CZ M88 COMPACT 9MM

I haven't owned an M88A, but I've had the M70 made in the same factory. The M88a is just a cut down version of the M70, and both are based on the Tokarev.

Are you getting this for a good deal? A couple of years ago, brand new Zastava M88As were selling for less than $200. I just looked at Gunbroker, and used ones were selling for way more...anywhere from $240 to $290. It looks like a batch just came in from the Balkans where they were police guns. I don't consider $240 to $290 a good deal for that gun by any stretch.

For the money, I would recommend a Star BM. They, like the M88A, are single action 9mm, and are about the same size. Both are hard to get parts for because the Star is long out of production, and the M88A is from Eastern Europe and, while still (maybe) produced, even things like magazines are hard to get.

If you just want something fun and inexpensive, the M88A or Star BM is okay. If you are looking for a decent carry gun in 9mm, there are far better choices out there among modern designs. I know I may sound like some boring old guy who rains on your parade, but I am a boring old guy, and this is my best advice based on my opinion having owned both a Zastava 9mm and a Star BM.

Thanks. Glad I could be some help. I really love the imported milsurps, and have been eyeballing a couple lately. The recently imported batch of Beretta 81s caught my eye, but they are .32acp and I didn't want to get into yet another caliber. I certainly wish I hadn't sold off my Star BM. That was a cool little piece and shot great.

I got to looking on the big auction site at some of the trade-in M88s that recently arrived in the US. I saw a few for less than $230 that looked okay to me. After shipping and FFL transfer, it would be somewhere around $300. A couple observations: In this current atmosphere of panic buying, that isn't horrible. It's not a smoking deal, but not horrible. Second, these things probably aren't gonna get any cheaper than they are now. I actually like the trade-ins vs the new ones that Century Arms used to import. The trade-ins have wood grips and more character, and any glitches they may have had when new have been fixed by the armory long ago.

I just got done with a similar issue of either buying a milsurp, or a modern, brand new pistol. From watching the trends, I decided that the modern piece I was considering was a great deal and snapped it up. Online vendors were raising the prices and the guns were selling out all over the place. My price was more than $100 cheaper than some I had seen online, so it was a deal I couldn't pass up. In any case, good luck and happy hunting!
-lc

I love that little gun. Fits nicely in the hand and has a good weight to it. I actually traded one for a Glock 26 straight up one time. I bought another after that. I think i paid about $190 for that second one a few years ago. Sights are very simple.

Here is the pic:

I have a recently purchased Zastava m70a I bought new. My old eyes have trouble finding that tiny front sight; for those unfamiliar with the Zastava or Tokarevs, it’s like an old
Hi-Power front sight that even ants have to squint at. So to help (I hope) to see the sight a bit better, I am trying an experiment (just go ahead and chuckle now and get it all out, lol). As in the pics, I took a tired washed out fiber optic replacement tube, and shaved the end off. I then super-glued it carefully onto the front of my sight. I grabbed the brightest nail polish my wife had (yeah, it was pink; hey don’t judge me, I lead a normal life!) and carefully dabbed a bit onto it.
Viola! Poor man’s Big Dot! We’ll see if it lasts; but it definitely helps.

I like the m88a I have. Great inexpensive gun, they aren't as cheap nowdays.

Mine shoots pretty low, I need to file the sight

merwin: You might also consider the S&W 3913. Spare parts should not be scarce. "Completed Auctions" $420- 550 (+), recently, for some very nice examples on GB.
I have the larger, heavier, double-stack S&W 5906. Extremely reliable and rugged.

I can provide links to a very detailed chart for the various 59 series ("1st-3rd. Gen...."), if you are curious.

For $240-290 you can get a Ruger SR9C,new if you shop around.