In a world of plastic pistols, it’s nice to get back to genuine metal once in a while. The pistol featured here was built of steel and aluminum with the precision of a Swiss watch. I’m speaking, of course, about the SPHINX SDP Compact 9mm made in Switzerland and imported by KRISS USA.
As you may know, KRISS is the producer of the renowned Vector submachine guns, pistols, and carbines. For those unfamiliar, the Vector design is unique and rather ingenious from an engineering standpoint. As for the Swiss company, Sphinx Systems AG, went bankrupt, primarily due to government chicanery back in 2015. However, the SDP Compact is still listed as available on the KRISS USA website. The pistol that you see in the included photos has been in my possession since 2011.
SPHINX SDP Compact
The first thing you’ll likely notice about the SDP Compact is its flat, slab-sided frame and the rather boxy overall look. Taking a note from the CZ-75 pistol, the slide rails are reversed from standard semi-auto production and run inside of the frame. The frame rails run the full length of the slide from front to rear giving the slide superior fit and stability.
Closer examination reveals that the frame is actually a two-part construction. The upper portion of the frame is machined aluminum which mates perfectly with the machined steel slide. You’ll notice the upswept beavertail area. The lower portion of the frame has a rubberized backstrap and forward polymer textured finger grip area.
As for trigger function, the SDP Compact is a DA/SA similar to the CZ 75 and other similar pistols. However, they’ve included a dual-sided (ambi) de-cocking lever on the frame. Aside from the de-cocking lever, the only other controls are the slide lock and magazine release, found in the traditional locations. The exposed hammer design is rather unique, being neither a “spur” configuration or a round “combat” hammer with the usual hole. I suppose you could describe it as a “nub” design.
As you’d expect from a DA/SA pistol, the smooth-faced trigger shoe is curved. The trigger pull weights aren’t listed, but my finger tells me that the double-action press is around ten pounds with the single-action press is in the five pounds neighborhood. While shooters raised on striker-fired triggers might be shocked at the DA pull weight, it’s certainly manageable for those who train with firearms. The SA mechanical reset is very apparent both in feel and its audible ‘click.’
Being a compact pistol, the size and dimensions are similar to a pistol such as the GLOCK 19. The barrel length is 3.7 inches, overall length is 7.4 inches and the empty weight is listed as 1.8 pounds or 28.8 ounces. The pistols come with very nice metal magazines that hold 15 rounds. The KRISS site also shows a SPHINX SDP Compact Duty model…same barrel length, but with a slightly longer grip and 17-round magazines.
Rather than go with the Americanized multitudinous witness hole design, there are only three holes on the side marked “5” “10” and “15.” I tend to believe that more holes means more places for dust, dirt, and debris to enter the magazine. Fewer holes reduce that.
Range Time
Back when I first got the pistol, the guys at KRISS USA assured me that it had match grade accuracy built in. Seated at the shooting bench and resting my arms on my range bag for stability, I sent a full magazine at the paper at ten yards and was rewarded with a ragged hole that measured less than three inches across (closer to two inches). Even the first DA shot didn’t fly out of the group.
For this review I put a wide variety of 9x19mm ammunition through the well-used pistol to include both FMJ and controlled-expansion rounds from Black Hills ammo, Double Tap ammo, and Federal Cartridge. Supersonic +P and subsonic 147 grain loads were used, too.
BLUF: I experienced zero stoppages or failures to feed. The external extractor is robust and likely contributed to the reliability of the pistol. For the curious, the operating system is listed by the manufacturer as a “locked breech recoil” design.
If you will allow me a moment to editorialize, for those who have only been shooting handguns in the 21st Century, stating that a pistol didn’t have stoppage issues might seem redundant or unnecessary. I can report in all honesty that such was not always the case.
Many handguns produced before the turn of the century required “break-in” periods or simply wouldn’t cycle certain bullet weights or designs. Stubborn Americans were once convinced to accept spotty reliability as the price you paid for carrying a “man’s gun” chambered in .45 ACP, 10mm, or (ugh) .40 S&W. Thank the lord above we have moved beyond that type of thinking…at least for the most part.
Back to the SPHINX SDP. The gun feels fantastic in my hands and indexes on target quite naturally. Being no stranger to the DA/SA trigger manipulation, I didn’t feel hindered. If you’re unfamiliar with that kind of action, it’s going to take some dedicated live and dry-fire trigger work before you get used to it. However, that isn’t impossible, it just takes some effort.
The pistol comes with a white dot front and a blacked steel rear sight with serrations. I should mention that there are forward and rear serrations on the slide and the frame includes the ubiquitous Picatinny accessory rail machined into the dust cover area.
Tipping the scales at 28 ounces, there’s no need for ridiculous comps or ports. The pistol has plenty of mass and a solid grip area to keep it on target for rapid shooting. While most of my practice drills were done at practical fighting ranges, I moved back to twenty-five yards to engage my half silhouette steel target. Even with the DA trigger press, all rounds stayed on the steel without issue.
Bottom line, if you’re missing the target, that is a you problem, not a gun problem.
Parting Shots
While I don’t intend to stop carrying a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol as an EDC/self-defense gun, it’s nice to get out and shoot something different once in a while. The quality construction of the SPHINX SDP pistol is readily apparent from the moment you pick it up. I suppose this pistol might be akin to a very nice watch, such as the Swiss Tag Heuer. You might not wear it every day, but when you do, you’ll appreciate the quality.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.