SAR9 Sport Gen3: Long-Slide Specifications and Competition Use
The Sport Gen3 is one row in our SAR9 pistol guide. This article sets out the official figures, how the US-market version is described, and what is and is not established about its use in shooting sports.
Development and background
Sarsılmaz has offered a long-slide SAR9 for several years. The earlier SAR9 Sport (data sheet revision 0, 23 November 2023) was marketed as “a real competition pistol” with a long barrel, cooling channels in the slide and a Cerakote finish. The Sport Gen3 keeps the same basic size and barrel length but moves the model onto the Gen3 platform, which Sarsılmaz describes as its newest and most advanced SAR9 generation.
On its English product page, checked on 8 November 2026, Sarsılmaz calls the Sport Gen3 “the sporty member of the GEN3 series” and says it combines a polymer frame with a longer forged steel slide and a high-alloy steel barrel than other members of the series. The Turkish page describes the striker system as partially pre-cocked (yarı kurulu). Its data sheet is dated 6 December 2023. In the United States, review coverage appeared from September 2025, when Athlon Outdoors published a hands-on test of a pistol supplied by the importer.
Sarsılmaz does not publish model-level sales figures for the Sport Gen3, and we have not found any.
Design and features
Figures below come from the Sarsılmaz SAR9 Sport Gen3 technical data sheet (Rev. 0, 6 Dec 2023) and the English and Turkish product pages.
| Manufacturer data | SAR9 Sport Gen3 |
|---|---|
| Calibre | 9×19 mm |
| Operation | Semi-automatic, striker-fired |
| Safety system | Manual safety, trigger, firing pin and drop safeties |
| Magazine options | 10 / 15 / 17 / 19 / 21 rounds (sheet); 10 / 15 / 17 / 19 (product page) |
| Barrel length | 133.5 mm / 5.3″ |
| Overall length | 213 mm / 8.4″ |
| Height | 142.3 mm / 5.6″ |
| Width | 35.7 mm / 1.4″ |
| Slide length / width | 205.5 mm / 25.5 mm |
| Sight radius | 186.5 mm / 7.3″ |
| Trigger pull | 15–25 N |
| Weight without magazine | 730 g / 25.7 oz |
| Weight with empty / loaded magazine | 820 g / 1,040 g |
| Rifling | 6 right, 1:10″ (250 mm) |
| Stated muzzle velocity | 350 m/s |
| Stated effective range | 50 m |
Manufacturer figures; dimensions on the sheet are given with a 17-round magazine. Not independently tested by Defense and Tech.
Listed features include three sizes (S-M-L) of interchangeable backstraps and side panels, a Picatinny accessory rail, a slide with cooling channels and an optic-ready slide cut. The product text adds a loaded-chamber indicator, a 90-degree trigger break, a short reset, an 18-degree grip angle, enhanced slide serrations and co-witness sights for use with a red dot.
How it differs from the SAR9 Gen3 and the original Sport
| Data sheet figure | SAR9 Gen3 | SAR9 Sport (original) | SAR9 Sport Gen3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel | 113.5 mm | 133.5 mm | 133.5 mm |
| Overall length | 193 mm | 213 mm | 213 mm |
| Slide length | 185.5 mm | 205 mm | 205.5 mm |
| Sight radius | 162.3 mm | 186 mm | 186.5 mm |
| Height | 141.3 mm | 140 mm | 142.3 mm |
| Weight without magazine | 670 g | 780 g | 730 g |
| Optic-ready slide cut (sheet) | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
On the manufacturer’s own sheets, the Gen3 Sport is 50 g lighter than the original Sport at the same barrel length and adds the optic-ready cut. We have not found an explanation from Sarsılmaz for the weight change.
The US-market version
Sarsılmaz’s US site, which says SAR USA has been the exclusive US importer since 2018, sells the model as the “SAR9 Sport Gen 3″ (SKU SAR9SPTG3BL) at a listed MSRP of $559.99 (checked 8 November 2026). It lists a 5.3″ forged steel barrel, a 7.3” sight radius, Mepro tritium night sights, an RMSc-footprint optic cut with adapter plates, a flat-face trigger of 3.4–5.6 lb, two 17-round magazines and 28.8 oz unloaded. That weight is close to the sheet’s “with empty magazine” figure (820 g / 28.9 oz), not its 730 g “without magazine” figure. Several US reviews print a 5.2″ barrel and 8.1″ overall length, which match neither the sheet nor the US product page (8.1″ is the sheet’s slide length). This article uses the data sheet.
Competition use: what the rules and reviews say
Sarsılmaz’s US page markets the Sport Gen3 for competition and says its RMSc cut offers “Open Division optics versatility”. That is a marketing statement; whether a pistol is eligible for a particular division depends on each organisation’s current rulebook and equipment lists.
Two points are documented:
- IPSC Production Division: IPSC’s rules FAQ (checked 8 November 2026) gives a 127 mm (5″) maximum barrel length for Production and says long-slide sporting models are not covered when they differ in barrel length from the standard model. The Sport Gen3’s 133.5 mm barrel is longer than that. IPSC’s Production Division list names Sarsılmaz models including the “SAR 9”, but does not name the Sport or Gen3 variants.
- Manual safety: Reviewers at Athlon Outdoors (September 2025) and Rotten Gun Reviews said an external thumb safety can be a drawback in practical shooting, because many rulebooks require any fitted external safety to be engaged in the starting condition; Athlon’s reviewer quotes USPSA rule 8.1.2.4 to that effect. Rotten Gun Reviews also said RMSc-size optics are less competitive than larger-footprint red dots, and did not recommend the pistol for advanced competitors for those two reasons.
Reviews were broadly positive on value. Athlon Outdoors’ first reviewer recommended the pistol for “entry-level competitive shooters”; The Truth About Guns (November 2025) called it a pistol for competition and range use and measured a trigger pull of about 3 lb 7 oz on its sample; a second Athlon review (February 2026) praised the grip but said trigger take-up and overtravel “leave performance on the table”. These are single-sample reviews, not controlled tests.
International context
The best-known reference point in the same niche is GLOCK’s G34 Gen5 MOS. GLOCK’s US site lists a 135 mm barrel, 207 mm slide, 222 mm overall length, 665 g without magazine, a 24 N trigger and a 17-round standard magazine. The two pistols have barrels within 2 mm of each other. The G34 is listed as lighter on its maker’s figures; the Sport Gen3 adds a manual safety, interchangeable side panels and a Picatinny rail. Neither maker’s figures settle questions of accuracy or reliability, and we do not rank them.
Within Sarsılmaz’s own range, the long-slide SAR9 SOCOM (131 mm barrel, 750 g) is positioned for duty and law-enforcement use, while the Sport Gen3 is positioned for sport. Our SAR9 vs Glock page compares the standard models.
Confirmed users and markets
| Market / user | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian sport shooters, Türkiye | Sold | Listed on Sarsılmaz’s Turkish product page and price list |
| United States civilian market | Sold via SAR USA | Sarsilmaz US product page (SKU SAR9SPTG3BL); US retail listings |
| Military or police adoption of the Sport Gen3 | None found | No official or press source located |
| Competition-team sponsorship or match results | Not verified | No official Sarsılmaz statement located for this model |
What makes it notable?
The SAR9 Sport Gen3 is Sarsılmaz’s attempt to turn its main polymer pistol into an affordable long-slide sport model: a 133.5 mm barrel, an optic cut and a published data sheet. The open questions are practical rather than technical: the manual safety and RMSc footprint that reviewers flagged, its eligibility in specific competition divisions, and figures that differ between the Turkish data sheet and the US marketing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SAR9 Sport Gen3?
It is the long-slide, sport-oriented 9×19 mm model in Sarsılmaz’s third-generation SAR9 pistol family, with a 133.5 mm barrel and an optic-ready slide.
How much does the SAR9 Sport Gen3 weigh?
Sarsılmaz’s data sheet lists 730 g without a magazine, 820 g with an empty magazine and 1,040 g loaded. The US site lists 28.8 oz unloaded, which is close to the empty-magazine figure.
What is the difference between the SAR9 Sport Gen3 and the SAR9 Gen3?
On the data sheets, the Sport Gen3 has a 20 mm longer barrel (133.5 mm vs 113.5 mm), is 20 mm longer overall, has about 24 mm more sight radius and weighs 60 g more without a magazine.
Does the SAR9 Sport Gen3 have a manual safety?
Yes. Sarsılmaz lists a manual safety alongside trigger, firing pin and drop safeties, and the US version has an ambidextrous thumb safety.
Can the SAR9 Sport Gen3 be used in IPSC Production Division?
IPSC’s rules FAQ sets a 127 mm maximum barrel length for Production, and the Sport Gen3’s barrel is 133.5 mm. Shooters should check the current rulebook and equipment list of their organisation.
How much does the SAR9 Sport Gen3 cost?
Sarsılmaz’s US site listed an MSRP of $559.99 on 8 November 2026. Prices vary by market and over time.
Related Defense and Tech articles
- SAR9 Pistol Explained: Variants, Specifications and Users
- SAR9 Gen3 Pistol: Specifications and What Changed From the Original SAR9 and Gen2
- SAR9 SOCOM Pistol: Specifications, the SAR9 SP Link and US Police Adoption
- SAR9 vs Glock 17 and Glock 19: Specifications Compared
- Sarsılmaz: Company, Products, History and Global Presence
- Turkish pistol manufacturers
Sources
- Sarsılmaz — SAR9 Sport Gen3 product page (EN) and technical data sheet (PDF, Rev. 0, 6 Dec 2023)
- Sarsılmaz — SAR9 Sport Gen3 product page (TR) and Turkish price list
- Sarsılmaz — SAR9 Sport (original) product page and data sheet (PDF, Rev. 0, 23 Nov 2023)
- Sarsilmaz US — SAR9 Sport Gen 3 and About
- IPSC — Rules FAQs and Production Division List
- GLOCK — G34 Gen5 MOS technical data
- Athlon Outdoors — Hands On With The SAR9 Sport Gen 3 (Kenzie Fitzpatrick, 23 Sep 2025)
- Athlon Outdoors — SAR9 Sport Gen3 (Mitch Eckler, 7 Feb 2026)
- The Truth About Guns — SAR9 Sport Gen 3 and K12 Sport review (Mike Hardesty, 28 Nov 2025)
- Rotten Gun Reviews — SAR USA SAR9 Sport Gen 3
Last verified: 8 November 2026. Specifications are the manufacturer’s published figures; reviewer observations are attributed to the publications named and are not Defense and Tech tests. Featured image is a FILE PHOTO of a Sarsılmaz SAR9 Gen2 at Fuerzas Comando 2025 (Sgt. Elena Torres-Rivera / U.S. Army National Guard, public domain), used as a related SAR9-family photo; it does not show the Sport Gen3.
