Curious if anyone owns both these?  I've researched both of these and looking for someone owas both.

I've had itch to buy a sig p228  or p229. Then I happened upon the cz999 and thouget it would be a great alternative to pick up for cheap.  From reviews I've seen it seems like a great gun. Almost like an upgraded p228 with some rough finishes on the inside. Curious if any one knows if the sights can be replaced with sig night sights?

Now as I was looking at the cz999 I happened on the Canik. Now I'll admit, I will probably end up buying both lol. But is the Canik so much better that I should buy it first?  Decocker seems a little strange but upside is I can actually find places selling magazines for these compared to the cz999.

Thanks, also if anyone knows of a review comparing these two please let me know. I couldn't find one.

I had a full size cz999 and own a tp9 (not the ridiculous SA model though, the p99as clone one).  The Zastava is a steal, but, the slide finish is awful and begs to be cerakoted, I did, and the mags are hard to get unless you mod cheap Beretta mags.  Honestly, pass on both.  I sold my cz999 because it is NOT a sig, and the Canik is for sale (unshot) because my G17 is so much better.

Get a sub $400 2022 with nights and you are getting the best, or better than, both the above guns.  Check Wideners.

Hello, I do indeed own both currently, hopefully I can offer a reasonably objective opinion. I am admittedly very fond of them, but the CZ 999 and Canik TP9SA both have good points and not so good ones.

*FYI: I will be upfront first and tell you straight up that the CZ 999 compact I have unfortunately has had some functional issues within 200 rounds, whereas the Canik TP9SA has had none, whatsoever (about 300 rounds through the TP9SA thus far). The CZ 999 Compact is going to have to be sent back to Century to have them look it over.  Here is a rundown of why:

The gun shoots very well with the right ammo at 25 yards (and well beyond!) but since I purchased it the gun has had about 4 FTF, and numerous pieces of brass thrown back at my face/head (some of it just the other day--American Eagle 124 grain FMJ). Also whether it is the same with all Zastava CZ 999s, or EZ9s, the gun seems to have a hard time with the ZQI 9mm NATO ammo widely available at Wal-Mart. The primer strikes (with ZQI) are pretty ugly sometimes and when I brought one of them into the shop where I got the gun, the owner said it almost looked as if the spent primer was starting to bulge out. If one looked closely, he could see the strike on the primer face was actually "raised" somehow, it was not flat as it should be. He suggested it probably wouldn't be a good idea to fire that ammo in the gun until figuring out what the problem is, and I agreed. As far as I can tell, each and every FTF was from the ZQI ammo. The ZQI ammo has never caused any FTF or any functional issues at all in other 9mm handguns I have (Beretta, SIG, Glock, Canik, etc.)

A lot of the ZQI brass ended up getting flung back to my face and head as well, but the absolute worst ammo in terms of BTF was the aforementioned American Eagle 124 grain 9mm. I'm not kidding you, ALL 15 rounds of that stuff I fired through the gun to test function (i.e. one magazine's worth) got thrown back in my face HARD. That for me was the last straw to get me to resolve to send it back to Century.*

I have not heard of anyone else thus far having had such issues with their CZ 999 Compact or CZ 999 full size 9mm handguns, so I could be a statistical anomaly, and probably am one. Take the above info for what it is worth, but I would be doing you an injustice if I didn't at least mention it.  

There isn't a direct comparison between the CZ 999 Compact and Canik TP9SA that I am aware of, I will offer two links to threads I've posted with my thoughts initially on the TP9SA and CZ 999 Compact as well as some valuable insight from other members here who have them:

CZ 999 Compact:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_36/158212_Anyone_Have_a_CZ999_in_9mm_.html&page=1

TP9SA:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_36/157810_Finally_Bought_A_TP9SA___.html

I will try to give a condensed version of my thoughts concerning both pistols here. A lot of (perhaps even most, I really don't know what perspective you're looking at these things from) what I think here is extremely subjective and even subject to change as time goes on, so again, take it for what it is worth. For right now I only have time to post what I think about in detail about the CZ 999 Compact, but as soon as I am able I will edit this post and give my updated thoughts on the Canik TP9SA. I will say that of the two, I personally find the Zastava CZ 999 Compact easier to shoot, although to be honest if asked at this point which gun I think is more reliable or would I be more willing to trust my life on, I would have to say as of right now, the Canik TP9SA. Subject to change of course, but that's how I look at things right now.

Also overall I think the Canik TP9SA is going to be a better value/better choice for most people, because the TP9SA already has quite a loyal following and as more people become aware of it, more will buy it. More buyers=greater demand for aftermarket parts/accessories. The Canik for those that care is ISO 9000 certified, to the best of my knowledge the Zastava is not (someone correct me if I am wrong). Both these guns the CZ 999 Compact as well as the Canik TPSA can be used with  good quality retention style holsters made by either BLACKHAWK or ITAC (SIG-TAC Holsters) if that is important to you, you just have to know which ones to look for.

Anyway, let me offer you some info about the CZ 999 Compact for now. I'll try not to leave anything out, but it's late and I'm sure I'll probably forget something.  

The CZ 999 Compact is a fairly heavy, DA/SA gun that externally looks reasonably similar to a SIG P229 (I think the earlier CZ 99 pistol looked closer to a full size P226, but that is just me). It has an ambidextrous decocker that also pulls double duty as a slide stop. Kind of an unusual feature, I think the Walther P88 Compact had a decocker/slide stop that was similiar.

Anyway, I dig the single decocker/slide stop on both sides of the gun, as opposed to a SIG P226/P229 that has the decocker and slide stop as different levers. It does take a bit of practice to use the lever properly to lock the slide open, but it is pretty easy to use, and I've no complaints about the smoothness of the action at all. Nice and smooth, nice beefy slide, easy to grab, easy to rack with the overhand (or "over the top") slide rack technique for those who prefer that method. Although I don't really use the slide lock/slide release levers on my handguns to load or release the slide, I will say the size of the decocker lever/slide release on the CZ 999 seems to make it pretty easy to release the slide that way if you wanted to.

Now, actually using the decocking lever to decock the gun, it's been a long time since I've had a SIG P229 in my hand to compare with, but the CZ 999's decocker is stiffer to operate with your firing hand IMO than at least the decocker on the SIG 2022, which can be operated easily with the thumb of the shooter's firing hand. I find it much easier to decock the CZ999 by bringing the pistol is close and using the thumb of my non-firing hand to press down on the decocker/slide stop. I think part of the reason the decocker on the CZ 999 is harder to push down for me with the thumb of my firing hand is due to its shape; it just doesn't lend itself very well to being manipulated with an ungloved hand or digit when it is shaped that way, in my opinion. I'm not saying (if your hands/thumbs are big enough) that you can't operate the decocker with the thumb of your firing hand, just that it is a lot easier and a lot more practical to use your non-firing hand to push down that decocker instead.  

The ambidextrous mag releases seem kind of stiff. I'm not sure if it is because the springs used in these are reasonably stout, or if the angle at which the buttons are depressed gives the impression that the mag releases are stiffer to operate than they really are...I'd have to look again, but it seems that they are pushed in at a slight angle, as opposed to straight down, or straight in. To me all of this is largely a non-issue, because the size/shape of the gun along with my size of hands (about medium sized hands) necessitates that I shift my grip at least a little in order to hit the mag release, and when I do that I don't really have any problem getting the mag to drop out.

The magazines themselves that came with the gun hold 15 rounds and out of the box were INSANELY stiff to load. INSANELY! I know almost all new pistol magazines can be pretty stiff to load to full capacity, and granted it was still very cold out when the gun was purchased, but there is no reason whatsoever why a 15 round mag out of the box should be that stiff--at one point I had loaded 6 rounds in the mag and already it had felt like 13 or 14 rounds were in there. The good news is that after a few times being loaded and fed through by the gun, the magazines load just fine now, no problem. The feed lips are slightly on the sharp side in my opinion.

The sights are rugged metal 3 dot sights. Nothing special I suppose, but I like them and they seem to work very well for me on this gun. I wouldn't change them. I did have to *slightly* drift the rear sight to the right to bring the POI at 25 yards about spot on. On the point of aim, as far as I can tell, my gun at least shoots roughly POA=POI from 25 yards on out to at least about 50 yards or so with 115-124 grain 9mm ammo. I really like that it shoots that way. Some guns I have (I'll get to the TP9SA after) shoot quite high even at 25 yards.

The trigger: The Double Action trigger admittedly is pretty heavy, not sure exactly what the weight is, but probably over 10 lbs (just a guess--my SIG 2022 is about 10 lbs). Other than me saying it is heavy, it is kind of hard I think to try to describe to someone what the DA pull on this gun is like without comparing it to something else...I can tell you this much, I'm not sure which trigger pull is actually heavier (I would say it is probably Beretta's), but comparing the CZ 999 and the Beretta 92/M9 DA trigger, for the most part the CZ 999 is smoother and free of that "stacking" that the Beretta has, until near the end where the trigger breaks. What sucks about that is that with CZ 999 I've found I can often get a fairly smooth (or at least steady and consistent) DA pull up until near the end, but if I'm not careful I can really foul it up and jerk the muzzle of the gun to the right at the last second. Even with all of that in mind, I *usually* have been able to keep my shots within the 8" circle ( I think it's about 8"???) of the "A" zone on an IDPA target at 25 yards.

The Single action trigger seems pretty good to me, with a short audible reset. I will admit as of yet I haven't done a whole lot of shooting comparatively speaking in SA with the gun, I've mostly been working in DA mode because I know it is harder and something that needs more practice/attention to master on this gun.    

Accuracy: This gun is accurate! What that means to me might not mean the same thing to you, but for the sake of simplicity I'll just say this for now--the gun itself is very capable of making consistent shots on IPSC or IDPA sized targets at at least 50 yards, and I'm talking about even those initial heavy DA shots after drawing the gun from the holster. I think the weight of the gun helps out with some of the control and accuracy here, I think the barrels are hammer forged but I'm not certain. I tried the CZ 999 even at 100 yards and was able to connect some shots at that distance, at that point though I think the holdover for POA was somewhere around the silhouette's head, and it got tough to try to track where exactly everything was at that point (the sights, the target, the pressure I was exerting on the trigger, etc.)

Field stripping is pretty easy with a takedown lever to help out. Easy as well to put back together. Pretty conventional like a metal framed SIG or something like that.

Some people criticize the plastic grips as being cheap or something or harder to hold on to with wet/sweaty hands...I don't know, they seem fine to me and I wouldn't change them.

In short: Overall, I really, really like this gun (with the caveat about my particular gun's issues listed at the top). I tend to prefer metal framed hammer-fired guns over polymer, striker-fired guns generally, to me it just seems like the little extra weight found on the metal framed guns like the Zastava CZ 999 Compact helps keep some of the recoil down, though some people understandably don't like that extra weight if they are going to carry concealed. Polymer-framed striker-fired guns like the Canik TP9SA tend to be more difficult for me to manage recoil wise (especially when it comes to controlled pairs or rapid fire). I think a lot of that has to do with the reduced weight. The CZ 999 Compact admittedly feels a bit "big" in my hands but it isn't really very finicky at all in terms of how I hold it compared to the TP9SA or a Glock 17...if I am not reasonably diligent about holding a pretty firm and consistent grip on the Canik or Glock, the gun will start to slip around noticeably during firing and will need to be re-adjusted. A gun like the CZ 999 Compact though, that's not really a problem at all.

The price was very reasonable--about $340 at a local shop. Came with two mags and a nice foam lined hard plastic case with manual. This gun shoots about at least as well as my SIG 2022 out to about 50 yards, and to be honest I like the Zastava better in so far as it shoots out of the box around POA=POI at 25 yards, whereas the SIG (and Canik TP9SA) shoots high at the same distance, forcing me to compensate for this by lowering my point of aim which for me can be annoying sometimes.

My biggest concern about the CZ 999 Compact is whether or not they are going to continue to be imported, and if not, are we stuck with the two factory mags we get with the guns we have now. And what about warranty/repair service concerns? If the guns stop coming in those of us who still have one of these might be SOL if something breaks or needs to replaced or fixed. The Canik TP9SA on the other hand, shy of some sort of act of God or Divine Intervention, the Canik TP9SA is not going to go away or stop being imported, it is far too popular right now for Century to stop importing them. The CZ 999's future here in the State's is more questionable. Yes, AIM does have them for now, but AFAIK Century is out of them, at least the full-sized CZ 999s, and I'm wondering if what AIM has now are the last of what Century had had left for CZ 999 Compacts in 9mm. We will have to see.

Again, when I'm able I'll edit and update with my thoughts on the Canik TP9SA and how I think it compares to the CZ 999 Compact in more detail.

Thanks for your thoughts...

I look forward to them on the TP-9SA too...

Forrest

I own a TP9SA and a CZ-999.

Both are fine weapons.  I especially like the Canik.  It has been just a fantastic shooter (as many Caniks are).  Each shot extremely well.

My personal recommendation would be the TP9SA, but ymmv as far as the feel of the gun when shooting it, spare mags, etc...

Comparing the two, and only the two, no other guns, I think I would agree the Canik as things stand is the better choice overall for the reasons I mentioned before. Both are going to be around the same price in most local gun shops (my TP9SA was $350 OTD, the CZ 999 Compact was $340) so I think both are a great value, but right now there is greater support behind the Canik for basics like factory mags, and if the gun's popularity continues I don't think it will be long before companies like BlackHawk start bringing to market dedicated TP9SA holsters (although it will fit certain SERPA holsters for other guns already). I just don't see that happening for the CZ 999 although I could be wrong. The guns are supposed to be pretty common/popular in Europe, and apparently there was a sizable contract with the Iraqi army for CZ 99 and CZ 999 pistols (I don't know the particulars offhand of that, so if someone else knows more, please chime in). FWIW the SIG Pro (now known as SP 2022, I still call it SIG Pro myself) did not do very well initially in the States, and SIG temporarily stopped making them for awhile. A few years back they were re-introduced again, and now are actually doing quite well. How something is marketed can be a pretty significant factor.

The CZ 999/CZ 999 Compact rightly or wrongly I think is just seen by the average person as another bulky, kind of plain and somewhat antiquated metal framed pistol...to me that is far too simplistic and does not do the Zastava justice at all, but again, if there is not support behind the product by the manufacturer and/or importer for accessories and warranty/repair work, the gun will not be commercially successful.

Thanks, I'm glad they are useful to someone. The next time I go out to the range this week I'm bringing the TP9SA (and only the TP9SA so I don't get sidetracked/distracted) and am going to try shooting it a bunch again, if I can, all the way out out to 100 yards in addition to the closer distances. I might have to do the shooting that I want to with the gun over the course of 2 or 3 days--the range I use can get pretty crowded even at odd times, and it can become impractical sometimes to do all the things I want to do in a given day even with just one gun. It can be pretty frustrating actually.

I just changed out the backstrap to the fatter one, I'm curious to see how it feels shooting the gun with that one on. Changing the grip module on my SIG Pro 2022 to a larger one immediately helped me with at least one problem I had shooting that gun, maybe the larger backstrap on the TP9SA will actually end up being more comfortable/easier to hold on to during firing. The contour kind of reminds me of the HK VP9 with the fat backstrap on.

Eventually I'd like to do a comparison between the TP9SA and the Glock 17 Gen 4.

TP9 vs Gen 3 G17

The comparisons in size and other features between the original TP9 and Gen 3 Glock 17 is appreciated, and the information you spoke of concerning improving the trigger on the original DA/SA TP9 is interesting also, but I do have an honest question--have you had a chance to actually shoot your TP9 yet?

I'd still like to do a shooting comparison between the TP9SA (the newer one which you do not like) and the Gen 4 17. I'm wondering if I can shoot noticeably better with the Canik than the Glock at comparable distances. I guess we'll see.

Hey thank you for the comparison, it is greatly appreciated. I'm still on the fence for some reason lol.  I kinda feel like the TP9SA isn't as complete yet. Only reason I say that is it still has the Decocker which seems like over kill. Almost like there will be a better model out soon that either is sa/da or does not have the Decocker.

So I'm going to look around at my local gun ranges/stores so I can go check these two out.  I think I'll check out the 2022 too.

If I end up buying both like I think I will. I'll be sure to post the review comparing them!

Thanks again!

No problem, the decision ultimately is yours to make, naturally you have to decide why want a particular gun in the first place, and why it is, or is not better than another. I'll tell you quite honestly, I have the TP9SA, CZ 999 Compact AND the SIG 2022, and I really like them ALL thus far (again, with the caveat in there about the issues my particular CZ 999 Compact has had out of the box that will have to be addressed through Century).

I am also a big fan of the SIG 2022 in addition to the CZ 999 Compact and TP9SA. The SIG 2022 I think is the safest choice in so far as there is plenty of support behind it with SIG's CS and there are mags and so on readily available, the only downside I think to purchasing a 2022 is that you will likely only get ONE mag with the gun, and new mags are going to be between $35-$40 shipped. The SIG is a little more money but might be worth you checking into, remember there are 3 different grip modules available for it (I think the gun comes with the small and large ones) if the grip that comes on it is too small or too big.

I really like my TP9 SA.

It's the deal of the day for a full sized 9mm.