AK platform firearms have a well-deserved reputation for rugged reliability. This is due (among other factors) to their simple design, sturdy construction, generally loose tolerances, and over-gassing. As a result, AK platform rifles have been a long-time favorite of mine for potential use in situations in which normal care and maintenance may be difficult.
The Zastava ZPAP M70 Underfolder is a credit to its AK family lineage. It is compact (just 26.25 inches long when folded), reasonably accurate for an AK (those loose tolerances don’t make for an ideal sniper rifle), with above-average fit and finish for an AK, and a better-than-average trigger for an AK. In good AK fashion, it is chambered in 7.62X39.
The rifle is made in Serbia. It was priced at about $1,200 at a number of online vendors at the time of this writing.
For use at distances of less than 200 yards under harsh environmental conditions with minimal support over extended periods of time, the M70 may be an almost ideal tool for the job.
Background
I like Zastava firearms. I have previously reviewed both the Zastava PAP M90 PS [1] and the PAP M77 PS [2]. In contrast to most AK pattern rifles, the M90 is chambered in 5.56×45 NATO while the M77 is chambered in .308 Winchester.
I am an especially big fan of the M90 since it combines the rugged reliability of the AK platform with the widespread availability of ammo for the 5.56×45 NATO/.223 Remington chambering. If I did not already own a homestead defense rifle, this is the one I would purchase.
But, of course, the AK platform is most “AK-ish” when chambered in 7.62×39. So when Zastava offered me the chance to test their M70 Underfolder, I readily accepted. Not long afterward, a box arrived at the gun store that handles my firearms transfers.
Opening the Box
The box contained a cable lock that was provided by the gun store, some assorted paperwork, a manual, a paper with some specific information about the underfolder model of the M70, a 30-round PMAG AK/AKM magazine, a scope mount, some extra rails for the hand guard, and the rifle in a plastic bag.
The paper explained that the underfolder stock requires some time to break in and should be folded and unfolded repeatedly to smooth out its operation. It also noted that the underfolder stock can be expected to leave marks on a wooden hand guard over time due to repeated contact. Since the model of the M70 that I was testing has a synthetic hand guard, that was less likely to become an issue. A third recommendation for the underfolder model of the M70 involved using Yugo pattern bayonets for proper fitment.
922r Compliance
The paper also recommended the use of US-made magazines to insure Section 922r compliance. Title 18 of the US Code, Chapter 44 Section 922, Subsection r indicates that certain semiautomatic rifles and shotguns that have been deemed “not particularly suitable for sporting purposes” cannot be assembled using more than 10 specifically enumerated foreign-made parts. The magazine is one of those enumerated parts. So, if you were to use an American-made magazine, the M70 has exactly 10 foreign parts and is perfectly legal. If you seat a foreign-made magazine in the well, the M70 now has 11 foreign parts and is illegal.
This Section 922r law is so blatantly silly and unconstitutional (“shall not be infringed”) that it is rarely enforced. But the fact that it has not yet been repealed by Congress or declared unconstitutional by the courts shows that both the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government are not always reasonable or just. Based on that, I would not want to pin my ability to stay out of jail on the reasonableness and sense of justice of an agent of the executive branch either. So I scrupulously seek to obey even silly laws. And I would advise you to do the same, except that I am not a lawyer, so I don’t give legal advice.
First Impressions
[3]I removed the rifle from the plastic bag. Like most AK-pattern rifles, it is a bit on the heavy side at 8 pounds. The weight made me wonder about the possibility of making AK-pattern firearms with aluminum components. But aluminum components would probably have trouble withstanding the pounding that results from the over-gassing that gives the AK platform such reliability. In the case of the AK platform, reliability comes at a cost in pounds and ounces.
Zastava provided me with a scope mount for the M70. The mount, which is specially made for the M70, cost $109 at www.zastavaarmsusa.com [4] at the time of this writing. The mount is easy to install or remove with the swing of a lever, and sat closer to the dust cover with a shorter arm than is the case with most standard AK scope mounts. This provides a stiffer connection which should produce more accuracy. The poor cheek weld afforded by the underfolder stock is another matter entirely.
The polymer furniture consists of a pistol grip made by Magpul and a hand guard made by Houge. The pistol grip has a nice storage compartment in it.
Some AK platform firearms have a notch on the safe lever that can be engaged with the bolt handle to hold the chamber open. That particular feature was not present on the underfolder model of the M70.
I liked the flash-hider that was installed on the end of the barrel in lieu of the traditional compensator.
The fit and finish of the M70 is better than that of the average AK-pattern firearm, with no visible tool marks or blemishes even when disassembled.
I did not see the adjustable gas tube that I had come to expect based on my experience with the M90 and M77. That feature is probably less necessary in an AK with the traditional 7.62X39 chambering than it is in an AK adapted to western nation cartridges.
The traditional AK chrome-lined chamber and barrel offer good corrosion resistance. That feature was even more essential when most Eastern Bloc ammo utilized corrosive primers.
The trigger on the M70 was smoother than the average AK trigger. The pull was long but relatively light. I measured its weight using a Ready Up Gear Digital Trigger Pull Weight Gauge. My five measurements ranged from a low of 3.78 pounds to a high of 5.19 pounds with an average of 4.67 pounds and a mean of 4.86 pounds.
The provided Magpul polymer magazine is nicely designed and molded. Do any SurvivalBlog readers know how well those magazines tolerate being dropped fully loaded on a hard surface in sub-zero temperatures? If you do, please drop a note to the weekly Snippets column or write to me at thomaskchristianson at gmail dot com. I normally prefer metal magazines because of concerns regarding the durability of polymer magazines under cold weather use.
The magazine was easy to insert and remove in proper AK fashion.
The safety, bolt, and other controls can be easily operated whether or not the stock is folded.
The cleaning rod fits so snugly under the barrel that it is extremely unlikely to fall out accidentally and extremely difficult to remove intentionally. As is true with most AK-pattern rifles, the cleaning rod is just a little too short to clean the entire barrel.
Reading the Manual
The manual is 32 pages long including the front and back covers. Here are some highlights:
The boring state-by-state warnings come near the beginning of the manual. I recommend moving them to the end of the manual where they are less likely to induce narcolepsy in innocent readers.
An excellent set of safe firearm handling guidelines is found near the front of the manual.
In places, it sounds like the manual has been translated into English from another language, resulting at times in a somewhat unusual choice of words, such as: “Always keep and carry your weapon empty and blocked, except when you intend to shoot, so that it cannot be fired when you do not mean it.”
The diagram of the standard ZPAP M70 shows a bolt catch notch in the safety lever. That feature is regrettably not present on the underfolder model. It also shows the traditional compensator rather than the flash hider that is present on the underfolder.
The manual recommends cleaning the M70 before use.
Using reloaded ammo voids the warranty.
There are occasional typos, spelling errors, and malapropisms, such as, “If you wish to seize firing” rather than “cease firing.”
It recommends waiting 30 seconds in the event of a hang fire event on page 15, and waiting 60 seconds for the same event on page 7.
It recommends allowing the firearm to cool after 90 rounds of constant fire.
It recommends cleaning the M70 after each range session.
It suggests having the rifle sighted in by a qualified armorer. I would advise instead that the owner purchase an AK sight adjustment tool and learn how to use it.
It estimates the maximum effective range of the rifle to be 300 meters. Based on loose AK tolerances and 7.62X39 ballistics, I would advise 200 yards instead.
The field stripping instructions are excellent.
The one year warranty applies to manufacturing defects only, and is only valid for the original purchaser.
The table of contents is located at the end of the manual rather than the beginning.
Optics
[5] [3]I first mounted a Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9X40mm Huntplex scope using Leupold Rifleman medium rings. The bell of the scope ended up just in front of the rear iron sight of the M70. This made it impossible to slide the mount off of the rifle without removing the scope. This would, in turn, necessitate the removal and reinstallation of the scope every time the rifle was cleaned. I could have used taller rings, but this would make the poor cheek weld associated with the underfolder stock even poorer. Instead, I replaced the scope with a cheap UUQ HD1080 Red Dot Sight. The red dot sight was much less dependent on a good cheek weld than a traditional scope.
Home on the Range
It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The daffodils were blooming. It was 50 degrees Fahrenheit. There was virtually no wind.
I took the rifle to the improvised range behind the pole barn. I set up a target stand in front of the backstop and a table 25 yards away.
I put the rifle on a lead sled, and loaded a single round of TelaAmmo USA 124 grain FMJ steel case. The first shot was centered but about 11 inches low. Over the course of the next several shots and adjustments, I gradually walked the shots toward the center of the target.
Next, I fired three shot groups using the TelaAmmo, Winchester Target & Practice 123 grain FMJ, and Norma Range & Training 124 grain FMJ. The groups varied between 1.13 and 2.44 inches in size.
[6]Earlier in the day, I had cleared brush to extend the range to 50 yards. So after testing at 25 yards, I took advantage of the new possibility to move back to 50 yards. From that distance, I fired three shot groups using the TelaAmmo, Winchester, and Norma loads. The groups varied between 1.56 and 3.25 inches in size with the TelaAmmo and the Norma loads producing the best groups and the Winchester loads producing the worst. I noticed that the plastic liner in the Winchester ammo box was broken. I wondered if the box had been dropped, and whether that might have contributed to the poorer performance of the Winchester ammo.
The groups (except for the Winchester groups) were better overall than I expected while using an AK with a cheap red dot sight.
Finally, I verified that the chamber was clear, put my equipment away, returned to the house, and cleaned the rifle.
Conclusions
I was pleased with the craftsmanship and the performance of the M70. It worked well, and it was fun to shoot. If you need a good homestead defense tool or a fun range toy, the M70 would be an excellent choice.
Disclaimer
Zastava was kind enough to loan me a sample of the ZPAP M70 for testing and evaluation. They had allowed me to test their M90 and M77 for previous articles. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity, and I believe that I succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.