I Can See Clearly Now
It wasn’t so much the M88 was bad as it is the Glock 17 is so good. A couple months back, I swapped with a buddy at the range. He put nine rounds through my little Zastava. I put 17 through his Glock. He said my trigger was atrocious and recommended replacement. I hit steel at 35 yards 15 times in a row without corrective lenses. I started shopping Glock 17s immediately.
A Good Run
I never really felt like I needed a firearm while living in Phoenix, but my brother wanted me to take a pistol with me before I moved away. He hooked me up with a Serbian police surplus Zastava M88A 9mm. It’s unremarkable beyond me telling you it’s basically a cheap, compact 1911 clone imported through Florida.
It was a snappy little gun, though, and I consistently struggled to hit anything with it the entire time I owned it. It was narrow in my hand, meaning I tended to pull the trigger sideways. And I’ll be damned if I wasn’t surprised by the shot every time. To the point I didn’t really enjoy shooting it.
The Best Pistol Shooting I’ve Ever Done
I wasn’t planning on shooting that day (thus my lack of contact lenses), but we were there, and he knew I wanted to compare pistols before we left. It took me three shots to find the steel target hanging 35 yards back in the woods, and the next 14 rounds followed without fail. It was the best pistol shooting I’ve ever done.
I started researching Glock 17 prices on Guns.com and found their Sell Your Gun page. Turned out it was pretty easy, and between what they offered me for the old M88A and a $25, first purchase discount, I basically got a lightly used, US police trade-in Glock 17 Gen 4, with three magazines, original sights, paperwork, and box, for a hair over $200 out of pocket with taxes and shipping.
I Haven’t Even Shot It Yet
The entire transactional process only took a couple weeks and was completely stress-free. Once I agreed to their offer, Guns.com provided a shipping label. They got my old gun, and I got a store credit a couple days later when it passed inspection. I picked up the Glock from a local gun store a few days after the following Pay Day.
First time I held the Glock, I knew I’d needed a full-frame pistol all along. The Zastava was probably a decent concealed carry for someone looking for novelty, but it just didn’t fit my hand right. I haven’t even fired my own Glock yet, but I already know it’s going to be fine. I mean, it’s a Glock. Reliability is sort of their main thing.
What Else Can I Say?
In a way, I feel vindicated. I never felt comfortable with the little Zastava, and that was concerning. Until I shot the full-sized Glock, I was starting to get scared of my own pistol. Now I know it was all a matter of confidence. I’m glad I bought the Zastava. And I’m glad I’ve got friends I can trust for solid firearm recommendations.