Zastava M70A Tokarev Type Semi-Auto Pistol, Cal. 9x19 - G/VG

Customer Reviews

Good durable carry and emergency gun
Review by mike on 5/2/2015

Ballin’ on a budget? This is always in my top 5 handguns for convenience, prepping, carry, plinking, etc… the Zastava made TT clone or M70A (9mm variant) eats all types of ammo with no issues. I did feel like there was a “break-in” period initially, but TLC and time helped. I picked this one up; came with a Yugo clean kit, custom hardshell case and 2 mags in/around the ballpark of 200 bucks. I bought additional magazines for like 16 dollars around the Internet. A great gun with a great history, these were widly used (and still used in Pakistan, Egypt and amongst militia/police forces in the eastern hemisphere) - this legendary pistol bridged the sidearm to the more contemporary Makarov.

For fixed sights I was impressed at how spot-on the shots were. With my remaining magazine I was able to make eyes, nose and a smile on my target with ease (and I am by no means a good shot in the least). And I know it is not just me liking a vintage Soviet budget buy… the NRA’s American Rifleman came out with an article on the TT33 and its variants a few months back…. so boo-ya

Perfect cache/BOB pistol...
Review by Uniform Tango 74 on 3/10/2015

For the price, you can't beat this pistol. It's the perfect cache or bug out bag sidearm due to it's a common caliber chamber as well as the simple, effective and robust design.
Sights are clearly not the best, but If you can work standard AK sights, then it's not an issue. Sights are windage adjustable only.
The slide located safety lever is not in the most favorable location and one has to be mindful when racking the slide not to inadvertently flip the lever to safe. Again, a training issue. No biggie. The safety lever not only blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin but also disengages the trigger. Awesome!
Some may not care or care about the next feature of this handgun, the magazine safety feature. It's easy to disengage, but if I remember correctly, it will void the warranty on the pistol. I left mine intact just for that reason. The magazine safety feature also gets in the way of your magazines from dropping freely. Here is the link to the vid on where the mag safety feature is located and now to remove it. Purely an instructional video. Perform at your own risk....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8zZTRac8S8

Some people complain about the trigger pull on this particular pistol but I don't have an issue with it. The design clearly sets that expectation, but if you want to lighten up the trigger it's a very simple process and does not require one to remove any part of the gun. Merely a light buffing on several contact surfaces and you can easily take a pound off the trigger. Here's the link to my vid on this process....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8zZTRac8S8

I would totally recommend this pistol to a person on a serious budget and needs some personal protection or someone looking for a very affordable and fun range gun that everyone can enjoy.

Great gun for the money
Review by Aleksey on 2/4/2015

Very good Tokarev variant. Heavy trigger pull, but accurate. If one is looking for a reliable shooter that spits out 9x19, that is the gun.

Good Gun
Review by Jeffrey on 12/27/2014

A nice little gun for the money. You can't go wrong going with Classic on this one.

Pretty good
Review by Christopher on 12/7/2017

I am just starting my journey into surplus/imported firearms. I was really excited about this because it is based on the JMB 1903 design. Overall I am very happy with my purchase. Only thing is the lack of availability for spare magazines. It only comes with one, and classic firearms does not have spares for sale. I have been hard pressed to find them anyware.

Mort

Beautiful surplus firearm
Review by alexander on 11/25/2017

So, to start off I ordered the hand select and chrome options, it only took a week to get here! I opened the 7 layers of packing to reveal a beautiful chrome masterpiece. I absolutely love it the chrome is 99%(it's surplus there's going to be dings) the tokie had the weight I was looking for too. As for range time the trigger reset is the best of any surplus hangun I have ever fired and it is suprisingly accurate. 180 rounds later and it won't my wife's heart too. The only downside it's the lack of magazines as it only came with one. A+++

Excellent!
Review by Eric on 11/18/2017

First time ordering a firearm from classic. After seeing the first video with the chrome pistols in the crates I knew I had to have one of them. Ordered minutes after getting the email notification that they were listed. Pistol is in excellent condition with almost no wear or scratches anywhere on it and I didn't even pay for hand select. Very fun gun for the range, unfortunately extra mags are seemingly impossible to find. Wonderful addition to my collection.

Special “Tok “
Review by Phil on 11/16/2017

Nice pistol, unique as well as I chose one with the chrome slide and brushed chrome frame. Put about 100 rounds through it and it ran flawlessly. I might buy another blues pistol as you can’t beat for the money.

So. So. But still fun.
Review by Brandon on 11/11/2017

Paid for hand select. Think I might have got worst of 10 not best based on good looking guns in video. No jams after lots and lots of rounds but accuracy sucks. Still fun to shoot.

Fine Pistol but Wrong Mag
Review by Anon on 11/8/2017

As a repeat buyer of military surplus, I have no illusions about everything going perfectly. I ordered just a standard, non hand-select M70A and I'm almost entirely satisfied with the purchase. The pistol has seen some obvious wear but everything operates relatively smoothly and the rifling is still in good condition. The only problem I have is that it seems that the magazine for a M88A was shoved into mine. Certainly didn't do any damage to the pistol but since it's an 8-rounder instead of a 9-rounder it wont function in this gun.

I'm sure this is just how it comes to Classic so I lay no blame on them, just wanted to relay my experience so that people know they may not get the right magazine. I honestly dont even feel like returning the magazine for an exchange because I like the design of the floorplate, just hoping Classic puts some proper M70A magazines up for sale so I can slap the floorplate on a proper 9-rounder.

Interesting combination
Review by Peter on 11/8/2017

Received my m70a from my FFL dealer. Classic needs to improve packing. You could at least use a cheap plain white cardboard box instead of a zip-lock bag and some shredded cardboard!
The gun itself looks good for surplus. Very little rust freckleing. No holster wear noted.
The interesting part is this. No slide safety! Mine has what looks to be m57a frame assembly with a frame mounted 1911 style safety. Slide clearly stamped m70a. All numbers matching.
Extra mag would be nice.
Not yet fired but confident it will go bang.
At this point overall satisfied, except my earlier beef about packing.

Great pistol
Review by JARED on 11/7/2017

I really enjoy collecting com-block firearms, and this is the first of their handguns in my collection. Even though its a bit rough (fully expected), its still a pleasure to shoot. One difference with mine from other reviews, is mind did not come with the slide mounted safety. Mine has a frame safety in a similar position to the 1911 and was fairly obviously added later. Crude though the frame safety is, it does work, and work well.

Dang fine pistol
Review by Leslie on 1/16/2017

Wonderful pistol. recoil very tame compared to composite pistol. latest one better machined on inside then last one I got four years ago. Mags still don't drop free. but do smoothly release and drop a bit for hand pull out. That's much better than before. fit very comfortable to hand. could shoot this all day. takes any type of ammo. indestructible. love it. just wish it's fixed sights were adjustable.

Old School Bargain Beauty
Review by Alvin on 12/11/2016

Bought this gun two years ago and since have not stopped thanking myself of doing so.
This sturdy gun does not cease to amaze me on its solid construction and non par performance for the price I paid for it.
It is an all steel construction, with a design very similar to John Browning's blowback operated FN Model 1903 semiautomatic pistol, and internally using a Browning's short recoil tilting-barrel system from the M1911 pistol, is very slim and its exterior is nicely done. Of course due to the price the it interior is a little coarse and its trigger action its a little grungy but it can be improved with instructions found in you tube.
It is not a super capacity gun like the modern “plasticoid” wonder nines but for paying around $200.00 I am most happy with its 9 round capacity.
It is very easy to dissemble it to clean and lubricate it. It is not a match gun but it has a very reasonable accuracy as it is shown in various YouTube videos. There are many types of grips on the market if you want to replace the originals which in my opinion are not comfortable.
I should not forget to mention that this pistol does not know the word finicky and it will digest anything you feed it with. All kind of brass, aluminum, steel cases FMJ rounds will work perfectly with this pistol.
It even has a dedicated Facebook enthusiasts group to support its use and enjoyment.
So for around $200.00, this great gun from the Serbian military arms manufacturer, Zastava, it’s definitely an old school bargain beauty!

Old school bargain beauty
Review by Alvin on 12/11/2016

Bought this gun two years ago and since have not stopped thanking myself of doing so.
This sturdy gun does not cease to amaze me on its solid construction and non par performance for the price I paid for it.
It is an all steel construction, with a design very similar to John Browning's blowback operated FN Model 1903 semiautomatic pistol, and internally using a Browning's short recoil tilting-barrel system from the M1911 pistol, is very slim and its exterior is nicely done. Of course due to the price the it interior is a little coarse and its trigger action its a little grungy but it can be improved with instructions found in you tube.
It is not a super capacity gun like the modern “plasticoid” wonder nines but for paying around $200.00 I am most happy with its 9 round capacity.
It is very easy to dissemble it to clean and lubricate it. It is not a match gun but it has a very reasonable accuracy as it is shown in various YouTube videos. There are many types of grips on the market if you want to replace the originals which in my opinion are not comfortable.
I should not forget to mention that this pistol does not know the word finicky and it will digest anything you feed it with. All kind of brass, aluminum, steel cases FMJ rounds will work perfectly with this pistol.
It even has a dedicated Facebook enthusiasts group to support its use and enjoyment.
So for around $200.00, this great gun from the Serbian military arms manufacturer, Zastava, it’s definitely an old school bargain beauty!

A Great Buy!
Review by OldGunMan on 1/20/2015

This is a great value as offered by Classic. Nicely finished version of an iconic firearm and it includes a nice storage case. It may not be perfect, but what it doesn't have, I don't need.

Impressed with the Quailty 4 Value
Review by James on 1/15/2015

Overall a good quality pistol for the price. Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but once I do I expect I want have any issues. Once I get a chance to shoot it I will post a follow.

great product functions flawlessly
Review by Harry on 12/6/2014

Out the box it needed a little oil, on range day no jams or any malfunctions, great pistol for the price

A little work needed but for the money...
Review by Jeffrey on 10/6/2014

Always wanted a tokarev but could never find the ammo cheap enough or at all around me. When I saw this 9mm type had to buy it and Classic was by far the best for overall price and service. With this said some of the negatives I have noticed are it is a bit rough when it comes to the machine work but after reading the other reviews knew that was going to be. The other problem is the mags - the release doesn't work very well and had to still pull them out when changing. Again ways to fix this or make it smoother. The only real issues I had was that the slide release pin lock keeps coming loose and the pin falls out. The only other issue was that out of the 100 rounds I put in it I had 8 FTE with one getting stuck in the chamber and I had to fully take down the gun to clear it. It is a new production so this might be an issue until I can break it in more. With all the bad stuff said the best stuff about this gun was the $225 price tag and that it shoots like a champ getting nice groups at 15 and 25 feet no problem. After fixing the little stuff I think this will be a nice range / truck gun for the price.

Zastava M70A 9x18
Review by Bernard on 10/6/2014

I purchased a Tokarev 762x25 and fell in love with it. I had to do a little work on it but it was very interesting to work on.I was looking for a small 9mm to carry so why not get this one.

I like it a lot, but I'm wierd!~)
Review by JJE007 on 9/25/2014

I got what I expected...a trusted, battle ready design that was inexpensive and good to go. It is a bit difficult to pull back the slide but pulling the hammer back with my right hand thumb and yanking the slide back with the left hand works fine for me. I did also polish the slide rails a bit. I also immediately bought a couple of spare mags and think that Clas'c Arms should sell them or offer a package with more mags. The finish is gorgeous but does not stand up to a ham-handed cuss, such as myself. I am QUITE happy with my purchase, as it replaces (with style) the bedside 9mm S&W that my sister cajoled me into "lending' her.

overall: great gun
Review by Mike on 7/11/2014

Purchased this one not too long ago and was pleased. My only real complaint is the fixed sights, but I was plinking everything from 25 and 50 meters with an average 3.5" shot group on paper further out.

Excellent for the price. Came with 2 mags, cleaning brush and customized hardshell case. The gun itself is built like a tank. There is definitely a "break-in" period for it.

The ergonomics are incredible. I have big hands so I am very picky about this. The trigger pull is a crisp 8.5 poinds, but I kinda like it that way.

Easy field strip, easy functioning, great price... This makes an excellent first handgun to beginners, a fun shoot for the intermediate and a neat conversation piece for all others as it is, not military surplus, but a clone of the 7.62x25 Tokarev that the Soviets have used since the 1940's and variants are still used around the world today.

Follow-On about Magazines
Review by Tedd on 6/23/2014

My M70A came with one magazine that was very difficult to remove. The width at the rear base was 5-7 mils wider than at the top near the feed lips. I used a vise to gently squeeze the walls of the magazine at the rear 90 degree corners near the base while checking the fit in the magazine well. Worked so well I did the other mag. Both extract easily now.

Pretty Good
Review by Ben on 6/21/2014

Just got it today and im loving it already. Nice smooth action and 2 MAGS right out of the box. Only problem I have so far is that the rear sight looks like painted brass and not steel, but hay 250 for a 9mm tt33. Sold all day.

Just right, just enough
Review by Derf on 5/27/2014

You want a handgun that will save your life ? Buy the m70 . You want to have some bling to look cool get something else. The m70 was built for war. And not made by the lowest bidder.

Zastava M70a
Review by Douglas on 5/19/2014

I picked this pistol up and the blues finish was nice. There was a good bit of grit and rough machining marks upon inspection. The mags seem to be a problem as far as obtaining spares. I have 500 rounds (fmj,jhp,wadcutter, etc...) no malfunctions of any kind. 2 day free shipping, thanks Classic!

Great pistol for the money
Review by Anthony on 3/19/2014

I got great service and fast delivery even in the worst winter snow storms in the northeast.I received the pistol from my FFl agent and was surprised at the fit and finish of the pistols exterior. The internals were a little rough not finished like US pistol but that was to be expected. I work at a range and put the gun though a battery of tests. It shot every thing from 115gr to 147gr hardball and hollow points standard and +p and not one problem. Great pistol for the money,I m glad it came out in 9mm. Thanks again Classic Arms ,always comes though with availability and great service and prices.

9mm + Tokarev = Fantastic Range Day
Review by Lucas on 3/19/2014

This was my first purchase from Classic and I am very pleased by the transaction. Shipping and packaging were outstanding. The pistol arrived with all advertised accessories and in a plastic case that other companies do not offer.

I was pleased with the fit and finish. For the price I was unsure what to expect. This is essentially a new surplus firearm, my favorite kind of gun to blast with at the range or take on camping trips. The crown of the barrel had a slight mark on it but it doesn't seem to effect the accuracy. The gun disassembles remarkably easy.

When I took the gun to the range it functioned perfectly but I will advise that you need to wear a hat and eye protection when you shoot this. It ejects the empty cases straight back and I had some pretty awesome black smudges on my forehead after four magazines of shooting. Accuracy was acceptable. It grouped well at 25 yards but seemed to drop all of the rounds about 6 inches low. This is something I can probably fix or I'll try different ammunition. I was using 115gr Federal.

I took off one star since the gun loves to pelt me in the forehead with empty cases. Also the gun comes with two magazines and replacement/spare magazines are either ridiculously priced ($50 on gunbroker) or non-existent. If you want a Tokarev that shoots ammo you can find at any shop, this is an easy gun to "add to cart".

Nice for the price!
Review by Stanley on 3/6/2014

Fit and finish on the Zastava M70-A were a pleasant surprise. Outside looks and feels great. Inside is a little rough, as in, if you like cleaning your pistol with a Q-tip, be prepared to dig out all the little cotton fibers it snags. Fairly quick remedy with some 1500 grit paper on the inside of the frame and mag well. It came heavily oiled but disassembled quickly and cleaned all that out. Then re-lubed and took it to the range. Function tested perfectly and swallowed everything I fed it. Out of the box POI was 8 inch low and 4 inch right. The 6 inch sight radius makes it easy to calculate adjustments. Adjusted .040 for windage and ground .080 off the front sight and is now printing inside a 3 inch black at 50 feet. Slide release worked stiffer with one of the mags and discovered this was due to a burr on the follower. The other mag had minor catch and release issues which was found to be a burr in the slot on the mag tube. Also found a sharp spot on the slide serrations by the safety cut-out that would catch my gloves. These all polished off well with a Dremel. Spent a little more time dehorning and deburring and am now very happy with it.

Overall I am very pleased with this purchase. The gun has a solid feel. With the single stack magazine it is slim but comfortable. It function tested perfectly with all ammo types. It is as accurate as I can be with a pistol. It "ain't no" Sig but then it didn't cost $1,000 either. Be prepared to put a little TLC into it to make it your own. I can easily see this becoming my "go to" piece.

Impressive for the Price
Review by Tedd on 3/4/2014

First, CF customer service responded well when I called and explained shipment was weather delayed. M70A is becoming a favorite. After first magazine, no feed, fire, or ejection failures thru 200 rds. Consistently hits point of aim about 4" low at 25'. Breakdown and cleaning easy. Fits my medium sized hands well - feels like a 1911 on a diet. Surprised at short trigger travel and crisp break. Fit, finish, design, and performance better than price would lead you to believe.

great gun
Review by Dave on 2/21/2014

I have not had a chance to shoot this pistol yet,but finish is great. Clips drop out fine. Do not fall completely out, but drop enough to easily pull out. Will update after I get a chance to shoot

Cool pistol
Review by ZE on 2/9/2014

This is a really good looking and good feeling pistol. It came very clean with a little heavy oil here and there but my initial cleaning was very easy. I love the way it feels - heavy steel gun, comfortable feel in the hand and mechanically sound. I'm going to get the M88A compact version too as soon as it comes in stock. For an extra cool 9mm pistol for $250 you cant go wrong.

Great buy, sorry I used the other guy
Review by Nick on 1/27/2014

I purchased one of these firearms from another well known retailer online... I wont name any names, and I also will never order from anyone but Classic Firearms again. The only reason I ordered from another company was that Classic was out of stock at the time. Classic Firearm's shipping of several Mosins and pistols I have ordered previously was easily 4 times faster than with the other site. I decided to do a review on here anyways because I really like this company, and enjoy the products they sell. I would absolutely buy them all if I could. Anyways a short review of my Zastava- So far I have put 250 rounds of brass, steel, and hollow points (hornaday) through it. My particular pistol is accurate and shoots point of aim out to about 30 feet. Past that distance it shoots low and left, although it could be the slightly unusual grip angle. The only issue I have had with the pistol is that with one of the magazines, the first round would not chamber all the way every time. I put the two mags side by side and saw that on of the followers was bent in a different manner than the other, a little work with pliers fixed the issue. The weapon itself is quite nice looking externally, machining looked just fine to me on the inside. The Zastava feels good in the hand, it is very slim. The manual safety works just fine and blocks the firing pin when it is fully engaged. The trigger is not bad at all, mine was comparable to a GI 1911 trigger, only slightly heavier. I do not hesitate to carry this weapon concealed, as it conceals fairly well. Recoil is minimal, it is reliable, this weapon has a cool story (with its Tokarev relatives), it is sturdy. I would be hard pressed to find a more solid pistol for this price. My only concern is that hopefully century will be able to obtain spare magazines for this thing soon. I am fairly certain they will, and when they do I will be buying my fare share from Classic Firearms.
I definitely recommend this pistol; it is very enjoyable to shoot and does its job well.

great pistol and not just because it is inexpensive
Review by Dooby on 8/16/2013

I have had my M70A for about three months now. As of today I have put 1000 rounds through it with zero malfunctions of any kind. For the first 100 rounds, the trigger was so stiff I sometimes wondered if I had left the safety on! It was stiff! Then I did a "bubba trigger job" on it by pressing forward on the hammer while pulling the trigger. Smoothed up very well. As of today, I removed the hammer/sear assembly and carefully polished the sear. I now have a 5 pound trigger with just the slightest nuance of the two-stage trigger effect remaining. I could certainly get the trigger lighter, but this is perfectly adequate in a self defense pistol imho, and it actually feels lighter than that. There is now almost no overtravel as well. Total time, 20 minutes with 2000 grit sandpaper. I have spent hundreds of dollars more on pistols that have been nowhere near as reliable. I have shot 60 grain bullets, hardball, and hollow points. All have fed perfectly by this fine pistol. I am actively looking for another one. Get one while you can!

review does not stick??
Review by Reinhard on 4/4/2013

You can't go wrong by purchasing this gun for that price. Sure, it is a little rough around the edges. I had to polish the feed ramp , adjust the sights and fill a small gap between the grip and the frame since the grip panel was a bit shaky. The gun conceals pretty well since it is very flat. I have no problem, carrying that gun in condition 2 (cocked and locked with a round in the chamber) since the safety is not one of those "after the fact" kind of things. The safety blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin, when engaged and can be disengaged very smoothly during draw. It takes getting used to it though, since it works in the opposite direction compared to other guns.
Unfortunately I was not able to get any spare magazines so far. It comes with 2 but I would like to have at least 2 more.
Anyway not a bad shooter, handled +p+ loads pretty well, without falling apart.

not bad
Review by Reinhard on 4/4/2013

You can't go wrong by purchasing this gun for that price. Sure, it is a little rough around the edges. I had to polish the feed ramp , adjust the sights and fill a small gap between the grip and the frame since the grip panel was a bit shaky. The gun conceals pretty well since it is very flat. I have no problem, carrying that gun in condition 2 (cocked and locked with a round in the chamber) since the safety is not one of those "after the fact" kind of things. The safety blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin, when engaged and can be disengaged very smoothly during draw. It takes getting used to it though, since it works in the opposite direction compared to other guns.
Unfortunately I was not able to get any spare magazines so far. It comes with 2 but I would like to have at least 2 more.
Anyway not a bad shooter, handled +p+ loads pretty well, without falling apart.

Good all around pistol
Review by Anthony on 3/18/2013

Purchased handgun during the eating frenzy. Classic Arms shipped in good time. Shoots very well with no jams or problems. Fits great in your hand and has a good feel. Only issue is the sights are off. Classic Arms is GREAT to do business with. Just bought another gun from them and the prices are great.

Almost Perfect Out of the Box
Review by Steve on 2/14/2013

First of all, I want to thank Classic for providing such fine service. Ive purchased 9 guns from them and each transaction has been a delight. The gun...on first impressions I was a little surprised with how rough "raw" the pistol looked and felt. But because it was not a very expensive gun, I was brave enough to do some of my own fluff and buff with sand paper and stones. What started as an ugly duckling is now my favorite swan. Took a bit of work to smooth out all the important surfaces (and even some of the non-important ones too), but the result is extremely rewarding. I love the simplicity of the design and the way it feels in the hand when making bang noises. The single stack mag makes the gun nice and slim. The gun is accurate and just darn fun to shoot. Glad that Zastava is producing a Tokarev chambered in 9mm Luger.

Nice pistol!
Review by Dan on 2/2/2013

Just received my M70A from the Classic team. My third purchase from them and I,m never disappointed. The gun is first rate quality, was packed well, and the shipping was quick for the volume that Classic has going right now. The guys at the local gun shop thought the gun was nice. Thanks Classic for the great products and customer service!