Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Charles Daly Zastava

I am contemplating buying a used one. Read somewhere they were imported during the Balkan war sometime around the early 90's.
The factory was bombed, consequently corners were cut and quality control was rather sketchy. I own and have been using older Mark X rifles and find them very solid,reliable and good shooters.
If you have any experience with the Charles Daly imports, please chime in.

I'm in the Air Force. I was on the targeting team that picked the Zastava plant. Not sure if their commercial guns were made in the same place, but Yugo cars were. Can't answer your question, just always thought it was interesting

I bought a used, like new field rifle in 30/06 last summer. The trigger pull sucked but the trigger itself is adjustable and really is a good unit. After adjustments the trigger pull is now sweet. The tupperware stock also sucked. The stock touched the skinny barrel in a few places and when the barrel heated up the groups opened up considerably. I opened the barrel channel up and bedded the action with some acraglas and accuracy has improved. I want to try adding some forend tip pressure and see if it improves accuracy more. The bluing is really nice. Worse case scenario it would make a great donor action in the future.

If you can get the rifle cheap enough then get it and have some fun. If you can't get it cheap than walk away. I paid $250 for mine.

Dan

I've got two, a blued 270 Win and a stainless in 30-06. Both of them were made in the last 5 years.

Both good shooters out of the box, 1.25 to 1.5 moa rifles. Free floated the 30-06 and its sub moa now. Restocked the 270 in a Boyds walnut and haven't fully got it sorted re bedding yet. Its still about the same as when it had the plastic stock, but a good solid rifle.

The finish on the stainless is rougher than the blued. But for the money they are a rock solid, hardy rifle.

Like Dan describes, I adjusted both my triggers myself and they are excellent light, crisp, creep free triggers.


Interestingly, the blued 270 has a lot of freebore, 0.330 from the case mouth to the rifling. Consequently, this rifle can consume some large charges of 4350 and 4831, and I have no trouble making accurate 150g handloads that exceed 3000fps. I am unsure if all their 270 have such a long throat, but mine does. Both mine have 23.5 inch barrels.

I read somewhere the 7x57 version also has a long throat and shoots 175g bullets rather well.

[quote

I bought a used, like new field rifle in 30/06 last summer. The trigger pull sucked but the trigger itself is adjustable and really is a good unit. After adjustments the trigger pull is now sweet. The tupperware stock also sucked. The stock touched the skinny barrel in a few places and when the barrel heated up the groups opened up considerably. I opened the barrel channel up and bedded the action with some acraglas and accuracy has improved. I want to try adding some forend tip pressure and see if it improves accuracy more. The bluing is really nice. Worse case scenario it would make a great donor action in the future.

If you can get the rifle cheap enough then get it and have some fun. If you can't get it cheap than walk away. I paid $250 for mine.

Dan [/quote]
The asking price is $525. It seems to be too much of a gamble on a used Zastava.

I don't like a Charles Daly at that price. The Mark X (which was made at Zavasta also) has a better reputation and I'm told smoother action, etc. Those might be worth the money.

For $525 I think there may be better deals on the used gun rack other than that Charles Daly. I see FN sporters from the 50's and 60's (that were made for various companies like Sears, etc) on the campefire classifieds priced around $500, give or take, that are a better value.

Dan

I had one about 10 years ago in 30-06 that would do 1/2 MOA consistently with a load I worked up for a different rifle.

The reason I was considering because it came with double set triggers. A little flare of old world craftsmanship. I don't really need another 30-06.

No mater the features, poor quality is still poor quality. I've not been imppresed by any Charles Daly Zastava or the Remington versions either, for that matter.

My InterArms Mark X action, also built by Zastava, is superior in quality to either.

I like the Set triggers of the Zastava action. Just because it is a .30-06 now doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

Is there a chance that you could shoot this rifle before purchase?

I can totally understand that old world look of a wood stocked Mauser with double set triggers being enticing to you. If the action was smooth enough for you and you could live with the accuracy,see if you could talk the seller down some.

I believe the Charles Daly's were manufactured after the Balkan War and just after the trade sanctions ended. That's one of the reasons why the quality is lower than the Mark X's.

My field grade was the cheaper version with a tupperware stock, and that stock is what I believe to be the main accuracy problem. The action was far from smooth though.

The rifle in question would have to be at least an average shooter with a normal, smooth operating action for me to consider purchasing it below $500. Double set triggers or not. It's still a Zavasta Charles Daly...and that's not a Husqvarna or FN sporter made for Marlin, Sears, Monkey Wards, etc.

Dan

It is a Gun Broker listing. Very little, next to nothing information is provided. It has been listed for almost a year for the firm $525 price.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=418949399

You can get a higher quality gun for less. NIB or used, take your pick.

No...not interested at all at that price. That's the same rifle I have except it has double set triggers.

I'd forget this one and keep looking.

Dan

Gun prices over there being relative to what they are down here, I'd have to agree they are being greedy for that price.

On the set triggers; fair enough if they just appeal to you, but the stock trigger is so finely adjustable down to a near perfect pull I would not worry about it.

On the action roughness front; both mine were rough and gritty from the factory. With use they've both slicked up nicely. The blued version is as smooth (relative term) as any Mauser I've used. The stainless was the rougher of the two, but is coming up nicely now. I've only had it a year and a bit however.

Functionally they've both been perfect. Never had a fail to feed or extract or anything else untoward.

They are what they are; they're not a Sako or a Cooper. They're a good honest rifle though if you can get them at the right price.

I think that's too much also. I have one in 30-06 about 7-8 years old that I bought when they were closing them out for $260. It's matte blue with the tupperware stock and I wasn't expecting much. Trigger was horrible out of the box but a few minutes fixed that. I was very pleasantly suprised when the first groups out of it went about 3/4". It's one of my best shooting big game rifles.

Thanks for all of the replies. I am going to look for other, better priced alternatives. I wish we had small gun shops within driving distance where I could inspect the goods before buying.

Look for a Whitworth Mark X. Same action and barrel as the others but the Brits in Manchester polished the actions before reexporting them. They are probably the best of the Zastava lot.

1B

Heck I'd buy a Howa for $400 before I'd do that deal. THe Mark X is a nice rifle. The Daly's don't do it for me especially at that price.