Little Bee: The Zastava M70

If you ever want to start an argument amongst gun people, go to a local gun shop and ask a group of them which caliber they recommend for every day carry and self-defense. There's generally three types of people you'll encounter. The first type will tell you that the minimum adequate handgun cartridges one should consider for defensive use are the venerable .38 Special, or John Browning's .380 Auto. Then, your second type will sneer at that, and tell you that if you don't have at least a 9mm Luger (preferably a GLOCK)  in your holster, you might as well be throwing sticks and stones. Lastly, there is a (admittedly shrinking) third type who laughs at the other two, and firmly believes that any useful handgun cartridge must start with the number "4", and preferably end with a "5". These folks extoll the virtues of the larger holes and ft/lbs of energy these cartridges deliver vs. smaller calibers. Despite their differences, there's usually something all three people can agree on: the 32 ACP just doesn't cut it.

Well, unless you're this guy. But you're not.

Though it may seem surprising, it wasn't terribly long ago that 32 caliber cartridges were considered more than adequate for many tasks, to include law enforcement. Cartridges like the .32 Smith and Wesson and 32 Colt New Police were commonly found in revolvers and gun belts of constables on patrol throughout the United States. In Europe, the .32 ACP (or the 7.65x17mm Browning, as the Euros call it) proved far more popular in small framed semi-auto pistols than any of the American revolver loads. Out of a 4" barrel, the 7.65mm produced velocities of around 950 fps with a .309, 73 grain full-metal jacketed bullet. The guns (like the PP and PPK) chambered for Browning's cartridge were generally of simple blowback construction, easy to carry, had minimal recoil, and just plain worked. The Zastava M70 is one of those guns.

A Zastava M70 pistol with accessories, as imported to the US in recent years.

We talked a little bit about Zastava in my write-up on the M48. Zastava is a Serbian company who has a history of making solid and utilitarian firearms (if not automobiles). I'm not sure what it is about the nomenclature "M70" with them, but they sure do make a lot of different guns under that model number. I'll demonstrate: are you looking to add a rugged, factory-built Kalashnikov to your safe that won't break the bank? You should check out the M70. Do you like the Tokarev pistol, but prefer 9mm Luger to 7.62x25mm? The M70 is right up your alley. Heading out for a hunting trip, and want a reliable, Mauser-pattern, controlled-feed bolt-action rifle? Never fear: Zastava has an M70 for that. And of course, if none of those options tickle your fancy, there's always the subject of this article: the Zastava M70!

Official spokeswoman for Zastava Arms.

The M70 "Little Bee", as it was (affectionately?) called by some in Serbia, is somewhere between a Walther PP and PPK in size, but besides the cartridge chambering, there are a few other similarities. The Bee is a simple blowback, single-action only affair with a magazine capacity of 8 rounds, and a barrel length of just shy of 3 3/4". It has a frame mounted safety lever, as well as a magazine "safety" disconnect that prevents firing the pistol unless you have inserted a magazine. On my postal scale it weighs in at 25.7 ounces, unloaded. Not heavy, but not exactly a lightweight, either: a modern GLOCK 19 weighs actually weight about an ounce less.

My M70 (top) vs. my PPK. The Bee weighs about 1/4 pound more, and is a bit larger in size.

The Little Bee (which is a great nickname, given the chambering and size of the pistol) has been called a "Baby Tokarev" by some, which is another decent nickname. Though the Tokarev TT-33 and the M70 use two different lockups (simple blowback vs. short recoil), one can see the influence of the former on the latter. The takedown is similar for both, with the same style rotating barrel bushing and removable slide stop, though the retaining clip for the slide stop on the TT-33 is absent on the M70. The other main similarity is the unitized firing mechanism. Like the Tok, the Little Bee's hammer and mainspring assembly is easily removed for cleaning and replacement. This is a great feature that simplifies maintenance, and it's nice to see it in a duty pistol. From what I've been able to research, this pistol was indeed intended to be used as a side arm for police in Yugoslavia.

Professional Serbian police officers, with sidearms. Wow.

Unfortunately, besides being an Easter Bloc cop gun, there's not much else I've been able to learn about this little pistol just yet. What I can tell you is that many of these guns arrived in the US in the last four years or so, and at very reasonable prices. I picked mine up in 2017 from www.aimsurplus.com, an excellent retailer with fair prices and great service (no, I am not compensated by Aimsurplus in any way for saying this). It came with two magazines, a leather holster, and a cleaning brush. The gun and mags were covered in cosmoline. This cosmo wasn't that bad, it was thinner than what I'm used to and it cleaned up easily with some mineral spirits and a GI toothbrush. Once it was cleaned up, a nearly-new pistol with only some storage and minor handling marks was revealed. The slide reads "CRVENA ZASTAVA - Cal 7.65mm Mod.70". Hmm..maybe to avoid confusion we should just call it a CZ-70, right? Oh, wait...

Hammer/mainspring mechanisms compared: Tokarev TT-33 (left), Zastava M70 (right)

When I first took my Bee to the range, it didn't sting. I'd pull the trigger, and *click*. No boom. Upon further disassembly and inspection, I found that cosmoline in the firing pin channel was gumming things up. I guess it wasn't so easy to clean up after all...I should know better by now. After a more detailed and thorough cleaning, I headed back out and it worked like a charm. The gun is very pleasant to shoot, the trigger and sights are decent for what they are, and the gun hits to point of aim. Unlike some surplus guns from the Eastern Bloc, it doesn't launch cases into the next time zone (I'm looking at you, Pistolet Makarova!), so retrieving your spent brass for reloading is relatively easy.

Pictured above: alternative uses for cosmoline in the former Eastern Bloc.

Speaking of reloading, I've learned some interesting things about the 32 ACP over the years. As I mentioned here, I reload for every caliber I shoot. Reloading for the 32 is quite economical considering the cost of factory ammo, though it's not without its challenges. Tiny cases and projectiles require dexterity to handle, and the tiny powder charges can cause real problems when 2/10ths of a grain is the difference between starting load and max loads. But those problems can be mitigated with the right equipment and attention to detail. What's not immediately apparent, however, is that not all 32 ACP brass and bullets are created equal. In the US, the 32 ACP typically uses a .311-.312 sized bullet. In Europe, .308-.309 is the rule. Why? To piss you off, that's why. Because of this, I learned that case wall thickness is also different: US cases have thinner walls whereas European cases are thicker. Where this poses a problem is when one tries to load a .311 sized bullet into a European case, or a .309 sized bullet into an American case. In the case of the former, you get a cartridge that looks like a snake that swallowed a softball, and it doesn't feed. For the latter, you don't get adequate neck tension, which causes bullet setback during feeding, and results in unsafe pressures. But wait, there's more: some European 32s just don't like factory American spec'd ammo. My Little Bee is one of those guns. Yes, reloading 32 ACP can be a pain, and I learned all these things the hard way. Long story short: shoot Euro spec 7.65x17mm ammo in your Little Bee. Sellier and Bellot (S&B), Geco, and PPU are good options, with the S&B ammo being the best in my experience. For reloading, I use European brass with Berry's .312 plated 71 grain bullets that I run through a Lee .309 sizing die and load to an COAL of 0.948". It works great!

S&B 7.65x17mm vs. my reload. The S&B is good stuff, but it's not cheap. Do the plunk test if you reload.

All in all, the M70 (not that one...no, the other one), is a well-built, fun little gun. Prices are still reasonable, though the guns are getting harder to find in nice condition, which is how it goes with all surplus guns. I see many places are out of stock altogether. The good news is that Zastava is making new ones, and offering custom services like chrome finishing and engraving, making for a very attractive piece. Considering the pistol's role and how it compares to the Walther PPK, I have to think Serbian James Bond would approve. And what's good enough for him should be good enough for you, no?

Seated, left: Popov. Duško Popov. AKA, Serbian James Bond. Yes, he was real, and was an inspiration for Fleming's 007.