Sphinx Compact Alpha<\/h2>\n
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9mm compact pistols<\/a> are all-too common. While the US military dickers about the relevance of the M9 platform (mainly because of the poor performance of 9mm ball ammo), most handgun innovation seems centered on larger calibers in smaller packages. So it is somewhat of a surprise to me that anyone would be investing in perfecting a high-end 9mm. Thankfully companies do, and Sphinx, a Swiss firm that’s still new to the American handgun market, knows there’s more to the 9mm than the M9 arguments would suggest. These guns are being imported by Kriss USA, and the Sphinx’s Compact Alpha makes the 9mm look really good.<\/p>\n The Sphinx Alpha compact is much heavier than it looks, which adds to the guns stability.<\/p><\/div>\n Caliber \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9×19 mm Slide drop and decocker. No external safety.<\/p><\/div>\n If you take a look at this list, there are a couple of things missing.\u00a0 There isn’t’ any mention of a safety. This pistol doesn’t have a built in trigger lever safety.\u00a0 There is no grip safety. There isn’t even a thumb safety on the slide. Instead, the Sphinx is equipped with an ambidextrous decocking lever that allows you to drop the hammer to a half-cock position, much as you would on a Sig P226<\/a> or a Beretta 92 G.<\/p>\n I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it. Guns meant for self defense shouldn’t have external, manual safety mechanisms. They stand in the way of immediate use, and can be a fatal obstacle. If you ever have to draw you gun from concealment, acquire your target, and fire, response time will be your greatest obstacle.\u00a0 In many defensive gun uses, the bad guy already has a gun drawn, which means you have to have an even faster response. A gun like the Sphinx isn’t going to add one more step in the equation. You draw and (assuming you’ve chambered a round) it will fire.<\/p>\n When decocked, the hammer falls to a half-cock position that allows the thumb to catch it again, if needed.<\/p><\/div>\n Yet lawyers exist.\u00a0 Some people want that extra measure of safety provided by a grip safety and thumb safety. I see it differently, and I think Sphinx does, too. The responsibility for safe usage, safe storage, safe carry\u2026these are all responsibilities of the end user. You. Me. The gun is inherently safe. It isn’t going to shoot itself, despite what some of the liberal media would like you to think. You<\/em> may be inherently unsafe, but there is very little Sphinx or anyone else can do about that.<\/p>\n And I say to-hell with the arguments about the stopping power of 9mm. Pick your ammunition carefully. Train like a mad man. Learn to shoot accurately, even when you’re under stress, and don’t miss. Shoot to kill.<\/p>\n Let’s break down the guns form a bit further. The Alpha<\/a> is an exceptionally well made gun. The slide is milled from steel. If you look at the profile of the pistol, you will see that the slide sits deep in the frame. This design provides a lot of stability, What it doesn’t provide is a ton of surface area on the sides of the pistol to grip. The gun does have forward serrations, and rear serrations (obviously), and I never had difficulty manipulating the slide or clearing jams. The frame itself is slick, so my hand slides down, even when I do grab too much of the slide.<\/p>\n Here you can see where the polymer grip-frame joins the actual frame, which is milled from a billet.<\/p><\/div>\n Below the slide, the Sphinx has an upper frame made of aluminum. Some of us associate aluminum with cans, but it does have substantial strength and mass. As I mentioned above, the frame is tall. It has a solid feel.\u00a0 The weight of the heavier frame helps balance the recoil motion. The steel slide, riding back on the Alpha’s full length rails, would have more muzzle flip if the whole frame were made from polymer. On this gun, though, it doesn’t.<\/p>\n The Alpha also has what Sphinx refers to as a lower frame. I think the term “grip frame” would be more suited. It is a well finished piece of polymer that mates to the upper frame and forms the grip, and frame for the interchangeable rubber inserts. It also forms the trigger guard. The texture of the front finger grooves could be more aggressive, but it is sufficient.\u00a0 The rubber on the rear of the grip is sized for various hand sizes. It is really grippy. Even with wet hands, the grip is easy to maintain.<\/p>\n Inside the well is smooth and well finished. Mags drop out freely. This pistol has dropped a number of magazines and show little wear.<\/p><\/div>\n The magazine, which holds 15 rounds of 9mm, fits easily into the beveled mag well.\u00a0 While I’d like to see even more of a flair on the mag well of a duty pistol, the Alpha is meant for concealed carry, so Sphinx minimizes width by keeping the grip as narrow as possible for a double-stack pistol. There are cut outs on the base of the mag well, though, that allow you to get a thumb and finger into the well to strip a magazine free, if you ever have a double feed or a mag that won’t drop. This is another one of those really minor additions that puts the Sphinx into a class of pistols that are meant to be appeal to\u00a0 those of us with experience. If you have ever tried to yank a magazine out of a gun and had to pry it out, you’ll know what I mean.<\/p>\n All told, the Sphinx feels very intentional. While the gun looks good, the features are all meant for ergonomic, practical use. Take the beaver-tail as an example. This is the one hindrance that many concealed carry experts will point to in the Sphinx’s design. It protrudes from the back of the gun and can get hung up in something. Well, I doubt it. I find the beaver-tail perfectly positions my shooting hand, as I hit it hard in the holster. I jam the web of my shooting hand into the back of the grip and it rides there, high on the center-line of the gun. As long as that tail is tucked into the web of your hand, it isn’t going to catch on anything.<\/p>\n The trigger on the Sphinx is really crisp and clean. Its short reset makes for fast follow up shots.<\/p><\/div>\n The other features are nice, too.\u00a0 The double action pull on the Compact is over ten pounds. The single action pull is supposed to be around 4 pounds, though this one breaks just a bit higher. You can cock the external hammer if you need to. And you can decock it, which is always useful. When decocted, the hammer protrudes from the slide, just enough to thumb it down. When the trigger is pulled on an empty chamber, the hammer falls flush with the frame.<\/p>\n The gun is available with a threaded barrel.\u00a0 It comes black, or in a green, stainless, or two-tone finish.<\/p>\n I’d put this gun up against any 9mm I’ve ever fired. It is that capable. The weight of the gun gives it a distinct advantage where it counts. Lighter guns may be easier to carry. Smaller guns may be much easier to conceal. Yet the Sphinx has enough size and enough weight to really make the most out of the platform when it comes out of the holster.<\/p>\n Recoil will still be a factor, but the Compact has little muzzle rise. I have really fast split times with the pistol because I barely lose the sight picture.\u00a0 Shooting at a silhouette from 7 yards, I can keep all of the rounds in a 12 inch circle, shooting as fast as the trigger reset will allow. If I slow down and use the sights, and really position what I’m doing carefully, I can place a round inside bulls-eye.<\/p>\n The Sphinx offers pinpoint accuracy, or fast performance. This is from a fast magazine dump. The first round hit dead center.<\/p><\/div>\n This is where I think the compact excels. If you need defensive maneuverability, and rapid-fire reliability, the Sphinx delivers. If you want to pin down a single shot, you can do that too.\u00a0 The Sphinx isn’t going to ask you to compromise.<\/p>\n It isn’t cheap. Retail on the Compact is running somewhere around $1,100.\u00a0 That puts the gun well about the polymer framed 9mm market. Rightfully so. I see more potential for the Sphinx than I do for a lot of what dominates the shelves of most gun stores. This gun has everything you could want for serious concealed carry. It is functional enough for duty carry. The differences in performance that the Alpha Compact provides may seem minimal, but they do exist. And that’s something you can put a price tag on.<\/p>\n There is only one thing I’d point out about the Sphinx. Holsters are much harder to come by than they are for some of the more ubiquitous 9mm pistols. This is a gun that should really be worn close to the hip, strong side, in a nice Kydex holster. It isn’t going to disappear like some of the the more compact compacts, but it will shoot circles around them. You have to be realistic about exactly how much obfuscation is needed.\u00a0 If you are tiny, and wear tight, shear clothing, than the Compact Alpha isn’t going to hide well.<\/p>\n For the rest of us, though, it is perfect. I’ve had this gun in for review now for over a year, and I’ve put more than 1,500 rounds through it. I’ve run it dry. I’ve run it in the rain. I’ve kicked it around in a range bag, and carried it on my hip, and I’m still as enamored with it today as I was when I removed it from its box at my FFL.\u00a0 The Sphinx line is going to be big, at least with those who don’t mind paying a grand for a pistol. They have a full size model and a sub-compact in the works, too.<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The rear sight on the Sphinx is streamlined and efficient, but sacrifices too much functionality in the sake of speed.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n Some controls on the Sphinx are ambidextrous, and others, like the mag release, can be switched.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The front of the grip has nice swells, and the rubber on the back mitigates recoil.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n The mag well has a slight bevel. For a compact, this is sufficient.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The nice curve on the back of the grip makes getting a good, high grip very intuitive.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n While the front slide serrations are minimal, they are a big help, as the bevel makes grabbing this part of the slide difficult.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The front sight is milled into the frame, and ideal for its purposes.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n The slide has a nice flat top that serves as a sight of sorts when moving quickly and shooting close.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The rear sight is adjustable, and you can lock it down. Great for an accurate carry gun.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n See how the slide catches the light? Nice squared off slides make for fast defensive shooting.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The slide has sharp edges, which makes the expanded beaver-tail a useful addition.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n White on black. While I’m not in love with the sights, they do there job. I can call my shots at 25 yards to within two inches.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n These sights aren’t going to hang up on anything, but they are hard to use for cocking, if you had to.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n The steel slide rides full length rails in the aluminum frame.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n Though the frame’s “upper” is milled from aluminum, it is still robust and has handled the wear well.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n![\"Sphinx\"](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/sphinx1-400x295.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/a>TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ALPHA COMPACT<\/h3>\n
\nOverall Length \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a07.4 in \/ 188 mm
\nOverall Height \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a05.35 in \/ 136 mm
\nOverall Width \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 1.37 in \/ 35 mm
\nWeight \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28.18 oz \/ 799 g
\nBarrel Length \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 3.7 in \/ 95 mm
\nSight Radius \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5.7 in \/ 148 mm
\nFront Sight\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iron blade with white dot
\nRear SIght\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Serrated fixed sight
\nAction \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 DA\/SA
\nSingle Action \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 4.0+ lb \/ 1.8+ kg
\nDouble Action \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10.0+ lb \/ 4.5+ kg
\nSlide material \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Steel
\nSlide finish \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Black with TIAIN coating
\nUpper frame\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hard anodized aluminum
\nLower Frame \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Polymer
\nGrip \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Polymer with rubber inserts
\nMagazine catch \u00a0 left \/ right – reversible
\nMagazine\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 15+1<\/p>\n![\"Sphinx\"](\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Sphinx-5-400x266.jpg\" "\\"The")
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<\/a>On to the Alpha<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Shooting the Sphinx<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>So how much does this marvel of Swiss engineering cost?<\/h3>\n
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