U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The Grand Power K100 MK12 is one of the most interesting pistols in current production that most people have never heard of. Why is that? It might be bad marketing, poor buying decisions at your local gun shop, or any number of things. My attention was turned to them by the folks at Polenar Tactical when they took a tour of the Grand Power factory. The Grand Power pistols checked all the boxes for me at the time, hammer fired, interesting, poly frame, and a reasonable 15 round capacity.
The Grand Power K100 MK12 arrived in a pretty standard box with some very basic foam. Disappointed? Nah, these boxes end up in my attic anyhow so I personally don’t care what they look like. I am far more concerned with what Grand Power packs with the pistol. The Grand Power tucked into its cheap foam bed along with two magazines and four back straps. They obviously toss a manual in there as well that does an alright job of walking you through just about everything with the exception of the best way of changing the grip panels.
One of the more annoying things about the Grand Power K100 was the amount of oil that was on the pistol. There is no reason that the pistol should feel like it was dipped in a vat of oil before it is packed in its box.
The simple and unique rotating barrel sets the K100 apart from other guns.
The Grand Power K100 has a unique set of features that really set it apart from other pistols on the market. The rotating barrel is reminiscent of the Beretta PX4 but with a much more simple lockup than the Beretta in my opinion. The roller bearing that the barrel rides on is smooth spinning and ensures that the $500 pistol’s slide feels like it was near hand fitted when you cycle it by hand.
In addition to the buttery smooth slide, the K100 features a 1913 rail that accepts all the lumens that you might want to attach to your pistol. Personally, I found that the pistol felt really at home with a Surefire X300U-A slung under the barrel. I am sure that a Surefire TLR-1 HL would feel just as at home, but I have become a self-admitted Surefire fanboy in recent years due to the switches they use on their lights.
Probably my favorite feature of the pistol from some dry fire practice was the double action pull. At only 10 pounds 8 ounces, the trigger was so smooth that it felt more like a 7-8 pound trigger with an incredibly small amount of takeup and a very predictable, linear feel. Single action was a crisp, clean 4 pounds 6 ounces and had very little overtravel with a positive reset that allowed me to shoot it pretty dang fast for a pistol that I hadn’t had much time to become acquainted with.
One big take away from field stripping the pistol to clean it before my range trip is that the machine work really is outstanding. I would put the quality of the machine work as refined as pistols in the $700 range like the HK P30 making the Grand Power more of a bargain than you might have thought.
Below is a spec sheet pulled from the Grand Power website:
K100
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Trigger mechanism: SA / DA
Trigger pull weight: 20-25N / 35-40N
Overall length: 202.5mm
Height without magazine: 133.5mm
Width: 36mm
Barrel length: 108mm
Weight w/o magazine: 740g
Weight w empty magazine: 820g
Standard magazine capacity: 15
The K100 with an SA/DA trigger mechanism is a result of incorporating the most strict requirements imposed on universal guns with its ergonomics suitable for shooters of practical disciplines as well as for special units of military forces. The front part of the frame is fitted with universal tactical Picatinny rail MIL STD 1913.
The K100 Mk12 is the upgrade of the well-known Mk6 and Mk7 models; it comes with 4 removable hand-grips. Easy-to-remove hand-grips make the gun an ideal choice for multi-user shooting practice. The enhanced ergonomic design increases hand-grip while shooting, keeping both the hand and the mind of the shooter focused firmly on their target.
Recoil is very manageable.
Shooting Impressions:
While at first glance the pistol doesn’t look like much, the small details really make this pistol exemplary. I already talked about the superb trigger, but I can’t stress that the K100 has probably the best DA/SA trigger that on a pistol under $1000 on the market right now. The details like the ambi slide stop and safety should make left handed shooters very happy, as a righty I didn’t feel like they were in the way at all like is the case on some other pistols.
The second thing that really stands out when you shoot the Grand Power K100 MK12 is how well it soaks up the recoil. That rotating barrel mitigates so much recoil during its unlocking process shooting 115 grain 9mm felt like shooting powder puff .38 spc. in a large frame revolver. The result is non-existent muzzle flip that makes shooting the K100 MK12 easy as pie.
How is it when shooting groups? The pistol will flat out shoot when placed in capable hands. Even with my mediocre pistol skills, I was able to print a respectably small group at 10-yards and routinely hit a man size target at 25 yards with ease. I would have liked a bit more time with the gun to see if I could get those groups a bit tighter, but if I am honest I was probably at the limit of my skills at that particular time.
The spiral cutout rides on a roller bearing for an ultra-simple locking system.
Pros:
The pros to the K100 MK12 are pretty straightforward. It is very comfortable in your hand once you nail down the right backstrap making shooting well with the pistol very easy. The interesting design really spoke to the very small part of me that thinks like a collector, but the overly practical features really appealed to the pragmatic side of me.
I have three things that feel that make the K100 MK12 really stand out over other guns in its class. The third one? The slide serrations are nothing short of on point. The only gun that has better off the shelf slide serrations would be the FN 509 in terms of being able to manipulate the gun in less than ideal circumstances.
The trigger is hands down my second favorite thing about the K100. Double action is buttery smooth and the single action is predictable and crisp just like you would want. The trigger reach isn’t too long either like some double action pistols.
The feature that took the top spot on my list of three things? Obviously, the barrel since I have been waxing poetic about it. Since I am sure you are tired of reading about the dang barrel, I’ll just shut up.
Field stripping the Grand Power K100 is a task that might require three hands.
Cons:
The one weak point that the Grand Power K100 MK12 has that holds the pistol back is the high magazine price. At the time that I had the pistol in for review, 15 round magazines for the K100 ran $55 dollars MSRP and had a street price that was right around that price point. I have a really hard time justifying a pistol that is Glock priced with HK priced magazines for some reason. As good as the pistol was, I just couldn’t swallow that added cost.
If Grand Power happens to drop the cost of mags to a reasonable under $35 per mag, I am a buyer for sure.
There are a couple of other cons that I feel hold the pistol back, one being the obvious lack of parts and aftermarket support. Should the pistols ever become popular that would be a self-correcting issue I feel. The other glaring issue with the pistol is the method of takedown. It darn near requires three hands and more coordination than I have on most days. There is a small takedown lever that you pull down as the slide is drawn to the rear and lifted off the frame and then the slide has to be taken off to the front of the gun due to the guide rod attached to the frame.
The K100 and I got along rather well as evidenced by this 10-yard group.
Conclusion:
I really loved the Grand Power K100 MK12 and would have kept it had it not been for the insane mag prices. I am a huge fan of DA/SA guns and think that the K100 MK12 ranks right up there with the Beretta PX4, FN FNX, CZ P-07, and even the Heckler Koch P-30 as insane as that might sound.
If you get a chance, I highly recommend spending the time to get to know this Slovakian polymer wonder nine.
The street price of about $500 to $550 depending on retailer is about as palatable as it gets for a quality 9mm handgun that is finished as nicely as the K100 MK12. You can learn more about them on the Grand Power website.
About Patrick R.
Patrick is a firearms enthusiast that values the quest for not only the best possible gear setup, but also pragmatic ways to improve his shooting skills across a wide range of disciplines. He values truthful, honest information above all else and had committed to cutting through marketing fluff to deliver the truth. You can find the rest of his work on FirearmRack.com as well as on the YouTube channel Firearm Rack or Instagram at @thepatrickroberts.
