SCCY CPX-3
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The CPX-3 is a new pistol release by the young pistol manufacturer SCCY (pronounced “sky”). SCCY announced this pistol’s release way back in 2015, but an overwhelming up-swing in orders for the CPX-1 and CPX-2 delayed the CPX-3’s release by two years. That delay has only helped the pistol, since it has allowed SCCY founder Joe Roebuck and his team to perfect the design.
Roebuck designed the CPX-3 to be similar too but slightly different from its earlier siblings. Where those two pistols shot 9mm, this one shoot .380 Auto. Many experienced shooters dislike .380 Auto ammunition because they claim that it is not knock-down effective in action. However, as with many gun arguments, there are also those that swear by .380 Auto as the caliber of choice for concealed duty pistols. Ultimately, your choice to buy a .380 Auto caliber pistol comes down to your personal preferences and desires.
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Specifications of the SCCY CPX-3
There are quite a few pocket-sized pistols that use .380 Auto caliber ammunition on the market. The choices may seem overwhelming. With all of the potentially awesome pistols out there, how do you narrow down your choices? Well, to help you answer that question, today we will take an in-depth look at one of the best .380 pistols for the money, SCCY’s CPX-3 review below.
We’ve provided a handy list of the most important spec on the CPX-3, so that you can fully understand the pistol before your purchase.
Caliber: .380 Auto
Barrel Length: 2.96 in.
Height: 4.2 in.
Length: 5.7 in.
Width: 1.1 in.
Weight (unloaded): 15 oz.
Magazine: 10-round capacity
One thing to note with these specs: Because of the change from 9mm to .380 Auto, the CPX-3 is not as long as the 9mm CPX-1 and CPX-2. Interestingly, the height on all three pistols remains the same (4.2-inches), so does the width (1.1-inches) and unloaded weight (15 ounces). However, the barrel length has shrunk on the CPX-3 from 3.1-inches to 2.96-inches. The overall length is therefore also slightly shorter on the CPX-3 (5.7-inches) than the CPX-1 and CPX-2 (6.0-inches). Such small variation in specs may not seem to make that big of a difference, but as we discuss below, it significantly changes the way the pistol shoots.
Features
Many of the features on SCCY’s new CPX-3 set it apart from other .380 Auto pistols. We’ve listed here some of the most impressive features of this pistol.
Grip
Gone is the “re-coil cushion” found on the grip of the CPX-1 and CPX-2. Instead, SCCY provides a molded, textured grip with finger grooves. SCCY keeps the grip short by staggering the ten rounds in the magazine. The short height allows for better concealment but can present a problem for larger sized hands. Some reviewers have noted that their pinkies have to tuck underneath the flat baseplate.[1] SCCY provides two baseplate extenders to solve this problem.
Trigger
Like SCCY’s other pistols, the CPX-3 uses a DAO hammer-fired trigger. Because SCCY has removed the “re-coil cushion” from the CPX_3, the trigger is closer to the grip, which makes it easier for most people to reach. Thus, in the CPX-3 SCCY has addressed the one major complaint with their CPX-1 and CPX-2 trigger, which proves their commitment to customer satisfaction.
Accuracy
Roebuck’s original design, the Quad-Lock system, comes with all of SCCY’s CPX-3 pistols. This system—which has a patent pending—attempts to solve the recoil problems that occur in .380 pistols with the standard locked-breech design. Essentially, the Quad-Lock system uses mechanical changes that have the barrel connect perfectly with the slide when it is locked, which forces the barrel downwards during recoil.
Roebuck explains his reasoning for making this change to the CPX-3, “Gunmakers have pretty much come up with their own solutions to locking up the chamber side of the barrel, however, from what I have seen, their lock-up in the rear part of the barrel doesn’t always repeat. You have a lack of consistency. . . . [The Quad-Lock design] offers a solution by which the barrel is going to consistently repeat when it is locked and unlocked by going into the same location every time, and it is cost effective to manufacture.”[2]
By forcing the barrel down during recoil, the pistol maintains a flat line (an unusual feature in such a small pistol), which improves accuracy and your ability to fire the next shot with a perfect grip.
Safety
As mentioned in our article about the CPX-1 and CPX-2, a DAO acts as its own passive safety. Because of the heavy trigger pull—this one takes about 9 lbs. of force to break—the trigger will not fire the gun if accidentally caught on clothing or your holster. For beginners especially, this can be a very confidence inspiring feature. In addition to the trigger, the CPX-3 also has an internal drop pin that keeps the pistols from firing if dropped.
SCCY did not re-introduce the manual safety on the CPX-3, since so many people disliked its addition to the CPX-1.
Extras
In addition to your pistol, when you purchase a CPX-3 you receive a box, manual, two magazines with fitted and extended baseplates, and a gun lock. Essentially, SCCY ships the same items with all of their gun models.
Why Buy?
Do you want an affordable, durable, and accurate self-defense pistol? If so, then we’re willing to bet that you will love SCCY’s new CPX-3. Because this pistol is so new, only time will tell if it will stand up to the mighty .380 Auto competition. Yet, we think it might. The high-quality with which SCCY produces all of their pistols, in addition to the simplistic mechanics and new design elements in the CPX-3, make it a smooth firing little sub-compact.
Finally, you cannot talk about a SCCY pistol without mentioning price. The low cost of the CPX-3, SCCY lists an MSRP of $350 on their website, make it extremely affordable. The stellar design and first-rate machining set this pistol even further apart from its .380 competition. You get much more than you paid for with the CPX-3.
For more info on SCCY check out their site.
[1] Dennis Adler, “SCCY Marvel: The All-New CPX-3 Pistol,” Personal Defense World (December 11, 2015), https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2015/12/sccy-marvel-the-all-new-cpx-3-pistol/ (accessed 3/8/18).
[2] Dennis Adler, “SCCY Marvel: The All-New CPX-3 Pistol,” Personal Defense World (December 11, 2015), https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2015/12/sccy-marvel-the-all-new-cpx-3-pistol/ (accessed 3/8/18).
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