In 2025, you can’t sling a dead cat without hitting a 9mm striker-fired pistol. Hell, the cat may even be a striker-fired pistol (see what I did there? You’re welcome, Springfield). There are literally hundreds if not thousands of different models and sizes to fit every shooter. Some are brand new designs with familiar features while others continue to improve their flagship models. Turkish manufacturer Tisaş along with Knoxville, Tennessee’s SDS Arms is doing just that with their popular PX-9 series. The 2.0 Duty Comp is the latest iteration with modifications such as a ported slide, improved trigger, and more. The very reasonable MSRP price of $522.99 makes this one of the most underrated pistols of 2025.
Tisaş (Trabzon Silah Sanayi AŞ) was founded in 1993 in Trabzon, Turkey. The region is known for its rich heritage in firearms manufacturing, with many other factories in driving distance. The strength of manufacturing in this area is amazing. You’d be surprised to know how many of your favorite guns came from this area… When Tisaş first jumped into the market, they were making mostly military-style pistols such as 1911 and Beretta inspired designs. Since then, their offerings not only in those lines, but across the board have grown immensely. Now they offer many different striker-fired models as well and their PX-9 series has been at the top of that chart. Their reputation for quality products at competitive prices made them a prime partner choice for American firearms importer SDS Arms.
Knoxville, Tennessee based SDS Arms is the exclusive American partner and importer of Tisaş products. This relatively small company has been bringing in Tisaş handguns for just under a decade by the boatload. Their exclusivity allows them to not only control the product quality and features they are bringing in, but also the close partnership that comes with working with only one company. SDS America works side-by-side with their Trabzon counterparts by spending months at a time in their factories, helping them produce firearms to American standards. Through this, the reputation for Turkish firearms has dramatically improved in the eyes of American shooters. The PX-9 Duty Comp is the latest and most interesting model yet!
The PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp is an attractive handgun right out of the box. Features like an aluminum blue, flat-faced trigger, aggressive forward cocking serrations, and an extended checkered “Gas Pedal” thumb rest takedown lever give the Duty Comp an extremely distinctive look. Touted as the “Competition Ready” version of the PX-9, the Duty Comp’s ported slide and national match barrel combo allow for fast, accurate follow up shots while the extended mag release and funneled mag well make reloads as natural as breathing.
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.11” Match Grade Ported
Slide: Ported with rear and forward cocking serrations, RMR Plate for Optic Mount
Slide Finish: Tenifer QPQ
Slide Stop: Ambidextrious
Sights: 3 Dot, white front sight, Works with any Glock Cut Aftermarket Sights
Frame: Polymer with Interchangeable side and back straps, 27 different combos possible
Capacity: 18+1 or 20+1 magazines included, SIG 226 pattern
Trigger: Aluminum 4-ish pound flat faced blue trigger with great reset
Safety: Striker/ trigger safety with optional thumb safety
Rail: Full Picatinny Rail for Light/ Laser Mounting
Other: Striker status and loaded chamber indicator, removable magwell
Integrated Slide and Barrel Compensator: The first thing I noticed was the port on the end of the slide. There was a clear difference during rapid fire between shooting my earlier generation PX-9 and the current model. A great benefit of having an integrated port is that there is no need for a threaded barrel and aftermarket comp that screws on. It’s far less bulky and infinitely more reliable.
The PX-9 series has always been a very comfortable handgun. From the first generation, the grip angle and texture molds the gun to your hand and makes for a very pleasant shooting experience. With 27 combinations of back and side strap comfort, the Duty Comp is sure to fit you like Baby Bear: just right.
The latest generation of shooter tends to lean towards red dots on their pistols, and the older generations are coming around because we can’t see a front sight like we used to. For that, the Duty Comp comes with an RMR mounting platform to mount your favorite optic with an RMR footprint. If your eyes are still good and you like shooting irons, the Glock pattern cut sights are there.
The PX-9 is carried not only by a lot of happy Americans, but smaller divisions of military personnel. SDS Arms Director of Engineering Gaines Davis assured me that the Duty Comp had passed a 30,000-round Military Tender Trial punishment on each variation before it is approved. Tisaş doesn’t mess around. My experience on the range was the same. Not one hiccup in 250 rounds.
If you look around the interwebs, you’re going to find a lot of pistols very similar to the PX-9. Interchangeable straps, dot sights, and picatinny rails are not uncommon. When you start looking at the upgrades on the Duty Comp and compare them to other pistols with the same, you will quickly learn why Tisaş pistols are so popular. The very same details you find on the PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp on other pistols are astronomically priced while SDS brings that Turkish Delight at a very reasonable cost. These days, it’s barely more than a trip to the grocery store.
The easy answer is, YOU! It’s overall size and features check boxes for a few different categories:
Everyday Carry (EDC): The Duty Comp is around the same size as a Glock 19 making it very comfortable. The grip shape and ergonomics make the PX-9 very easy to carry and the 18+1 mag capacity ensures you have enough rounds to get out of a sticky situation.
Competition Shooting: The Duty Comp’s RMR footprint and comped slide make it another great option to compete. Lightning-fast splits put this one on the list, but holster selection is still lacking. Custom kydex makers can get you where you need to be.
Home Defense: If you are a pistol for home defense person, the Duty Comp is a great choice. With its full-length rail, you can mount your favorite light/ laser combo and be sure you aren’t in the dark creeping around the house. The Streamlight TLR-1 HL fit mine perfectly.
Pros:
Ambi Slide Stop
Optics Ready Slide
Integrated Ported Barrel and Slide
Sig 226 magazine compatibility
Interchangeable Grip System
Incredibly Affordable
Cons:
Holsters are still hard to come by
A little on the heavy side compared to similar models, but paired with the comp and the sweet recoil, is it really a “con?”
Aftermarket Part Availability is slim, but SDS is bringing the heat every day on their website.
Tisaş continues to impress me with their attention to innovation and detail. Things like the way the slide fits the frame with the ported barrel, futuristic slide cuts, and the aluminum trigger show their dedication to making a quality product the average shooter can afford without breaking the bank. SDS Arms has grabbed another bull by the horns with this partnership. Along with their other brands Tokarev, MAC, Ingles, and Spandau, SDS continues a great tradition of firearms excellence with our friends in Turkey. The old way of thinking about Turkish guns is out the window. Get yourself a Tisaş PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp and see what I mean. ~ Nick
Nick Collier
Nick Collier was born in the Mountains of eastern Kentucky. Never meeting a stranger, he built a career as an AR15 aficionado, industry expert, and well-respected teacher. With over 25 years in the shooting industry and even a muzzle brake design to his credit, his technical knowledge combined with his connections through the show circuit, competitive shooting, and instructing police officers all over the country has made him a highly sought-after voice in the firearms community.
Teaming up with Gun Talk, Nick now brings his expertise and knowledge as well as his Appalachian perspective to the roster. His content ranges from new gun owner to seasoned expert and everything in between. Beyond his professional life, Nick is a devoted husband, father, hunter and gearhead.
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