Reviewed: Canik TTI Combat Pistol

When you've got a pistol like the Canik TTI Combat in your hands, you know you're about to experience something special. Developed over two years in conjunction with world champion shooter and Hollywood trainer Taran Butler, this new-for-2024 Canik offering is more than just a firearm—it's a statement piece amongst collectors of all things that go "bang."

The TTI Combat maintains the tried-and-true Canik formula: a recoil-operated, semi-automatic setup with a black polymer frame. But where it truly stands out is in the details. The nitride alloy steel slide is finished with a dash of razzle-dazzle thanks to the TTI bronze Cerakote and touches of matching accents, all of which give this pistol an unmistakable two-tone look. Beveled edges, lightning cuts near the front sight and ejection port, as well as aggressive cocking serrations at both ends of the slide, all make it known this pistol is down to compete. Even the metallic optics cover plate, with its grooved design, seamlessly blends into the overall aesthetic.

One of the most notable features is the proprietary twin-port external compensator. Constructed from aluminum and meticulously finished to match the slide, this compensator isn’t there just to look pretty. It’s attached to the 4.6" fluted barrel via a series of lugs and a spring-loaded quick-release lever. This design earns bonus points for keeping the pistol compliant with restrictive states, which may have rules against threaded barrels.

As far as sights go, your eyes will easily be drawn to the bright-green HiViz fiber-optic front sight. The slide is optics-ready, so we opted to mount a Mecanik M02 reflex sight up top. Normally I'm not a fan of red dots (I’m old-school and love my iron sights), but I appreciated the wide field of view and ease of use of this sight. Brightness levels were easily adjusted, and the 3 MOA dot was perfectly sized for moving quickly between steel plates on range day.    

The ejection port features a robust extractor claw, with a cocked striker indicator in the rearward portion of the slide. When you remove the slide for cleaning you’ll find a recoil assembly with a steel guide rod and captured flat-wire spring, serving up reliability with every shot fired downrange.

The polymer frame has its own set of unique features, one of which is molded-in Picatinny rail just shy of 2" in length for accessories such as lasers or flashlights, and the trigger guard is undercut and textured for comfort. The flat-faced aluminum trigger, with its wide, checkered safety lever, breaks cleanly at around 3.5 lbs. with a short reset, getting you back on target with another round heading downrange in no time flat.

The more hands-on time you get with the TTI Combat, the more features you'll discover. The extended ambidextrous slide-release lever, checkered reversible mag release and takedown lever were created for ease of use, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. The aggressive grip texture and interchangeable backstraps permit the shooter to get an optimal fit for their particular hands. Additionally, the aluminum magwell extension further enhances reloading speed and efficiency, but you can remove it should you wish to go without.

Not only is this gun packed full of features, but you’ll also get an assortment of accessories as well, making the MSRP of $949.99 even more attractive. Included with this gun: a hard travel case, custom holster, tool kit, cleaning kit, custom punch, magazine speed loader, trigger lock and three different optics plate interfaces. (Wow.) If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also receive two 18-round magazines, two interchangeable backstraps, three optics mounting plates and more. 

Range day finally rolled around, and the weather was favorable with temperatures in the mid-70s and a slight breeze coming out of the southwest. For testing, we decided to bring out Remington's UMC 124gr. FMJ, Underwood's 9mm +P 124gr. FMJ and Federals 150gr Syntech Action Pistol to be tested at a distance of 25 yards. In between spurts of rain, we gathered average velocities for all options using our Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph. 

As far as average group sizes are concerned, I was more than pleased with the results. Between all three options, there was a 1.5” spread with Underwood squeaking out on top with an average group size of 1.50”. Remington and Federal were nipping at Underwood’s heels with average group sizes of 1.60”and 1.55”, respectively. With results such as these, I’d happily rely on any ammo when it comes to competition or general recreation, as all three were extremely accurate and all of them fed effortlessly through the magazines and out the business end of the gun.

When it was all said and done, our time with the Canik TTI Combat was a pleasurable one. The features built into this handgun and the care that was put into its craftsmanship all led to one heck of an accurate and nice-looking 9mm. MSRP $949.99; canikusa.com.

Accuracy Results

Specifications

Weight: 29.5 oz.

Capacity: 18 +1 rds.

Cartridge: 9mm Luger

Magazine Type: Canik Full-Size Magazine

Magazines Included: 2x 18-Round Magazines w/1 +3 Extension

Front Sight: Fiber Optic

Rear Sight: Adjustable

Finish Color: TTI Bronze

Action Type: Semi-Automatic

Frame Material: Synthetic

Overall Length: 7.85”

Barrel Length: 4.6”

Height: 5.87”

Width: 1.41”