Which of the two should I pick between a WBP Jack and Zastava M70? This will be my first AK. Thanks.
>>64379684Zastava is best. Get'em while you can.
>>64379785>Zastava is bestIn what way(s)? I do understand the Serbian government halter imports for the foreseeable future recently.
>>64379791*halted
>>64379684Buy an M70 underfolder or M92 now while you still can before they all dry up. Buy a Jack later.
>>64379910Will prices for these rise like the other import bans?How do you like the quality of the ZPAP?
>>64379967>Will prices for these rise like the other import bans?Yes obviously. Nobody knows when or if Serbia will lift their self-imposed arms export ban. Zastava USA themselves posted just the other day that they don't have any sort of timeframe for when they'll be coming back.>How do you like the quality of the ZPAP?I have a M85 and M92. They're both good. M92 is probably the best short 7.62x39 AK you can buy right now.
>>64379791I will not defend Zastava as best, but they are quite competitive. You get an overbuilt thicc rifle in basically any configuration you want, even krink style, they all come threaded, chrome line barrel, trigger is fine, and very reliable. Most issues came from the century import, if you get a modern one rifle is fine
>>64380004>>64380022Thanks for the input. I was looking at the M70 and I have heard about the thick receiver. I'd imagine it would last several generations. I've read the furniture/attachment aftermarket is questionable at best, but most of these reports were from a handful of years ago, so I'm not sure how that looks in 2025. I'll likely keep the rifle stock anyway.
>>64380048The aftermarket for Yugos is pretty robust now, and surp wood furniture for the M70 is still pretty easy to find. The thicc receiver is kind of a pointless gimmick to have on civilian sporter rifles, since they were meant for firing rifle grenades using a spigot muzzle device and gas shutoff valve that the ZPAP imports don't have.
>>64380089That's good to hear. Now I'm curious as to how Zastava's receiver compares to milled receivers of an Arsenal, for example. (both are known for durability and longevity but I'm guessing there's no measurable difference)
>>64380089Rifle grenades are only a gas block swap away though.
>>64379684Zastavas are shit and have zero parts compatability with real AK's
>>64380489>Zastavas are shitIn what way(s)? Inferior parts, QC, something else?
>>64380394Is there any use for a gas block cutoff without grenade?Could this be utilized to make a "bolt action" AK
>>64380555Yes you could use it with a silencer to make the gun as quiet as possible.
>>64379684I'd go M70. Friend of mine got one and shot the absolute fuck out of it, still running great. The new chrome lined barrels are a big upgrade over traditional M70 offerings. You do have to go a little bit off the beaten path for Yugo pattern accessories and furniture, but everything you need is obtainable and a lot of the critical components like trigger parts do interchange with other AKs.WPB seems nice, but there have been more complaints about them and their prices have gone up quite a lot. They seem like a good upgrade over US made slop, but not quite worth what they are asking. I'd stick with a WASR if you want something compatible with AKM parts.
I like my M70. No complaints in 4 years of shooting it so far.
>>64380583Thanks for the detailed explanation. I am leaning more towards the M70 now, especially as they cut off the imports. If I were to get another AK, should I just skip WBP and go for the Arsenal instead? Or maybe go big and buy a Chinese/Russian import on the used market?>>64380605I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your purchase.
>>64380609Depends what you actually want out of an AK that an M70 wouldn't do. Arsenal are very good but quite overpriced. The old stock Chinese imports vary in price a lot, but sometimes you can trip over a good deal locally. They are also not really AKM pattern but their own stamped adaptation of the original milled rifles. This makes them kind of a unique rabbit hole in the AK space.Saigas are AK-100 derived but some unspeakable things have been done to un-convert them from the sporter pattern they were originally imported as. They have also gotten quite pricey.Veprs are more based off the RPK receivers and exist in larger calibers.WASRs are cheap AKM pattern rifles, but made in original Soviet TDP. You'll see things like canted front sights and odd blemishes but they are actually made to the original (crappy) specs and work surprisingly well. I've had one for years and I like it, but I'm not sure I'd bother if I had an M70.Other off the wall options:AK pistols with brace, because 7.62x39mm actually does pretty well out of 9-12" barrels.RPK clones like the AES-10bGalils, like the Galil ACE, although the kit builds (Century/ATI/JRA) can be hit or miss.M76/M77 battle rifles/DMR setups in 8mm or 308. Or a Galil in 308.
>>64379791Wait? Did they really stop importing Zastavas? When? Last I checked they started finally a production run of their RPKs and started churning out the M70, looking poised to keep expanding. Bought the former M72 in January for $1,000 flat.
>>64380609M70 is the better choice atm, you won't regret it. >>64380489cope/seethe/dilate. the M70 was a better design. The extra handguard length is actually relevant because it was designed for normal sized adult males and not starving steppe peasants. I feel the same about the M57 vs the Tokarev.
>>64380658This will mainly be for plinking steel and using it during outdoor excursions as I have done with ARs and the Ruger 10/22.I will bookmark this for future reference; thanks. >>64380706Not entirely sure if they're stopping them entirely or significantly slowing them down. This is a fairly recent development so a lot of Zastavas are still on the market brand new. >>64380713Significantly leaning towards it now.
>>64380706>Bought the former M72 in January for $1,000 flatWhere did you find that? I see them going for around $1500 give or take.
>>64381092I don't remember, one of those no-name online gun stores linked up on an arfcom threads that sold out on release in late December. Most of them brought the going rate to around $1,200 now, which is still a great price for what you get.
>>64381131$1k for a sturdy RPK is a very fortunate find. I hope you're enjoying it.
>>64380706>Wait? Did they really stop importing Zastavas? When?I think it happened recently because russian cock-slurpers yelled at the president for allowing zastavas to be purchased through middle countries for ukraine.
>>64380706It appears they have. Buy one while you still can.: (
>>64381535fugg, maybe it's time to order 6 like i did when the mini draco and pap82 were $300/350 ea.You'd be surprised by how many friends want to buy an AK once you're sitting on a few.
>>64379684>buying AK in 2025>7.62x39 is no longer cheap
>>64381602It might be. If you can manage it (financially) go for it.
>>64379791Overbuilt tank, Great ergos, Great QC compared to others, new ones are chromed lined. And God is a serb.
>>64381907Appreciate the input. I think I'll enjoy my purchase.
Just out of curiosity, I went on Google to look for consistent QC issues with WBP for potential future reference. I do see a handful of posts out there, but am unsure if these are recurring issues or just one-offs. It's weird because I remember WBP being praised for their AKs during the early 2020s. Maybe things have changed in that time, but I am initially satisfied with my purchase (Zastava).
>>64379785Zastava are the worst AKs objectively. The grade of steel they use is so shitty they have to make it thicker to be strong enough to hold up, which makes the rifle heavier. The finish is like a thin layer of shoe polish and the fitment is shit. I had a PAP that only one mag would fit, a Korean mag. Every other mag I had would've needed modification to fit, even the Yugos and it's a fucking Yugo gun technically. Not sure about the Jack but Poleshit can't be worse than Serbshit. If you want quality get a Saiga. If I was gonna cheap out honestly I'd get a PSA and just put a BCG buffer in it to prevent BCG mushrooming, which happens because they use too soft of a metal. If you're not buying a real ruskie AK you're obviously not serious about using it as a go-to gun anyway so probably won't matter.
>>64382385And reason I'd get a PSA is because if there's something wrong with it I send it back. Imports don't have that luxury, but high quality ones don't need to be sent back. What needs to be realized is that Eastern European countries are shitholes and their guns are low quality. Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, all shitholes with abysmally low GDP that make third world quality weapons. Russia is pretty shitty too but they know how to make AKs. The American South is also a shithole and that's where most of our guns are made, so don't expect quality from there either.
>>64382385The mag issue is a thing that I don't see brought up much. Take your standard AK pattern rifle and turn it upside down, near the magwell you'll see it bent in the middle in a rectangular pattern. With some Zastavas for whatever reason (best I could figure out was making retail single stack magazine ones to take regular mags), this isn't divited. It gets really tight on some mags and can start shearing material off the catch lips (or whatever they're called) on polymer ones. This can be got around if you just pay the extra five bucks when buying cheap bulgarians for the metal clips.This can be fixed with a file, or watching TV and jamming a metal mag in and out for a while.Obviously the rest of the shit you write is trolling, but I don't see this issue brought up a lot. Kind of a PITA even on new production. It WILL fit the mags, but it feels tight and can damage the polymer ones before you break it in.
>>64382385I'd slap you, but hitting mentally deficient women is against the law.
>>64382402Not entirely true, Zastava USA has great support, century sucks but if it's really bad they will replace or fix the gun from what I've seen. Arsenal will also fix that shit quick. WBP is also very good on that front from the few times i've seen it brought up.
>>64380495NTA, but QC is spotty. My particular rifle has a corner cut on the bolt carrier... literally. See the reddit pic attached.
>>64382993wtf did they ever warranty/reimburse that shit?how does this even leave the factory
>>64382371WBP is pretty overgassed, and there's always the dig on them being a civilian manufacturer rather than commie bloc AK factories who still produce for their respective military. Other than that, for cheaper AK's that are not US made, you're kind of limited in options.
>>64383173Since the reddit thread caught people's attention they replaced that guy's bolt carrier. For nobodies like you or me, there's always surplus carriers available.
>>64382993>>64383210>>64383173I should mention that redditors are saying the new guns have properly cut bolt carriers where that little bottom bit won't break off.
>>64381131>around $1,200Lowest I've seen is $1350 before shipping/taxes and that's on gun.deals: (
