ZEV Tech Cristian Craighead OZ9
ZEV Technologies Craighead OZ9
ZEV Tech Cristian Craighead OZ9 has teamed up with British SAS legend Christian Craighead to create the new Craighead OZ9 handgun. The gun is based on the ZEV OZ9 Compact 9mm pistol. It has Craighead’s signature, and the weapon is based on the ZEV OZ9 Compact, with direct input from Craighead himself.
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Christian Craighead ZEV OZ9 [ZEV Technologies]
Kenyan Crisis
Christian Craighead served in the British Army when he was sixteen, later joining the Parachute Regiment and the Pathfinder Platoon. He then served in the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment. Craighead deployed several times and later became a counterterrorism instructor.
Craighead entering Nairobi hotel in 2019 [armedfigures]
A group of terrorist attackers attacked the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in January 2019. Craighead stormed into the building on his own. Craighead killed two of the four terrorists and led the hostages to safety.
Craighead preparing to enter Nairobi hotel [reddit]
Craighead had been training Kenyan special forces soldiers in Nairobi for several months. Britain recognized his gallantry and awarded Craighead with a military decoration of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the second most distinguished medal in Great Britain, behind the Victoria Cross. President Donald Trump thanked Craighead at the U.S. White House for his role in the rescue.
Craighead reviewing mission with Kenyan forces [fieldethos]
Custom Reliability and Versatility
ZEV Craighead OZ9 [ZEV Technologies]
Upon his retirement, Craighead was in touch with ZEV about producing a custom gun. ZEV proposed a special collaboration to design a pistol to his specifications using the OZ9c. “Nothing on this weapon is accidental,” mentioned Craighead. “Everything means something. A nod to things that happened in my life… everything is by design.”
The Gun is lightweight and includes a flat-faced Pro trigger, a ZEV X grip and a competition grade removable mag well. The compensator is removable, ready for a suppressor to be attached to the gun. Craighead wanted to include a slide cut for a red dot optic, which he finds important for this type of weapon.
Craighead said, “I know the importance of having a reliable sidearm. 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.”
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Personal Touches
He served a substantial amount of time in the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS) and the serrations in the Craighead OZ9 signify it with 22 degree cuts at 22 thousandths of an inch deep.
The Christian Craighead “CC” logo is on the slide’s right side. Machined on the top of the slide includes the name “Craighead.” They machine his version of the infamous Blackbeard pirate flag on the left side of the slide, alongside an hourglass.
Craighead’s Blackbeard Patch [thereptilehouseblog]
The skeleton’s posture is based on the famous photograph of Craighead entering the Nairobi hotel building in 2019. Craighead’s Blackbeard patch was upon his SAS gear.
ZEV Tech Craighead OZ9 – left side view [ZEV Technologies]
Firefights are all about timing. The hourglass machined into the slide represents time. “In a firefight,” said 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.”
ZEV Tech Craighead OZ9 – right side view [ZEV Technologies]
Craighead further describes his goal for the custom OZ9: “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.”
Craighead’s gear was donated to help benefit O.U.R. Rescue [reddit]
Black Rifle Coffee Podcast Interview with Cristian Craighead [Black Rifle Coffee]
Whether you’re breaching doors and rescuing hostages for fun on the weekend, you can own the ZEV Craighead OZ9 with an MSRP of $2222.00 USD.
Purchase your ZEV Craighead OZ9 HERE
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