New ZEV Pistols for 2023

In this episode of TFBTV, ‪@JamesReeves‬ is at SHOT Show 2023 with Jerry of ZEV to talk about the new pistols and chassis systems that ZEV Technologies is launching in 2023. ZEV is adding a second generation to its OZ9 chassis systems and launching multiple configurations and price points. See today's video for
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[@axlplayer14]

If these started at $799 and went up to $1200 max for the ported model they would be competitive in the marketplace. Even the new sig p320 with the ported slide and aluminum grip frame seems like a bargain compared to this “Glock”. For $1800 you can get yourself some pretty nice 2011 style pistols.

[@kyrozudesoya1829]

Shit you could get some high end CZ pistols. Or Berettas. Or Tanfaglios. Or Walthers. Or whatever. But, if people want to pay for it, cool.

[@axlplayer14]

@@kyrozudesoya1829 you can get a Beretta 92 x performance carry optics for $1600! At the end of the day the zev is just a Glock for 2-4x the price.

[@AR-ud1dp]

And yes! You can get a Honda accord touring top of the line or just get a Mercedes or get just a bmw compared to a M6. It’s a Gucci high performance and one of the best shooting guns you can ever own!

[@williamwoodcock8487]

@@AR-ud1dp idk if i would say "one of the best shooting guns you can ever own". It is extremely overpriced for what it is. you could get a Bul Tac 4.25, Staccato C2, ETC, for the same price. and no matter how much money you throw at a "glock", it is still a glock. it will NEVER perform as well as a metal SAO double stack 1911/2011.

[@AR-ud1dp]

@@williamwoodcock8487 I agree with going with Staccato however there is a big demand for these so called Gucci glocks and believe me I own one and a shadow system and both perform the same however nothing can beat the reliability and longevity of a zev! Even their ar platforms are one of the best ones! So again if durability in a Gucci glock is the priority then you can’t beat it otherwise even my sig and Springfield have been very reliable.

[@joshmajor8662]

Zev!!! Overcharging customers since 2005 haha 😂

[@nathanbrand1]

They are trying to sell a 2k Rolex gun with a sub-Keltec display board. Michael Scott presentation vibes.

[@otm646]

Eh, it looks great in person with the high end fashion boutique vibe, it's not designed to show well on video.

[@nathanbrand1]

Sounds like a solid 2023 strategy. I retract everything

[@Austin_180]

Price is an absolute turnoff. Rather buy staccato for that amount. Also heard zev parts can be hit or miss..

[@beardedslavbrew615]

Multiple reports have confirmed that it is hit-or-miss Zed has been having a lot of quality control issues with the production of the oz9 series. Really pissed me off too because I wanted to get a standard Covert, but I don't want to take any chances of spending over a grand and then having to deal with shoddy parts and Zev's customer service. I've heard some real Horror Stories too.

[@erroneous6947]

Show the guns more please.

[@JustAGuy1031]

Love ZEV slides for glocks and have been impressed with their AR stuff. Their OZ9 I just couldn’t get into. Only handgun I’ve picked up that despite being 9mm somehow manages to be more brick like in my hands when I hold it. As if the blackstrap area is wider than a normal Glock. Just not my thing but it’s not a bad product. I’ll stick with Glock or my Shadow Systems.

[@Hawtload]

at 2k I'd be shopping for 2011's

[@printingwithpeek4897]

For $350 you can buy this chassis and not use an antiquated hammer fired gun.

[@Slivyr]

I'm not paying shy of 2k, to make a glock do all the things my PDP already does.

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

Walther PDP is an excellent pistol!

[@islandprepperone]

I have 2 PDP’s and 2 Zev Techs. There is a difference in performance and overall look and quality.

[@Slivyr]

@@islandprepperone is it 2k worth of difference?

[@PVTHighspeed]

I’m sorry, but dude looks like he bought his beard off Amazon. Took the beard straight out of the Osama Bin Laden Halloween costume!

[@kompletevisionentertainmen371]

Shadow systems is somewhere smiling .

[@LOYALTYLIMITED]

One of our favorite brands and pistol lines. Very tight tolerances, serious run-in needed.

[@starquake8034]

Kinda like Shadow Systems then?

[@triggerfingerstudios]

I'm sure these are good, but I'm so done with glocks and glock clones. There are so many better options out there. For those who grew up on glock and think there's no reason to do something else, try a Walther, try an Arex, try anything.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

I work in a gun store, sell Caniks, Walthers, S&Ws, and a plethora of other guns. I don't care for other guns. Modern firearms have gotten to a point where manufacturing practices have made price points low and guns have great quality out of the box. I'm still choosing a Glock. I'm not saying that you shouldn't do something else, I just don't care for half the guns out there because I only have two pistols. I have a Nomad Defense Gen. 5 frame and a custom multi jet fusion G48 frame that uses sig P365 Macro magazines. You're not getting more aftermarket compatibility than a Glock.

[@triggerfingerstudios]

@@printingwithpeek4897 Because no other gun has so many people so desperate to change everything about it.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

@firydeth2 No, its because of the fact that it has been out the longest and has a track record of working well. That makes no sense.

[@9770G]

@@triggerfingerstudiosliterally a stock Glock needs absolutely nothing changed to it. It’s a matter of desire not necessity. 🥱

[@exodus1977]

Do people consider this vs something like a PDP Pro SD (that has all the same factory upgrades for $1k less) in the same sentence, or is it a bling thing, and Zev is just catering to a different market?

[@Croak1]

Bling thing for the most part. That saying that SIG makes a great $600 gun for $800 is true. But then ZEV makes a great $800 gun for $1,800.

[@jayabramson6702]

The OZ-9 platform has Sig’s modularity, Glock internals compatibility, and a 1911 grip angle. Not exactly “just a $2000 Glock”. And while Zev may have only made a few long slides for the Compact, Brownells offers G17 length slides and barrels for the G19 frame. Should work with the Zev Compact chassis V1 or the new V2.

[@kylehill4437]

Thanks for going over this I was super confused over all these models.

[@jyro6368]

"If you make a glock better, it's still a glock at the end of the day" ...yeah I agree Mr. Zev sales rep 🤣

[@Illest.illusions]

ZEV: When you’re too smoothbrain to build a glock yourself

[@9770G]

Or just incapable of shooting a stock Glock accurately which is easy, but try to blame it on the tool 😂

[@Illest.illusions]

@@9770G Yeah bro all I shoot are oem glocks I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’m saying people can literally build a p80 for much, much less.

[@9770G]

@@Illest.illusions yup. I like the Glock frame tho. As do most ppl. Otherwise it wouldn’t be one of the best selling handguns ever.

[@EastCoastMan603]

I get the feeling that in this interview Jerry smells of gravy and bergamot, James smells of tussin and bay rum. Two excellent representatives of the Chad gun wold.

[@RedEyePergo]

Shot a friends $1500 zev and my $600 Canik has a better trigger and shoots flatter. Besides being modular what justifies paying almost double for this over something like a Shadow Systems or Bul Axe ?

[@islandprepperone]

I have two Zev Tech builds and I don’t regret spending the money. Most people have no idea what they are missing. Well worth the cash.

[@Joe.dirt7909]

I don’t get the price…..you can get two Glock handguns for the price of one.

[@WaterZer0]

You should have asked how much the new FCUs are and how much you can build vs buy from them.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

Exactly. In a world where people are building guns more than ever, why not introduce the baseline price point of $350 and explain why their core product, AKA the chassis is better

[@IEversmann1]

James videos coming now lol

[@crispy_338]

buy a canik and save $500 for the same perfomance

[@stuartsmith3359]

Definitely thinking of up the caniks new compact

[@stuartsmith3359]

Definitely thinking of up caniks new compact

[@conman1395]

Now that PSA has a modular platform in development, I will never spend this much on a modular Glock

[@printingwithpeek4897]

They only have a concept and it's not going to be anything special. The OZ9 Chassis will still out perform it any day.

[@jasonkeating9958]

Where's the OZ10 or OZ45 Also a limited edition of different calibres like a run of 1500 in 357sig with a 40 and 9mm conversion barrels would be very cool,

[@LinkxUSMC87]

Especially since they claim modularity as one of their selling points.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

No one is buying 357 Sig. Those are rounds that have no purpose and are just weird. Also, the large frame Glocks such as the 20/21 are the same frame.

[@jasonkeating9958]

@@printingwithpeek4897 that's why I said a limited run so those who want something other than 9mm have an option, There isn't the interest for a full production series but limed runs of different calibres and options would sell.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

@jason keating No they don't. I work at gun shop. We have a large selection of pistols that people purchase. The most commonly purchased rounds are 9mm, 45 ACP, .380, THEN 40 S&W. No one is buying. 357 Sig or any of the other weird calibers. It also makes no sense because any consumer can swap a barrel and recoil spring out to shoot those worthless rounds.

[@LinkxUSMC87]

@@printingwithpeek4897 so people who come to your shop dont buy it, cool story. Means nothing to the big picture. Calling them worthless just shows your ignorance. 357 sig may be less popular but it certainly has its applications. It is on average 200 fps faster than hot 9mm, which translates to less drop at distance. You dont have to like it, but calling oddball cartridges worthless is just dumb.

[@VeChainStacks]

These are like the equivalent of a company making gaming computers. The price is marked up for people who just want to buy and be in. I can put together a great p80 under 1k all day.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

Yes you can, but you're not beating their chassis with a 1 piece modular steel housing that's melonited. The OZ9 chassis is the best on the market. If ZEV just stuck with their Chasis and just made it Gen. 5, they would be dominating the market. All their other items suck.

[@bobbbobb1624]

Honestly waiting for your thoughts on the Canik Rival S if any

[@ph00ny1]

I still can't believe ZEV is out of Washington state

[@a1racer441]

So back in the day zen was either part of Mega arms who made AR uppers and lowers or where mega arms I have their mega arms monolith ar10 upper and lower it’s absolute art. They rebranded or what ever into Zev and started adding pistol stuff the pistols are incredible looking as well. Hope these guys continue making cool stuff under what ever name or products they want.

[@a1racer441]

Zev now zen auto correct always kills me on mobile devices.

[@556arbadboy]

Zev acquired Mega.

[@gumecindogarcia1070]

GBT representing at the shot show

[@92JoseR]

Issa Glock with fancy designs on it.

[@jamieluvsknives3912]

I'll stick with my shadow systems mr920 elite I've shot a zev not so impressed for the price but just my opinion

[@splintersparten9989]

When you know, you didn't come out with anything new except a price increase for a 20 year old base design.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

When you don't look at the fact that they're using a one piece 4140 steel chassis.

[@mikeabraham4224]

I’ll go with shadow systems

[@EricPardo]

Nice! Will look Zev

[@stephencarbajal5657]

The combat looks like the previous elite?

[@tacticoolbob]

I own 4 Zev. It’s pretty sweet 🤣

[@arktactical6112]

I only own one Zev product and it's the Omen Slide on my Nomad 9 frame and it's beautiful

[@dubvc1]

Any issues with the Nomad?

[@arktactical6112]

@@dubvc1 The only issue with it is how it will feel in your hand. You will only know when it get transferred to your FFL. Better than poly 80 and shadowsystems frames imo

[@drewchorlton342]

PSA Dagger looking better and better compared to ZEV for price point

[@nealgold8442]

It’s still a Glock in drag!!

[@ianlegrand3450]

🤜💥🖐️🤘 I don’t know sounds like he was stumbling a lot🤣🤣😂😁

[@IrishDevil78]

Crazy question, what shirt is Jerry wearing? Looking to replace some of my worn out Magpul short sleeve button-ups.

[@kurzification]

“Less choice, more money” that’s the only take away I have from this guy

[@sanderjabk8087]

Well i hear americans talking about overpriceced as a Norwegian the standard New glock 17 here costs 1450 dollars and the zev combat costs 1750 dollars som not a bad price for a zev for us. Just bought one

[@sleigh4019]

Gonna be awesome until psa pops out the switch in like 2 months before 1-3rd the cost lol

[@qwkartist]

This will be gold if they can keep up with orders

[@kyrozudesoya1829]

I'm trying very hard not to make any Jack Murphy jokes.

[@codyhipp451]

Hell yeah! Expensive Malfunction Trainers!

[@BenRivered]

Sweet. Zev. Sweet.

[@llamagetchya4118]

3:28, Lemme help: Our product represents the highest level of American R&D excellence. Through extensive analysis of the Glock platform, we've identified numerous areas for improvement. We can enhance the existing platform, stay within the confines of that, or introduce a new, modular, and entirely American solution. Every assembled firearm ships with a PMAG with slides to specially accommodate the renowned American optics like the Trijicon RMR and SRO. You're buying American. Gaston Glock made a fine firearm in the day, This is the future. To quote Vince Lambardi again, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence", Every ZEV technology pistol and aftermarket part helps us put that back into R&D to continue our passion.

[@RubiconV]

Are these hipster beards still a thing? I’m pretty over them.

[@sealove79able]

A great video. Nice pistols to go with a parrot style shorts.

[@Highgear145]

With the P320 I can change the caliber between 357Sig,40SW and 9mm

[@richardtaylor5607]

Why would i buy this over shadow systems?

[@starquake8034]

SS seems to be the better "bang for buck"

[@Dylan-nv9sc]

Metal FCU which allows for modularity and additional weight also a better trigger. That’s about it really, the optic mounting system on the SS is better and the DR920P is noticeably flatter than the hypercomp.

[@arktactical6112]

Technically, you wouldn't. Unless you want modular frames. Kinda the difference between a Pontiac Fiero and a Ferrari. You may be happy with your Fiero but you will never have the performance of the Ferrari.

[@Dylan-nv9sc]

@@arktactical6112 That’s not really an accurate comparison as there’s a significant measurable performance difference between a ferrari and a fiero. The difference between the zev and SS besides the modularity is primarily aesthetic, and in some metrics the SS is superior.

[@Snek03]

Geezus James, you killed him and buried him with that question.

[@PartyRockProfessional]

Bold of a $2K pistol rep to use air quotes when he says “Gucci”

[@Politicallyhomeless957]

Cool dude but that is what me call a “Jack Murphy” beard and probably should change that 😂

[@rbw007]

Had an OZ9.... Worst customer service and dumped it... Never looked back!!

[@traeucity6087]

Instead of Glock, James should have asked him about ZEV vs. Shadow Systems. If you think his response to the P320/Glock question was lame; he would have melted down if he was asked to explain why ZEV over Shadow Systems?

[@Ellienollie]

This dudes beard is all you need to know. Have fun with these. 😴

[@datboi__]

James: so what makes zev worth the price? Zev: ramble ramble gucci ramble ramble "AcCuRaCy"

[@FierceDeity35]

Something about matching front and rear slide serrations makes me positively giggly.

[@boonye74]

I’m gonna be the one to say that price is crazy

[@DarkerSideX14X]

Now if they had ambidextrous slide releases

[@wollsmoth69]

Ah, Zev. I been they've got a Glock clone Oh would you look at that it's a n o t h e r Glock clone

[@calholli]

I really like their stuff -- I'm just not going to pay that much for it. Glock as the "g47" or 46 or whatever now, that is doing the same thing; basically a 17 length barrel and slide that fits on a 19 pattern; so this is just a little too late, they should have thought of this years ago when Sig announced their modular setup. Everyone already has half a dozen glocks -- I dont' need another one just because of a new gimmick. lol

[@baster1234567890]

we need that stuff in austria (glock land)! there is no serious possibility to buy these guns in austria.

[@willjohnson3299]

Lol hmmm a psa dagger sounds nice😂

[@johnnymossville]

Jerry is a great spokesman for the brand. Now I want a hyper-comp.

[@otm646]

Let's see it against the RIA 5.0 before dollars change hands

[@Chris-1742]

Sooooo are they gonna bring back the aluminum magazine extensions?

[@printingwithpeek4897]

No. You can buy shield arms and actually have access to the magazine without the need to take off the extension.

[@Ballisticbob517]

4:26 you don't have to change anything on a glock just throw some grip tape on there and get better at shooting

[@-joe-davidson]

ZEV makes a nice product, I own a Z320 Octane but it was extremely disappointing for it to arrive in the stock Sig case and nothing else.. No patch, nothing but a small sticker. lol But I love the gun and the main reason I bought the ZEV is at the time, the Sig P320 X-Compact was new and the factory Sig came cut for a Sig optic but I wanted to use an RMR. ZEV Z320 X-Compact Octane came cut for an RMR and since all of this just as the plandemic was sweeping across the country, it made more sense than trying to have a factory Sig slide machined for an RMR.

[@twrol]

Can you take some metrics and learning and learn how to make them not 2K?

[@MrHav1k]

I"m sure somebody will love it and somebody will buy it, but not me lol.

[@Paladin1873]

So that's where the lead singer of the Soggy Bottom Boys got off to.

[@jimyeats]

I clicked on this video to support TFB. The thought of hearing about another overpriced Glock clone iteration literally makes me shudder.

[@tomyzar]

Is the Glock design no longer protected by copyright? (Like the AR) because I see all this "not Glock" glocks popping up everywhere

[@splintersparten9989]

I don't think so. all the not "Glocks" are based on the gen 3 Glocks which came out over 20 years.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

The Gen 3 Glock frame isn't patent protected. This is also using a one piece modular housing that does have a patent on it. Its a different system that uses the same internals.

[@tomyzar]

@@printingwithpeek4897 what about the slide?

[@printingwithpeek4897]

@Lugersouri Slides aren't protected. They don't have a patent on that or else no one would be making aftermarket stuff.

[@jamiefty]

I like Zev but holy cow. Those frames look like something Tapco or Taurus would have made in 2004. I know looks aren’t everything but please go back to the drawing board.

[@patrickmurphy8008]

Yet another knockoff glock for 3x the price. It's a shadow systems but for 2k.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

Shadow systems doesn't have a one piece 4140 melontied steel chassis that has longer internal rails, doesn't have the problem of sending a slide into battery when a magazine is pressed into a frame hard, and has modular grips. Two separate guns. I'm not a fan of ZEVs aftermarket parts because they're competition based, but the chassis is the best you can get. You aren't really comparing them.

[@patrickmurphy8008]

@PrintingWithPEEK competition based? Nobody shoots zev stuff in comps because they're too busy shooting shadow 2s, 92s, and 320 legions which shoot better. All those things you said change nothing when it comes to real world use btw. Modular grips is something glock has, and one piece steel this Yada Yada, irrelevant. In the end its not more reliable than glock OEM.

[@Philly1958]

Ergonomics on the ZEV are not very good. Very blocky.

[@printingwithpeek4897]

What do you think a Glock is.

[@redmal325]

I want to like their stuff, but the amount of logos they manage to fit per side of the pistol is just too much...there's even a logo on the extractor

[@ajrothwell3937]

I've been through at least 15 different companies for slides on Glock platform pistols; Zev's quality and finish beats them all...

[@beardedslavbrew615]

So I've heard but they have had QC issues. Way more than Shadow systems. I like the look of the Zev better but I honestly do not want to take a chance buying something that's going to fail on me after I dropped well over $1,000 on it

[@ReapAndReave]

Didn't even need to click on the video to know 2 things: 1. Yet another Glock based gun 2. Yet another 9mm The world definitely doesn't have enough plastic, Glock based 9s out there. Soooo glad we now have another one 🙄🤡

[@printingwithpeek4897]

So you clicked on the video of what you already knew what you were going to say, just to say it?

[@ReapAndReave]

@@printingwithpeek4897 no, despite what you see on TV, clairvoyance isn't actually real. But Mark Twain does have a quote about you: "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt".

[@mattschroeder3432]

i want his beard !

[@Hiddencomment007]

ehm shadow systems

[@online_now6834]

LOL, ZEV is out of touch with pricing and aesthetics....

[@conductorcammon]

Sweet beard

[@Allinoffroad]

I have a zev , shadow system and reg glocks the zev is far better then the others by far except there finish that blows

[@Hickeroar]

This poor guy wasn't really prepared for those interview questions. I could probably have answered those questions better than he did...

[@Edouard_Mass]

Ya that’s a no from me dawg

[@printingwithpeek4897]

The OZ9 is a great system and actually is arguably the best Gen. 3 style frame. The problem is that they should've gone straight to a Gen. 5 which is had been out for well over 5 years now and it accepts G19-17L slide lengths without modification. They basically did nothing with the OZ9 and this is why people aren't buying ZEV like they used to.

[@9770G]

Nobody can go straight for the gen 5 genius. That is copy right infringement. That is why all these knock off makers will always be 10 steps behind Glock 😂

[@printingwithpeek4897]

@@9770G you can literally get a 3D printed frame in Gen 5

[@9770G]

@@printingwithpeek4897 not from someone mass producing handguns u can’t. Copyright laws my guy. That’s why all the knockoffs and clones are gen 3

[@99mattdogg]

Shadow Systems >

[@1BXB]

To me the Zev spokesman did not make a compelling case for why their pistols outperform Glocks and Sigs at a much higher price. Too much about making money and not enough about having a superior product (if that's the case).

[@printingwithpeek4897]

It's just the case with a superior product. The OZ9 chassis is a better designed Glock module.

[@jaydoes2166]

He’s trying so hard and struggling to give us a sensible answer

[@dexterous187]

How about you show the guns more

[@SkillSet2]

Pretty lame booth, on the wall behind glass. James Reeves is the shit though.

[@mtiger5]

It better be user serviceable.. gunna be jamming just like the rest of y’all’s shyt

[@jamesm2881]

Shadow systems > zev