  The Sarsilmaz, or SAR Arms, ST10 is made in Turkey. It feels a lot like a Sig 226 with a little bit of CZ75 thrown in. It is 15+1, double action/single action, and has no decocker, just a thumb safety. The street price on them is in the $500-$550 range depending on finish. The gun is a near copy of the HK USP.  The ST10 comes with an extra magazine and a belt holster and mag holster.  The sights are no snag three dot and the gun shot to point of aim out of the box.  We shot about 300 rounds of roundball range ammo and tested the gun for accuracy with this Hornady Critical Duty barrier penetration ammo. Out of a 15 round magazine, just rested on a bag, the Sarsilmaz ST10 put most of them into an inch at 10 yards.  Turkish guns have been in the US market for many year and have a great reputation, including the AR24 from Armalite that is made by Sarsilmaz. This new line coming in from EAA is going to do well here where people appreciate guns that shoot well out of the box and are reliable.  A very important point on this gun is that the side lever is not a decocker. It is just a safety. So the gun can be carried cocked and locked in single action, or you can manually let down the hammer with your thumb for a double action first pull.  No surprises field stripping the ST10. It comes apart and goes back together like any othe DA/SA hammer fired pistol.  Another big surprise from the ST10 was the double action pull at a smooth 8 and a half pounds. The single action pull was just under 5 pounds.  A nice feature is that the barrels are fitted to the guns and serialized. |
https://www.eaacorp.com/
Even the most diehard American gun nut will be hard pressed to have heard of the Turkish gun manufacturer “Sarsilmaz.” They are, however, the third largest firearms factory in Europe and have been making guns since the 1880s. Sarsilmaz makes over 40 different firearms, pistols, revolvers, and shotguns, and they are the makers of the Armalite AR24, which is a CZ75 clone. The Turkish military is the second largest military in NATO and it is supplied by Sarsilmaz exclusively for duty pistols. So why haven’t we heard of Sarsilmaz? Who knows. But the guns are recognized worldwide for their quality and durability, and it looks like they are finally going to come into the US market in a big way.
The European American Armory, or EAA, is introducing some of the Sarsilmax guns this year under the name SAR Arms. We got to take a look at the 9mm ST10 that carries a street price around $500 for the all black one. I have never owned an HK USP, which this gun is nearly an exact copy of, and I thought it felt like a cross between a CZ75 and a Sig 226. Sarsilmaz has several international patents themselves for firearm design, but this gun is clearly a side by side copy of the HK USP. Since this is a very expensive firearm, the Sarsilmaz copy coming in around $500 is probably a good buy if you love the USP. We can’t compare it directly because we have no test HK gun, but overall the ST10 is a great gun, and could owe some of its biggest positives to HK engineers, who made the USP similar to a Browning Hi-Power action, which this gun is also a decendant of now. The most interesting note about this gun is that it has no decocker. You have to let down the hammer with your thumb if you want to fire it double action first shot. This is an option on the USP (#9) but not common, making this Sarlsilmaz and interesting and high quality gun at a reasonable price.
The Sarlsilmaz ST10 is a fairly standard double action/single action hammer fired design, and worked really with no malfunctions at all in our tests of just over 200 rounds. As a firearms reviewer it is difficult to tell anyone to buy a gun from a “new” gun company, so the fact that Sarsilmaz isn’t really a new company explains the gun better than anything else. The Turkish gun factories are known for high quality stuff, and also for supplying spare parts and handling customer service well. Sarsilmaz itself has a stellar reputation worldwide, so it really just comes down to whether the gun is right for you, and if perhaps you have wanted an HK USP, but couldn’t make the pricetag.
The features on the ST10 are what you would expect on a high quality semi-auto pistol. It has serviceable no-snag three dot sights. A front rail is molded into the alloy frame. Again, it does not have a decocker. The lever you see is an off/on safety. You have to manually decock the ST10 by letting down the hammer with your thumb if you want it to fire the first shot double action. The gun field strips by holding the action open for removal of the takedown pin. The barrel is stainless steel and the magazine holds 15 rounds. A nice feature with our test gun was that it came with a nice nylon belt holster and double mag pouch, as well as an extra magazine. They appear to be looking across the continent for some tips from Croatia. It is nice to get stuff you need with the gun, with the gun.
Where the SAR Arms ST10 really shined was at the range. At ten yards it grouped consistently into well under 2 inches, and that was over 15 shots in one magazine. Most rounds were into an inch. The gun is a little crude for the US market in design, because of no decocker, but the accuracy is among the best we have tested in a handgun to date, and this was shot without a Ransom Rest or anything other than a sandbag. Could it be a fluke on this particular gun? Who knows, but it could just as easily be the beginning of a Turkish invasion into the firearms market with really good accurate guns.
We didn’t get a lot of details on the SAR ST10 as to what other calibers it will come in. They are just coming into the market now and the aren’t even listed on the EAA website yet. That other Sarsilmaz from EAA, the K2, comes in 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP, so this ST10 may as well. EAA is known for finding high quality guns and bringing them into the US at affordable and fair prices, and these new Turkish guns look to be the next big thing for EAA. We didn’t have any failures with the ST10 at all and it feels and shoots good. Very few have been listed on GunsAmerica so far, but you can ask your local dealer for one if you are interested. Davidson’s and a few other distributors have them in stock and ready to ship out.
Old but they are now being brought in by the shipload. Find the Italian CZ copies. Better made,accurate and use CZ mags. Plus the.new frame lets you change caliber.
Copies are from Tanfoglio(Italy). I have the 9mm Witness, great gun!!
Is the trigger reset short? After it resets, does the follow up shot have any take up?
Hey guys I know this is a pretty old thread but I had to chime in. The SAR St10 is a petty good pistol. Prices have come down significantly since this article was written. I bought mine brand new for $325 out the door. When compared to similarly priced new handguns this is a great deal. I researched all other options for a new pistol in this price range and I must say this is clearly one of the best. The machining is very well done and leaves nothing to be desired. Tpleasehe stainless barrel is outstanding and the feed ramp is so highly polished that it is like looking in a mirror. Reliability has been 100% for me, with no issues what so ever. Accuracy is great just as the author described. The St10 is not perfect however. The frame is aluminum alloy, and while it matches the steel slides finish perfectly, it is not very durable. Numerous small nicks in the finish can be found on the rail, mag well, mag release and trigger guard. The trigger pull was also not near as low as reported. Intial pull out of the box was atrocious. Double action was a struggle and single action was still heavy with lots of take up. I had mine disassembled and all trigger components cleaned up and polished to a smooth finish. The result brought it to the reported pull weights. Overall I am very pleased with this gun and would recommend it to anyone. I know there has been lots of mention about the lack of a decocker. This is nothing to worry about with this gun. It has a positive easy to use safety and can be carried safetly with such. It also has a half cock position to prevent the hammer from resting on the firing pin. For anyone on a budget looking for a semi auto handgun, buy the St10 with confidence you wont regret it.
PistolPete…I own a SAR B6P 9mm and am looking for a SAR 9mm with a serrated trigger (my finger has a tendency to slide across the B6P’s smooth trigger surface after firing). Noticed on SAR’s website that the ST10 9mm trigger appears to have serrations. Just wondering if all versions (2015 and older models) have serrated triggers.
Hey Pebby, mine does have a serrated trigger. I cant speak for all that have been produced, but I would bet they are all the same. The pistol has not been out for too long. I purchased mine in December of 2014.
Pistol…got my ST10 from Budsgunshop last week. Took it straight out of the box to the range. Fired about 250 rounds so far in two range sessions. No problems. Intentionally left it dirty after the 1st session. Cycled 115g, 124g, and 147g PMC, American Eagle, Fiocchi, Remington, Winchester White Box, MagTech, and Winchester Train/Defend. Trigger is serrated. This is the finest firearm I have ever owned…bar none. Slide racks with ease. Recoil is less than my .380s. Accuracy is superb…8 inch pattern at 15 yds…which is outstanding for me. Trigger pull in single action is less than 5 lbs (estimating). Reset is good…travel is not a problem. Serrations keep my trigger finger in place. Grip fits my hand perfectly. Magazine is easy to load and locks in place perfectly. Weight/balance are outstanding for me…about 2 lbs with enough weight in the frame to keep it from being ‘barrel heavy’.
Takedown is simple and quick. Paid $345 (Free shipping) and got hard plastic case, two 15 round mags, nylon holster, cleaning rod. Metal-on-metal sound when racking the slide gives me goosebumps (not a big fan of polymer frames)! Please note that I had to place some fluorescent green fingernail polish on the front sight…didn’t really like the front sight. But that’s the only item I would upgrade.
Where did you buy it for 325? How is the trigger reset?
Even our tax dollars are spent to sometimes arm the wrong country
I just bought one of these Sars in 9mm and got it for 300.00 dollars cash from my locale gun store and my son and I fired a few rounds out of to see how it shot , I really like the gun it fits my hand good and shoots pretty much on target and once it is broke in I should be a better shooter with it . I got it to carry on me since I have my CCW and go into some rough places in St. Louis City when I go up to see my brother , I’m ready now in case one of the drug dealers or bad guys decide they want to try something wrong , they will either be in the hospital or six feet under because I will not mess around with any of them .
The Sar ST10 is definitely on my wish list. No American should have any issue buying a Turkish made firearm any more than an Austrian made one and that comes from a republican. 😉 The Turks are definitely our friends. If it wasn’t for the extreme factions within Islam we would still be able to walk around freely in Turkey like I did as a teenager.
I have a Sar K2 45acp and use it to shoot bowling pins it does a really good job, much better than the Eaa Witness. I really like the adjustable sight and the large front sight.
Evan, you sir, are a moron! We have over 90 B-61 Thermal nukes in Turkey, and Turkey, unlike Israeli, has been our ally much longer. You really need to learn some history boy! I would buy Turkish made products any day as long as it is quality made. Very soon, the Turks will be surpassing Sig AND Beretta. Go into your hole now republickin.
JUST BOUGHT ONE AND I AM IMPRESSED. LIKE BETTER THAN MY S&W 357 MODEL 19. THE ONLY THING IS THE GRIPS , BUT I WILL MAKE MY OWN AND SOLVE THAT ISSUE !
I have spent the last three months researching and checking out handguns, I did not want a plastic gun, so that ruled out Ruger, S&W,Keltec and about 95% of all other hand guns. Found the Sar ST10 researched it and Sarsilmaz ,decided that it was worth buying. First of all this gun is very hard to find, I was lucky enough to find one that offered the kit with three magazines, holster, dual magazine pouch, cleaning rod and brush, and as with all new guns a lock, price was $550. Went to the range with a friend who owns a sig 45 acp. and a sig 9mm. This gun is extremely well made, nothing cheap and the only thing plastic are the grips. Fired 200 rounds on the 25 yd. range. Very accurate!! Low recoil! Fired a variety of ammo and not a single problem. My friend who is an expert and a competition shooter was amazed, at 25 yds, he fired 15 rounds within two inches of the bulls eye. He is now looking to buy one. Say what you want about purchasing from other countries we disagree with, if that is your beef,then buy only U.S.A. made products and stop going to walmart. This is one fine gun!!!
Hi guys, Evan Friend this is for u!
I own one ST10 and believe in me I’m glad to have one its very accurate piece one can come across ,but this comment is for Evan friend that they do business just like you and oil diggers from your state, you should never say such words in forums….. Go get ur self educated!
REPLY
Hi guys, Evan Friend this is for u!
I own one ST10 and believe in me I’m glad to have one its very accurate piece one can come across ,but this comment is for even friend that they do business just you and oil diggers from your state, you should never say such words in forums….. Go get ur self educated!
Just picked up a AR24 for $300 this weekend. Gun is Great!
save your money and buy an American brand or one that has proven itself these guy have been importingf low grade weapons for high dollar amounts for decades. Ruger makes better, S & W has better hell Keltec has better and you don’t have to worry if parts are available. I know sevral people with their products that got burned badly. I generally keep to vintage an d antique weapons made with quality resources but I still buy a few new weapons and this is not one of them.
For 500 bucks, I will stick with my Glocks!
I do not understand the repetitive mentioning of the fact that this pistol does not have a decocker. What’s the big deal? It has a proper manual safety. Decockers are a solution in search of a problem.
If you guys can buy sarsilmaz k2 45 acp, thats the gun 14+1. Really nice gun.
I’m curious as to why the admin has been corrected 3 times about The frame being alloy and not polymer but still fails to actually acknowledge this……the frame is alloy,the grips are polymer please revise your review and admit your mistake.
I’d rather shell out the extra money for an HK than buy a gun (or any other product) from increasingly Islamist Turkey.
why would you use religous beliefs as a reason to buy or not buy a particular weapon?
Because when one buys a product from a Turkish manufacturer, that profit that the company makes is taxed by the Islamist government who then use the money for whatever nefarious purposes like supporting Iran or shipping stuff to Hamas in Gaza. I don’t want my money contributing to such causes in any way, shape, or form, and therefore would never buy a Turkish gun. Buying an HK gun, however, doesn’t have that problem. The German government which collects taxes from HK doesn’t do anything particularly evil that I know of, and so I really don’t care if they end up with a chunk of my money. Plus HK quality is well known.
Actually, the Turks are one of our biggest NATO allies and supporters in Afghanistan. They have a history of suppressing Muslim extremists, and their military has deposed elected govts that were too extreme or non secular. The Turks spend more time fighting Hamas and Al Qaeda than we do, as they are surrounded on all sides by terrorists who would wish to do them harm. We trust the Turks enough to have nuclear weapons stored for theater use…fwiw. I’ll be buying one of the K2’s soon.
There is so much wrong with that statement. Yes, the Turks have a small contingent of troops in Northern Afghanistan, in the German-controlled region. It’s relatively quiet up there, so no, they don’t spend much time fighting al-Qaida at all. France has a couple troops in Afghanistan too, surely you wouldn’t call the French “our closest allies”. Turkey is a NATO member, but not a particularly close one. We haven’t had nuclear weapons in Turkey in decades – removing them was part of our agreement with the Soviets after the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. That was before Turkey started to turn to Islamism. The Turks don’t fight Hamas at all. Hamas is a Palestinians organization, the only ones fighting Hamas at all are the Israelis. The Turks do, however, attempt to run the Israeli blockade to supply Hamas-led Gaza. According to the Israelis, some of the stuff on seized ships has a military purpose. The Turks do fight insurgents, but the insurgents they’re fighting are Kurdish seperatists, not al-Qaida. And lately Turkey has further embarrassed itself on an international stage by prosecucting some musician for “offending Islam” on Twitter. Very 21st Century of them. For these reasons and more, I will not buy Turkish-made products.
Evan Friend – Ever heard of Nuclear Sharing? Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing
There are U.S. Nukes in Turkey. Also, you are a little extreme in your view. Go and make some friends of different faith and views, so called Christians are no better then anybody else, spend time in doing some real objective research!
correct.
My Father trusted them when he was in Korea 1952-1953.
my father was a marine he told me the best bayonet he ever saw for the M1 Garand was a Turkish
modified Mauser Bayonet, Dad told me they would trade stuff to get those bayonets.
GOT TO AGREE, NO ONE SHOULD SPEND THERE MONEY ON ANY PRODUCT WHERE ANY PART OF THAT MONEY MAY END UP IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WISH THEM HARM. JUST GOOD SENSE.
Then don’t pay your taxes.
WIN^^^^
I think that I might have to give this one a try
Does CZ mags work in these?
No I don’t think so. They are proprietary.
The frame is NOT polymer, it is alloy. Mine has a finish that is so smooth, it feels like porcelain, but it IS alloy.
Indeed, I’m not sure what this reviewer is thinking. It’s an aluminum alloy frame with an epoxy finish.
Too bad we will never see these in the People’s Demokratic Republik of Mass.
*sigh*
My God Man move.
The Pilgrams did it so can you
When u first see it you may think its an hk …
I owned a 9mm USP, an HK PZ-M13, and a 9mm Glock, sold them all. I miss the USP the most, very smooth; I will be looking for this ST10.
I’m surprised you’d reference the Sig P226 and the CZ75 without mentioning the pistol which shares the most similarity with the ST10–the HK USP.
We have actually never owned a USP and this commenter is correct 100%. The article was changed since this was written to reflect that the gun is an almost exact copy of the HK USP. The nice thing is that we reviewed the gun on its own merits, not as a reflection of the USP.
Indeed–The ST10 deserves a reputation separate from the HK pistol from which it clearly takes many design features, if for no other reason than the fact that it uses an alloy frame and a different manual of arms.A reviewer from “HandgunsMag” actually tried the pistol in Turkey, and claimed that EAA and SAR both resent the comparison to the USP, which seems somewhat petty given the obvious similarities.In any case, it seems to be a very precise and well made pistol, and I look forward to getting more use out of mine.
I’m confused … is the frame aluminum or polymer? The review says “A front rail is molded into the polymer frame.” That would seem to indicate polymer.
Yes it is plastic.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. The ST10 absolutely does NOT have a polymer frame.Admin, time to double check that…
The above article states that this gun has ALLOY frame, not Polymer. Any body read that besides me.
There is no polymer on the ST10