Tisas PX-9 Gen 3 Carry OR: Small Footprint, Great Value

If you grew up in the era before the internet, you might remember that once upon a time a polymer-frame pistol was a novelty. Today, however, there are so many polymer-frame 9mm autoloading pistols on the market, from a wide variety of manufacturers, that it’s challenging for any gun to stand out in the field. Tisas is betting that its new PX-9 Gen 3 Carry OR semiauto pistol will win over shooters with its reliability, its affordable price, and its long list of extras.

The PX-9 Gen 3 Carry OR (Optics Ready) is a double-stack striker-fired 9mm with a polymer frame, forged steel slide, and forged and machined 3.5-inch barrel. The barrel is button rifled, and two 15-round, flush-fit P228-pattern metal magazines ship with the gun. The gun also comes with a molded case with locking tabs, interchangeable backstraps and side grip panels, a cleaning brush and rod, a mag loader, and a trigger lock.

Oh, and Tisas has even thrown in an inside-the-waistband holster as well—all for a suggested retail price of $370, which means you should be able to find it closer to $300. If you want a value-priced striker-fired 9mm that offers almost everything you need for a day at the range except ammo, the Tisas makes a compelling case as the best bang-for-your-buck striker-fired gun on the market.

The test gun has a black Tenifer slide, front and rear slide serrations, and angular slide cuts reminiscent of CZ’s P-10/P-07 pistols. A beefy side-mounted extractor contributes to reliability, and the trigger features an integral safety. The sights are on the Glock pattern and include a black square notch rear and fiber-optic front dot, and the slide is cut for the Trijicon RMR footprint. There’s a Picatinny rail on the dust cover for attaching optics.

Controls and Size

Controls are streamlined but large enough to be functional. They consist of an oblong mag release and a slide stop and takedown lever, both of which are located on the left side of the frame. I much prefer the rotating takedown lever to the Glock-style transverse takedown pin arrangement.

With a barrel length of 3.5 inches the PX-9 Gen 3 Carry OR has an overall length of seven inches. Height is five inches from the top of the sights to the base of the grip, but with the flared magazine well and 18-round magazine overall height ended up being 5.75 inches. Width is 1.25 inches without the mag well in place and 1.5 inches with it installed.

The Tisas is a solidly built pistol with a well-deserved reputation for reliability. In more than 100 rounds of testing the only problem I had with the gun was that the slide failed to lock back on an empty magazines on multiple occasions.

The bore axis lies about 1.35 inches above the top of the trigger guard opening, which is 0.1 inch higher than many competing 9mm pistols, so the Tisas doesn’t feel as svelte and low in the hand as some guns like Ruger’s Max-9 or Rost Martin’s RM1C. However, the Tisas has a grip and controls that are large enough to make it easy to manage and operate, feeling more like a full-size gun than a carry pistol.

Trigger and Accuracy

With a flat-face trigger that breaks at under four pounds, the Tisas can produce exceptional groups for a pistol with a 3.5-inch barrel, especially when you mount the pistol, as I did, with a reflex sight such as the Trijicon RMR-HD. The best five-shot 25-yard group of the day measured 1.65 inches and came courtesy of Federal’s HST defensive load, although most of the loads I tested managed at least one five-shot group under 2.5 inches at that range. Several were closer to two inches. The sights are rudimentary but they work well and are durable.

Overall, the Tisas deserves high praise for its performance, and I think it’s certainly one of the best values in polymer-frame 9mm pistols today. It’s not as small and light as some competitors, but it’s very reliable and offers better accuracy than you need from a carry gun. The included metal magazines boost value, and the good trigger and RMR-ready slide make this an even more appealing pistol for around $300.

The addition of a polymer inside-the-waistband holster is a thoughtful addition, and it works fine, but I’d imagine that most people who carry this gun every day will opt for something with a bit more substance. CrossBreed, Comp-Tac and other companies offer holsters specific to the PX-9 Gen Carry OR.

Could Turkish imports reinvent the American pistol market as they did with shotguns? Time will tell, but this Tisas is poised to make a big splash in the crowded carry-gun market.

Tisas PX-9 Gen 3 Carry OR Specs

• Type: striker-fired semiauto
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 18 (tested), 15, 10
• Barrel: 3.5 in., 1:10 twist
• OAL/Height/Width: 7/5.8/1.3 in. (w/mag well, 18-round mag)
• Weight: 25 oz.
• Construction: Tenifer-finished steel slide, polymer frame w/interchangeable backstraps and side panels
• Trigger: 3 lb., 12 oz. (measured)
• Sights: black notch rear, fiber-optic front; slide cut for Trijicon RMR footprint
• MSRP: $370
• Manufacturer: Tisas USA, TisasUSA.com

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