Zastava M88A - Anyone?

[veamon]

Anyone have one of these pistols? I've seen them online for around $200, and thinking of picking one up just for giggles. I can't seem to figure out the size, compared to my Ruger LCP 380, to see it will fit in my hands. With my 380, my pinky doesnt fit on the handle.

Also looking at the M70A for around the same money.

[Whirlwind06]

I handled one at a gun shop. They are like mini 1911's with funky safety. It's mounted on the slide and if I remember correctly it flips up to fire.

[lee n. field]

I can't seem to figure out the size, compared to my Ruger LCP 380, to see it will fit in my hands. With my 380, my pinky doesnt fit on the handle.


It's a copy of an old Soviet era Eastern Bloc service pistol.

(Bigger than your LCP.)

Weight 850g
Length 200mm
Barrel length 96mm
Height 130mm

--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_M88

[carguychris]

...funky safety... [is] mounted on the slide and if I remember correctly it flips up to fire.
This is correct.
It's a copy of an old Soviet era Eastern Bloc service pistol. (Bigger than your LCP.)
Also correct. FWIW that pistol is the Tokarev TT33. Compared to the original, the M70A is the same length, but is slightly taller to fit one more round in the magazine. The M88A is slightly smaller in both length and height, but the same width.

In terms of size, the M88A is actually almost the same length as a Colt Commander or S&W Model 39, but is slightly shorter in height. It's slightly larger than a Colt Model M aka 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless. It's NOT a pocket gun IMHO; it's a small holster gun. That said, it could work well in this role because it's very thin.

I don't own one, but based on handling them at shops and talking to owners, the main criticisms seem to be (a) the rear sight is very tall, snag-prone, and CCW-unfriendly, and (b) the trigger tends to be gritty and creepy, and has irregular pull weights between individual guns, ranging from ~5 lbs ("not bad") to ~10 lbs ("I thought this gun was single-action; is it working right, do I have the safety on?" :(). For the latter reason, I recommend against buying one sight unseen; it's preferable to try out the specific gun before purchase to make sure you're happy with the trigger.

Also, be aware that the design does NOT have an inertial firing pin or a trigger-actuated firing pin block, so it should NOT be carried in Condition 2; it's meant to be carried in Condition 1. IOW unless you "Israeli carry" (Condition 3), make sure you're satisfied with the "funky" slide-mounted, up-for-fire safety!

[veamon]

Thanks. This will most likely be a plinker or bug out gun, not for everyday use or carry. It's just cheap enough for that purpose I think.