Ares ReX Zero 1S Review
- Price: $580.99
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 17+1
- Barrel Length: 4.3 inch
- Total Length: 7.7 inch
- Weight: 1.81lb
The M9 handgun, the Beretta 92FS, is pretty much the benchmark for metal 9mm handguns. Rightly so, it was the preferred sidearm of the American military for decades and it has become an American institution, even though it’s Italian.
Now, a Slovenian handgun has arrived to take the fight to the 92FS, and the likes of the CZ 75B, with an all-metal construction and a gun that looks like it cuts a line right down the middle of an old school 1911 and new school Glock 19.
It does the same with the measurements and even the weight. it has a hammer, it is really a Browning if we’re being precise, and yet it’s a clear evolutionary step, a missing link between that and a modern polymer pistol. It just happens to be metal and feel solid as you are likely to find.
It’s a properly engineered gun. The slide, frame and even the hammer forged barrel are machined from billet stock, That’s an expensive process and that’s sadly one of the reasons this gun is so expensive. If you were hoping for some Eastern Bloc pricing, sorry…
How Much is the Ares ReX Zero 1S?
The gun costs $618, which is a lot. It’s more than a Beretta 92, for instance, and a Glock 19. It’s significantly more than a standard CZ 75 B.
So is it worth it? It might just be you know. The finished gun looks more like a cheaper Sig P226 than a dolled up CZ 75 B. The user reviews online suggest it’s their favorite gun and it has 4.9 and 5 star reviews, regularly, which is not an easy thing to achieve.
It may be about to become a star, but more likely it’s going to be one of those that only gun connoisseurs will get to hear about. It’s that little place to eat that only the locals know…
It boasts 1911 levels of attention to detail. Good 1911, not the cheap stuff. It is built to the highest EU standards, which actually give US regulations a run for their money and then some, but to be honest a Hi Point passes the regs. That’s not really important here.
What is important are the full-length slide rails and steel locking block insert in the frame. The slide stop that doubles as a decocker is a neat touch, as you can carry this in Condition 1, SOA, cocked and locked or however you want to say it.
Awesome EDC and Something Different
The weight and dimensions mean it’s a genuine carry gun and it still packs in 17+1 rounds. This is an impressive gun, however you look at it, and could be one of the best compact handguns for sale.
You even get an indicator to show there’s a round in the chamber. It’s a high-tech gun, then, and it could be a seriously sweet shooter if they showed this much love and car to the basics.
You can also choose a bewildering number of finishes, including a bizarre brown on tan number.
Now it’s a Slovenian gun imported by FIME, so I’m not sure about the spare parts situation. You will be able to get them, but they probably don’t have a Glock-style supply chain set up just yet, so you may have to wait.
That aside, this is a seriously good looking gun that ticks all the boxes at a reasonable price. It doesn’t quite have the heritage and cache of its nearest rivals, it just can’t. But it might just beat them on build quality or price. That works too.
This gun will join the list of best modern day 1911s in the days ahead, even though it’s based on a Browning. Check out the others if you’re looking to pull the trigger, so to speak, on a metal 9mm pistol.
Now the company has also launched a Glock 19 rival with a lot of neat touches. We like the ReX Delta too, and we think you might as well.
