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SCCY CPX1 Review
We do a SCCY CPX1 Review.
The SCCY CPX1 is a budget polymer frame, double action only, 9mm pistol. SCCY designed the CPX1 to meet a budget price point, and the company itself is known for its budget firearms. We’re going to do a SCCY CPX1 Review.
One thing I like about SCCY is they don’t market their firearm as being one of the best guns in the world. They marketed it as being one of the most affordable. They understand the downsides of the product. SCCY is not a company to over-hype its product. And for that, I respect them for understanding their lane and staying in it.
Table of contents
Role
The role of the SCCY CPX1 is clearly a self-defense firearm. It’s not large enough for duty use, shooting on the range, or competition shooting. It can definitely be used for range use, but it’s not the most fun gun to shoot. We’ll cover that later.
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It is small enough for concealed carry or something like a truck gun.
If you are a very small individual, you might have a problem concealing the SCCY CPX1 just based on size.
Most people will find this gun somewhat concealable. As long as they’re using the right holster.
If you’re carrying it the three to five o’clock, you’re going to want a holster with a decent amount of cant. While if you’re carrying at the appendix position, you’ll want to make sure that you have a good holster.
A Holster with a claw and potentially a wedge to provide both comfort and concealment for the SCCY CPX1.
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Dark Wing Right Hand$11.99 -
Singleton$69.95
Features
You can fit 10 rounds of ammunition in your SCCY’s double-stack magazines. The magazines themselves do not seem very high quality.
In fact, the follower doesn’t seem to have enough pressure on it. In my shooting experience, the magazines have run reliably.
That said, I’m not sure how they’ll do sitting in storage over time loaded or over thousands of rounds.
That said, this gun is designed to be a budget firearm. The people buying this firearm are not likely to spend hundreds of dollars buying ammunition for it.
This is a gun that we’ll likely see less than 250 rounds in its lifetime.
Grip/Ergonomics
The economics of the SCCY handgun is not great, but they’re not horrible either.
The SCCY CPX1 has a decent grip. It has finger grooves that work really well for me. But anybody who has slightly smaller or larger hands may not have a positive experience.
There are no modular features to this grip. What you get is what you get. Considering the price point that’s what you’d expect.
The texturing on the grip itself is completely lacking.
This gun is slick, and it’s also a very lightweight gun, which we’ll get to later. But being a slick, lightweight gun, it doesn’t handle under recoil as well as I would like.
General Feel SCCY CPX1 Review
The general feel of the SCCY is just lacking.
The biggest issues I have are the lack of texturing and the really large finger grooves.
The finger grooves work for me, but I don’t think they’ll work for most people. The texturing is just a complete fail on SCCY’s part.
Other than that, if you can get over those things, the grip actually feels decent in the hand and gives you good control over the front and backstraps. Providing you the leverage you need to keep the gun still under recoil.
Sights
The SCCY CPX1 comes with either iron sights or a milled Crimson Trace Red Dot Sight. T
he Crimson Trace Red Dot Sight is an upgrade that we’ll cover later. Surprisingly the iron sights on the SCCY CPX1 are actually pretty good.
They’re a set of steel sights with a decent sight picture. They’re not going to win any prizes, but considering the price point, they seem durable, and I don’t have any complaints.
Crimson Trace Red Dot
Now talking about the SCCY CPX1 RDS, the Dot itself, I don’t think is ready for prime time. I have a CPX2 variant with the Red Dot and that version of the gun just isn’t durable enough.
I’ve had issues with the Dot flickering on and off. That’s just when dry firing!
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The battery connection is held in place by the housing of the Red Dot itself. And that housing is plastic, and I feel like it’s going to break every time I try to tighten it down enough to hold the battery tight enough to give a constant connection.
I plan on sending the gun back to SCCY to see if they’ll replace it, but the overall feel and quality of the SCCY CPX2 Dot just don’t meet my requirements.
If you’re buying this gun, I would suggest going with the iron sights for durability. Hopefully, in a couple of years, Red Dot technology will improve and get cheaper, but until then, iron sights seem to be the way to go.
Controls
Safeties
The SCCY CPX1 features an ambidextrous thumb safety that is actually fairly well-positioned. It’s easy to take off and a little bit harder to put on.
My issue with the safety comes with the design of the nubs placed underneath it.
When SCCY initially introduced this pistol, they had a lot of trouble with people gripping the gun underneath the safety itself.
Under recoil, their thumbs would fly up. Putting the safety back on. So people would get a dead trigger while they were shooting a firearm.
To fix this, SCCY installed nubs into the frame. The problem with their fix is the fix makes the gun incredibly uncomfortable to shoot. This is a very lightweight gun. It has a lot of recoils.
While the safety nubs feel okay when feeling them in the store. When I actually took the gun out to shoot, it was painful to shoot.
The gun pushes back in your hand just enough that you feel every bit of the plastic nubs.
They dig into the bones around the web of your hand.
If you’re looking at a SCCY pistol, I would definitely suggest going with the SCCY CPX1. As it is most certainly the more ergonomic option.
This is a double-action-only pistol with a very heavy trigger. So I don’t see the purpose in thumb safety.
Magazine Release
The magazine release on the SCCY CPX1 is acceptable.
It’s fine. It works.
If you’re a right-handed shooter, you obviously won’t have any issues with it. If you’re a left-hand shooter, you’re going to have to access it using your middle finger, your trigger finger, or some other method.
With my medium to large-sized hands, I can easily press it without breaking my grip, but anybody with smaller hands than mine will likely need to break their grip to drop the magazine free.
Slide Stop
The slide stop on the SCCY CPX1 is actually really well designed.
It is center sheet metal, but it has plastic overmolding over it. And as a right-handed shooter, it’s easy to reach even over the thumb safety with my primary hand thumb. And I can also reach it when I come up to insert a fresh magazine reload using my support hand thumb.
Really impressed with how SCCY designed that, and it’s probably one of my most respected features on the gun itself.
Overall Ergonomics
Overall, the ergonomics in the SCCY aren’t bad if you take out the nubs on the gun itself. Those nubs completely take away any ergonomics point that this gun would get.
So if you’re talking about the SCCY CPX2, then it’s not that bad.
The SCCY CPX1 is a complete fail in ergonomics.
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Now I will mention the slide which has a pretty nice serration at the rear.
The serrations on the SCCY CPX1 are more aggressive than guns that often cost two to three times the price. I’m actually really impressed with what SCCY did there.
Trigger SCCY CPX1 Review
The trigger on the SCCY CPX1 is very heavy, and it’s a double-action-only trigger pull. But it’s also extremely smooth which is surprising.
I think if you’re used to other double-action, single-action style guns you’ll be pretty impressed with the feel of the trigger for the price point. Is it going to win any awards?
No, but considering the price point of this pistol, it’s a pretty good trigger.
The downside of this trigger is it’s going to be incredibly hard for inexperienced shooters to use effectively.
As a more experienced shooter, I’m able to work okay. But if somebody doesn’t have more experience, they’re going to find the gun incredibly difficult to shoot well.
Aftermarket
There really is no aftermarket for the SCCY CPX1. There’s one company that’s making aftermarket fiber optic sights, and that’s all I’ve really seen for this gun.
So don’t expect much if you want to upgrade your SCCY CPX1 or 2.
SCCY CPX1 Review Maintenance
Maintaining and cleaning the SCCY CPX1 is quite easy. You want to make sure the gun is unloaded, drop the magazine, and then lock the slide back to the rear.
Then you’ll use a screwdriver to disassemble the gun by pulling out a little take-down lever on the left-hand side of the firearm.
It’s not the same as most guns you’re probably used to, but it works quite well, and it’s quite quick. My one complaint is it does require a flat-head screwdriver, so it is not a tool-less operation.
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Once the slide is off the gun, it breaks down like any other pistol, and you can easily take out the recoil spring assembly and the barrel.
Aesthetics
The aesthetics of the SCCY CPX1 aren’t that great.
The grip looks really fat, and the polymer looks like crap. It looks like really cheap polymer, like something you’d expect on a kid’s gun that you’d buy at the toy store.
Now the slide itself actually looks pretty good and decently high quality for what it is. I’m really impressed with the slides and the way they’ve done it on these guns.
It really is their saving grace.
Shop for the Best Prices on In Stock Sccy CPXs
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SCCY does sell the gun with a bunch of different colors of the frames, and the frames are also modular, so you can switch them out, buying grip modules on the site.
That said, there is no modularity in the grips beyond color. So take that for what you will.
Shooting SCCY CPX1 Review
The SCCY CPX1 is a complete failure in the shooting department. As I mentioned before, due to the little nubs built into the grip to protect that thumb safety. It’s just really painful to shoot. This gun weighs right at 16 ounces unloaded.
So it is a handful in 9mm.
Considering recoil and then trying to manipulate the double-action trigger which is quite heavy, this gun is just a chore to shoot. It is not a good option for new or inexperienced shooters.
If you’re a more experienced shooter, you likely got that experience. Without having to pay for ammo that well exceeds the cost of this gun.
It’s really hard to justify this gun concern how many rounds it would take to really get good with it.
You could likely get into a higher-quality firearm and shoot fewer rounds. But actually gaining a higher level of skill. This is very difficult to shoot a firearm.
That said if you’re looking for something that’s just going to be able to defend you within five yards. Getting hits on a human-sized target, this gun will likely do.
It might be three yards for you. I would definitely go to the range and verify your skill level and what you feel comfortable with. this gun can definitely work for up close and personal tasks.
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17 Comments
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What a BS review, This is a ccw and is meant to shoot out to 20 yards effectively. The trigger is 10 pounds but can be replaced and reduced. it is a long pull but you know when it breaks One box of shells and you will understand and adapt to the trigger. Gun feels good in the hand and is easy to point and shoot. 2 handed combat stance makes the sights effective. Author tries hard to make a point it is a cheap gun and it is by price. at one time could be purchased for $150, with reflex optics it is still under$300 I personally like the gun as you get 2 -10 round mag and mags can be purchased for $20. Author complains about it yet they function. I prefer a $20 shoulder holster as it packs nice with a blazer or sport jacket or wind breaker. Pocket pistol in a winter coat. Works well without a a holster or pancake holster I If you dont like something in plastic. file it off instead of complaining, It is your gun and designed to fit your hand, some wear a thin shooting glove. I own 4 of these these and are highly effective and great to take along anywhere. Fun gun at the range Have the power of the 9mm and 124 gr hollow point or ball, no ftf or fte. Read up on the torture test I rate the gun as 4.5/5 over all for a ccw pistol under $200
This review is point in. I an a 66 year old small female and absolutely love my CPX1!! It handles very well single hand fired, and is extremely accurate. I carry it daily, and hunt armadillos at night in the dark at 30′-60′ range without a miss yet in the dark. I do not have a Lazer nor headlamp. Just pick him up with a flashlight and fire. Averaged 2-4 a night with never a missed shot for the past 4 plus months.
True. This review is bs
And he is wrong about needing a tool for disassembly. Just us your 9mm round. The take down pin has a cut out at the top specifically there so you can pull the pin out by using the rim of a round.
I have the cpx-1, it’s lightweight, small, and conceals well. Yes the trigger is a bit on the heavy side, however this helps preventing accidental discharge during heavy stress. This is a ccw weapon, not a target or range gun.
I have a SCCY CPX-1 with a Laserlite red dot laser attached. It is a very early model with out the protuberance for the safety. I want to purchase the plain black leather holster with belt hoops.
I own a CPX-1, and am completely satisfied with it……I am used to revolvers, so the trigger pull is no problem for me. Have shot numerous rounds from this pistol, various ammo – and have had no problems with that. Overall, for the price and reliability, I think this is a great gun for an EDC…..but, like any gun, the owner/user must practice with it.
I just picked up a CPX-2 with the Red Dot already mounted on it. It’s no Colt or Kimber, but, run a box of rounds thru it to get the feel and use of it. It’s a good firearm for a ccw. Usual lifetime warranty, 2 mags, and I got mine on special for $219. If you’re looking for an inexpensive ccw, read up on it and make your own decision, but, I’m happy with mine!
I owned an early Sccy CPX-2 and it was nice. I traded it and more recently bought a newer CPX-2. What a piece of junk. Thought it would be a great gun for my son to learn to handle at the range, boy was I wrong. This thing has FTF & FTE at least once a mag, if not more. Sent it in once for service, the said the magazines were bad so they sent me like 8 new magazines and nothing changed. So I sent it in again for service, they blamed the magazines again. Beyond annoyed, I don’t have time to chase a worthless gun around town because of Chinese expectations. Was very disappointed because the emphasize their above and beyond warranty, which is thoroughly disappointing. Get yourself a SIG p365 and save yourself grief.
Just bought my wife this gun. Tiffany blue. She was really excited about it. Then we went to her uncle’s house to shoot. It jammed on her, her sister, and me. I’ll try to oil it down next time we shoot it. If that don’t work I guess we’ll look at trading it in for a Glock to be painted to her liking.
Contact SCCY with your concerns. I’m sure they will handle any problems that you may have.
I found that mine didn’t shoot hollow points very well. It jammed a couple times per magazine. Shot the round tips and have had no problems.
I bought a CPX one from a local pawn shop I had 6 hour 360 yeah it was just big and bulky is a great gun good down to shooting range but kind of hard to conceal. I like to have it holstered on my hip outside of my jeans when I ride my scooter around town I just feel like a lot of people don’t like people on motorcycles and sometimes f*** with them anyway people see my gun and no better than to mess with me yep I said it sorry not sorry when I first started using it it would jam once or twice each clip so after the first time the shooting range I took her home clean the f*** out of it and then I use some gum Grease and I lubricated the barrel the chamber anything that’s around will come in contact with including using a q-tip and lately lubricating each round lightly yeah you might say it’s a pain in the ass doing that but you know while I’m cleaning my gun it’s no hassle knowing that that will make my gun achieve more desirable results it’s never jammed or misfired since I started lubricating everything to the naked eye you wouldn’t be able to tell that I’d lubricated it so much I thought I was probably just my gun and just my luck since I bought it from a pawn shop used not knowing how many times it’s been fired but but I don’t give up on things something doesn’t work right you work with it and fix it it’s an extension of my hand and my brain and my eyes so I think it’s very well worth whatever you pay for it
This Guy Is ridiculous. To me he is the kind of guy that likes to buy expensive guns $2000 or $3000 more.
Completely disconnected. Should not be giving advice on guns to anyone.
I have a CPX1. It was not comfortable to shoot. I contacted Galloway Precision , they make replacement triggers and springs. NOW I like shooting it and carrying it EDC. Yep it took a couple hundred but the firearm works.
I own both Cpx 1 and 2,no problems whatsoever,I also am running 2 15 round magazines that I bought for $30 dollars from Midway USA,I have put over 100 rounds through the CPX 1 and the recoil isn’t bad,the disassembly and reassembly only requires the back end rim of a spent 9 mm round,the 15 round magazine is nice for those with medium to large hands,all in all I give 10/10,like with all firearms you will have to “learn” what the Firearm does and doesn’t do,Nice Conceal/Carry,or Open Carry,,No Complaints,
I bought a used SCCY CPX-1 with the red dot sight. The sight doesn’t work but it has a slot in the rear sight so I can hit a standard pistol target at 10 yards. I bought it for ccw. My current pistol is a 380 acp. I wanted something with a little more power. I have shot revolvers since I was 10 years old so this trigger was fine.so far I have run about 200 rounds through this pistol without a stoppage or failure.I would like to replace the non-functioning red dot. Where can I purchase one.