ZEV pistols,any experience here?

[Petander]

I'm looking at ZEV pistols now,hunting for a new 9mm.

If I was smart I'd just grab a Glock 19 gen5 and go shooting. But these ZEV:s are interesting. Plus the grip angle,I am used to 1911. And I do not "like" Glocks, no personal feel there. Of course Glocks are very very reliable, I abused a G22 (40 S&W) to no end and it just worked...

(I have read all the ZEV reliability issues,breaking barrel lugs etc, even my dealer said that the list of problems is big. They got many ZEV:s returned, I will not buy a used,returned one of course.)

Any experience here?

https://www.zevtechnologies.com/Shop/Pistols

[rintinglen]

No personal experience, my tastes in guns don't run that way, but my shooting buddy Jerry has owned 2 and while the first one broke after about 3 matches and some practice sessions, the 2nd one is going strong for him. He does say that they are not really worth the money, but good guns. I can't comment on them personally, but I think I'd find a better use for the best part of 2,000 Euros. I'm no gambler.

[Bigslug]

I'm looking at ZEV pistols now,hunting for a new 9mm.

If I was smart I'd just grab a Glock 19 gen5 and go shooting.

This, plus, "Ummmm. . .maybe listen to your dealer"

I have been "officially" wrenching on Gen 3, 4, and 5 Glocks now since around 2004. The common complaints fueling the aftermarket "Glock that's not a Glock" industry are mostly grown out the prima-donna sector of unwillingness to learn and adapt to the gun; that it isn't enough like their other gun; that "everybody has one"; or that it's ugly or not sexy enough. Nobody seems to be complaining that they don't work or are difficult to work on to keep them working, which when you stop and think about it, are about the two highest priority items that should be assigned to a last-ditch defensive tool.

Also being a 1911 history nerd, I see a lot of parallels with Glock. After about 10-15 years of everyone attempting to get the semi-auto pistol concept right, the 1911 came along and swept everything else off the table. What followed was 70 years of everybody else trying to cash in on the design without patent infringements, or how to make the base mechanism CHEAPER, but generally not better, and certainly not less complicated.

It took 70 years for Gaston Glock to come around and introduce the first pistol capable of giving the 1911 a real challenge for durability and ease of service, and everybody else is similarly trying to cash in - - while usually failing to capture the essence of what makes the Glocks successful. Maybe they have a polymer frame and a trigger tab safety. Maybe they're striker fired. But odds are that they have a higher parts count, need more than just a 5/32" punch to detail strip, and are held together with roll pins that the manufacturer will tell you to replace rather than re-install if you take them out.

So basically my advice is this: If you have to fight with a pistol, fight with the one that is most highly likely to work, then spend your money on the rifle that you SHOULD be fighting with if you are given a moment to have any say in the matter. If you want something like those Glock attributes but a Glock still isn't doing it for you, buy a 1911.

[FergusonTO35]

If a maker can't produce a dependable Glock copy that would give me serious pause. That's like making a claw hammer that won't drive nails.

[Petander]

Thanks for the wise replies.

I have a nice STI Trojan 45 ACP and a Tanfoglio P19 Limited Custom 9 mm... very reliable and accurate pistols. I rather not buy worse than I already have.

Maybe it's time for a Glock again - there comes a good reason to shoot a lot to re-adjust myself to the grip angle! Being different,a Glock adds a fresh change too. And the saved money buys lots of ammo.

[FergusonTO35]

Don't know if you can get them over there or not, but Polymer 80 makes a very respectable Glock clone for about 60% of the price.

[Petander]

Don't know if you can get them over there or not, but Polymer 80 makes a very respectable Glock clone for about 60% of the price.

They also have a very interesting concept here!

https://i.postimg.cc/RCjqTRty/Screenshot-20230927-052910-2.png

But Polymer 80 are not avsilable here. I have a good,long relationship with my nearest gun shop, they have imported Glocks since the 90's when I started shopping there. Maybe they imported all from the beginning of Glock.

So it's a safe bet to buy a Glock there. Any problems get fixed asap.

[FergusonTO35]

I was referring to the complete and finished guns made by Polymer 80, we have had a few come through the shop. I would imagine those kits are considered complete firearms in most other countries. But yeah, you may as well just get the real thing. and be done with it.