Zastava "Mini Mauser" in 7.62X39 (Questions)

i know this is not answering your points, but its a good looking rifle.

Zastava makes good rifles all around. So far, they don't have, ironically, a Yugo of the gun world like Remington and others have made at times. You load it from the top like any Mauser or SKS, but I don't think the bolt locks back on an empty magazine like the military Mausers (not that it needs to). I imagine it handles steel ammo just fine, but I don't know about extraction. It probably won't be a problem as the chambers won't have half a century of cosmo dried in them.

Kick-Down-Doors said:

Hey folks, this caught my eye.


http://www.impactguns.com/zastava-m85-inmini-mauserin-bolt-action-rifle-cal-762x39mm-ri1975-n.aspx

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That looks like a nice rifle for 7.62x39 and is certainly less expensive than a CZ527. It might be a great shooter, but I don't know that personally.

What I do know about recently built Zastavas (I have a pair of their rimfire rifles) is that the oil finished stock is not finished as us Americans have come to expect. It is finished more like an military stock back in the day. What I mean by that is the wood is only stained and is not finely sanded smooth.

Many people (myself included) refinish the stock right after the first shooting session to prove the gun is functional. That means you might have to figure in your time and extra few dollars of a stock refinish into the purchase price.

Otherwise, they seem to be well built rifles. The rimfire examples are well built and shoot on par with CZ rifles.

Walkalong said:

I have lusted over a bolt gun in 7.62X39.

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Me too.

Too add to the thread, the current Zastava importer is K-Var. http://www.k-var.com/shop/home.php

Per their website, the M85 has an adjustable trigger. That is a nice thing to have. The rimfire Zastavas have adjustable triggers as well and can be be made very nice with a little screw turning, all without having that unsightly* Glock style blade in the middle of the trigger like some other rifle makers.

*opinion only

I have a Remington 799 in 7.63x39. It's a Zastava M85 barreled action that was imported by Remington from Serbia between about 2004 to 2006, stocked by Remington and marketed as the 799. It has a laminate stock and has very nice blueing. It has since been discontinued by Remington, which means good luck in getting replacement parts for it.

The steel case ammo chambers and extracts a bit sticky in my particular rifle. I actually broke the extractor recently firing steel case ammo. I should have been keeping the bolt recesses in the receiver a lot cleaner. No issues now that I have been doing that. I was able to source a new extractor and a spare, apparently the old Sako Vixen uses the same extractor. No issues with brass ammo.

Nice rifle, I really like it.

I'd like one in 223. Last I checked, they were back ordered until some time this fall. Are they actually coming in now?

I had a CZ 527 in 223. I didn't care for it for several reasons. One that bothered me most was the magazien sticks out right at the balance point, making carrying in the hand a nuisance. Also didnt care for the non-selection of scope bases available, and the safety being backwards from any other bolt gun safety. I sold it and dont miss it in the least.

Malamute said:

I'd like one in 223. Last I checked, they were back ordered until some time this fall. Are they actually coming in now?

I had a CZ 527 in 223. I didn't care for it for several reasons. One that bothered me most was the magazien sticks out right at the balance point, making carrying in the hand a nuisance. Also didnt care for the non-selection of scope bases available, and the safety being backwards from any other bolt gun safety. I sold it and dont miss it in the least.

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I have one, .223 MM, and they are BA. I've put down many deer with it over the last decade.

Bell and Carlson makes a synthetic stock for the Mini-Mauser.I've been looking for a good price on a rifle to start a build.

I had one (Rem 799), shoot steel case (Wolf) well but the extractor is weak and hard to find replacement part if you broke one. It is not true muaser action with full claw extractor.

I have an Interarms Mini-Mark X in .223, which is an earlier iteration of the Zastava. The previous owner installed the Bell & Carlson synthetic stock, which is excellent: very rigid and very light. If it will fit the current model in question it would be the way to go for the OP.
IMHO

I have a CZ 527M carbine in 7.62x39mm, and it is far and away my favorite bolt action rifle. Light, sturdy, durable, accurate, nothing to dislike. I did cheat slightly on the scope mount - I got the accessory rail from CZ-USA, which basically clips a Picatinney rail to the top of the rifle, then Weaver low mounts to get the scope down right where I wanted it.



The only thing I didn't like was the non selection of adjustable rear sights, as I like irons. A local gunsmith friend of mine built me a Marbles adjustable on a custom base, and it works great.



It loves the new Berry's 123 grain plated bullet, and shoots well with everything I've put through it. I'm thinking of using it for a coyote gun, and have every confidence it will do well - provided I can shoot accurately enough with it!

When Savage stopped making the 340, there was a hole created for the medium-power centerfire bolt action rifle - I know others are around and I know that the 243 is medium etc, but nothing really quite did the same. The CZ and Zastava offerings provide that platform in a definitely upgraded form over the old Savage.

Gday, in OZ you can get the Zastava M70's come in a light synthetic stock, forearm seemed a bit flexible on it, suppose it could be fixed or replaced. The Zastavas are a very popular action for builds over here, I've had a very lightweight 22-250 built with a Zastava action that I couldnt be happier with.

I've shot Wolf in my CZ 527M, but not a steady diet - I reload, cheaper and better ammo.

Cz527m

I picked up a CZ527M Carbine for my daughter to hunt with and I am highly impressed with it.

My CZ 527 Carbine is pretty. Looks-wise, my Zastava M70 is not a thing of beauty. The stock might be described as functional. The Zastava will be a project in progress for some time. The CZ I'm happy with out of the box. Not exactly apples to apples but it's as close as I got.

ETA: Trigger and safety feel much better on the CZ.

I have the left handed mini mauser in 223 that I bought as a barreled action when charles daly went under. It has a nice trigger when adjusted right, and wonderful deep blueing, but the whole gun was really tight. The striker spring was overpowered, the guide rails were pretty rough, the bolt design wags like a dogs' tail and I had issues with the magazine follower sticking where it transitioned from the box to the receiver. I also have to run xtra high rings and a small ocular scope to clear the bolt handle. Parts have been almost impossible to find. (needed an action screw from when I screwed it up during bedding) I've worked all the issues out and it's a pretty handy little shooter now, but I wish I had bought a CZ. or a savage.

Fast forward to last weekend. Kid out at the range had won one of those kvar imports in a raffle (in 223) and I checked it out. The stock desperately needs work. Looks like they sanded it down to 150 grit and then added 1 coat of oil. It would be easy to make it nice, but it needs work. His gun wasn't feeding right. The rounds were hanging up where the follower makes the transition from the box to the receiver. The action was rough. The bolt waggled everywhere, and the trigger, as from the factory, was horrible. I bet they can all be worked out, but it will need some work to be sure. I would get a cz. or a savage. or a ruger. or anything but a mini mauser.

greyling22 said:

Fast forward to last weekend. Kid out at the range had won one of those kvar imports in a raffle (in 223) and I checked it out. The stock desperately needs work. Looks like they sanded it down to 150 grit and then added 1 coat of oil. It would be easy to make it nice, but it needs work. His gun wasn't feeding right. The rounds were hanging up where the follower makes the transition from the box to the receiver.

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I agree, the newly issued Zastavas imported through KVar are somewhat of a project gun. My latest one had a stock like you described and I had to finish it to my liking. Not to mention I had to tune the magazines and clean up the bolt face a bit to get the rifle to feed correctly.

For a gun won in a raffle that's not such a bad thing for a project minded individual. Yet, if the gun is bought new and costs 80% to 90% of a ready to go CZ, then it is much harder to justify buying the Zastava.

I just ordered the M85 in full Mannlicher configuration. It won't be in for about 3 weeks, but I'll send a range report after the holidays. I've already
got the Z5 (.22 WMR), and found the only problem being a minor magazine
issue which has been widely reported.

I have an older Mini (1980s) in 223 that I like a lot. Has a Bausch & Lomb scope and the Bell & Carlson stock and the damn thing once shot a 1/2" group at 100 yards. Never tried steel case ammo. This is a sporting rifle and not a military arm so maybe you should spring a few more cents and get decent ammo?

i have a .308 zastava mannlicher on order, hope it is a good one.