ZEV Technologies Releases the Craighead OZ9

ZEV Technologies is partnering with British SAS legend Christian Craighead to launch the new Craighead OZ9 pistol. The gun is based on the ZEV OZ9 Compact 9mm pistol with direct input from Craighead himself.

SAS Legend

Christian Craighead joined the British Army when he was sixteen, serving in the Parachute Regiment and the Pathfinder Platoon. He later served with the 22^nd Special Air Service Regiment. Craighead deployed several times and was later a counter-terrorism instructor. He single-handedly stormed the DusitD2 hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya when al-Shabaab terrorists hit the building in January of 2019. Craighead killed two of the four terrorists and led the hostages to safety.

Craighead had been training Kenyan special forces soldiers in Nairobi. His action potentially saved hundreds of lives. Britain awarded him the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, second only to the Victoria Cross in the British military. President Donald Trump personally thanked Craighead at the White House.

Deliberately Versatile and Inherently Reliable

Craighead reached out to ZEV about a pistol after he retired. ZEV proposed a special collaboration to design a pistol to his specifications using the OZ9c. “Nothing on this weapon is accidental,” says Craighead. “Everything means something. A nod to things that happened in my life…everything is by design.”

The gun features a removable mag well, ZEV X grip, and a ZEV Flat-faced Pro Trigger. The standard compensator is removable, and the gun is suppressor-ready. The top of the slide is cut for a red dot optic, which Craighead says he thinks is very important.

“I know the importance of having a reliable sidearm.” Craighead notes. “When I say, ‘reliable sidearm,’ it goes to the saying that it’s not your secondary if it’s in your hand. So, it’s extremely important to me that we have the right tools for the right job and for the right people out there.”

Personal Touches

The Craighead OZ9’s slide serrations are cut at 22 degrees with 22 one-thousandths of an inch depth, signifying his long service with the 22^nd SAS.

The Christian Craighead “CC” logo is on the slide’s right side. The name “Craighead” is machined into the top. The slide’s left side features the Craighead version of the famous Blackbeard pirate flag. An hourglass appears beside it.

Craighead wore a Blackbeard flag patch on his SAS gear. The skeleton’s stance is based on the famous photo of Craighead entering the Nairobi hotel building in 2019.

The hourglass represents time. “In a firefight,” says Craighead, “time is key. Not just about the time to take the shot, that’s the obvious, but it’s time to make a decision whether to shoot or not to shoot; whether to act and when not to act; and that was key in my life.”

“I want to give everyone versatility with this gun. You may not be the best, the strongest, or the brightest. But you might just be the only one willing to put yourself out there. The time may come when you choose to do the difficult right or the easy wrong. When that day comes, do your best and be prepared to do it again, again, and again.”

The ZEV Craighead OZ9 sells for $2222.00