For more than 140 years, the name Sarsılmaz has been associated with Turkish firearms manufacturing. Founded in 1880 in the Ottoman Empire as a small workshop producing revolvers for the Imperial Army, the company has grown into one of the largest private firearms manufacturers in the Middle East, supplying pistols to the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish National Police, and to military and police forces in more than 70 countries. Sarsılmaz's modern claim to fame is the SAR9 — a polymer-frame, striker-fired 9mm pistol that has become one of the most widely imported Turkish service pistols in the United States. The company's evolution from Ottoman-era armorer to global defense contractor is a story of geopolitical reinvention, manufacturing scale, and a stubborn refusal to be sidelined by the European and American competition.
Founding: An Ottoman Armory in Düzce
By the late 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was in a slow-motion collapse. The once-mighty empire had lost the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, was struggling with the rise of Balkan nationalism, and was increasingly dependent on arms imports from Europe — primarily from Germany, France, and Britain — to equip its army. Sultan Abdülhamid II, who had come to power in 1876, recognized that this dependence was a strategic liability and pushed for the establishment of domestic arms factories across the empire.
The Sarsılmaz family had been metalworkers in the Black Sea region of Anatolia for several generations, producing agricultural tools, household goods, and small arms. The family patriarch — the founder of what would become Sarsılmaz — established a small workshop in the town of Düzce, in northwestern Anatolia (today's Bolu province) in 1880, initially producing single-action revolvers and replacement parts for the Ottoman Army's existing stocks of Smith & Wesson, Mauser, and Galand-pattern revolvers. The workshop was so small that the family worked alongside its employees, and the early Sarsılmaz products were essentially hand-built.
The Ottoman government, eager to encourage domestic arms production, granted the Sarsılmaz family a monopoly license to produce revolvers for the Imperial Army in the late 1880s. This license was the foundation of the company's commercial success. By the 1890s, the Sarsılmaz workshop was producing several thousand .44 caliber single-action revolvers per year, based on a simplified version of the Smith & Wesson Russian Model.
These early Sarsılmaz revolvers, though unremarkable by modern standards, were used by the Ottoman Army in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and in the early stages of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912. Some examples survive in Turkish military museums and occasionally appear on the European collector market, where they are highly sought after.
The Early Years: From Empire to Republic
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I and the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk transformed Sarsılmaz's circumstances. The new Turkish Republic inherited a small but functional arms industry and a pressing need to equip a modern national army without the budget to import large quantities of foreign weapons.
Sarsılmaz pivoted to producing hunting rifles and shotguns for the Turkish civilian market, while continuing to supply the Turkish Armed Forces with revolvers, pistols, and replacement parts. The company also produced a line of Mauser-pattern bolt-action rifles based on the German Model 1893 and Model 98, which had been supplied to the Ottoman Army before World War I.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Sarsılmaz grew steadily, expanding from a family workshop into a small industrial company. The company produced target pistols for Turkish Olympic shooters, police revolvers for the Turkish National Police, and military training rifles for the Turkish Army. By the late 1930s, the company employed nearly 200 people and was the largest private firearms manufacturer in Turkey.
Sarsılmaz was not the only Turkish firearms manufacturer of this era — the state-run MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation) was the dominant producer of military weapons — but it was the largest of the private firms and the one with the deepest history. The relationship between Sarsılmaz and MKEK would define the Turkish firearms industry for the next 80 years.
Key Historical Milestones: The Cold War and the Rise of Modern Sarsılmaz
Turkey's entry into NATO in 1952 transformed its defense industry. The country began receiving large quantities of American military aid and equipment, and the Turkish Armed Forces were re-equipped with NATO-standard weapons, including the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, and later the M14 and FN FAL. Sarsılmaz continued to produce legacy products, but the company recognized that the future lay in modern, NATO-standard firearms.
The MKEK Partnership and the Kılınç Pistol (1970s)
In the 1970s, Sarsılmaz began a long-term partnership with MKEK to produce the Kılınç (Turkish for "Sword") pistol, a 9mm service pistol based on the Browning Hi-Power design. The Kılınç was the standard sidearm of the Turkish Armed Forces from the 1980s through the 2000s, and Sarsılmaz produced more than 500,000 examples in various configurations.
The Kılınç was not a particularly innovative pistol — it was a license-built version of a 1935-era design — but it gave Sarsılmaz invaluable experience in producing high-capacity, military-grade 9mm pistols to NATO standards. The experience paid off in the 1990s and 2000s, when the company began designing its own modern pistols.
| Era | Key Product | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s–1900s | Ottoman-pattern revolvers | Founded the company; supplied Ottoman Army |
| 1920s–1950s | Hunting rifles, Mauser-pattern rifles | Survived transition from Empire to Republic |
| 1970s–1990s | Kılınç 9mm service pistol | First major military contract; established NATO capability |
| 2000s | Custom government and special-forces pistols | Began designing own products |
| 2010s | SAR9 striker-fired pistol | Breakthrough in the U.S. and European markets |
| 2020s | SAR9 GEN2, B6, B45, K2 Sport | Modern lineup across all price points |
The 2000s: Modernization and Independence
In the early 2000s, Sarsılmaz began a major modernization program that transformed the company from a legacy government contractor into a modern firearms manufacturer. The company invested in CNC machining centers, CNC gun-drilling equipment, automated polymer injection molding, and a research and development division staffed by Turkish engineers, many of whom had been trained in Germany or the United States.
The first major product of this new era was a series of custom pistols and revolvers produced for the Turkish National Police, the Turkish Special Forces Command, and various VIP protection details. These were high-end, hand-fitted pistols and revolvers in calibers ranging from 9mm to .357 Magnum to .50 Action Express. The Sarsılmaz name began appearing on European and American competition pistol circuits in the 2000s, though in modest numbers.
The SAR9 Breakthrough (2012)
The single most important product launch in Sarsılmaz's modern history was the SAR9, introduced in 2012 and refined in subsequent years. The SAR9 was a polymer-frame, striker-fired 9mm service pistol that combined NATO-grade reliability with a price point that undercut the major European and American competitors by 30–40%.
The SAR9 was designed specifically to compete with the Glock 17/19, the Smith & Wesson M&P9, and the SIG Sauer P320 in the global duty-pistol market. It featured a 17+1 capacity in 9mm, a 4.4-inch barrel, an accessory rail, a low-bore-axis design, and interchangeable backstraps. The trigger was deliberately tuned to be slightly crisper than the Glock's standard trigger — a concession to shooters who find the Glock pull mushy.
The SAR9 was first exported to the United States in 2015 through a partnership with Tristar Imports, and it was an immediate hit with budget-conscious American shooters. By 2020, the SAR9 was the best-selling imported 9mm pistol in the United States, and it had been adopted by the police forces of several U.S. states and municipalities.
Iconic Firearms: The Models That Defined Sarsılmaz
Three Sarsılmaz-produced firearms deserve detailed treatment because each represents a distinct chapter in the company's evolution.
The Sarsılmaz Kılınç (1970s)
The Kılınç was the workhorse pistol of the Turkish Armed Forces for nearly 30 years. Based on the Browning Hi-Power (a pistol designed in 1925 and still one of the most successful military pistol designs ever), the Kılınç was a 9mm, single-action, hammer-fired pistol with a 13-round magazine and a distinctive re-contoured grip that improved the ergonomics over the original Hi-Power. Sarsılmaz produced more than 500,000 Kılınç pistols in various configurations, and the pistol saw action in Turkish military operations in Cyprus (1974), Northern Iraq, and the Kurdistan region.
The Kılınç was eventually replaced in Turkish service by the SAR9 in the 2010s, but the pistol remains in service with various Turkish law enforcement agencies and security forces. It is also a popular collectible in Turkey and a functional defensive weapon in countries where it is still legal.
The Sarsılmaz B6 (2000s)
The B6 was Sarsılmaz's first major export-oriented pistol, designed specifically for the European and American concealed-carry markets. The B6 is a compact 9mm pistol with a polymer frame, a 3.5-inch barrel, a 10+1 capacity, and a double-action/single-action trigger. It is also offered in .40 S&W and .45 ACP variants.
The B6 was sold in the United States through EAA Corp and later through European American Armory, and it became a budget-friendly alternative to the Glock 19 and Smith & Wesson M&P9c. While the B6 has not achieved the commercial success of the SAR9, it remains a popular choice for shooters who want a DA/SA trigger in a compact 9mm package.
| Variant | Caliber | Capacity | Barrel |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAR9 Full-Size | 9mm | 17+1 | 4.4 in |
| SAR9 Compact | 9mm | 15+1 | 3.8 in |
| SAR9 Subcompact | 9mm | 12+1 | 3.3 in |
| SAR9 GEN2 | 9mm | 17+1 | 4.4 in |
| B6 | 9mm / .40 / .45 | 10+1 / 9+1 / 8+1 | 3.5 in |
| B45 | .45 ACP | 8+1 | 3.7 in |
| K2 Sport | 9mm | 17+1 | 4.7 in |
The SAR9 (2012)
The SAR9 is, by any reasonable measure, the most important product in Sarsılmaz's history. It transformed the company from a regional Turkish manufacturer into a globally recognized brand, and it has been adopted by military and law enforcement agencies on six continents. The SAR9's design is conservative, even by Glock standards, but its execution is meticulous: a low-bore-axis design, a crisp 5.5–7.0 lb trigger, a reversible magazine catch, an interchangeable backstrap system, and a finish that has been praised by reviewers for being noticeably better than the comparable Glock.
The SAR9 has gone through several iterations:
- SAR9 (2012) — original version with polymer frame and steel slide
- SAR9 GEN2 (2020) — improved grip texture, refined trigger, optics-ready variants
- SAR9 SCT (2020) — subcompact tactical model for concealed carry
- SAR9 9C (2022) — compact model with shorter slide and grip
The SAR9's commercial success has been driven by aggressive pricing — typically $350–$450 in the U.S. market, which is $100–$200 less than the comparable Glock or M&P — and by a lifetime warranty from Sarsılmaz. The company has invested heavily in U.S.-based customer service and warranty fulfillment, which has been a key factor in winning over skeptical American shooters.
Legacy and Modern Era
Sarsılmaz is, as of 2026, one of the largest private firearms manufacturers in the Middle East and one of the top three firearms exporters from Turkey, alongside Canik and the state-run MKEK. The company produces more than 200,000 pistols per year and exports to more than 70 countries. Its product lineup includes:
- SAR9 family in full-size, compact, and subcompact variants
- B6 and B45 DA/SA pistols for concealed carry
- K2 Sport full-size duty pistol
- SAR9 Tactic optics-ready long-slide model
- SAR9 GEN3 (announced 2024) with optics-ready slide and improved trigger
The company has invested heavily in research and development, with a new R&D center in Istanbul focused on smart-pistol technology, red-dot integration, and polymer-frame engineering. Sarsılmaz has signaled an interest in competing in the U.S. military sidearm market, though the company faces an entrenched competitor in SIG Sauer, the current M17/M18 provider.
Sarsılmaz has also expanded into rifles and shotguns, with a line of semi-automatic shotguns and a new series of AR-pattern rifles chambered in 5.56 NATO. While these products are not yet major commercial factors, they signal the company's ambition to become a full-line firearms manufacturer rather than a pistol specialist.
MatchMyGun Verdict
Sarsılmaz is a remarkable company: 145 years old, family-rooted, and one of the few non-European, non-American firearms manufacturers that has genuinely broken into the global market. The company's modern claim to fame — the SAR9 — is a legitimate, well-engineered, affordable service pistol that has earned a loyal following among civilian shooters, law enforcement officers, and military personnel around the world. While Sarsılmaz may not have the brand recognition of Glock, SIG, or Smith & Wesson, the company offers a compelling price-to-performance ratio that is hard to ignore.
If you are shopping for a Sarsılmaz pistol on MatchMyGun, you will find the full lineup: the SAR9 family in its various configurations, the B6 and B45 DA/SA pistols, the K2 Sport, and the new SAR9 GEN3. Most models are chambered in 9mm, with select variants in .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The pistols are well-supported in the aftermarket, the company has a strong U.S. warranty program, and the price is right. For a budget-friendly duty or concealed-carry pistol that doesn't cut corners on engineering, Sarsılmaz deserves a serious look.
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