[IowaShooter]

Was raining and 42 degrees at the outdoor range today (but we have covered and lighted bays)

shot standing at 10yds, one-handed bullseye style

I took three new-to-me but ’older’ guns I had recently acquired

Left to right

- Llama XV .22 made in Spain in 1955

- MAB Echasa GZ .32 ACP made in Spain circa 1962

- CZ M70 (Crvena Zastava Model 1970) .32ACP ”Zastava M70” Made in Yugoslavia (unsure when)

observations

M70 (first time out with this gun)

• the only one that functioned well was the M70… no malfunctions whatsoever and I put about 50 rounds of PMC ball ammo through it. The trigger is heavy but the trigger shoe the previous owner put on it helped tremendously with perceived pull weight and the ability to keep sights aligned while pressing trigger.
• I will keep this gun and shoot it often
• I can reach and use the thumb safety easily
• the beaver tail is adequate to protect my hand from hammer bite
• sight picture isn’t bad… the previous owner applied bright white paint on it… which helped

The Llama (first time out with this gun)

• huge disappointment
• I wanted my one and only birth-year gun to function well… it didn’t
• about 8 out of ten times I pulled the trigger I got a light strike (no ignition on the .22 cartridge… but it was dented)
• when I recocked the hammer manually… only about 1/2 would subsequently ignite and fire on the second (or third) strike
• guess I‘ll research… see if I can buy some parts (firing pin? springs?) and see if I can fix
• wish me luck… in the diagnosis, finding parts, and installing… I’m not a gunsmith (but I did stay in a holiday inn once)
• if I do get this working… I’ll put some of my fluorescent front sight tape on it
• I’ll keep you posted and maybe y’all will have a chance to buy a box of unassembled gun parts if I can’t get the thing back together once I attempt a repair!

the MAB (second time out)

• the trigger is awesome… nice crisp SA only measures 3.5-3.75 on my wheeler guage
• I put a new recoil spring in it and it helped the action… previous spring seemed to be binding
• this blowback, fixed barrel gun has a manual safety I can’t reach with my thumb. (Near trigger guard)
• I get at least one failure to eject per mag… even with this new spring… same as before the spring… (maybe I’m limp-wristing it due to my two finger grip) but I don’t have that problem with several other small guns I own
• anywho… going to sell this… I’ve decided life it too short to have a gun that frustrates me while at the range

the M70 is quite accurate…
here‘s a sample target, one-handed at 10 yds
i did try a few rounds on a rest… (pic not shown) and it shot at point of aim… easy to keep in small group of 2-3” I’d say
good enough for this little short barreled gun

 

[IowaShooter]

For the Llama XV .22lr

Here’s the old firing pin and the new one I ordered… old one seems to be beat down on the cartridge end

i think new one will help … will know if a few days

 

[IowaShooter]

Well the firing pin came in today… apparently I ordered the wrong one (there are several derivations for the llama .22lr)

talked to the seller… (an independent guy who machines the firing pins) he was helpful and is sending me another one

 

[Oldoutlaw]

Was raining and 42 degrees at the outdoor range today (but we have covered and lighted bays)

shot standing at 10yds, one-handed bullseye style

I took three new-to-me but ’older’ guns I had recently acquired

Left to right

- Llama XV .22 made in Spain in 1955

- MAB Echasa GZ .32 ACP made in Spain circa 1962

- CZ M70 (Crvena Zastava Model 1970) .32ACP ”Zastava M70” Made in Yugoslavia (unsure when)

View attachment 149054
View attachment 149055

observations

M70 (first time out with this gun)

• the only one that functioned well was the M70… no malfunctions whatsoever and I put about 50 rounds of PMC ball ammo through it. The trigger is heavy but the trigger shoe the previous owner put on it helped tremendously with perceived pull weight and the ability to keep sights aligned while pressing trigger.
• I will keep this gun and shoot it often
• I can reach and use the thumb safety easily
• the beaver tail is adequate to protect my hand from hammer bite
• sight picture isn’t bad… the previous owner applied bright white paint on it… which helped

The Llama (first time out with this gun)

• huge disappointment
• I wanted my one and only birth-year gun to function well… it didn’t
• about 8 out of ten times I pulled the trigger I got a light strike (no ignition on the .22 cartridge… but it was dented)
• when I recocked the hammer manually… only about 1/2 would subsequently ignite and fire on the second (or third) strike
• guess I‘ll research… see if I can buy some parts (firing pin? springs?) and see if I can fix
• wish me luck… in the diagnosis, finding parts, and installing… I’m not a gunsmith (but I did stay in a holiday inn once)
• if I do get this working… I’ll put some of my fluorescent front sight tape on it
• I’ll keep you posted and maybe y’all will have a chance to buy a box of unassembled gun parts if I can’t get the thing back together once I attempt a repair!

the MAB (second time out)

• the trigger is awesome… nice crisp SA only measures 3.5-3.75 on my wheeler guage
• I put a new recoil spring in it and it helped the action… previous spring seemed to be binding
• this blowback, fixed barrel gun has a manual safety I can’t reach with my thumb. (Near trigger guard)
• I get at least one failure to eject per mag… even with this new spring… same as before the spring… (maybe I’m limp-wristing it due to my two finger grip) but I don’t have that problem with several other small guns I own
• anywho… going to sell this… I’ve decided life it too short to have a gun that frustrates me while at the range

the M70 is quite accurate…
here‘s a sample target, one-handed at 10 yds
i did try a few rounds on a rest… (pic not shown) and it shot at point of aim… easy to keep in small group of 2-3” I’d say
good enough for this little short barreled gun


View attachment 149057

As far as I know, the M 70 is still made for sales in Europe. Very well made pistols.