Zastava M70 (.32 Auto)

[Mr. Mosin]

I have recently discovered two (2) things-

1. The existence of the Zastava M70, and it's ongoing current production.

2. The creation of a Zastava facility Stateside.

I love the looks of this little gun. I've found 'em surplus for $200, but I want to know if Zastava imports any new production M70's. I know they import the M70A's (Tokarev clone), but I can't find any info on a new one, and I want one. This has jumped to the #1 spot of my short list. Any info at all ? I've found field strip videos, etc; but nothing regarding an unboxing or anything like that regarding a new production.

Help my dream come true... please.

 

[Walkalong]

I've found 'em surplus for $200,

Where?

 

[Mr. Mosin]

AIM Surplus

 

[Tallball]

No offense intended, but I have owned both, and the Beretta 81 is roughly the same price and a much better pistol. I felt that the M70 had an awkward shape and the trigger was poor. I took it to the range a few times and then traded it towards something else. Maybe it's because of my XXL hands. My Beretta 81 is much more fun to shoot. It it more sophisticated and has a much better trigger.

If the M70's ergonomics do well with your hands and you don't mind the trigger, more power to you. At least it is all steel and mine seemed like it would be durable. I got it for around $200 NiB with papers and I think even a shoulder holster, but that was four or five years ago. Its fit and finish were certainly respectable.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

No offense intended, but I have owned both, and the Beretta 81 is roughly the same price and a much better pistol. I felt that the M70 had an awkward shape and the trigger was poor. I took it to the range a few times and then traded it towards something else. Maybe it's because of my XXL hands. My Beretta 81 is much more fun to shoot. It it more sophisticated and has a much better trigger.

If the M70's ergonomics do well with your hands and you don't mind the trigger, more power to you. At least it is all steel and mine seemed like it would be durable. I got it for around $200 NiB with papers and I think even a shoulder holster, but that was four or five years ago. Its fit and finish were certainly respectable.

Debating between the M70A (9mm Tok clone) or the M70 (.32 midget gun).

 

[Tallball]

I understand, just introducing another alternative.

I almost bought the Zastava Tokarev 9mm as a gift for my FiL. They had a used example at the gun range for a good price, and he kind of wanted one, but after we shot for a couple of hours and I went back inside to buy it for him, they had already sold it.

I own the Chinese 9mm version of the Tokarev, I think it's the Model 213. It's neither great nor terrible. I am guessing it would be very durable, and the accuracy is okay for a 9mm service pistol, but overall it feels kind of cheap and primitive.

The Beretta Model 81 is a much higher-quality pistol. Mine cost $229 plus whatever. It is a much higher-quality and modern pistol than a P50, P70, or some kind of Tokarev.

I even splurged for fancy grips for mine. It will outshoot the M70 or Tokarev every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Beretta Model 81 Walnut

• Tallball
• Sep 14, 2019

 

[Mr. Mosin]

I understand, just introducing another alternative.

I almost bought the Zastava Tokarev 9mm as a gift for my FiL. They had a used example at the gun range for a good price, and he kind of wanted one, but after we shot for a couple of hours and I went back inside to buy it for him, they had already sold it.

I own the Chinese 9mm version of the Tokarev, I think it's the Model 213. It's neither great nor terrible. I am guessing it would be very durable, and the accuracy is okay for a 9mm service pistol, but overall it feels kind of cheap and primitive.

The Beretta Model 81 is a much higher-quality pistol. Mine cost $229 plus whatever. It is a much higher-quality and modern pistol than a P50, P70, or some kind of Tokarev.

I even splurged for fancy grips for mine. It will outshoot the M70 or Tokarev every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Beretta Model 81 Walnut

• Tallball
• Sep 14, 2019

I heavily considered the Beretta 81 myself, bit I just love the looks of this little thing. That, and I like the SAO. I personally would have mine cerakoted SOCOM Blue, and endeavor to find some wood grips for it. Funny, I know.

 

[TTv2]

I got one a couple weeks ago, it's okay. Trigger isn't great, but it's doable, sights are good for a .32 (most aren't good), and it is accurate. I think I'm going to get a Beretta 81 soon tho and will compare the two and keep whichever I like most.

I will warn you tho that with AIM they don't have any hand select options, so you'll get what you get with the Zastava. Mine has a nice scratch along the left side and a bent bushing that I've been meaning to straighten/flatten. It shoots fine tho.

Not saying the 81's that are still available won't have issues either, they likely will have cosmetic flaws, possibly some mechanical issues.

 

[TTv2]

Also, the magazine situation with the M70 isn't exactly trouble free either. I looked on gunmagwarehouse weeks ago and they had mags in stock, but they've been out for the last two weeks and IDK if they'll ever get more in.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

Also, the magazine situation with the M70 isn't exactly trouble free either. I looked on gunmagwarehouse weeks ago and they had mags in stock, but they've been out for the last two weeks and IDK if they'll ever get more in.

Thanks for the warning about AIM. I contacted Zastava USA, and although the actual Zastava plant is still producing the M70 as new production, Zastava USA has no current plans on importing the M70. Bear in mind, that may change at the next big meeting. If they did import new production, I'd buy one. A new production Zastava M70 is at the top of my list. We all need to email Zastava and request import of the M70 in .32 Auto. Let em know that the USA wants a Serbian pocket rocket.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

Sorry for the double post. Current new production picture.

 

[Monac]

I am surprised that the Zastava M70 is still in production. It was obsolete the first day it was made. A bulky all-steel single action 32 with an awkward safety catch and mediocre ergonomics? I have always assumed the only reason the Yugos made it was because it was dirt cheap to make. It would be surprising to me if they could make it for less than a Kel-Tec P-32, but that may be one of the few benefits of having your currency become worthless. It's a a better value for the money than a Cobray, but it's still a design that's long out of date.

PS - How do I know all this? I have one. Hey, it was cheap, it had a neat holster, and I did not have a pistol with a quick-removable firing mechanism. And it was like that fish, the coelacanth - an ancient survival in the modern age. I'd buy an Indian Ordnance Factory Ashani pistol for the same reason. (I am not surprised that the Ashani survives, because Indian civilians are not allowed to buy any foreign handguns.)

PPS - Even when a country as dirt-poor as Romania wanted new pistols for their cops, they went out and made aluminum-framed copies of the Walther PP and PPK, instead of just mucking around with their Tokarev tooling and seeing what came out.

 

[TTv2]

Monac makes the M70 sound like a useless hunk of junk and it's not, not as a .32 caliber pistol that is. Compared to something more refined like a Beretta 92, the M70 is not a better gun in any way, but what the M70 is is a cheap, low recoiling, and fun gun to shoot.

My purposes for buying it were I wanted a .32 pistol because I like .32's and wanted a semi auto in the caliber that had decent sights and wasn't going to cost me $700 like a Walther or a Colt would have.

 

[Snowdog]

Also, the magazine situation with the M70 isn't exactly trouble free either. I looked on gunmagwarehouse weeks ago and they had mags in stock, but they've been out for the last two weeks and IDK if they'll ever get more in.

Well this is disturbing. Mine came with only one mag and though it will feed (hand cycle) fine when loaded, the follower wants to bind in the mag on occasion while loading. I like the looks and feel of the stout little pistol, but mine exhibits slide-to-frame rattle unless the hammer is down (I suppose putting additional tension on the slide).

I haven't had the opportunity to fire this pistol yet but I'm expecting some seriously mild recoil considering the weight.

Overall, I like it and I'll keep it if it functions properly at the range. I need to purchase a couple more magazines for sure if I decide to keep it.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

Well this is disturbing. Mine came with only one mag and though it will feed (hand cycle) fine when loaded, the follower wants to bind in the mag on occasion while loading. I like the looks and feel of the stout little pistol, but mine exhibits slide-to-frame rattle unless the hammer is down (I suppose putting additional tension on the slide).

I haven't had the opportunity to fire this pistol yet but I'm expecting some seriously mild recoil considering the weight.

Overall, I like it and I'll keep it if it functions properly at the range. I need to purchase a couple more magazines for sure if I decide to keep it.

It'd be wonderful if we could get new production ones Stateside. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

[Monac]

Monac makes the M70 sound like a useless hunk of junk and it's not, not as a .32 caliber pistol that is. Compared to something more refined like a Beretta 92, the M70 is not a better gun in any way, but what the M70 is is a cheap, low recoiling, and fun gun to shoot.

My purposes for buying it were I wanted a .32 pistol because I like .32's and wanted a semi auto in the caliber that had decent sights and wasn't going to cost me $700 like a Walther or a Colt would have.

I am sorry if I made it sound that way. TTv2. I bought one, for pretty much the same reasons you did. My point was that even in 1970, it was an obsolete design, and not even excellent by that standard. It was produced for reasons of economy rather than effectiveness. It surprises me they are still selling it 50 years later. As I said, it is of significantly better quality than the cheap pot-metal guns on the market.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

I am sorry if I made it sound that way. TTv2. I bought one, for pretty much the same reasons you did. My point was that even in 1970, it was an obsolete design, and not even excellent by that standard. It was produced for reasons of economy rather than effectiveness. It surprises me they are still selling it 50 years later. As I said, it is of significantly better quality than the cheap pot-metal guns on the market.

An production one is still on my list of hopes and dreams. I'd take a Zastava M70 over a Beretta Tomcat anyday. You can actually work on it

 

[cluttonfred]

FWIW, I just ordered a Zastava Model 70 to keep my Beretta Model 81 company. Only $180 from AIM Surplus and I've already got the ammo.... ;-)

 

[jhb]

I like these small .32 auto and other caliber surplus pistols. can deal with poor triggers, no mags, hard to find or no replacement parts and all the rest of the downsides........ but not the small mil spec sights. my old eyes struggle on them and makes shooting them not so fun. something to consider if ya wear progressive or bi focal glasses or have bad or old eyes........

one solution is shooting prescription glasses. another is to change the sights but that takes away some of the lower cost aspect. younger shooters probably have no idear what I'm talking about. I didnt when I was young either.

 

[cluttonfred]

I hear you, jhb, not a grandpa yet here but I have always had poor eyesight, I am definitely thinking I need to put some fluorescent markings on several of my guns' front sights.

Random thought...does anyone know of a nylon flap holster with magazine pocket like a modern version of the leather ones the M70 was sold with in the past?

 

[Monac]

I went to Ebay and put in "flap holster" and got about 2,700 hits. On GunBroker, without quotation marks, I got 670. I don't know how to thin out just the ones with mag pockets. An outfit named Galati showed up in both searches with low priced nylon holsters, but I don't know anything about them. You could check Amazon too - I didn't think of that.

 

[JERRY]

An production one is still on my list of hopes and dreams. I'd take a Zastava M70 over a Beretta Tomcat anyday. You can actually work on it

and not have the frame cracking concern.

 

[cluttonfred]

My M70 arrived at the LGS was so I got to visit it and fill out some paperwork, can’t make it official until next week. The size is perfect, just big enough for all my fingers, and it wasn’t as heavy as I’d imagined. Looks OK, not perfect, but should clean up fine. Range report to follow in a week or so....

 

[cluttonfred]

Question for Zastava M70 owners...has anyone identified a good "doppelganger" for the M70 when it comes to searching for holsters, etc. to fit? The M70 itself is rarely listed on the holster finder pages. So far the Colt 380 Government seems pretty close but maybe someone else has found a match with a more common gun? Genitron spec pages here:

https://www.genitron.com/Handgun/Colt/Pistol/380-Government/380-Auto/Variant-1
https://www.genitron.com/Handgun/Zastava/Pistol/M70/32-Auto/Variant-1

 

[Monac]

The M70 is a bit of an odd shape, because the Tokarev packaged firing mechanism makes it "taller" than most single action 32/380s. I would start with holsters that would fit a Walther PPK. The Astra Constable comes to mind too, but it has been out of production for a long time. Maybe something for a Kahr K9 would do as well.

I did a search on Ebay for Zastava M70 holster and got 43 results. A lot of them were for the M70A and others were for the original Yugoslav police flap holsters, but a few seemed to be for the M70 32.