Zastava M70
- Thread starter kjohn
- Start date
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
What does need have to do with anything??
My sentiments exactly. I like the way you think.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
My last Zastava, a 1991 production (first year, prototype) was chambered in 22 Hornet and it functioned perfectly. I really miss that rifle. However, there is one thing I like better than Zastava from Serbia, and that is their PPU ammo!! I have a bunch of it in various calibres (some hard to find). Great brass too.
Not sure about their ammo, but for my Zastava, the only hollow point I could find when I bought the rifle was PPU 120 gr. HPBT in front of Dominion 4350. 1 1/2" 5 shot groups, with some ,1". Might have been me and might have been me with a new rifle and my struggling with eye relief. I know the rifle will do better. With the component shortage, I finally lucked out and bought 300 Sierra Match King HPBT (my old standby from 40 years ago), but have not started to work up loads yet.
Maybe not so much a Prototype but a rebranding; the Zastava M70s are the "Mark X" Mauser that have been around since at least the late 70's; sold by Interarms, and barreled actions used by just about every big name gun company, including Remington and Browning. I believe that they started out by buying FN Mauser actions and building barrels, assembling barreled actions and selling them. I read somewhere that they bought the tooling from Belgium to build the FNs, and rebranded them as Mark X, again, barreled actions being a big part of their production, that latest rebranding is under the Zastava banner as the M70 for the long action version.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
∆∆∆ The 1991 (late 1990) modeI I owned was a prototype of the mini-Mauser action supplied to Marstar for testing and sales consideration. Unfortunately, the Balkan conflict started and Zastava delayed production until after the war. It was a very refined rifle and I regret selling it. It was definitely a Zastava, and not a rebranding.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
... and to add to the above ... the "mini-Mauser" may have been around prior to 1990 (I am not sure), but my rifle was built to specs for Marstar consideration.
Likewise with my wife. She'll state," where are you getting the money?" or "what gun will you sell or trade for the new one?" It's a cat and mouse game sometimes. 
not having them for the canadian market doesnt mean they re not built anymore. the factory was destroyed by nato bombing and completely rebuilt and they re making civil and military so no worries for the ones willing to deal with the balkan mentality on businees seems tony and anthony had enough but we need to thanks them for bringing to the communauty those great commercial mauser rifles.
I had an 8x57 fullstock that I sold to Dgradinaru who is something of an 8x57 guru (my words not his).
I thought it looked pretty slick with an orange pad installed. Bit of stylistic fusion but if it works it works. I’m not a fan of rollover combs from a stylistic or fit perspective especially on a a stutzen.
At the time (~5 years ago?) there was always the idea that it was something of a lottery on the wood. If that is the case I won the lottery 3 times because every one I had was very nice in terms of material. The finish was not great but could easily be cleaned up at home.
I had another in 9.3x62 with the hogsback stock which I thought looked better. But it would not fire, the chamber had been cut too deeply. There may have been other issues to resolve, the current owner might chime in, he is currently sizing his brass to the chamber for 9.3x62 “improved”.
Definitely calls into question quality control. With a pretty high volume of firearms purchases at times I have had some lemons from North American manufacturers but never a European one besides Zastava. Small sample size on all fronts but it made me a little sour. Still think they represent a good deal especially in calibers that are hard to find in huskys and Parker hales etc.
There are a few reports of similar or much worse guns, but bad reports certainly do stand out. I’m sure many Zastavas live fine and wonderful lives, clearly a lot of functioning ones owned by guys on these boards.
I thought it looked pretty slick with an orange pad installed. Bit of stylistic fusion but if it works it works. I’m not a fan of rollover combs from a stylistic or fit perspective especially on a a stutzen.
At the time (~5 years ago?) there was always the idea that it was something of a lottery on the wood. If that is the case I won the lottery 3 times because every one I had was very nice in terms of material. The finish was not great but could easily be cleaned up at home.
I had another in 9.3x62 with the hogsback stock which I thought looked better. But it would not fire, the chamber had been cut too deeply. There may have been other issues to resolve, the current owner might chime in, he is currently sizing his brass to the chamber for 9.3x62 “improved”.
Definitely calls into question quality control. With a pretty high volume of firearms purchases at times I have had some lemons from North American manufacturers but never a European one besides Zastava. Small sample size on all fronts but it made me a little sour. Still think they represent a good deal especially in calibers that are hard to find in huskys and Parker hales etc.
There are a few reports of similar or much worse guns, but bad reports certainly do stand out. I’m sure many Zastavas live fine and wonderful lives, clearly a lot of functioning ones owned by guys on these boards.
tell me more about it.
run dmc or monte carlo: pick and choose.
