Just received today. EZ9

[smoke63b]

Purchased this from CDNN during a 4th of July sale for $299. Can already tell it was WELL worth the money.
Anyone else have any experience with these yet or took advantage of the recent CDNN sale?

Not my picture. I don't have any of my own yet but this picture is a really nice shot of the EZ9.

 

[Delaware_Dan]

Looks like a Sig, let us know how it shoots.

 

[LanceOregon]

Zastava has a long record of making fine products, such as the Yugo Automobile:

 

[smoke63b]

Not sure if you're being a smartass or what. I assume you are. Sounds like gun snobbery a bit. I shoot whatever is reliable and all the research and testimonials on this gun so far are stellar. I know a guy who has about 11,000 rounds through an EZ 9 with no malfunctions of any kind and the gun is still in perfect condition. Can't say that about half the handguns I've owned in the past from the more popular "brand name" companies.

 

[Steve1911]

Looks like a Sig

Don't they all...?

 

[B. Lahey]

Anyone else have any experience with these yet

Ok, sounds like somebody looking for info because he has none at all.

I know a guy who has about 11,000 rounds through an EZ 9 with no malfunctions of any kind and the gun is still in perfect condition

Ah, I see I was mistaken. You were asking for information, but you already KNOW that it's the bestest gun ever. After all, "a guy" shot eleventy thousand rounds and it's the best thing since sliced doughnuts.

Sounds like gun snobbery

Sounds like reality. Make no mistake, that is a cheap Eastern European knockoff. They are cheap for a reason.

Sorry we had to impose logic on your "gunwoobie" ("I have one so it must be awesome, cuz if it wasn't I would be less of a man or something"). Detach your ego from your guns, they make a poor combination.

 

[smoke63b]

-"Ok, sounds like somebody looking for info because he has none at all."

I didn't say I had no info at all. I read and post on a forum specifically for the CZ99, 999, 05, etc... I was asking if anyone on this forum would like to share their experience WITH THIS GUN. Guess what, mr. troll above did not share any experience with this gun because he has none.

-"Ah, I see I was mistaken. You were asking for information, but you already KNOW that it's the bestest gun ever. After all, "a guy" shot eleventy thousand rounds and it's the best thing since sliced doughnuts."

Was the condescension necessary? I didn't attack you and all I stated was that I knew a guy that did that. That comment was intended to mean simply that you can't really knock the actually quality of something if you know nothing about it besides some biased, opinionated b.s. Fact is that these guns have and are getting a solid reputation as a nice shooter and a reliable handgun. CZ75's could be had for 300 bucks not too long ago too. They're excellent handguns.

"Sounds like reality. Make no mistake, that is a cheap Eastern European knockoff. They are cheap for a reason.

"Sorry we had to impose logic on your "gunwoobie" ("I have one so it must be awesome, cuz if it wasn't I would be less of a man or something"). Detach your ego from your guns, they make a poor combination."

We? So you guys are like special friends huh? I see. Apparently if I call a spade a spade it means I don't understand logic and I have a massive ego "attached to my guns". I don't see YOUR logic here. I own a lot of different guns. I like them all. When I have a handgun I don't like, I sell it. Once I try this EZ9 out for myself and give it a fair run I'll determine my opinions about it. Until then, I won't go on a forum and offer advice about something I'm not qualified to give advice on. I also, will not offer political advice in a thread about reliability of a particular handgun. Again, you wanna discus the atrocities that happen in this country?
Your assessment that I have an ego attached to my guns is wrong. I like guns as much as the next guy but I'll ditch a new one in a heartbeat if it's unreliable. Unlike the gun snobs, I don't treat certain brand names differently than the more popular brand names. I've had guns from well liked and traditionally reliable companies that crapped out on me almost instantly and I've had others that were stellar, cheaply priced autos that have never failed me.
My favorite find ever was a Tanfoglio TA90 I picked up in a pawn shop for 165 dollars.

So anyway, not sure what your problem is but you kind of posted like the traditional forum troll does. Sounds like you're lookin for a fight kind of thing.


Apparently this forum supports trolling in threads and making fun of posters if they aren't gun snobs. Pretty mature way to act.

 

[B. Lahey]

I shouldn't have been so nasty. Sorry.

I hope it's a good gun, I was just trying to say that assuming it's a good gun based on one (possibly spurious) account and some internet chatter, is nuts. Particularly when it is a crude Eastern European copy of a Swiss/German wundernine. Zastava may make a few decent guns, but I wouldn't count on them to get this one right the first time around.

So, the photo of a Yugo was appropriate.

Besides, for not much more than $300 you can get a Sig P6. A Sig made by Sig, which is good. This is a questionable gun and the price is actually a bit steep for what you are getting.

So you guys are like special friends huh?

He's actually on my ignore list. The only reason I saw his post is because I wasn't signed in when I looked at this thread.

 

[smoke63b]

Well then you'll be happy to know that the EAA EZ9 is also the CZ99/CZ999/CZ05 and so on. Slight modifications here and there but it isn't a "new" anything.

Again you state this is a questionable gun and probably not worth $300 when there is already a wealth of information on the internet if you look for it stating that it is in fact worth $300 and probably a lot more.
You're talkin out your butt here because you know nothing about the gun and since it's not a "sig" and kind of looks like a sig you assume it's a cheap "knockoff" of a sig. Too bad that's just wrong info.
I also did not assume this is a good gun based on 1 account or some internet chatter. I based it on about 2 to 3 weeks of solid research which probably means I know a hell of a lot more about it than you do yet you're posting like you're the authority on it. Your post is full of misinformation.

Have a look at this.
http://www.americanhandgunner.com/Ftrs/JA08/EAA.html

Not that those guys ever know what they're talking about but just for a little intro on what the EZ9 actually is. It's not a sig clone. In fact, no parts from the EZ9 or any of it's predecessors will even work in a sig or vice versa. It's actually closest in function to a Sig p226 but with ambi deckocker/mag/slide release.

Now this is the reason I thought the posts were really just trolling posts. I was simply asking if anyone here had experience with the EZ9 version of the CZ99 family of handguns (which have been in production for about 20 years now of which EZ9 is the fourth generation) and what caliber I should pick up since they're both the same price and I already own handguns in both calibers.

Also, it's EAA not EEA. Eaa is European American not Eastern European. EAA Corp. is in Rockledge, Fl.

 

[B. Lahey]

http://www.americanhandgunner.com/Ftrs/JA08/EAA.html

Ah. So they just stuck some Sigish fenders and tail-lights on it, eh? I had previously heard this one referred to as a copy. That's not a bad article, some interesting info in there.

Let us know how it shoots.

Eaa is European American not Eastern European

It's made in Serbia. Serbia is in Eastern Europe, so this is a Eastern European gun as well as a EAA product.

 

[smoke63b]

Ahh I see what you were saying.

Yeah I should get to the range on Monday to check it out. Need to get my wife in on shooting the Kahr CW9 as well.

Ok. Apology accepted

Kidding. It's cool.

 

[IdahoG36]

Looks pretty cool. I have seen these around, but haven't heard much about them. $299 seems like a good deal if it works reliably. Let us know how it does.

On another note, the only eastern European pistols I really like are CZ. They rock!!

 

[smoke63b]

My next handgun purchase will probably be a CZ 75b. I love those! They fit my hand better than any other handgun I've ever held. (1911 is a close 2nd).

I'll do a few groups on a couple of targets and post some pictures Tuesday or so along with a range report. I have 500 rounds to shoot up

 

[bdb benzino]

I have had the cz999 or charles daly zda for a while and have about 600 flawless rounds through it. It is an awsome pistol as far as function goes, it leaves a bit to be desired on the finish asspect though. Zastava makes great weapons and have possibly one of the best ak 47s on their belt. You made a good choice!!

 

[ChicagoTex]

I owned the South African manufactured version of this pistol, the Tressitu TZ-99 for a couple years. As far as I can see, the only obvious revisions between it and the EZ9 are a different hammer style and the front rail.

Anyway, I really wasn't much of a fan of my TZ-99. It has a grip width that makes a Beretta 92 seem slender, the finish on the frame chipped off in flakes at all the wear points (the rails, the rear of the trigger guard, the decocking lever/slide stop path). It's different enough from the SIG it's obviously based on that I never found a decent holster for it and was stuck with a generic Uncle Mike's nylon rig. The trigger was neither stellar, nor bad - think better than an H&K or Ruger DA/SA auto, but definetely nowhere near SIG, Beretta, or even CZ quality. The most irritating thing about it for me though is it just wasn't very consistent accuracy-wise. I got it to group about 4" at 21 yards with factory ammo, but even closer up the groups were always spread all over the place - getting two holes to touch was a rare occurrence. In this respect, I hope the EZ9 is superior. Oh, and it chucked brass in my face... A LOT - shooting glasses are a true must with these things.

On the plus side it never malfunctioned on me, and it did come with 15 round magazines when everything else was being sold with 10 during the Clinton AWB. I'll also point out that even though the frame wore to hell within 200 rounds, the slide remained immaculate.
Finally, the combination slide-stop and decocker takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it, it's a pretty slick and easy system to use.
It's also on a VERY short list of semi-autos I can think of that is ambidextrous for all it's controls (mag release, slide release, and decocker) - so if you're a lefty this might be a big selling point.

I paid $350 for it back then. Would I buy it again today for $300? No. It's not that it wasn't a good gun "for the money", it's that I don't really believe in buying guns I don't really like and enjoy just because they are cheap. Saving a few hundred bucks isn't worth the dissatisfied feeling at the range of having something you genuinely wish was something else, at least not to me.

Besides, I actually own a SIG these days - I'd never be able to go back to the imitator.

 

[smoke63b]

Hey thanks for the info guys.

ChicagoTex: I have heard other folks make comments about the finish on the frame as well. One guy on another website that owns half a million of these things or something crazy seems to have figured out how to prevent that. He said (and some other confirmed) that you can't use any kind of solvent or gun cleaner on the frame finish. You can pretty much only use mild soapy water. His have lasted a LONG time like that. I'm sure I'll be a bit bummed when the finish starts flaking (if it does), but as long as it shoots well I can always just get the frame refinished on the cheap.

As far as your accuracy with the TZ99; it could have been partially related to the fact that the gun didn't fit your hands well. It's true this thing is beefy. I think it's a bit beefier than the p226 even. It fits my hands pretty well so hopefully that will translate to accuracy. Again, there are slight difference obviously so maybe the TZ99's weren't the most accurate of the bunch. I guess I'll find out at the range on Monday how this one does.

Some of the H&K USP 45 holsters fit this gun like they were made for it. There are also a couple of leather CC holsters out there that fit it perfectly as well. If anyone ever needs the specific name of what holsters will fit it, I have it saved on my pc in a file and I can post it up.

On a side note of compatibility; you can buy the really nice Mec Gar magazines for the P226 or the Beretta m9/92 and dremel a small D-hole in the front of the magazine and they function flawlessly in this handgun. That means we can have a 20+1 going on in this gun

Bottom line, if it shoots like crap I'll definitely get rid of it hah. These sell on Gunbroker regularly for 350 to 450 depending on what iteration of it it is.

Thanks again for the experiences!

 

[Te Anau]

Sounds like reality. Make no mistake, that is a cheap Eastern European knockoff. They are cheap for a reason.

MADDENING!!!

Besides, for not much more than $300 you can get a Sig P6. A Sig made by Sig, which is good.

And it only has 42,476 rounds through it!

I have a TZ99 and its awesome.Here's a review of my specific model.
http://www.cruffler.com/Features/JUL-01/review-July-01.html

And here's my favorite line of the review.

In fact, a better description of the TZ99 is that the designers used the P226 as a point of departure and produced a pistol that is significantly improved and refined.

This is my favorite paragraph.

If you're looking for a high quality 9x19mm self loading pistol that is accurate, comfortable, and utterly reliable, you can go buy a SIG-Sauer P226. Or, you can go buy a TZ99, a case of ammunition, a very nice holster, and take your significant other out to dinner at a four star restaurant . Our bet is on the TZ99. Despite its somewhat obscure origins, the TZ99 is an exceptionally well made firearm that offers exceedingly high levels of performance and reliability. While the "name brand" pistols may well be as good as the TZ99, none of them can lay any claim to being better. Given that Tressitu is out of business, and that no more TZ99's, or CZ99's for that matter, will be imported or produced, our advice is to snap one of these up before the well runs dry.

 

[ChicagoTex]

While the "name brand" pistols may well be as good as the TZ99, none of them can lay any claim to being better.

As someone who's owned a TZ99 and now owns SIGs, Berettas, and Walthers I can absolutely and without hesitation say that's a total load.

It's a fine gun for the money, but it's not as good or better than the real deals.

 

[seeker_two]

Will it take SIG mags, or are the mags proprietary to the gun? It may be a good shooter, but replacement parts/mags are a selling point to many....

 

[smoke63b]

You can order mags for it straight from EAA or CDNN. You can use Beretta M9 mags or Sig 226 mags but you have to cut a d-hole in the front of the magazine. (takes about 25 seconds with a dremel tool) That allows you to use mec-gar magazines and turn this gun into a 20+1!

ChicagoTex, What's part of the TZ99 was not as good as those other guns? The only thing I can think of that I've seen complaints about was the finish on the frame. If you believe that the gun is so inferior to those other brands please state exactly what is inferior about it. Everything I saw that you posted about it wasn't really even a legitimate gripe about the gun except for the frame finish flaking. The grip not fitting your hand isn't a strike against the gun itself. Also, not finding a holster isn't either because there ARE very nice holsters out there that fit this gun quite perfectly.

You said it's not as good or better than the "real deals"? What does that mean? The EZ9 isn't the real deal cause it's not a SIG or a Beretta? That makes no sense. If it goes bang every time, shoots straight and functions safely, how is it NOT the real deal?

Te Anau, thanks for the link and the review!