Derya Arms DY9Z
- Graham Baates
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
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Derya burst onto the US market with the wildly popular DY9 which has seen improvements and updates even since my early review. Building upon the DY9 is the DY9 Island Barrel which gave us working stiffs a chance to own an affordable and highly-effective island barrel Glock-pattern slide. Derya is able to do this in part to their US pressence in Florida. Now a fifth Derya model has come to GBGuns, the slim-framed DY9Z.
What Is It? The Derya Arms DY9Z fits into that size group I think we'll have to name, "large micro". Capacity is higher than a standard "subcompact", but with the slimness of the "micro" guns. A 3.5" barrel Gives us a little more muzzle energy and managable recoil impulse than most micros and subscompacts, but doesn't quite reach the classic "compact" length of 4".
Who's It For? The DY9Z satisfies the need for a concealable carry piece that is slimmer and lighter, but still shootable on the range and delivers reasonable muzzle energy. Feature rich, easy to field strip, and priced very affordably I think the DY9Z is a good pick for someone getting their first handgun, or looking to get the most milage out of their money in buying a carry gun they can also train with.
Take a Look at the Derya Arms DY9Z in the tabletop video below which includes comparison to the original DY9. Rumble Link
Specs:
Model Name: DY9Z
Front Sight: White Dot
Caliber: 9MM
Rear Sight: White U Notch, RMSc Direct Mount on Slide
Capacity: 10 or 15 rds
Grip Type: Polymer with changeable back plates
Weight: 1.25 lbs
Action Type: Semi-Automatic
Barrel Length: 3.50”
Finish: Black Melonite
Overall Length: 6.5”
Overall Width: 1.10”
Overall Height: 5”
MSRP: $299.00
While it is unfortunate the gun only comes with one magazine, more can be ordered from Derya US with prices starting at $24.99
Price Around the Web as of 01FEB26
Click links for current pricing and availability
Initial handling of the DY9Z was impressive. A small pistol that doesn't try to get lost in my grip, and a trigger with a responsible weight, but one of the most cleanly-defined walls and breaks I've felt on a striker-fired gun. My experiences with the DY9, DY9 Island Barrel, Melik, and Flash 18 had me anxious to get the DY9Z to the range, but in order to be fair an unbiased the GBGuns Range Protocol would of course be followed including:
Cold Shots: Truly my first shots through the gun.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger. With aged magazines there is no promise.
What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
45gr Sim-X DEFENSECORE $18.99 / 20 at Target Sports USA (see review HERE)
50gr Liberty Ammunition Ultra Light $37.39 / 20 at Optics Planet (see review HERE)
95gr Magtech JSP $21.98 / 50 at Global Ordnance
100gr Sellier & Bellot XRG $13.34 / 25 at Target Sports USA (see review HERE)
100gr CCI Blazer Reduced Recoil $12.32 / 50 at Battlehawk Armory
108gr Norma MHP Out of Production?
115gr TMJ EcoBullet $19.95 / 50 direct from EcoBullet (see review HERE)
115gr Wincherster SilverTip $18.29 / 20 at GrabaGun
124gr Federal Premium HST $39.95 / 50 from Widener's
147gr Winchester Defense $16.32 / 50 at Battlehawk Armory
Standard Range amunition was 124gr PMC FMJ $16.29 / 50 at Ammunition Depot
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12-ish yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
Watch the process from my very first shot through the gun in the Shooting Impressions video below. Rumble Link
On the Range, despite it being my first time back out after having three stitches removed from my hand, I found the DY9Z easier to manage than expected. Physics being physics, typically the lighter, smaller, and thinner a handgun is the more felt recoil there is and more challenging the gun can be to control, especially for me with XXL hands. That was not the case with the DY9Z. While I may not be able to handle it as quickly as I can a broader gun like the DY9, the thinness of the DY9Z makes it more attractive as a carry option.
I did have my personal classic challenge of hitting a little low and left from squeezing the pistol. This is something that I tend to do with all small pistols, even more so with my support hand only marginally being functional. This could be fixed with practice, or by hiding it with a red dot mounted and zeroed for my own shooting error.
I take pride in finding high-value firearms, especially if they can help more responsible citizens be armed. I think the Derya DY9Z fills that role nicely.
After my initial range session testing the gun as it comes out of the box, I mounted the OSight SE and am pleased to say that it fits nicely with just enough cowitness to get a rough zero. I'm also pleased that Derya cut the slide far enough back that chamber gasses and ejecting brass should not be a problem.
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