading two to four-round "stacks" completes several full firing cycles for each type of bullet - firing, ejecting, and re-chambering, giving the gun several opportunities to choke on the particular ammo before moving to the next.
For extra credit, use a different target for each bullet type to add in a small accuracy test.
If the gun gets through all three mags without hiccuping, you can give a small, appreciative nod - you might have a decent firearm on your hands. Three magazines is by no means a conclusive reliability test, but you've at least verified that it's not picky eater and you can begin reliability testing in earnest with your favorite ammo.
If the gun does run into problems, that's not the end of the world. Just buy more of one of the ammo that it ate happily and use the "bad" ammo for plinking - you only committed to a box or two.
Bullet Salad Results
Here are the flavors that we fed to the P-120, ranging from 80 gr frangible bullets to 147 gr JHPs and brass, steel, and aluminum casings:
Magazine #1: 115 gr FMJ – brass-cased Federal American Eagle
Magazines #2 and #3:
- 80 gr frangible – Glaser Safety Slug Blue
- 115 gr FMJ - steel-cased Winchester Forged
- 115 gr FMJ - aluminum-cased Federal American Eagle
- 115 gr FMJ - brass-cased Federal American Eagle
- 115 gr FMJ - Remington UMC
- 115 gr +P JHP - Barnes TAC-XPD
- 147 gr JHP - Fiocchi Extrema
The P-120 experienced not one single malfunction despite firing 7 different flavors of 9mm back-to-back. We also found about ten JHPs of unknown origin rolling around in the bottom of a range bag. The stamps were too worn to see more than the caliber, but for grins we fed those to the P-120, too, and it ate them without complaint. In normal range use, the P-120 does not appear to be a picky eater and we found it to be dead reliable.
After the P-120 ate bullet salad happily we ran through several more boxes of mixed ammo types, to a total of somewhere around 300 rounds and still no malfunctions. A blend of slow-fire drills, holster-to-fire double taps, and other drills gave us a good feel for the pistol (see the Live Fire Handling Observations section), and with nary a malfunction throughout, it was time to put the P-120's reliability to the real test.
Dirt Test
Skip to the results section if you’re familiar with the GunTweaks dirt test.
A gun that chokes a lot during the dirt test can still be a perfectly good gun - there are many fantastically accurate and soft-shooting competition guns that practically implode if they even look at a pile of dust. However, we recognize that a weapon's reliability in the great outdoors is a principle concern for many gun owners, so this test simulates all kinds of unfortunate events, from a firearm hitting the dirt during an emergency vehicle dismount to a gun left holstered or slung all day in the gritty wind before being pressed into action under fire.
The method is simple - drop the (unloaded, but with an empty magazine in place) gun into the dirt, twice on each side (four times total). This forces some dirt into the nooks and crannies. Then, scoop up a heaping handful of dirt and pour it over the action, once on each side, to make sure everything is nicely coated.
It’s also worth noting that “dirt” is an understatement. What we have at the range is more like silt, taken from the backstop berm where it has been pounded by years of bullet impacts into fine, powdery nastiness that gets into every crack and crevice.
The method is simple - drop the (unloaded, but with an empty magazine in place) gun into the dirt, twice on each side (four times total). This forces some dirt into the nooks and crannies. Then, scoop up a heaping handful of dirt and pour it over the action, once on each side, to make sure everything is nicely coated.
It’s also worth noting that “dirt” is an understatement. What we have at the range is more like silt, taken from the backstop berm where it has been pounded by years of bullet impacts into fine, powdery nastiness that gets into every crack and crevice.
Once the gun is pulled from the dirt, just load a full mag, rack, and fire. No cleaning allowed, not even dry-racking the action or blowing out grit with your mouth. This is an absolute worst-case scenario – bone-dry, silty dirt and no chance to even rack the action a few times beforehand. The weapons are only fed quality brass during this test.
Our “reference” gun (for handguns) is a Glock 17 Gen 4. When put through the dirt test, the Glock coughed up a single FTE after the first shot, then ran clear. It had no failures to battery or failures to feed. The Glock maintained a gritty, crunchy trigger pull until the gun was torn down in detail and cleaned (cleaning at the field strip level did not fully clear up the trigger). So far, that’s the best we’ve seen a handgun do. Now, the results: |
Dirt Test Results
The P-120 took five shots to shoot clear.
Shot 6 and onward were fired normally and the P-120 ran fine the rest of the day.
Notes:
Shot 0 is the slide rack after loading a full magazine.
FTB – Failure to return to battery
FTF – Failure to feed
FTE - Failure to extract/eject
Dirt Test Results Discussion
At first glance, the P-120 did “okay”. 5 shots and then shooting clear really isn’t bad – a lot of guns continue to choke indefinitely after the dirt test. What’s most interesting, though is what the P-120 didn’t do, and that’s FTE at any point. Even the Glock FTE’d. The P-120’s only problem was returning to battery, and while that problem was persistent, in a hammer gun FTBs are almost always caused by debris in the frame rails or breech since the fire control group is “out of it” by the time the slide is riding forward, unlike many striker guns.
This indicates that the P-120 would perform much better if the operator just has a few seconds to dry-rack the slide several times – since it had no FTEs, that should be all it needs to clear out its innards. We can also assume that a true CZ SP-01 would not fare any better, since a true CZ will have the same frame rails and breech layout, and magazines will be of equivalent quality to the Mec Gars. If the P-120 had issues with extraction or ignition, or hiccups in the trigger pack, then there would be justification to wonder if the SP-01's trigger internals or extractor geometry were more finely-tuned. But there were only FTBs and FTFs, and frame rails, feed ramps, and magazines will get clogged up just the same whether they were machined in the Czech Republic, Turkey, or Italy.
So, can the P-120 (and by extension, the CZ SP-01) be relied on when exposed to the worst of the great outdoors? We say yes – as long as you rack the slide a few times. Even a Glock will still FTE at least once so you should dry rack a few times if you can, regardless of what gun you have. Additionally, a Glock doesn't shoot as softly or accurately as the P-120. Everything is a trade-off, and not every shooter wants or needs the absolute most reliable gun out there (which is why not every military in the world issues AKs). The question is: is it reliable enough? Ultimately, that's for you to decide - we're just here to give you the data.
A few more dirt-test notes:
The P-120 bounced back to 100% after only a field-strip cleaning - the trigger was once again smooth and un-crunchy. Glocks and other striker guns typically require a detail breakdown and clean to achieve this.
The P-120's safety became very sticky about 50 rounds after the dirt test. At one point, it froze completely in the 'on' position, with a round in the chamber. This made for an exciting few minutes - the P-120's safety locks everything (slide, hammer, and trigger), so we were unable to clear the gun. The safety did eventually move, but then it wouldn't re-engage, either, so we let it be until the gun was cleaned, at which point the safety was back to normal. Lesson: leave the safety off if the P-120 is getting down in the muck.
The P-120 took five shots to shoot clear.
- Shot 0 - FTB, slide could be easily closed by hand
- Shot 1 - FTB, slide could be easily closed by hand
- Shot 2 - FTF, slide could not be closed by hand. Racking the slide ejected the live round, and the slide closed to full battery without assistance
- Shot 3 - FTB, slide could be easily closed by hand
- Shot 4 - FTF, slide could not be closed by hand. Racking the slide ejected the live round, and the slide closed to full battery without assistance
- Shot 5 - FTB, slide could be easily closed by hand
Shot 6 and onward were fired normally and the P-120 ran fine the rest of the day.
Notes:
Shot 0 is the slide rack after loading a full magazine.
FTB – Failure to return to battery
FTF – Failure to feed
FTE - Failure to extract/eject
Dirt Test Results Discussion
At first glance, the P-120 did “okay”. 5 shots and then shooting clear really isn’t bad – a lot of guns continue to choke indefinitely after the dirt test. What’s most interesting, though is what the P-120 didn’t do, and that’s FTE at any point. Even the Glock FTE’d. The P-120’s only problem was returning to battery, and while that problem was persistent, in a hammer gun FTBs are almost always caused by debris in the frame rails or breech since the fire control group is “out of it” by the time the slide is riding forward, unlike many striker guns.
This indicates that the P-120 would perform much better if the operator just has a few seconds to dry-rack the slide several times – since it had no FTEs, that should be all it needs to clear out its innards. We can also assume that a true CZ SP-01 would not fare any better, since a true CZ will have the same frame rails and breech layout, and magazines will be of equivalent quality to the Mec Gars. If the P-120 had issues with extraction or ignition, or hiccups in the trigger pack, then there would be justification to wonder if the SP-01's trigger internals or extractor geometry were more finely-tuned. But there were only FTBs and FTFs, and frame rails, feed ramps, and magazines will get clogged up just the same whether they were machined in the Czech Republic, Turkey, or Italy.
So, can the P-120 (and by extension, the CZ SP-01) be relied on when exposed to the worst of the great outdoors? We say yes – as long as you rack the slide a few times. Even a Glock will still FTE at least once so you should dry rack a few times if you can, regardless of what gun you have. Additionally, a Glock doesn't shoot as softly or accurately as the P-120. Everything is a trade-off, and not every shooter wants or needs the absolute most reliable gun out there (which is why not every military in the world issues AKs). The question is: is it reliable enough? Ultimately, that's for you to decide - we're just here to give you the data.
A few more dirt-test notes:
The P-120 bounced back to 100% after only a field-strip cleaning - the trigger was once again smooth and un-crunchy. Glocks and other striker guns typically require a detail breakdown and clean to achieve this.
The P-120's safety became very sticky about 50 rounds after the dirt test. At one point, it froze completely in the 'on' position, with a round in the chamber. This made for an exciting few minutes - the P-120's safety locks everything (slide, hammer, and trigger), so we were unable to clear the gun. The safety did eventually move, but then it wouldn't re-engage, either, so we let it be until the gun was cleaned, at which point the safety was back to normal. Lesson: leave the safety off if the P-120 is getting down in the muck.
Wrap-up: Tristar P-120 vs CZ SP-01
Let’s finish up with the pros and cons - what you are (and aren’t) getting by paying more for a CZ SP-01:
Reasons the SP-01 is better:
- CZ night sights
- Better finish
- The option to swap between a decocker and a safety
- Hassle-free purchase and install of upgraded parts
- A true Picatinny under-barrel rail
Reasons the P-120 is still pretty good:
- You saved a good chunk of change over the SP-01
- Fantastic accuracy
- You can upgrade the sights and the trigger pretty easily
- A pretty good factory trigger, comparable to a true CZ
- Happily eats lots of different ammunition types
- The same reliability as a steel-frame CZ in dust and dirt
- Canik build quality, which is generally equivalent to CZ
- Magazine compatibility - standard CZ magazines work just fine
Downsides of the P-120:
- QA hiccups like the off-center front sight dot and intermittently stiff safety are possible
- Weirdly shallow under-barrel rail may not fit all rail accessories
- Spotty upgradeability outside of the sights and trigger – CZ parts might work fine, might work after some fenagling, or might not work at all
- Troublesome to repair – you’ll probably need to run parts and service through Tristar, rather than simply ordering replacement parts from anywhere that stocks CZ parts
Reasons the SP-01 is better:
- CZ night sights
- Better finish
- The option to swap between a decocker and a safety
- Hassle-free purchase and install of upgraded parts
- A true Picatinny under-barrel rail
Reasons the P-120 is still pretty good:
- You saved a good chunk of change over the SP-01
- Fantastic accuracy
- You can upgrade the sights and the trigger pretty easily
- A pretty good factory trigger, comparable to a true CZ
- Happily eats lots of different ammunition types
- The same reliability as a steel-frame CZ in dust and dirt
- Canik build quality, which is generally equivalent to CZ
- Magazine compatibility - standard CZ magazines work just fine
Downsides of the P-120:
- QA hiccups like the off-center front sight dot and intermittently stiff safety are possible
- Weirdly shallow under-barrel rail may not fit all rail accessories
- Spotty upgradeability outside of the sights and trigger – CZ parts might work fine, might work after some fenagling, or might not work at all
- Troublesome to repair – you’ll probably need to run parts and service through Tristar, rather than simply ordering replacement parts from anywhere that stocks CZ parts
And that’s it. Happy shooting.
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