Posted: 2/4/2004 10:27:12 PM EDT
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First of all, who's buying these things? I've never seen anyone in any sort of uniformed job function carry or use anything by ZM. Who the hell are they selling to? Second, why is it that in the AR world, ZM stuff is almost never available to civilians? I've heard the reasoning being that ZM's first priority is government contracts. If so, who? Third...anyone EVER see ANY online retailer, or for that matter ANY retailer period who carries ZM products? I think their stuff is nice and a great option for a preban lower....but why are they so completely unavailable? Sure, they surface on Guns America and other auctions sites with the frequency of leprechaun sitings, but why so rarely? And where did these few, lucky people locate their ZM stuff in the first place? ZM WEAPONS |
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Quoted: They require a minimum order to start production...quite unrealistic from what I've heard for such a really expensive upper. They're far past sweet though! A minimum order from who? Civilians? Military? Someone must be buying them for them to still be in business. Here's an idea. How about building, what the business world calls "an inventory" and retailing them? Just makes no sense....and why don't you see them ANYWHERE? Civilians, military, law enforcement....anywhere? |
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Quoted: They are custom produced by Mr. Alan Zitta, and are backordered approx. 8 months. They are also involved in numerous design programs for DoD and SOCOM, and their rifles are apparently used by some top USPSA competitors. At least thats what I read. Why the f'in mystery though? Publish that fact if it's so. I mean really....who the hell are they selling too? We're not talking about the stealth bomber blueprints here....it's just well made AR stuff. |
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Quoted: just outta curiosity, how'd they work in a folding stock? I mean, with no buffer spring, how does the bolt go back forward? EDIT: Forgive me if i sound like an idiot. I've forgotten how everything cycles in an AR They use an op-rod setup where the normal AR gas-tube would be... The spring operates similar to the one in the AK... |
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I got mine from Brownell's a couple of years ago. It shoots great and after I got it broke in it runs like a champ.My only problem with it is it came with cheesey iron sights,ZM makes better replacement sights but they are back ordered for a year [per Alan Zitta]. |
| It's the price of having sometime different,is it better than a standard AR? Of the AR15s I have it will out shoot the M4forgery and gets close to the F/F barreled EDC.It's about half the price of the EDC by the way.I would say that compared to a HK93,FNC etc. the price isn't out of line. If you were going post ban than no, save your money. |
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The ZM uses a Morris type gas system. It is extremely reliable, but it is not a Gas piston and the bolt still gets dirty. My ZM feeds everything using crappy mags that my other ARs don't feed with. I think the design really shines with 11.5 inch SBR. There is basically NO recoil or the recoil directed straight back so there is almost NO muzzle climb. At 25 yds I can put doubles in under an inch. I wish it was cheaper, but I sure like mine, it's very unique and a good design. I modified mine with a lighter ACE Boomtube SMG stock. It weighs 7.4 lbs decked out like this. [img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/060456.jpg[/img] Here is a shot of the internals. [img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/078007.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/078006.jpg[/img] I was lucky enough to find mine on Gunsamerica.com (caught a leprechaun) for $1200.00. The guy who sold it to me bought it for his M16 but couldn't bring himself to drill a hole in his ubber expensive lower. No problem with me all I had to do was put it on an SBR(so even with the tax stamp it was less than retail and it was NIB) [banana]. |
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[b]M4-[/b] There are some agencies/groups, that don't wish to advertise what they buy and use for security reasons, therefore, Mr. Zitta does not advertise who he sells to. With all the happy picture snappers out there in the world, if a certain group of folks is known to be carrying certain equipment, then they get 'made' as operating in a particular area. Please understand, that I am NOT talking down to you, as I think you understand what I am talking about. Just spelling it out. Yes, ZM is still in business. Give Allan a call and talk to him directly. He will talk to you over the phone, but is more elusive on emails. He is a hell of a nice guy and will do almost anything within his power to help you out. At least, that is my take from dealing with him! I love mine. I take it to three-gun matches now that I am retired, scares the newbies! [img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid102/p8a5f666fe68b5dcc89e5ffe6164df4c8/f9b53a75.jpg[/img] I swapped out the ZM grip with a SPR grip, as I have large paws. I am used to having a forward grip so I modified a GG&G rail to attach to the mounting screws of the foregrip. It has a tango down vert grip there now, again for size. I also modified the folding stock with one from ACE stocks and fellow members of this board. The mod both lightened and shortened the stock. I ditched the ZM rear sight in favor of an ARMS #40a, had the tri-rail installed & slapped on a TA-31a. And lastly I added a voretex FH to it. I was thinking of going the SBR route as well, but with the hassles of the paperwork, and I travel out of state ALOT, then there were the practical considerations of the 5.56 round and velocity. I got mine from EBAY of all places. Turned out to be a woman selling the complete upper, stock and grips (minus receiver) AND a TA01 ACOG. She wouldn't answer any emails, so I used "BUY IT NOW" for $1420.00 (US) including shipping. I was worried about WTF I had, so I contacted Mr. Zitta and sent it to him to check out. He cleaned it and gauged it, replaced the old tall sights, with new tritium sights and installed the tri-rail & he had it back to me in about two weeks! AWESOME customer service as I dealt with HIM over the phone! My advice: Get one if you can afford it or can get a hell of a deal. Never give it up. Smile like a Mo-Fo when you go to a gun range and people's eyes bug-out & ask "WTF is that...?!" |
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M4- Impact Arms is just up the road from me (about 40 miles) and they have one for sale: [url]http://www.impactguns.com/store/zm_lr300srf.html[/url] $2009.99 (Goofy price?) Call them up and see if you can haggle the price, they have had this rifle (IIRC) for a couple years now. I am NOT vouching for the business though, I went in there ONCE and they were very busy and the guy who was "helping" me couldn't figure out which end of Leupold CQT scope to look through. So after 15 minutes of disgust I left. I'd rather do my shopping on-line and avoid the taxes too! Hope this helps! Edited to add: Cheaper than a Steyr AUG & you can get MAGS for it too! |