My Impressions
We had a blast shooting the gun and we got some good training in as well. My impressions were: this thing is perfection, especially when you consider the value for performance.
Not only is it a dream to shoot, but you get so much in the package. I think it’s going to redefine what the market expects from manufacturers. Consumers are demanding more even from their budget options, and Canik, with TTI’s help, is delivering.
Background
TTI stands for Taran Tactical Innovations, which is Taran Butler’s custom shop. If you don’t know who Taran Butler is, he’s the man that first conquered the competitive shooting world and is now taking over Hollywood as gun trainer to the stars. In addition to training big action stars, Taran also builds high-end custom race guns. His guns are some of the best in the world. And as you can imagine, they demand a commensurate price tag.
Canik, on the other hand, has garnered a reputation of producing high-quality, reliable firearms at value prices. In addition, the company is known for quickly responding to customer requests producing firearms with all the newest features that are popular in the market.
In a stroke of genius, Taran partnered with Canik to produce a gun has both the design elements of TTI and the large-scale production capabilities of Canik.
Design
I think what sets this gun apart from other offerings is that it feels like it was designed holistically with the shooter in mind. They wanted the ultimate competition package, and that’s what they built.
I feel like so many modern manufacturers add the newest trending features to their current lineup with no thought on how it performs as an integrated unit. The TTI Combat is clearly built with a lot of thought put into how all the upgrades work together. It really shows when you shoot it.
Built on a Canik polymer frame, it’s lightweight, easy to move around, and fast on transitions. Some might think that a steel-framed Canik would have been a better starting point, but because of the way this gun is built, it can be shot virtually as fast as anything else on the market.
To deal with the recoil of a light gun, a compensator was added – but not just any off-the-shelf compensator. It’s a new design of compensator and porting hybrid. Since it does not rely on a threaded barrel, it is theoretically legal in 50 states. But you should still double-check your state’s laws. In addition, because the compensator is standard from the factory, this pistol is legal in some shooting sports.
Slide and Springs
The comp is just the tip of the iceberg. The slide, barrel, and springs really make this gun shine. Even though it looks like a 5-inch gun, it has a 4.6-inch barrel. Combined with the lightened slide and competition springs, the felt recoil and return to zero on this gun is outstanding.
A fast-shooting gun is really all about how the slide moves under recoil. This gun has a perfect balance of compensation, slide weight, and spring pressure. That’s what makes it a pleasure to shoot fast – I feel like the gun is waiting on me to pull the trigger.
Right out of the box the first time I picked up the gun, I was able to put down a 2.11-second Bill drill, all the time feeling that I was slowing down the gun.
Trigger and Grip
The other two elements that contribute to the Combat’s performance are the incredible trigger and the excellent grip texture. This trigger is probably the best striker-fired trigger I’ve ever felt. It’s a satisfying trigger to pull, and I’ll even compare it to a 1911 trigger.
There is a firm, crisp break and a short reset. Pull weight was just under 3 pounds, but the feel of the trigger was substantial. I could perceive the trigger breaking and resetting. It’s hard to describe – you just have to experience it.
Finally, the grip texture is outstanding and locks your hands in place. The ideal texture should not be noticeable but not let your hand slip, and Canik nailed it.
Additional Features
I haven’t even touched on all the other high-end features, such as ambidextrous controls, flared magwell, extended slide stop, improved iron sights, and redesigned optic cut for even lower dot mounting.
Round out this package are all the extras you get in the custom case, including an 18-round magazine, 21-round magazine with TTI base place, custom holster, cleaning kit, tool kit that is shaped like the gun, custom punch, magazine speedloader, three optic plate interfaces, three backstrap options, and finally, a custom challenge coin.
At right around $1,000, this thing is the best value on the market right now. I really see no cons to this gun, which is why I’m saying it’s perfect.
Finely Tuned
To go along with the impressive shooting response, the gun is also crazy accurate. Our jaws dropped when we shot it for accuracy, as it was close to custom 1911-level performance.
However, I do have a word of caution. This is a competition-oriented pistol designed to perform at the highest levels. It’s not a duty-grade weapon meant to be abused and keep running. To get the outstanding feel, you need to maintain the gun to keep it functioning – but this true of all top-tier competition guns.
We shot the TTI Combat right out of the box without and cleaning or lubrication. At about 150 rounds, the slide started to slow down, and we had a few failures to feed. This is because the gun had not been broken in, but also because it was so precisely sprung. Make sure you keep it lubed, at least at the beginning. Once I oiled it, it ran like a champ again.
Precise springing is also why two recoil springs are included in the kit. The guns ships with a spring for use with normal factory ammo, but if you run super light competition loads, you will need to install the second spring kit for good functioning. Just keep this in mind, and you will do fine.
Conclusion
It’s not often that I wholeheartedly endorse a firearm, but I’m going to guarantee that if you pick up a Canik TTI Combat, you will not be disappointed.
