The Zastava M70, formerly designated CZ M70 (Crvena Zastava Model 1970) is

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...

produced by

Zastava Arms Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 when it cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firear ...

as a sidearm for Yugoslav police and certain military officers. The pistol was loosely based on the

Zastava M57 The Zastava M57 pistol was the standard sidearm of the Yugoslav Army from 1957 to the country's collapse, produced by Zastava Arms. A licensed copy of the Soviet TT pistol, it is a single-action semi-automatic pistol chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokar ...

, but is scaled down to accept the smaller and less powerful 7,65mm Browning (

.32 ACP .32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...

) or 9mm Kratak (

.380 ACP The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...

Design details

The M70 is a simple-blowback operated, single-action, pistol. This model differs most significantly from the

locked-breech Locked breech is the design of a breech-reloading firearm's action. This is important in understanding how a self-reloading firearm works. In the simplest terms, the locked breech is one way to slow down the opening of the breech of a self-reloadi ...

M57 by employing simple blowback, as this method is suitable for less powerful ammunition. Other differences from the parent M57 are found in the safety mechanisms, with both a manual safety lever and a magazine disconnect being present. The manual safety lever is located on the left side of the frame, above the grip panel, and flips forward to fire and back to engage the safety. Owing to its Tokarev design lineage, the pistol is easy to dissemble and the hammer assembly is removable as one piece. The sights are fixed, with the rear sight being drift-adjustable for

windage Windage is a term used in aerodynamics, firearms ballistics, and automobiles. Usage Aerodynamics Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object. Windage loss is the reduction in e ...

Users

For many years these pistols were used by Yugoslavian police and military. Today many of these pistols are sold worldwide as surplus and are popular among civilians in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

, sometimes referred as "Pčelica" (little bee), as well as backup guns for

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

References

External links

* http://www.zastava-arms.rs/en/civilianproduct/pistol-m70 * http://www.zastava-arms.rs/sites/default/files/m70_standard.png {{Zastava firearms Semi-automatic pistols of Yugoslavia Semi-automatic pistols of Serbia Zastava Arms .32 ACP semi-automatic pistols .380 ACP semi-automatic pistols TT platform Police weapons

Design details

Users

See also

References

External links