How much quality difference is there between a PSA AK and a Zastava M70? Thanks

Aren't PSA AKs constantly having quality issues? I've been sitting on getting one for a long time (and now indefinitely since the russian ammo ban).

My OPAP is a great shooter after I replaced the sheperds hook that was messing up the trigger group. It has been flawless since.

The current Zastava imports are great. My only gripe is that the bolt and carrier are left in the white, which is odd.

quote:

Originally posted by JoshNC:
My only gripe is that the bolt and carrier are left in the white, which is odd.

That's not odd... That's traditional. Original AK-47s had "in the white" bolts and bolt carriers. Finished bolts/carriers were introduced with the AKM update in 1959.

Even after the Russians switched to applying a finish to their bolts/carriers, a number of countries - like China and Yugoslavia - continued to retain the "in the white" bolts/carriers on their AK family rifle production.

I am new to AKs, but I own a PSA AK103 and have shot a Zastava AK pistol.

My AK103 is super soft shooting and has been 100% reliable through a couple hundred rounds (pushing 300, I do not count). It came with an FN chrome lined barrel and forged trunnion, as well as other nice features. Fit & finish is excellent. Wear minimal.

The Z pistol was pretty sweet, both supressed and unsuppressed. As expected, it was 100% reliable. I did not like the factory trigger and as expected the recoil was much greater than the AK103. Fit & finish was nothing to brag about, but OK.

I would trust both for serious work. I am not an expert, but I do not think that I compromised anything buying the PSA product.

All that said, I want a Zastava, but I am unwilling to pay a premium.

An M70 may be an (old) OPAP or NPAP; a new production M70 is a ZPAP. The NPAPs were OK but not terribly popular. The OPAPs had no problems beyond some tendency for canted sights and the occasional bent receiver. The ZPAPs had some initial problems but seem to be (almost?) entirely unproblematic these days.

PSA AKs are doing better, but don't seem to have quite hit the point where the manufacturer is depending more on build quality for having no problems rather than overworking their customer service staff. That's not entirely surprising; I'm a PSA fan but that's been their buisness model for years. There are apparently differences between different PSA models, but I don't know enough about them to tell you whether the most expensive versions are problem-free just yet.

A PSA would be a fun experiment if I had some mad money just lying around. I own both the OPAP and ZPAP and would rely on either without hesitation. The Zastava is easily worth one or two hundred dollars more than the PSA to me.

Incidentally, I don't think I've ever seen a factory (or Century drunken monkey built) M70 that did NOT have the bolt and carrier in the white.

I own a PSA AK-V that has been a hoot to shoot and keep thinking I need a AK47, just which one?

At the moment conventional thinking on the internutz seems to be to go with either a WASR or a Zastava, for whatever that's worth to you.

There's enough difference to say: "Get the Zastava over the PSA".

Mind you I'm thinking out loud but with 7.62X39 ammo increasing in cost will that in it's self slow the sale of AK's to a trickle?

quote:

Originally posted by jdshank:
I own a PSA AK-V that has been a hoot to shoot and keep thinking I need a AK47, just which one?

If money is not a factor, look at Rifle Dynamics in Las Vegas.

quote:

Originally posted by jdshank:
Mind you I'm thinking out loud but with 7.62X39 ammo increasing in cost will that in it's self slow the sale of AK's to a trickle?

Not a chance. Reddit alone will keep AKs expensive for some time to come, there are two more years of import licenses to be used, and, if you shop around, you can already see new sources developing. If ARs sell when generic 5.56 ammo is running at 33 cents a shot, AKs aren't going anywhere.

I've got 2, but they're the pistol modles which i SBR'd ... the M85 (223) & the M92 (7.62x39) and both have been flawless. The wood isn't finished and I keep telling myself I'm going to do something about that but 3 years later I haven't. They do have a nice sanded finish, and they aren't show pieces so I'm not too worried.

Definitely the M70 over the PSA. The PSA AK's are close but not up to old world AK standards.
I had this sbr'd from a military M92 built from a virgin kit way back in 2005. It has been reliable & accurate over thousands of rounds of different 7.62x39.
If the newer manufactured ones are anything close to this quality, you'll be pleased with your choice.

From what I understand the new Zastavas have chrome lined barrels which is a plus IMO in case you run into a bunch of corrosive ammo when the SHTF.

I believe you are correct. They do come with a chromed lined barrel. My M92 did not as the Yugoslavs didn't chrome them back then.