Description
The Arex Zero 1 Standard is a hammer-fired, single and double action 9mm built on a hardcoat anodized aluminum frame, which puts it in a category almost nobody else is still serving at this price. Where the rest of the market moved to striker-fired polymer, the Zero 1 kept the metal frame, the decocker-era manual of arms and the weight that goes with them. It ships with two 17-round magazines.
Aluminum Frame, Hammer Fired
Hardcoat anodized aluminum frame rather than polymer, which is where most of the 29.3-ounce weight comes from.
That weight is the point: the Arex Zero 1 Standard soaks up recoil in a way a 22-ounce polymer pistol cannot.
Single and double action trigger, so the first shot can be fired double action from a decocked hammer.
Black nitride slide over the black frame, with a black polymer grip panel set.
Dimensions and Capacity
4.25-inch barrel, overall length 7.6 inches.
Height 5.6 inches, width 1.49 inches.
Two 17-round magazines supplied, giving 17+1.
Accessory rail on the dust cover for a light or laser.
Made in Slovenia by Arex and imported by Global Ordnance.
Arex Zero 1 Standard Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Capacity: 17+1, two magazines supplied
- Action: single and double action, hammer fired
- Barrel: 4.25 inches
- Overall length: 7.6 inches
- Height: 5.6 inches
- Width: 1.49 inches
- Weight: 29.3 ounces
- Frame: hardcoat anodized aluminum
- Slide: black nitride
- Grips: black polymer
- UPC: 815537022711
Hammer-fired metal-framed service pistols were the standard for decades before striker-fired polymer took over, and they retain two real advantages. The first is weight, which reduces felt recoil and muzzle rise directly. The second is the trigger: a single action pull on subsequent shots is lighter and shorter than any striker system, which is why these designs remain popular with shooters who value trigger feel over carry weight.
Why it is worth considering
- Aluminum frame rather than polymer, at a price where polymer is the norm.
- Single and double action trigger with a genuine single action press.
- Two 17-round magazines included.
- Black nitride slide, a hard and corrosion-resistant finish.
- Accessory rail for a weapon light.
Who it suits
Shooters who prefer a hammer-fired pistol with a metal frame, and anyone who finds polymer guns too light to shoot comfortably, are the natural buyers. At 29.3 ounces this is a range and home defense pistol more than a daily concealed carry gun, though plenty of people carry heavier. If the weight is the sticking point, the Compact version of the same design is smaller and lighter.
Zero 1 Variants and Feeding It
Arex builds the Zero 1 in Standard and Compact sizes, each offered in black or flat dark earth. The Compact shortens both slide and grip for easier carry, and both are offered with an FDE frame if you prefer the two-tone look. Browse the wider handgun catalog. Arex pistols are imported by Global Ordnance.
For practice, 115-grain full metal jacket is the standard load, with a 124-grain jacketed hollow point for defensive use. A heavy pistol like this one is particularly pleasant with standard-pressure ammunition, and it handles +P without complaint when that is wanted.
One point worth understanding about single and double action pistols: the first shot from a decocked hammer is a long, heavy double action press, and every shot after that is a short single action press. That transition takes practice to shoot consistently, which is the main reason the design fell out of favor for issue pistols. Shooters who put the practice in generally prefer it. All firearm orders ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and MAG5 Firearms will coordinate the paperwork with the dealer of your choice.
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