By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2023
ABOUT ZENITH FIREARMS
Zenith Firearms got its start importing cloned Heckler & Koch MP-5 roller-delayed blowback guns from Turkey. Currently, MP-5 clones are being manufactured under license by several countries, and several companies in the United States are importing MP-5 clones.
In late 2022, Zenith started manufacturing all its firearms in-house at its Afton, Virginia factory. Zenith’s first product was the ZF-5, an MP-5-style semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9 mm Luger, with magazines produced by KCI in Henderson, Nevada, to Zenith specifications.
Zenith will also honor warranty work on the Turkish-produced models, and they employ a staff of gunsmiths who will repair and refurbish all makes and models of a similar design.
Zenith Firearms stands as a premier expert in the field of roller-delayed firearms, setting the standard for precision engineering and innovative design with a rich heritage of craftsmanship and a commitment to excellence.
THE ZF-56
Now Zenith is producing the ZF-56, a roller-delayed blowback rifle chambered in.223. While it uses the operating system of the Heckler & Koch 93, it’s a different breed of rifle altogether.
THE RECEIVER & INTERNALS
The lower receiver is a hybrid Zenith proprietary design, which does not sit well with HK purists. The trigger, grip, and magazine are AR-compatible. Other features include an ambidextrous safety, an MLok free-floating handguard with heatshield, a full-length Picatinny rail to mount sights or optics, and a last-round hold-open bolt lock system.
THE BARREL & BOLT
The ZF-56 features a cold hammer forged barrel, fluted with six grooves, 1/7″ right-hand twist, hard chrome plating, or nitrate finish.
The bolt assembly uses a roller-delayed blowback operation invented by Heckler & Koch that allows for less recoil and more reliability.
Photos show a folding charging handle that locks downwards instead of up like an H&K-style charging handle, so there’s no HK “slap.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Roller Delayed Blowback, Semi-Automatic
Caliber: 5.56 (will also be available in 9mm, 10mm, 300 Blackout and 7.62)
Magazine capacity: 30 Rounds
Sights: None, Full Length Picatinny Rail
Barrel Length: 12, 14.5, 16 Inches
Overall Length: Unknown
Weight: 7.3 Pounds without magazine
MSRP: $2,500
URL: www.zenithfirearms.com
THE VERDICT
Whether this hybrid will satisfy the need for a roller delayed .556 remains to be seen. Many in the HK community want a straight-up HK 93 clone that is reasonably priced.
As with all Zenith-manufactured guns, quality will not be an issue.
There is currently a waiting list for purchases. Check out the Zenith website for more information and updates on delivery.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism Counterstrategies, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, Soldier of Fortune, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Off Grid, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International.
Contact him at [email protected].