Kevin ZP98 (usually just Kevin) is a 9 mm/.380 ACP sub-compact semi-automatic pistol manufactured in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It is manufactured and sold in the United States by

Magnum Research Magnum Research Inc. (MRI) was an American privately held corporation based in Fridley, Minnesota which manufactured and distributed firearms. The majority owners, Jim Skildum (President and CEO) and John Risdall (Chairman, COO), had been with ...

as the Micro Desert Eagle (ME380).

Description

The Kevin is a small self-loading pistol designed for short-distance fire up to 15 m, primarily as the secondary (concealed) weapon for law enforcement officers and for personal protection. Its frame is made of a high-strength aluminium alloy, the barrel and slide of steel, the grips from a reinforced rubber compound. The pistol has a dynamic breech, DAO trigger mechanism, and fixed sight. It does not have a safety lever, and has a patented blowback system with gas retardation to control recoil. The pistol was developed at the end of the 1990s by weapon designe
Antonín Zendl
for the company ''Zbrojovka Vsetín - Indet'' (''ZVI'', originally established in

Vsetín Vsetín () is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. Originally a small town, Vsetín has become an important centre of industrial, economic, cultural and sports life during the 20th century. Administ ...

in 1937 as a part of

Zbrojovka Brno Pre-war Československá zbrojovka, akc.spol. (or a.s.) (Czechoslovak Armory)and post-war Zbrojovka Brno, n.p.(Brno Armory) was a maker of small arms, light artillery, and motor vehicles in Brno, Czechoslovakia. It also made other products and ...

). In January 2013 ZVI laid off most of the workers. However, production of the pistol in Vsetín and ammunition in Slavičín remained.

Technical data

Uses

Kevin became popular in the Czech Republic for everyday

concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pr ...

. The right to sell the pistol in the US was given to Magnum Research; the slightly modified pistol has been manufactured and assembled there under the name Micro Desert Eagle since 2008. For Eastern Europe markets Kevin was modified to use the 9mm Makarov cartridge (2007, model ZP06 or Kevin M). A 9mm P.A.K. (blank and tear gas) model (name: ZVI Night Hawk) was developed in 2003, and a 9mm P.A.Rubber (non-lethal rubber projectile) variant (name: ZVI Wasp-R) was developed in 2008.

References

{{reflist

External links

Manufacturer's page
Semi-automatic pistols of Czechoslovakia .380 ACP semi-automatic pistols 9×18mm Makarov semi-automatic pistols