Zastava M88
| Zastava M88 | |
|---|---|
Yugoslavian M88, early 1990s production | |
| Type | Pistol |
| Place of origin | Yugoslavia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Yugoslavia Serbia |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1987 |
| Manufacturer | Zastava Arms |
| Variants | M88A |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 0.85 kg (1.9 lb)[1] |
| Length | 175 mm (6.9 in)[1] |
| Barrel length | 96 mm (3.8 in)[1] |
| Width | 29 mm (1.1 in)[2] |
| Height | 130 mm (5.1 in)[1] |
| Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum[1] |
| Action | Short recoil actuated, locked breech, single action |
| Feed system | 8-round magazine[1] |
| Sights | Iron[1] |
The Zastava M88 is a Yugoslavian and Serbian semi-automatic pistol produced by Zastava Arms.[1] It is a compact derivative of the Zastava M57, which was itself an unlicensed variant of the TT pistol.[3]
History
The M88 was developed to replace the M57, then the standard side arm of the Yugoslavian military and law enforcement agencies, in 1987.[4] The Yugoslavian government charged Zastava with designing a derivative of the M57 chambered for 9×19mm Parabellum that was easier to conceal, more ergonomic, and more suitable for self-defense.[5] In response, Zastava engineers essentially scaled down the M57 design, incorporating an identical but shorter slide and barrel into the new pistol.[6] The M88 was also designed with a proprietary 8-round magazine with a unique flared base; this was supposed to make the magazine easier to change quickly.[1] The decision to move to the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge from the 7.62×25mm Tokarev chambering of the M57 was also significant, and was partly motivated by export prospects.[2] Zastava had already produced an M57 variant known as the M70A, chambered for the 9x19mm cartridge, for foreign commercial sales.[7][3] Streamlining production on a single 9x19mm pistol for both domestic and export contracts was seen as cost-effective, and a major factor in creating the economy of scale necessary to make M88 production profitable for the Yugoslavian state.[2] Serial production of the M88 for Yugoslavian military and police orders commenced in 1988, but was canceled in 1991 due to the country's ongoing civil wars.[5]
The M88 had an extremely short service life with the Yugoslavian (and later Serbian) military and police.[4] After the end of the Yugoslav Wars, it was replaced in Serbian service by the Zastava CZ99.[4] By the 2000s, Zastava had resumed limited production of the M88 for the commercial export market, marketing the weapon primarily to civilians in North America and Europe for self-defense and sport shooting purposes.[8][4]
Features
The M88 has a shorter 3.5 inch barrel and a different hammer position than the M57.[8] The earliest examples manufactured for the Yugoslavian state contract featured no external safety.[5] During the early 1990s, Zastava also began producing a slightly modified M88 with an external safety on the slide; this received the designation M88A.[5]
Former users
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Zastava Arms: Hunting and Sporting Firearms" (PDF). Kragujevac, Serbia: Zastava Arms. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ^ a b c Kashtanov, Vladislav (2015). Самозарядные пистолеты. Moscow: Litagent Publishers. pp. 957–958. ISBN 978-5457835177.
- ^ a b Sof, Eric (7 January 2023). "Zastava M57: The Yugoslavian-Made Clone of the Legendary Soviet TT-33 Pistol". Spec Ops Magazine. Dover. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Slowik, Max (2 December 2001). "Bargain Hunting: the Zastava M88". Burnsville, Minnesota, United States: Guns.com LLC. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "ORUŽJE IZ ZBIRKE MUZEJA POLICIJE" (PDF). Zagreb, Croatia: Police Museum of Croatia (Muzej Policije). 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ^ Popenker, Maxim (2014). "Tokarev's Empire" (PDF). Gun Buyer's Annual. Davie, Florida, United States: Tactical Life LLC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ^ Borisenko, Adam (28 May 2021). "Zastava M57 and M70A: The Yugoslavian Tokarevs". The Gun Digest. Appleton, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b "ZASTAVA ARMS Kragujevac | M88A". Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
External links