Zermatt Arms Waltz 9, the game-changing pistol with roller locking block system

Zermatt Arms is a US-based manufacturer of high-precision components for bolt-action rifles, internationally renowned in the world of sport and long-range shooting. The company is headquartered in Bennett, Nebraska, and was born in 2016 from the evolution of the Bighorn Arms brand, inheriting its technical legacy and building upon it further.

Part of the Zermatt Tool group, a company with long experience in precision machining for sectors such as aerospace and medical technology, Zermatt Arms applies the same production standards to the manufacture of actions and components for precision rifles. The company's products are designed to offer reliability, extremely tight tolerances and great modularity, features that are particularly appreciated by sport shooters, professionals and custom gun manufacturers.

Among the best known models are the Origin, TL3, Ti3 and RimX actions, which have established themselves in the precision shooting scene for their robustness, compatibility with numerous aftermarket components, and ease of configuration. Thanks to these qualities, Zermatt Arms is today regarded as one of the benchmarks in the field of precision rifle actions for competitive and long-range shooting.

Waltz 9, an innovative and refined gun

At first glance, the Waltz 9 might appear to be just another  "2011" style double-stack 9mm pistol. Actually, in some ways it is, but it also has some innovative features, starting with the striker-fired system. But that's not all: in fact, we're just getting started. First and foremost, the frame is a two-part assembly: one section is made of 416 steel — providing the slide rails and where the controls are located — while the other is crafted from 6061 aluminum, acting as the grip and allowing for the mounting of panels with various textures.

The slide stop is present on both sides of the frame. The magazine release is reversible and also offered in an oversized version for dynamic competitions. The pistol uses Glock-type magazines and can be fitted with two different magwells, one standard and one oversized for competition, to facilitate quick changes. Both are made of 6061 aluminum. There is an accessory rail on the duster cover.

The Waltz 9 pistol utilizes a roller locking block system, described as extremely reliable by those who have had the opportunity to test prototypes. Upon firing, the barrel transmits recoil motion to a locking block, which in turn slides inside the frame on a steel roller, creating a mechanical opening delay.

Another distinguishing feature of the Waltz 9 is the quality of the trigger — a linear trigger just like the classic Colt 1911 — but with an automatic safety protruding from the trigger shoe. The stated  trigger pull weight is 1,020 grams; however, rather than the low pull weight alone, the trigger's perceived quality seems to stem from its crispness, its complete lack of grittiness or overtravel, and its excellent reset. The trigger blade is available in three versions: straight and short, straight and long, and medium curved. The trigger pack is a self-contained, integrated element that can be easily replaced or removed from the frame for cleaning and maintenance.

Staying on the subject of triggering, it should be noted that the Waltz 9 lacks a manual safety, which might horrify 2011 pistol purists, but the automatic safety is enough to make the gun perfectly drop safe. In fact, during several drop tests with a chambered cartridge, the Waltz 9 met and exceeded NIJ safety parameters.

The barrel is made of 416 stainless steel, manufactured by Proof Research and measures 5 1/8 inches, or 13 cm. The pistol is currently also offered in a USPSA-approved version for the Limited Optics division. The Waltz 9 comes with a recoil spring compatible with aftermarket 12.5, 14 or 16-pound springs for the Beretta 92 pistol, depending on the ammunition used and whether a compensator is fitted. As demanded by the market today, the Waltz 9 is optic-ready: thanks to a proprietary 7075 aluminum adapter plate, it can accept red dots with RMR/SRO, Delta Point Pro and Aimpoint ACRO footprints. The low-profile iron sights can be chosen by the user in a version with the rear sight positioned in front or behind the red dot.

We will stop here for the moment because we have not yet had the chance to try this gun for real, and all our colleagues who have shot it in the US agree that its most striking aspect is the quality of the trigger pull. We have no doubt about that, and we can't wait until someone decides to import it into Europe to take one to the range. Price in the US is around $5,000 for the basic version. This might seem a high figure in absolute terms, but it is in the range of high-end pistols (such as, for example, the Nighthawk Custom or the Staccato) which have a solid market in the USA in particular. The first mass-produced examples are expected to arrive in American gun shops in the second half of 2026.

Zermatt Arms Waltz 9 technical specs and price