The other 7.62x39 bolt gun

[sappyg]

That's true WW.

A friend not familiar with bolt guns or Mauser action fired a couple of rounds yesterday. He couldn't get mean enough with the bolt to run it smooth of that makes sense. While not a true Mauser action you do have to treat the M85 with deliberate intent. With this in mind the little bolt gun will pound out easy hits.

Bound up the magazine twice yesterday. Seems you alo need to take care while charging the magazine with those x39 rounds. Get it wrong and you will know right away. The 1st. Cartridge will not budge.

Accuracy is as expected and ejection is Mauser like. I'm ok with the little Zastava ,but then again, haven't had any unreasonable expectations IMO.

 

[WardenWolf]

My advice is to carefully cycle the action and figure out where it's hanging up. It may need to be de-burred or just filed in a couple of spots to make it run more smoothly. Even "broken in" milsurps sometimes need that. I had to file the magazine lip on my SVT-40 in order to get it running well.

 

[greyling22]

I have an M85 in 7.62 x 39 as well as a Ruger 77 Hawkeye Compact in same caliber. Unfortunately the Ruger is no longer made as it is superior in every way to the Zastava M85, which I also own in .223 as well. The Ruger routinely gives me less than 1" 3 shot groups at 100 yards with almost all ammo I have tried, including the steel cased cheap ammo. The M85 really struggles to get under 2" with any ammo. I typically get 4" groups with it using Wolf or Tula where I get sub 1" with the Ruger with the same ammo. The best grouping ammo that I have found thus far in the M85 that I have is S&B 123 gr SP, which groups at 1.5-1.75" with 3 shot groups at 100 yards. Given that this is a 200 yard rifle at maximum (for hunting purposes anyway) I am not too worried about it as 1.5" or 2" is sufficient for that distance. But what really concerns me about the M85 is as mentioned earlier, and that is issues with the extractor. I have had issues using both steel cased ammo as well as brass cased ammo. It will extract the fired case from the chamber but seems to lose it's grip on the rim before hitting the ejector, leaving the empty case loose in the action without properly ejecting. I sent it back to Century and it was "repaired" and sent back but it is only marginally better than before, with issues still present. BTW, I do not have any issues at all with my M85 in 223 caliber. It works superbly and that is one reason that I bought one in 7.62 x 39.

Based on the extractor issues, I would not recommend this rifle in 7.62 x 39.

Jim, have you tried some 50 grain bullets in your 223? I have the charles daly lefty version of that gun, and it sprays 55 and up all over, but drop it down to 50 grains and it will group very nicely. Never had an extractor issue with mine, though I did lighten the striker spring, and had to bevel the mag follower edges to get it to feed right.

 

[jimbeaux82]

Greyling22,

as I stated in my post, I have never had any problems with my M85 in 223 caliber. All of my problems have been isolated to the M85 in 7.62x39. And I have had my M85 223 for over 20 years and shot it extensively. It has handled everything from 50 grs to 62 grains without issue, giving groups of 3/4 - 1.5" depending on ammo. I primarily shoot 55 gr in it and I usually get 5 shot groups at 100 yds hovering around 1". My rifle has a 1-12 twist. Have you checked to see what your rifle has? If it is 1-12 twist also, you should have no trouble stabilizing 55 gr bullets. Perhaps you have found 1 type of 55 grain bullet that your particular rifle does not like.

 

[bfoosh006]

Sappyg, I strongly suggest you try some Hornady 123gr SST ammo in that rifle... my groups were considerably smaller then the various bulk 7.62x39.

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/hornady-steel-ammo-762x39mm-russian-123-grain-sst-ammunition-p-2629.aspx

And I haven't had a chance to try it but have very high hopes ( based on their .223 loads accuracy ) on the GECO 7.62x39... maybe buy a box while you are ordering the Horn. The brass is reloadable.

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/geco-762-39mm-ammo-124-grain-fmj-265840020-p-55743.aspx

 

[solvability]

The Zastava 22 LR rifle is a bargain as well - well made and quite accurate.

 

[jimbeaux82]

Sappyg, I strongly suggest you try some Hornady 123gr SST ammo in that rifle... my groups were considerably smaller then the various bulk 7.62x39.

My M85 does not like the 123 gr SST rounds. 3" - 3 shot groups at best. Wish I knew why as I would like to use this round for hunting.

 

[greyling22]

my bad, I thought you were struggling with 223, not x39. Must have misread your post.

I have a 1:12 twist myself. I cannot get any of the 55+ grainers I have tried to group under an inch. Most hover around 2". Every 50 grainer I have tried has been around 1" or less. go figure. Maybe my rifle is just particular.

 

[sappyg]

I might give the SST's a try. Curious if those bullets mike out at .308 or .311? This could make a difference in jimbeaux's rifle. I haven't slugged the bore but I'm guessing the bore will be .311 in the Zastava.

I expect to shoot mine at 100 yards only occasionally and plan on using cheap bulk ammo almost exclusively. Hoping to avoid a scope for as long as my eyes hold up. Even then I would probably go to a peep sight 1st. I have other bolt guns better suited for a scope than the M85 IMO.

 

[GLOOB]

Bound up the magazine twice yesterday. Seems you alo need to take care while charging the magazine with those x39 rounds. Get it wrong and you will know right away. The 1st. Cartridge will not budge.

Sappy. Try this:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/35...700-adl-bdl-short-action-17-222-223-remington

You have to dremel on the ends a little. This spring is slightly wider than the Zastava's. So you have to make the ends a skosh narrower to get it to fit in the slot in the follower and in the floorplate. But it's a thinner steel stock with tighter bends in it, which should get you a little more room in the mag. Per the reviews, some guys can't even get the full 5+1 into the stock 7.62 rifle, and I bet this will help. At any rate, take a mental note. A lot of reviews are reporting premature mag spring failure in this gun, and TBH, I broke mine almost immediately by lightly trying to stretch it.

This spring is also (a lot) stronger. It eliminated the feeding issues I had with my M85 in 223 (second to last round popping out, causing a double feed), and it also allows me to get an extra round in that caliber. I can load 6+1 or even 7+0.

In a few months, my M85 has close to the same round count I have on the Savage 110 I have had for a few years. It's a comfortable rifle with a nice and ergonomic stock, good trigger, and good fixed sights. I've had a blast with this gun. If the 22 LR shortage keeps up, my M85 will surpass the round count on my Savage MkII in short order, as well. I'm sending lots o cast lead downrange in this gun, and accuracy is great.

To smooth mine out, I put crushed up some green buffing bar into some mineral oil and applied that to the bolt (keeping it off the bolt face/lugs) and cycled the action about a 100 times. It still binds if you try to push the bolt forward while it's canted to the right, but it's otherwise smooth as butter.

If I had known how much I would end up liking this rifle, I might have bought two.

 

[sappyg]

Took the M85 Out to 100 yards today. Using the same Monarch ammo used at 25 yards it hits about 6" high with the same hold. Had to try some Kentucky wind age and after some trial and error finally got the rounds on target. Looks to be a 4" gun at 100 yards with this ammo. This 8 round target is fine by me now that I know where to hold.

Ejection is the same as ever but the bolt has gotten a little sluggish after 120 rounds of this cheap steel ammo. Think I need to clean it up a bit. Had 2 more failures to feed on the 1st round again. Starting to think it's more of an issue of case design and the double stack magazine now. If you don't get every round loaded flush to the back of the magazine box and the round is too far forward the bolt can lock up. The CZ single stack mag sounds like a better way to deal with the cartridge taper of the 7.62x39

Fantastic little rifle! I'm considering options for a peep sight.