November 11, 2017, 06:13 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 11, 2009
Posts: 506
|
US made Sphinx?
Anyone have any experience of how the US made Sphinx compare to the Swiss made version? Someone near me is selling a Sphinx Compact Alpha and I would love to have one of these based on everything I've heard, but everything I've heard is based on the gun being made in Switzerland. Apparently they closed that factory and now make them in the US. This one is marked "Kriss USA Inc" so I'm guessing it's made in the US.
The seller also has a Swiss made version for $100 more, but it's the Duty version with the longer grip which I wouldn't like as much. But are they better? |
November 11, 2017, 06:34 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
Being marked Kriss USA is just the name of the importer. It doesn't mean it was made here. In fact the fact that it's marked Kriss rather than Sphinx would make me think it was an import and not made here. I wasn't aware Sphinx had finally set up Sphinx USA and was making pistols here. Kriss has been the importer since the beginning.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
November 11, 2017, 06:49 PM | #3 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
Quote:
I have not heard any changes in quality. The original Swiss guns were almost too tight. A fair number had to go back and be tweaked. If you like the one you looked at I would get it.
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
|
November 11, 2017, 06:50 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
Interesting. But are the ones stateside marked Kriss USA? Who's making them stateside? The one I owned years back was marked Kriss USA because Kriss imported it.
__________________
Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
November 11, 2017, 06:58 PM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
Quote:
Kriss Arms when belly up but Kriss USA did not and they bought Sphinx from Kriss Arms as I understand it. So the guns are now made here by Kriss USA. So it makes sense your older Sphinx says Kriss USA because they were the importer at the time. Now they are marked Kriss USA because they manufacture them. Here is an older Sphinx made in Switzerland.
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
|
November 11, 2017, 07:02 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
Excellent info as usual, thanks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
November 11, 2017, 08:19 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
Looking at the picture more closely I take it the way to tell if it's a Swiss made one is whether it's marked Made in Switzerland on the frame?
__________________
Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
November 11, 2017, 08:29 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
On that one I don't know. I have not seen a NIB Sphinx in person in a few years. Frames might still be made in Switzerland allowing them to keep the older rollmark.
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
November 11, 2017, 08:33 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 11, 2009
Posts: 506
|
I found higher res pics of the 2 in the ad I was talking about, and they both have the same markings as the one in your pic - Kriss USA, Virgina Beach on the right, and Sphinx Made in Switzerland on the left.
|
November 11, 2017, 08:34 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
Frames might still be made in Switzerland allowing them to keep the rollmark. I would call Kriss USA and they can tell you.
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
November 13, 2017, 01:33 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
Kriss told me today that they still have components that were made in Switzerland so there are still new guns being assembled in the US with "Made in Switzerland" rollmarks.
Eventually when those parts are exhausted there will be a new rollmark.
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
November 13, 2017, 02:56 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 11, 2009
Posts: 506
|
Thanks for the info. I asked the seller and he just said "it's marked as made in switzerland on the slide" so it sounds like he thinks it was made in the US too.
|
November 13, 2017, 03:15 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
So pistol cases a lot of times come with a label on the outside that has a date on when it was packaged. That might serve as an indication too.
__________________
Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
November 13, 2017, 03:20 PM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 11, 2009
Posts: 506
|
Good point...in this case the seller has everything (unfired NIB) but hasn't offered any more info about that so I'm guessing he knows it's US made and he's just telling me what he thinks I want to hear.
One other hint is that the ad says it has night sights. From all the reviews from a few years ago, a common complaint was that there was no night sight option yet, so might be an indication that it's a recent production model. |
November 13, 2017, 03:21 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,212
|
Sounds like decent reasoning to me.
__________________
Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness |
November 13, 2017, 05:57 PM | #16 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2010
Location: NC
Posts: 5,309
|
Quote:
__________________
-The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle |
|
|
|