From the far and balmy lands of Turkey comes this handgun-producing brand. Owing its name to a mountain range that rests in the north of the country, soaking its roots in the warm waters of the Black Sea, Canik has long been known as one of the leaders of the Turkish aerospace defense industry. However, it’s been 13 years since Canik entered the firearm industry. During this time, the brand has made some very confident steps towards becoming a full-fledged internationally appraised company. The fact that their handguns can be found in all major firearm dealing shops in the U.S. only affirms this claim.
As with many other overseas brands, the history of Canik’s acknowledgment began within the boundaries of their own country. The Canik brand is a subsidiary of one of the largest security enterprises in Turkey - Samsun Yurt Savunma. This enterprise focuses on the production of firearms and aviation components for military use. Among Samsun Yurt Savunma’s numerous clients are Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Bombardier, and AgustaWestland.
Canik Firearms history began back in 1998 with an upgrade of a CZ 75 to several new models: Canik 100, Canik 120, and Canik STINGRAY. All three of them were adopted by the military and police but are now discontinued. Since 2009, the company’s primary focus has been polymer strikers. The same year Canik’s high-quality polymer pistol, which marked the beginning of the TP series, was adopted by Turkish Law Enforcement soon after the tender was announced.
In 2012 the brand partnered with Century Arms to introduce Canik TP pistols to the American market. The cooperation proved very fruitful and Canik has taken its place in the ranks of respectable handgun producers. As of 2019, the brand produces the following pistol models: Canik TP9, Canik TP9 Elite, Canik TP9SF, Canik TP9SF Elite, and Canik TP9SFX. All of the mentioned models, as well as some other Canik firearms, you can find right here, on Gritr Sports. We also have Canik magazines and even night sights available.