What can you guys tell me about the Zastava mini Mauser rifles ? Mainly the model 85- in 7.62x39?
Problems?
Are they a little rough around the edges or a smooth operator ??

Look at CZs too. I think they sell one with the flush mag now in 7.62, if that's more your style.

Just want to know opinions on the Zastava.

I did not know this....Good info....Hb

I had one. It shot well enough. A little rough, but overall not bad.

The problem I had was the stock. It was way too thick. It felt like a 2x4 and made the little rifle way to slow. It needs to be much trimmer.

Otherwise, worth a try.

Something easily rectified with a good rasp, some files, and sandpaper. Such a problem to have.


My only experience with the Mini in 7.62x39 was converting it to 6.5 Grendel for a customer. It ended up as a very nice, light and trim rifle. Quite accurate as well.

I had a 7.62X39 barreled receiver about 20-25 years ago. Chambered it in 270X39 Ackley. A 270PPC you could call it. Very accurate deer rifle for a young person. A couple years ago I rechambered it in 220 "Russian" Beggs. and restocked it. Haven't taken it to the range yet. Mine is a smooth receiver.

Am I the only one that clicks on any thread I see Butch has replied to, in hopes of seeing pics?

Beautiful rifle!

Okay, but as you can see, that information was of interest to someone else. So just skip over it and move on.

My opinion on a Zastava, buy a CZ.

Based on my sample of one each M85 and Model 70, there are nice, solid steel rifles hiding under the roughness of the action and less than quality wood finishing.

As tdd4570 noted, the stocks are thick and long and the checkering appears to have been done by blind, drunken people with a particularly severe case of apathy, but the stock ergonomics are actually very good with proper cast and cant. Wood is hit or miss, you could get a plank or you could get some nicely figured walnut under the brown wash finish. Accuracy on the model 70 7x57 was very good and others reported similar fine accuracy. Exterior polishing on both rifles was very nice.

My Model 70 needed several hours with files and sandpaper to fix the ratchet teeth on the feed rails and other areas, but after doing so it operated fairly smoothly. IIRC the feed rails on the 85 weren't nearly as bad but it still would have needed some fine grit paper and elbow grease to get it operating smoothly. I didn't have the ambition to do that on the M85 so sold it unfired.

A note on Zastava in general. They can actually do a very good job on finishing rifles, it all depends on what the buyer wants. But they build to a price point, and the M85 and M70 are built to the lower end of that. So to summarize - good solid rifle, mostly likely will produce good to excellent accuracy, a well shaped stocked albeit somewhat long, very nice exterior metal polish and bluing, with little or no money spent on polishing up the interior or putting a quality finish and detailing on the wood.

That was my opinion 5-6 years ago and examinations of some Model 70's at Cabela's within the last two months verified that nothing seems to have changed since then.

Here are some pics and part of the description from my ad for the Model 85:

...The rifle weighs 6 1/4 pounds as pictured and has a 20" barrel, .550" at the muzzle, and the magazine holds 5 rounds. It is a trim little thing in a rather large stock... Outside polish is very nice, action interior can stand some polishing....















Few more pics to follow.

That's a .223 round for size comparison.

Jim, I bet it is a shooter. Didn't know the double set triggers were available.

The poor quality of the stock checkering makes me wonder about the QC of the entire package.

I was looking at the mannlicher stocked M85, but the dog barf grade checkering is a hurdle that I can't seem to overcome no matter how low the price is.

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.

I have three of the Charles Daly mini Mauser actions that I bought in the white. Not the current Zastavas I know, but made by the same company and it is the same action. I barreled onn to 6mmx222, and another to 17 Remington. The third is waiting for me to make up my mind on what it wants to be. I am way more impressed with the actions and metal work on the Zastavas than I am the wood. I had one of the M70's in 7x57 in a lefty and found the metal work to be quite good while the stock was a piece of firewood. The triggers on my Dalys are easily adjusted.

As far as CZ goes I suppose they make a decent gun but they can kiss my ever expanding backside after this from their website. Apparently left handedness is an affliction.

"CZ fans afflicted with wrong-handedness have long asked for a centerfire offering in the medium game chamberings. Finally we have the answer in the form of the 557 Left-Hand and Left-Hand Short Action."

Almost like they think they have a cure to a disease. Arrogant pr#$%s.

What good are opinions if you don't express them?

If you haven't seen the "checkering" on the current Zastava rifle stocks in person, you can't really appreciate how bad it really is.

The M85 is a push feed action not like the M70 CRF, for whatever it's worth.
Once you take a rasp and perform liposuction on the stock you will have to rechecker anyways and refinish
Bottom line, if you are willing to spend some time and money, the rifle has potential. Otherwise, look for a used one that someone else did all the work and it's ready to work.

the little rifle has been imported by at least two different wholesalers. the ones pictured I believe are from K-var. they were also imported by KBI. the KBI stocks were much "better" shaped if you consider a high gloss, skip line checkered stock of decent wood better. When KBI imported them, actions in the white were available as were barreled actions. I read that Interarms also imported them to but I never saw the small one from them.
it is strange that CZ isn't more left hand friendly. The woman who is the CEO is left handed. saw her hunting in Africa on one of the Saturday morning blasting shows.

I believe that Interarms was the first company to import the mini-Mausers, but only 223. Those rifle had a much nicer finish to them, both wood and metal, than the current versions. I bought one in 2004, intending to restock it with a B&C synthetic stock and rebarrel it in 6.8 SPC. When I lost interest, I sold the rifle in 2008.

Remington imported them for a short time, a year or two, as their Model 799 and cataloged them in 22 Hornet, 222, 223, 22-250, and 7.62x39 with a laminated stock.

The Zastava site list the current rifles as being chambered in 22 Hornet, 222, 222 MAG, 223, 22-250, and 7.62x39.

Considering how scarce 222 MAG brass is, I wonder how many or few of those will be sold.

I've seen the checkering and it can be bad however, factory checking on most $5-700 rifles isn't much to write home about.

Regardless, bad checking shouldn't be considered indicative of the quality of the metal work.

I really like the CZ rifles, but most, especially the 550 series have stocks that are way too thick. I but the rifles and rework the stocks to my liking and have them checkered by people that know how.

I don't know about the mini Mauser. I have 2 of Zastava Model CZ-99 .22's. They exported them under other brand names also. Charles Daily, Remington Model 5 etc.

Both of mine shoot extremely well. Shooting this weekend at a 24HCF match, I shot a group @ 150 yards that was right at One inch ( 1" ) in windy conditions.
I'll try to post a picture here in a little while.

Picture added.

Picture added.

Here is an article.


https://ssaa.org.au/stories/rifles-zastava-cz99-precision-22-bolt-action.html


Zastava CZ 99 Precision .22 bolt-action rifle
by Technical Advisor Brendan Atkinson
Australian Shooter May 2003



Zastava CZ 99 Precision stock It would be fair to say that many shooters started off with a rimfire rifle in their younger days before graduating to something a little more powerful. Many a shooter fondly remembers a single shot Lithgow, or something similar, as the gun with which they first shot a game animal. Many of those old rifles are gone now, either worn out or surrendered to authorities, so what does the new breed of younger shooters have to choose from?

Some may choose to purchase secondhand; however, there are a number of new and affordable .22 rimfire rifles around - and the Zastava CZ 99 Precision fits nicely into this category. This review rifle was the standard model, but there is another model that has the barrel threaded for fitting a sound moderator. There is no point importing that one into Australia.

Straight out of the box, it certainly did not look like a cheaper rifle, with all metal parts (except the trigger) finished in a rich blue/black and the walnut stock protected with a low sheen oiled finish. The stock is chequered on the forearm and at the pistol grip. At 2.8kg, it handles very nicely and would be a good walk-around rifle for juniors or adults. For those who carry their firearm slung, sling swivels are provided.

The action appears to have been machined from a single billet of steel and is quite thick in the walls, compared to many other brands. It has a dovetail machined on the top for mounting a scope if required. A safety catch is fitted on the right-hand side of the action and only locks the bolt and trigger when the action is cocked. Being a repeating action, a five-shot magazine is fitted and a spare ten-shot magazine was in the box. The two-piece cylindrical bolt is designed for right-handed people - it features twin extractors and a fairly heavy firing pin spring. The trigger is quite good as supplied, but, according to the owner’s manual, is adjustable in ‘authorised service shops’.

The barrel is 22 inches in length, with a sight radius of 16 inches. It features six grooves with the usual one turn in 16 rate of twist. The barrel was very smooth internally, as I discovered when patching out the factory preservative before firing. This is not always so with some of the cheaper imports.

I originally elected to test fire the CZ 99 using the open sights as supplied. The rear sight is a standard U shape, which may be folded flat when a scope is fitted, and the front is the normal bead type protected by a metal hood. The rifle was shooting slightly to the right of point of aim and this was easily corrected using a drift against the rear sight. Aided by its light weight, the rifle handled and pointed extremely well and would be a handy outfit for rabbits and such out to about 50 yards with open sights.

To test the accuracy potential, I then fitted a Hakko 3-9x40 scope in Millet rimfire rings. For hunting, however, I would recommend a maximum power of six magnifications. Using higher powers sometimes encourages shots well beyond the humane range of the .22 rimfire round.

Many rimfire rifles can be ‘ammo sensitive’ and you may need to try different brands and styles before finding one that satisfies your requirements. I stuck mainly with those that are available from the rifle’s distributor. Stirling High Impact high velocity rounds achieved five-shot groups of about one inch at 50 yards - this would be more than adequate for rabbits. Switching to some older PMC Target 22 ammo, which is standard velocity, I achieved groups of about three-quarters of an inch at 50 yards. However, the best groups came from some PMC Scoremaster standard velocity - half an inch at 50 yards in good conditions. This very affordable ammo would be excellent for plinking or just practising offhand shooting with the CZ 99.

Just out of curiosity, I tried some very expensive match grade rimfire ammo and did manage a couple of groups that approached the three-tenths-of-an-inch mark. I was not trying to make a target rifle out of the Zastava, which is a hunting rifle, but why die wondering? I have seen some hunting rifles that shot well enough to enter field rifle-type competitions, with the right ammo being used.

To sum up, this is an accurate, well-made and affordable rimfire rifle of European quality. I believe that they will sell for less than $400 and I understand that some gun dealers are offering them with a scope and mounts package for about $450. Rifle supplied by Highland Sports.

Every previous importer has managed to import rifles with decent checkering, while the rifles that are currently being imported have terrible checkering. Since the manufacturer appears to be cutting corners on the checkering, I have to wonder what other corners are being cut. While the metal work might be fine, any time a manufacturer is cutting cost on cosmetic attributes that are as obvious as a rat turd in a bowl of sugar, I think that there is a high degree of probability that they are also cutting costs in areas that aren't as obvious.

Where can you even buy these right now? I wouldn’t mind having one if I could find one.

You forget that even Mauser built their contract rifles to the buyer's specs.

Early Mk X's had nicer stocks, later models had plainer stocks. Not because Zastava wasn't making the actions as well, but because the Importer (Interarms) wanted to be able to sell the rifles for less to better compete in the market. Given that about 95% of my gun work was metal work, I can tell you that the newer M85's don't vary much from their older Mini Mk X counterparts with regards to the tolerances the actions are made to.

I don't doubt what you say, but I'm skeptical about the QC across the board of the current production Zastavas and will opt to spend my money elsewhere until I see significant change or I age out of the market.

If I was going to buy a Balkans built bolt action rifle, I think that the last iteration that I would trust to have QC that meets my expectations would be the Remington 798s and 799s. That said, I've come to prefer the quality and price of the 70+/- year old FN built Husqvarna 640s for my large ring commercial 98 builds. I currently have 6 Interarms Mark Xs and 1 Remington 798 in 260, 6.5x55, 270, 7x57(x2), 30-06, and 9.3x62, but no mini-Mausers since 2008.

I have a Zastava M85 in .223 that I love. I've killed a bunch of deer with it shooting factory barnes 53gr TSX. I had the opportunity to buy a bunch of them and dig through for one with good wood. Some were very plain and light colored, others had huge mineral spots or streaks, the one I picked out is a very nice piece of quarter sawn, straight grained turkish walnut. I did have to strip off the mud they use as finish and apply some tru-oil.



I've had my eye out for a mannlicher stocked 7.62 x 39 and when I find the right one I'll get it.

Is anyone importing these now? As far as QC just look at their European offerings and you will see they have some with fit, finish and wood on par with SAKO and Weatherby and they also have some really odd stock configuration such as a Serbo/Bavarian/Kalifornian mashup.

I have a Rem 799 in 223 Rem 20" and it shoots surprisingly well but the action binds and is rough. Haven't figured out how much effort I want to put into its rehab.....

I have a Zastava model 85 mini Mauser in 7.62x39 with a Mannlicher stock. I think it is a great rifle for the price. I also have a model 70 in 6.5x55 also with a Mannlicher stock. Both rifles are all metal. you will not find any plastic on a Zastava. The barrels are cold hammer forged so you are getting a quality manufactured barrel. The blueing is amazing for a budget priced gun but the mini mauser has a push feed rather than the model 70 which is a true Mauser action with controlled round feed. Both models have a fully adjustable trigger. The wood is very utilitarian. Nothing fancy and has stamped checkering. I removed the varnish on both of mine and refinished with oil which gave them a nicer appearance in my opinion. The operation of the bolts on both guns was a bit rough when new but with a bit of polishing and working the bolt for a couple of hours and they are both as smooth as any other Mauser action. If you don't like the wood you can easily find a replacement stock but if you want a hunting rifle that is quality built and budget priced then I would definitely consider the Zastava. If I can find another full stocked model 70 in 7x57 I will be buying another one myself. If you want to spend 300 - 400 more for pretty wood and a detachable magazine then buy the CZ. It won't shoot any better but you will get a lot more ooohs and aaahs when you take it out in public.

I have to laugh when I read how everyone is making such a big deal over the stamped checkering on the Zastava. I own a couple of Remington model 600's with the worst stamped checkering I've ever seen on any rifle and yet I have never once heard any criticizing Remington for the poor quality.

This are great rifles. I have Interarms Mark X MZ .223rem or Zastava m85 made for export. Made in 1993.
I bought it used, but it very well preserved and in good condition.I bought it for hunting predators like foxes, jackals and pests such as badger (They are allowed to be legally hunted in my country-Serbia).
This was a project rifle for me. I did everything myself and I did:
- refinishing of rifle stock,
- bedding,
- replacement of trigger,
- mounting an optical sight - Smith & Bender Zenith 3-12x50 FD4.

The rifle turned out great and, most importantly, it shoots great whit some Hornady 53gr adn 55gr VMax and Fiocchi 55gr EPN (VMax bullet).

I had an Interarms MkX .223.
It was OK, about 3/4" - 1 1/2" 5 shot groups @ 100, a 5.56 chamber with a 12" twist. The magazine was long enough that I could seat bullets out to 2.29".
It was a nice, light, handy rifle, death on groundhogs.

The magazine spring broke, and boy was that tough to replace!

My position is, and always has been, that the older Zastava 85s that Interarms imported as their Mini-Mauser in 223 were well made, well finished, rifles.

The current Zastava 85s that I've personally seen and held have not been nearly as nicely finished as either the Interarms Mini-Mausers or the later Remington 799s. Those that I've personally seen and held have had the worst checkering that I've seen on a new factory production rifle.

If the checkering has been stamped, as has been claimed earlier in this thread, Zastava needs to find someone who can build a plate that will press a decent pattern or buy the equipment to laser-cut checkering like Boyds does. The Zastava 85s that I have seen and held look as though a metal template was laid on the wood and a sharp tool had been used to scribe a shallow checkering pattern into the wood. It looks to me like a pattern that was started, but never finished, or a poor example of a novice/amateur attempt at cutting checkering, not the sort of quality that one expects to see shipped out of a commercial production facility with any QC standards.

I'd love to find a couple of mannlicher stocked Zastava 85s in 223 and 7.62x39 to play with, but they've got to be both functional and reasonably good looking before I'll lay down my $$.

I've owned a pile of Remington 600, 660, and 600 Mohawks, all with pressed checkering. I had one 600 Mohawk stock with poor checkering, but it was the exception to the norm in terms of QC, all the rest being well executed and in that way superior to the poorly executed checkering on the recently imported Zastava 85s that I have personally seen.

Nice work, Butch - correction, skilled craft and nice art - not many work with wood any more.

Thanks, Everybody says it is the best rifle in ease to put to their shoulder and ready to pull the trigger. Won't shoot buffalo with it but it scares the varmints.

I'm coming from the country in which Zastava arms are produced (PPU ammo as well) and trust me there are many differences in quality. Mainly guns from the '80 are much better then those made in '90 and 2000+.
Domestic needs in my country are very small Zastava (PPU as well) mostly does not pay attention to the needs of domestic hunters. Export is important because it makes a profit.
In hunting shops in Serbia you can often find weapons that are not in accordance with the highest standards and those guns that have not passed quality control for export.
Gunmakers in Zastava know and can make excellent guns when they want to make them. If you have a connection in the factory, you can get an excellent rifle at a regular price.

I’m a little late to the thread but I traded into this one and I am happy.

https://imgur.com/a/PFuB6jZ

Caliber is perfect for our Virginia whitetails and the rifle is easy to carry. Current scope is a little large, but it is all that I have on hand. I’ll look for a compact.

Prior owner had lightened the trigger but the safety wouldn’t set (!). YouTube and I fixed it.

I have 2 , 799's a .223 and a 7.62 x 39. I found a B&C Medalist that I move from one to the other, as the mood moves me.
Both are 1 minute shooters with very good triggers, after adjustment.

Scope size looks fine to me. It is not large. I have 3-12x50 on mine, my frend have 3-12x56 Meopta on his.