POTD: Zip Popularity… as in None – The Zip 22 Pistol
Sam.S 01.15.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Zip 22 was a polymer-framed, blowback-operated semi-auto pistol introduced in 2013 by USFA Firearms. It featured an unorthodox futuristic design with front-mounted charging bars instead of a slide. The Zip 22 was intended as an affordable, modular platform that a shooter could customize. However, the Zip 22 was plagued by serious reliability issues like failure to feed and eject. Its poor ergonomics and unsafe charging method near the muzzle also drew criticism. The Zip’s frequent malfunctions made it a commercial failure. In developing the Zip, USFA had bet the company by selling off tooling for their popular Single Action Army replicas. Unable to recoup losses from the Zip’s failure, USFA went bankrupt in 2017. Though innovative in concept, the Zip .22 proved an unreliable and unsafe design, dooming its manufacturer. The Zip serves as a cautionary tale in novel but unrefined firearm designs failing in real-world conditions.
Lot 493: US Fire Arms Manufacturing Zip 22 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Box. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved January 15, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/2066/493/us-fire-arms-manufacturing-zip-22-semiautomatic-pistol-with-box.
