GİRSAN: from a US special forces pistol to a first military rifle
When US Special Forces selected the GİRSAN MC P35 in 2025, it was the first time a Turkish-made pistol had been adopted by that community, with procurement handled through the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal structure. A year on, the Giresun-based manufacturer is trying to turn that reference into a broader position: new commercial models in the US, and its first military rifle prototype for European buyers.
The MC P35 reference
The MC P35 is a modernised Browning Hi Power in 9×19 mm. Quantities for the US order have not been disclosed. GİRSAN vice chairman Nevzat Cürgül said at the time that the company did not develop a bespoke model to win the selection. For a NATO audience the significance is less the numbers than the qualification: a supplier that has cleared US special operations procurement, and that already holds AQAP 2120 quality certification, becomes a credible second-source option for European services looking to diversify away from a small number of legacy handgun makers.
A rifle, for the first time
At Enforce Tac 2026 in Nuremberg on 25 February the company unveiled an AK-47-based rifle prototype. Calibre and specifications were not released; the stated target is a 2027 market launch. The choice of an AK-pattern design points to export customers already operating Kalashnikov-family rifles rather than to Western NATO armies, and marks a clear departure from a product line built around pistols and shotguns.
US commercial pipeline
Through importer European American Armory, GİRSAN added two Witness2311 double-stack 9 mm variants at the NRA Annual Meeting in Houston in April 2026: the compact SC9 XXX (16+1) and the compensated CMXX with a 4.25-inch barrel. The company also exhibited at SHOT Show in January.
Company snapshot
Founded in 1993 in Giresun on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, GİRSAN operates from a plant of more than 30,000 m² in Bulancak, exports to over 55 countries and trades abroad as Yavuz Firearms. It is a principal pistol supplier to the Turkish Armed Forces.
FAQ
Is GİRSAN a NATO-qualified supplier?
The company holds AQAP 2120 certification, the NATO quality assurance standard for production.
What calibre is the new GİRSAN rifle?
Not disclosed. Only the AK-47-based architecture and a 2027 launch target have been made public.
Company profile: GİRSAN (Yavuz Firearms)
