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Grand Power Stribog SP9A1 - Final Chapter in Larry's PCC Adventure?

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LESchwartz:
Introduction:

Grand Power Stribog SP9A1 may be the last PCC I'll purchase in my PCC quest!  Yup, it's that good.  For those who aren't familiar with Grand Power, they're a Slovakian company.  They're allegedly pretty well known in Europe, less so in the US.  The Stribog SP9A1 is a Slovakian military sub gun based PCC sold in the US in pistol format, with an 8.5" barrel.  Mine came from the online retailer equipped with a Grand Power PDW 2-Postition Collapsible assembly w/ Tailhook brace, three magazines (two straight and one curved) and a hard case.  The pistol itself came equipped with flip up polymer sights, plus an extra pair in the case -- which I assume means they might be somewhat fragile.  My price out the door was $949, though there are cheaper models in pistol format ($650 street price) and another with the SB Tactical folding brace ($725 street price).

I had seen a number of online reviews of the Gen1 version, and the reciprocating charging handle was a "no go" for me -- as I like my thumbs.  The Gen2 gets glowing reviews from a number of reviewers ("sootch00" & "Honest Outlaw"), especially in the under $1000 "Budget PCC" category.  The only difference between the Gen1 and Gen2 is that the Gen2 has the non-reciprocating charging handle.  One reviewer (MAC) had a number of jamming issues, but my understanding is these have since been fixed by the manufacturer.  After some angst, I decided to pull the trigger -- and the Stribog didn't disappoint!

One serious item to be aware of, don't be confused as there is also a Gen3 Stribog, called the SP9A3.  The A3 features a roller delay recoil system to reduce weight while dampening recoil.  As far as I know, the sub gun variant of this version is not yet in military use.  It's also developing a reputation for fairly poor reliability among online reviewers.  My advice would be to avoid the A3 until Grand Power has had some more time to work out the kinks.  When they do get it right, they will have a screaming $1000 competitor to the $2-3K PCCs like MP5 clones, B&T, etc.

Note that the remainder of this post is not going to follow Larry's typical PCC review format of "plusses" and "minuses" . . . That's because there really weren't that many "minuses" to speak of.

Initial Impressions:

My initial impressions was that the gun was a touch heavy, at 6 lbs. 4 oz w/ optic and brace.  However, that's probably to be expected as the upper is made out of extruded aluminum and equipped with a massive blowback bolt.  Everything also seemed tight, really tight.  Which meant that charging, field strip, et. took a surprising amount of force.  However after 250-rounds downrange things started to work a little easier.

Overall length is 25" with the brace extended and 17" with the brace closed -- plenty small enough to fit in a backpack or laptop case.  This is the kind of thing I've been looking for for sometime now -- a reliable, collapsible PCC that fits in a backpack.  Breakdown on the pistol is as easy as separating the upper from the lower and removing the back plate off the rear.  The Grand Power collapsible brace assembly, simply attaches to the gun by sliding on in place of the pistol back place.

The only downside I could see during the unpacking was that the foam cutouts in the hard case could have been laid out a little better.  There is just enough foam to be able to remove 100% from the left side of the inside of the case once the brace is installed.  Unfortunately, there is not enough padding to protect the optic.  I guess I'll need to obtain some replacement foam and re-cut it myself.

Ergonomics:

The ergonomics and are similar to an AR, so that is to say they're good.  However, the charging handle and bolt release seem somewhat smallish for my hands.  Of course these are compromise items, as larger ones might snag on gear, etc.  So your mileage may vary here.  Fortunately the Stribog already seems to have pretty good aftermarket support, with extended & folding bolt handles and extended bolt releases available.  I have 250 rounds through mine, so I'll probably see how much more the gun loosens up before making any decisions about such things.  I'm a big guy, so I do wish the gun had a little longer length of pull for those occasional times when the brace touches my shoulder.  However, I can live with it, and expect that most folks won't have an issue.

Recoil:

The heavy bolt assembly really does seem to soak up recoil.  And the tailhook brace spreads the impact over a large area for those occasional times when the brace touches my shoulder.  I put the Stribog on par with my CMMG Banshee, and a little harsher than my Ruger PC Carbine with the LimbSaver pad.  Overall, I think this will be plenty acceptable for here in Minnesota where we regularly wear jackets and coats for 8 months out of the year.

Trigger and Accuracy:

The trigger is also a high point to the Stribog!  Short take-up, clean break at 5-1/2 pounds, and quick reset.  My purchase included an flat aluminum trigger, so I really can't say much about the factory trigger.  However various reviewers rave about the OE trigger, so I think most folks should be well served without any modifications.  I was able to keep 30-shot groups within 2" @ 25 yards, so the trigger and 8.5" barrel seem like a winning combination.  As good as the best of my other PCCs, and especially surprising as most of them have full 16" barrels.

Reliability:

I unpacked my Stribog, installed the brace and optic, and headed out to the range, where I put 250 rounds of nickel plated Tula steel case ammo down the pipe for my first range trip.  This first outing featured exactly 3 malfunctions:  One failure to feed and two occasions where the bolt didn't lock back on the last round.  The Stribog comes with an eclectic combination of one curved and two straight magazines.  Both are doubled stack / double feed.  Online information seems to indicate that the curved magazine is improved version.  The BHO issue seemed restricted to one particular straight magazine.  While the single failure to feed occurred on the final round from the curved magazine.  Because they're double feed, they can be loaded to 30-rounds without a loading tool.  However, the curved magazine seemed easier to load to full capacity.  Perhaps the curved mag's spring is a little weaker.  I expect the follower wasn't coming up quite high enough on the one straight magazine, as an explanation for the BHO failures.  I expect that some silicon lube and a little more break-in might solve both problems.

No they're not Glock magazines, but they're easier to load and hopefully with a little lube will be just as reliable a Glock "fun sticks".  I have very high expectations due to their sub gun heritage.  Only time will tell.  I also didn't try feeding any hollow points.  I have a bunch of HP reloads from LAX ammo I'll try next time.  I report back on both issues when when I do a 1K update.

Durability:

Given the Stribog's military sub-gun heritage, I wouldn't expect to have any issues:  The upper receiver is extruded aluminum.  The lower is polymer.  The feed ramp is metal (unlike the OE polymer ones on my Keltec PCCs).  The gun feels substantial and well built.  I expect many, many thousands of rounds through it before having any issues.

Sighting & Optics:

Typical AR-height optics mount a little too high on the Stribog.  I was not able to get anything better than a chin weld with my Vortex Strikefire.  My current optic is a low cost Bushnell TRS-25 I purchased for $25 last Black Friday.  The Bushnell comes setup for low mounting, but includes a riser for AR height installations.  Without the riser, I was able to get 1/3 lower co-witness with the folding sights.

And speaking of the folding sights, they're nonadjustable peep style and made of polymer.  As mentioned earlier, there is an extra pair provided -- which I assume means they might be somewhat fragile.  In addition, when the sights are laying flat, there are backups on them which resemble typical pistol sights.  When flipped up I found these sights to be both usable and accurate for 25 yard shots.  There are already replacement metal sights available for those who want them.  But the included polymer ones were a nice surprise and should be perfectly fine for most folks -- so thumbs up to Grand Power for including them!

Conclusion:

As shown by the preceding material, there are no real problems with the Stribog.  I'll post a thousand round update when I get there, but for now the gun is an unmitigated success right out of the box.

If you're looking for a PCC as a compact & flat storing "backpack gun", the Stribog could be an even batter choice than the Ruger PC Carbine I'm very fond of.  The Ruger PC Carbine really needs the Magpul Backpacker stock in order to function best as a backpack gun.  The Stribog is "good to go" out of the box.  However, both should be reliable, durable and accurate.  If you're looking for a more turnkey solution, this favors the Stribog.  So while the Ruger might be a little less money, the Stribog deploys quicker -- so as they say, it's "a horse apiece".

Comparing the Stribog to my CMMG Banshee, the Stribog seems better -- especially for the money, as CMMG just had yet another price increase.  The Stribog stores much more compactly than the CMMG with it's fixed AR buffer tube.  On the other hand, the Banshee has 100% AR ergonomics.  And while both should be reliable and durable, the Stribog with an extra 4" of barrel is more accurate.  However, while the price difference between the Stribog and the Ruger was modest, the price difference between the Stribog and the CMMG is significant.  Thus I would recommend the Stribog over the Banshee.  As far as AR-based PCCs more in the Stribog's price range, the Stribog still stores more compactly.  So it still gets the nod.

Even when compared to others in the current crop of sub gun based PCCs (CZ Scorpion, etc.), Grand Power's SP9A1 offering is a better buy:  Right now the best price I can find on the Scorp is right around $1000 in pistol configuration -- compared to the $650 street price for a pistol configuration Stribog.  The B&T GHM9 is street priced at $1500.  Even the Grand Power's SP9A3 roller delayed version is pushing a street price close to $1100 -- and is reportedly not yet as reliable.  Other sub gun based PCCs are even more expensive.  So for now I'm inclined to stick with the SP9A1.

Photos:

LESchwartz:
For the previous chapters of Larry's PCC adventure, see:

* Kel-Tec Sub2000 & CMR-30
* Kel-Tec Sub2000 - Take two
* Kel-Tec CMR-30 - Take two
* Kel-Tec CMR-30 - 2000 round update
* MechTech CCU
* Ruger PC Carbine
* CMMG Banshee

LESchwartz:
500 Round Update

Lubed up the magazines and put another 150 rounds of nickel plated Tula steel case ammo, plus 100 rounds of 115gr HP reloads from LAX ammo.  The results were mixed:  The curved mag and one of the straight mags feed everything I feed through them just fine.  The one straight mag that had the BHO issue earlier, had three failure to feeds -- but only feeding hollow points.  My conclusion is that the reviews are right and that the straight mags aren't as reliable as they could be.  Time will tell on the curved one, but for now so far so good.

I also installed the Folding Charging Handle and the Extended Bolt Release from HB Industries.  Loved them both!  Well worth the price of admission.

Larry

LESchwartz:
It turns out there are (were?) two different collapsible braces sold by GunZoneDeals.com for the Stribog SP9A1:  One made by Grand Power, and one made by a company called Safety Harbor.  As you can see in the photos below the rods on the Grand Power unit are a little lower that the Safety Harbor unit.  As noted in my original post, my AR height optic was a little high with the Grand Power unit.  So I imagine folks using AR height optics might want the Safety harbor unit.

I do have a complaint with Grand Power OE unit:  The attachment between the attach the tailhook to the rods started to loosen up.  After consulting with the gunsmith at the importer, I replaced the roll pins which attach the tailhook to the rods with solid steel dowel pins.  I also added a little JB-Weld to the connection point as well.  Rock solid now.

Larry


Grand Power Collapsible Brace w/ Tailhook:


Safety Harbor Collapsible Brace w/ Tailhook:

Adrianople:
Thanks for posting this I have always been curious about these. They look like nice kit. From what pictures I've seen, some Slovakian police use B&T and HK smg's, but I could only imagine Grand Power has sold some there.

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