VZ58 - Should I get one?

S

SigSauce

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Location
AB
As the title sugests I am considering a VZ58. My recent commission cheque came in and was better than expected so my wife gave me permission to spend about 1500 on a new toy.

There are several in stock near me for under my budget and I have heard lots of good things about these rifles. I just have a few questuons for the guys that own these.

1) How practical is it to mount an optic on these rifles? It seems that like the SKS the VZ's entire upper has to come aprart for disassembly and cleaning, meaning that any optic mounted to the foregrip or rear dust cover would probably loose zero every time the gun got torn down? (Id love to be wrong about this)

2) Speaking of the SKS I notice a lot of similarities with the internals. Would I be better off getting an SKS in a tapco stock for 1000 dollars less? Is the ZV58 actually 1000$ better?

3) Are there any reliability issues with the .223 version? While it would be nice to keep it as 7.62 my local range doesnt like aurplus ammo. I need to actually be able to shoot my guns and I shoot probably 75% at the range. If I get one in .223 can I use the 10 round LAR mags?

If you have suggestions for another rifle Id be unterested in hearing that too.
 
How good are you with iron sights? They are little bit more accurate then an sks but that also depends on the shooter.

They have tons of aftermarket parts for both for optic mounting. I dont think either have a good option really.

Depends what you think makes a rifle 1000 bucks better.... Lighter weight, and easier to clean then the sks for sure.

I didn't own a 223 so I cant really speak to it. Im sure there is not or we would have heard about it.

Why not get a really nice 22? The new WK180 for 1000 bucks and a crate of ammo or an optic.... in 223/556

https://www.wolverinesupplies.com/ProductDetail/KODWK180CONLINE#?sortValue=0
 
An SKS is alot of fun for $250. You really can't go wrong. I agree a good .22 LR is definite must. The Henry Golden Boy is awesome.
 
I have a VZ58 and a CZ858. Love the rifles. No issues with them. No jams either for the last 10 years. I am as pleased as punch.
 
find a friend that has one. try it out. See what you think before you lay out the cash

I have a few, they are ok. There are better guns out there. Don't get me wrong they are ok. You need to decide how you feel about it. If you cannot use steel core ammo at your range that is unfortunate. That will limit your shooting enjoyment. My 223 VZ is fun, I have the AR mag conversion, no issues with ammo at ranges and I have used it for yote hunting as well.

I think the VZ58 is an $800 gun, was and always in my opinion. For what it is worth they have been creeping up to $1200 but I have bought all of mine for under $800

really look at the WC180 you will have to wait for it, but it may be a better bet.

find a friend with one and try it first.
 
Don't buy one - buy two. Excellent rifles. Lots of extra go-fast do-dads out there to add onto the rifle. Optics can be mounted ahead of the rear sight if you get those types of handguards or you can attach a rail to the side and use an over-the-receiver mount. Very reliable - and more than just a little more accurate than an sks.
 
There is a mount made by CSA that bolts to the side of the receiver. There are quick detach and direct bolt versions. They have a decent reputation. The NEA railed upper handguard is supposed to be solid as well.

You could probably find a used one closer to $1000 with a few mags. Ive even seen some CZ 858s for even less.

Sks are great too. But for something slightly more modern the vz has some benefits:

Much lighter than an sks
Much better trigger than an sks (mine was anyway. 3 sks' a CZ and a VZ to compare)
Cheap readily available detachable mags (can be got for 25-$40 +/- .)
Strong aftermarket
Proven reliability (this is true for both though)
.223 or 7.62x39 options (cheap, drop-in AR magwell adaptor for the .223.)
Awesome aftermarket ambi mag release and bolt release make it a dream to use. Trigger finger can release the mag, close the action and fire the rifle with little movement of your hand. This upgrade made the rifle for me.

Either choice will be very reliable. The 1k difference is up to you. The sks in a aftermarket plastic stock will do the job fine, but in my opinion the bulk, mag situation, plastic feel always leave something to be desired. The sks is already heavy and the plastic doesnt help that. It feels like a big heavy toy gun. The VZ feels more "real". To me the sks is much better left alone. Stripper clips and the laminate stock work just fine IMHO.
 
Since u want something in .223, and optic friendly , id rather suggest the new WK 180 c....

With all the other .223 options coming out this year and years to come, I'd only buy a VZ in 7.62 and only a VZ if u want it to look modern, if u want more of a commy look, I'd suggest the type 81 because so far, I enjoy shooting it more than my VZ! And the type 81 looks far more Red rifle like.
 
I love my vz’s! They are on my list of never sell rifles. Super reliable, accurate, and ton of accessories available for them. The one I shoot frequently has over 12,000 rounds of corrosive through it and all I’ve had do was clean it.

I use the side rail scope mount with a vortex spitfire and I am still able to remove the dust cover without removing the mount.
 
Just got mine, absolutely love it. For me it is worth the extra money over a tapco sks. Their getting alot cheaper. I got my tactical collapsible stock version on sale for $1290 from gotenda
 
They are great. Good for red dot optic using NEA aluminum upper handguard, or the Zahal polymer upper handguard.
Love mine. On my never sell list. Light, slim, nimble, carbine. Try and shoulder one, and you'll see how well they are designed. 100% reliable in x39.

Adding tactical stock and Tapco mags to an SKS will not make it equal to the 858/58 rifle. I had a friend try that, and in the end he got a VZ58.
SKS is an SKS. It is excels at it's designed role.
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! Really appreciate it! I was at my LGS and got to play arround a bit with one. Its a solid gun forsure. The rock-in mags and right side charging handle would definitely take some getting used to. Having to shoot 7.62 would be a bit of a bummer for me though as my local range isnt set up to accomodate steel jacketed/ core ammo, the 7.62 that is allowed is more than 1$/ round locally. I havent had any luck finding a zv in 223 yet.

Not to derail my own thread but while I was at the store I took a look at one of the gen2 T97 they had. Ive heard mixed reviews- people either swear their life to them by them or they are unusably problematic. On paper they fulfil all my requirements of using 223, accepting AR mags, optic friendly, tacticool...being under budget and bulpup are bonus. Too good to be true, right?
 
T97 are iffy reliability-wise... some shoot well, some are finicky with mags, and some jam consistently. I had a pretty good one for a while, but the ergonomics definitely weren't for me (safety, mag release, and bolt-hold-open were all fails IMHO)

Cz858 or CZH2003 are definite must-haves, both built by Cz. The CSA version is prettier, but not built to the same quality IMHO. CSAs are nice guns, but not as reliable as the original Cz's. Get a Cz858 if you want a reliable NR rifle.
 
As for a T97, I suggest you hold one and see how it feels and If you can, fire one. On paper I thought the T97 checked off all my boxes too (223/5.56, NR, light, inexpensive) but in reality I didnt like them. I’ve owned two now (FTU and non-FTU) and sold them both after finding i’m not a fan of the bullpup design and the plastic feel. I just pre-ordered a wk180c and we’ll see how she feels..... Of all the NR semi-auto 223 rifles I’ve owned (T97, mini14, su16, tavor, x95, xcr) the only one I miss is the xcr.
 
My .223 VZ58 has been a great shooter, not a single malfunction since new, and that's using a mix of cheap steel cased and ae bulk. Mine came with black synthetic that felt like velvet, so I swapped it out for beaver barf, which matches the bayonet anyway. One indisputable fact is that the .223 version is LOUD, especially with a factory style brake installed. I decided to go for the .223 version because of the ballistic advantage over 7.62, travels flatter and farther.

The real challenge is finding black magazines for the .223 version, the only ones any of the vendors sell are the smoked versions.
 
Im a big fan of bullpups, I didnt mind the shouldering ergonomics of the T97 although the magwell wasnt great and the controls felt like they where weirdly placed. I accidently pushed out that big captive pin thinking it was the saftey haha.

Ever since the Tavors where released I have wanted one, renting one at my local range is probably one of the reasons I ended up getting my pal. I figured the t97 -for half the price- could cover tose bases but the more I read about them the more Im starting to wonder if I should just blow the budget and get the Tavor.

As you guys can see Im pretty undecided here haha
 
SigSauce said:
Im a big fan of bullpups, I didnt mind the shouldering ergonomics of the T97 although the magwell wasnt great and the controls felt like they where weirdly placed. I accidently pushed out that big captive pin thinking it was the saftey haha.

Ever since the Tavors where released I have wanted one, renting one at my local range is probably one of the reasons I ended up getting my pal. I figured the t97 -for half the price- could cover tose bases but the more I read about them the more Im starting to wonder if I should just blow the budget and get the Tavor.

As you guys can see Im pretty undecided here haha
Click to expand...

I have had a tavor for years now, it has never failed me
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom