Surplus .32acp pistol

[BC17A]

Last I checked the surface finish of the internals isn't indicative of whether a gun works well or not. They're not heirloom quality pieces, they're tools, and Zastava has been making guns for a long time.

The workmanship, or lack there of, on a hammer and sear from an M70 would probably change your mind.

 

[Steel Hayes]

The workmanship, or lack there of, on a hammer and sear from an M70 would probably change your mind.

Didn’t change my mind(I will agree the hammer pack is crude), I just bought another because I liked the first one so well.

 

[Fabian117]

I have the M70 and a Beretta 81 and between the two it's hard to say which is better. I mean, the Beretta feels like a modicum of engineering and manufacturing, but the Zastava is rugged simplicity. Both shoot well, both handle well. I like the way the Zastava feels in my hand, I feel I have a good grip with it and it's a slimmer pistol, but it has a good heft to it. The Beretta has an excellent trigger and sights and is light, almost too light given the width of the grip.

Given the prices both can be had for it's not gonna break the bank to own both. One thing I don't care for with the Zastava's is the magazines aren't drop free and the takedown is more difficult than the Beretta.

FYI, I got the LOK thin grips on my 81BB and it made a world of difference in the way it feels in my hands. It’s not that much thinner on paper but I really noticed it. Maybe if I didn’t have little girly hands I would have been okay with the stock grips, but such is life . I also like the look, but that’s subjective.

That Zastava does look like fun though, but for now I’ll put that money into getting ammo for the Beretta because it’s a ton of fun at the range.

 

[Dibbs]

32 caliber is capable, IMO, if you're willing to look past all the critics. Got CZ 70 a while back, cost about 240$, and I probably overpaid, for it. SA/DA, with a hard DA pull. It slips in and out of the pocket real easy, and shoots well.

 

[wiscoaster]

Agreed w/ above. In this day of shortages, there are still quite a few used and surplus firearms available, that with a little TLC, can be very capable for desired use. Here's my VZ-70:

View media item 3298
It had some issues at first that needed addressing, and as you can see it's no longer a collectible, but hey, it's 100% now and best of all ... IT'S A FUN AND COOL little gun!!

 

[wiscoaster]

I got the LOK thin grips on my 81BB .

COOL grips!!

 

[Dibbs]

Agreed w/ above. In this day of shortages, there are still quite a few used and surplus firearms available, that with a little TLC, can be very capable for desired use. Here's my VZ-70:

View media item 3298
It had some issues at first that needed addressing, and as you can see it's no longer a collectible, but hey, it's 100% now and best of all ... IT'S A FUN AND COOL little gun!!

Is that stainless steel?

 

[wiscoaster]

Is that stainless steel?

No, it's polished steel.

 

[Ignition Override]

Dan-O: but you probably found the Silver Bear 9x18 ammo reliable? At least good enough for the range?

WVsig: a very astute milsurp collector friend has your Beretta in .32 acp.

wiscoaster: Those CZ-50/70s are also quite cool, but I've never read (?) that the heavy DA triggers can be lightened a good bit, or if so, remain reliable.

The CZ 70 I tried a few years ago wasn't much lighter than a stock Polish P-64 DA (9x18, just to remind some of the 'unwashed').

 

[wiscoaster]

... but I've never read (?) that the heavy DA triggers can be lightened a good bit, or if so, remain reliable..

I had a problem with light primer strikes and actually put in a stronger spring to resolve that issue, which of course, also made the DA trigger pull heavier. Still, it's not nearly so bad as a PPK/S.

 

[Steel Hayes]

An update for what it’s worth, if you own a Zastava M70, holster choices are limited.
I’ve found that 98% of holsters made for the Walther PPK will work for the Zastava.
The adjustable cant paddle fit the M70 like a glove.

 

[test drive]

I’ve had my M70 for about 3 years now and it’s one of my favorite guns to shoot. Get more mags while you can. At one time it was almost impossible to find them. I got 2 from J &G. Also as a side note Zastava still makes this gun but it’s not imported to the US. The surplus guns are marked made in Yugoslavia which no longer exist. It is now part Serbia. also the born on date is stamped on the bottom of grip. Mine is 0280 = February 1980.

 

[chicharrones]

A question for y'all that own (or have experienced) both the Zastave M70 pistol and the Beretta 81 or 81BB, both in .32 ACP.

How is the racking effort of the slide between the two pistols?

My blowback 81BB has a stiff recoil spring and has relatively small slide serration area to grab onto.

I ask, because I'd like to think the single stack Zastava would make a decent shooter for my wife, but if racking the slide is as stiff as my Beretta that idea won't fly with my wife.

 

[BC17A]

A question for y'all that own (or have experienced) both the Zastave M70 pistol and the Beretta 81 or 81BB, both in .32 ACP.

How is the racking effort of the slide between the two pistols?

My blowback 81BB has a stiff recoil spring and has relatively small slide serration area to grab onto.

I ask, because I'd like to think the single stack Zastava would make a decent shooter for my wife, but if racking the slide is as stiff as my Beretta that idea won't fly with my wife.

My M70 is tougher to rack than my Beretta 81.

 

[chicharrones]

My M70 is tougher to rack than my Beretta 81.

Useful info. Thank you.

 

[BC17A]

Useful info. Thank you.

While I had my M70 Yugo out today I did some actual testing on the strength of the recoil springs on both pistols. Using my trigger pull gage I checked the pressure it took to pull the slides 1/4" to 1/2" out of battery. The M70 took about 7 pounds, where the Beretta 81 took just over 5. Pretty significant for someone with less hand strength. This was done with the hammers cocked by the way.

 

[chicharrones]

While I had my M70 Yugo out today I did some actual testing on the strength of the recoil springs on both pistols. Using my trigger pull gage I checked the pressure it took to pull the slides 1/4" to 1/2" out of battery. The M70 took about 7 pounds, where the Beretta 81 took just over 5. Pretty significant for someone with less hand strength. This was done with the hammers cocked by the way.

More good info. I can only imagine the extra force required if the hammers are down.

It's looking more and more like I just ought to introduce my wife to the S&W EZ .380. One of her sisters has the 9mm version.

 

[Eugen]

I picked up C Zastava M70 a few years ago mostly because it looks like a mini me version of my Russian Tokarev TT33. There are many similarities. While the M70 is a blow back design, I really wonder if some of the parts such as the hammer and mag release could interchange. That M70, like the TT-33, is built like a tank. It's a fun range toy as it is heavy and really absorbs the relatively light felt recoil of the 7,65mm.

I reload 32acp to keep the ammo cost down. I'll add that my favorite of many 32acps are my Colt 1903s.

 

[HoploDad]

This guy's pretty entertaining, even if you can't understand a word. He takes the M70 and dunks it into 4 different bins one at a time: water, sand, dirt, mud, then shoots 5 rounds. The man loves his work and that little pistol.
TEST POUZDANOSTI - Zastava M70 7,65 - YouTube

 

[Monac]

I picked up C Zastava M70 a few years ago mostly because it looks like a mini me version of my Russian Tokarev TT33. There are many similarities. While the M70 is a blow back design, I really wonder if some of the parts such as the hammer and mag release could interchange. That M70, like the TT-33, is built like a tank. It's a fun range toy as it is heavy and really absorbs the relatively light felt recoil of the 7,65mm.

I reload 32acp to keep the ammo cost down. I'll add that my favorite of many 32acps are my Colt 1903s.

That's exactly the same reason I bought one. As I understand it, the way the M70 came to be was that the Yugoslav government wanted new 32 automatics for their cops and wanted to spend as little money as possible, The pistol they were set up to make was their version of the Tokarev. So they took that machinery and messed around with it until a 32 automatic came out. It's cheap, it's sturdy, and that about ends the list of its advantages. It was a design of 1970 with no features that dated after 1930.