Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Zastava M 85 ??

There is a beautiful mini mauser Zastava M 85 at the shop....
in 7.62x39......any thoughts on having it reamed out to
7.62x51 aka .308?

I wouldn't, but that's just me....seems like a little rifle should shoot a little cartridge (generally speaking.)

Get it and shoot it as is. You will love it.I have two left handed Zastava Model 70s. A 375 H&H and a 30-06. Both are dead reliable and shoot under an inch at 100 yards. They are everything I could ask for in a hunting rifle.

I believe that the Mini-Mauser actions are too short to handle anything longer than the 22-250 through the magazine.

All of the Zastava rifles that I've seen have had terrible checkering, often nothing more than poorly executed scratches.

Double check, but since it's an easter-bloc build, it's probably a .310 or so bore.

Would it work with the 250 savage? That would be a sweet little deer rifle

I don't think that they would work with most bullets in the 250-3000, as the magazine was a tight fit with typical 55 grain 22-250 factory ammo. If they did fit, it would make a sweet little 250-3000.

A decade or so ago, I bought an Interarms Mini Mauser in 223, planning to rebarrel it to 6.8 SPC, but the magazine was shorter than I wanted, so that plan went nowhere and I sold the rifle.

I have one in .223 that I really enjoy. Some of them have outstanding walnut stocks, but they are all finished with the equivalent of deck stain. Clean off the factory finish and apply some tru-oil and you might be surprised.

The action is way too small for a .308.

A .473" base isn't going to work with that little bolt.

I know they aren't classic, but a 6.8 SPC, a Grendel or the x39 would work a lot better.

Got looking at it again this weekend...if I can get my boss
to go for it and trade I'll just leave it like it is....
stock is really nice...metal is good also...have to see what he wants to do with it...he has already said he wants it sooooooooooo.....I'm most likely out of luck!

leave it.

Mine has a smaller bolt face and is currently a 6x45 for my daughter.

25 Sharps might work

I am not a gun writer, here's food for thought.
The Model 85 is not a CRF Mauser action and not similar to their Mauser Model 70. I have a Model 70 in .22-250 that I am converting. It's the same size action as the .30-06. It has a small metal block welded to keep the short rounds from floating in the large magazine box. With it, comes extra distance for travel in feeding and extraction. Also unneeded larger heavier weight.
The Model 85 is a PF action, small in size, a perfect .223, 7.62x39 canadiate or anything with a parent case of the calibers listed above.
Outside the internals, the 85 resembles the 70.

The Zastava m85 (aka Mini Mark X Mauser) is a good little action somewhat modelled off the Sako L46/461.

One in 7.62x39 will make a great little Grendel with not much modification.

With the release of the Howa Mini action why would you do it? The Howa action is better finished and has much going for it. The only drawbacks of the Howa Mini are the unavailability of decent stocks and that not so flash plastic DBM system. If they sold them with the alloy flush fitting system common on most every other rifle there would be more sales.

The M85 Zastava 223 I bought has .012 thou head space which in my opinion is bordering dangerous. My friend bought one at the same time and his headspaced at .010 thou. Zastava will not perform any warranty work and anything you get from them is as is. I have no idea why but I decided to get a Zastava 22 and second time out the trigger broke. I was thrilled to learn i couldn't buy another trigger and Zastava basically told me to get phugged.

I will never have anything in my home with the name Zastava on it again for a lifetime and I'll bad mouth the company every chance I get because they sale absolute schit and will [bleep] you without a second thought.





Shod

I thought the same thing, but the magazine is way too short. Mine is a .223 and I thought since they come in 22-250 it would work but it won't. --- Mel
BTW mine is an Interacts Mimiauser

Thanks for all thoughts guys
Boss said it was his so he can play with it
Sold him my last 1100 rds of 7.62x39 so he has plenty of
fun time waiting for him.
Sigh
Sure is a pretty stock on this one.....oh well.