In a recent post, I wrote that I had recently acquired a Zastava M85 chambered in 7.62x39mm. The rifle, manufactured by Serbia’s Zastava Arms and imported by Century Arms International, is a compact bolt action priced just right for a gun that will fill the role primarily as a plinker and secondarily as deer rifle for close to medium range work.

Earlier this week I got the rifle to the local range for its first live fire trial and while there are some characteristics of the gun that are less than stellar, I’m inclined to think it will ultimately fill its intended niche adequately. Here’s the lowdown on the Zastava M85.

Shooting

I couldn’t, in good conscience, title this section “accuracy” as my currently rusty level of proficiency, excessive coffee consumption, and the absence of a scope precluded me from conducting a meaningful accuracy trial.

I was unable to find scope mounts locally for the Zastava, meaning that the Weaver 3-9x40mm scope I purchased with the rifle sat uselessly in its box during the range trip (mounts are currently on order from an online retailer). This was a problem since I am admittedly a poor shot when using basic iron sights like the type that come stock on the M85. I generally do well with scopes and aperture sights such as peeps and ghost rings, but I’m effectively useless with basic irons beyond 50 yards.

Still, I was eager to fire my new rifle and took to the range with a box of Tula, 124 grain jacked hollowpoints and a box of American Eagle, 124 grain full metal jackets. Ammo availability is still a problem at the time of this article’s posting, but I hope to try a wider variety of loads in the near future.

At 50 yards from a bench rest I shot two nearly identical 5-round groups of approximately 2 to 3- inches. Such groups are admittedly mediocre, but are about as well as I’ll do with any rifle that has iron sights.

I’d rather not write about my 100-yard “groups” and I absolutely refuse to submit photographic evidence of their existence. I will say that most of the rounds I fired at least hit the 8×10-inch targets I was using. More practice and less coffee seem to be the lessons here.

Above: 50yard groups through the Zastava M85. The group on the left was printed by the Tula 124 grain hollow point ammo; the group on the right was made with American Eagle 124 grain full metal jacket ammo.

Fit and function

While it would be unfair to judge the rifle’s accuracy potential based on the above test, I was able to take note of the rifle’s mechanical and ergonomic characteristics. In general, I found the rifle comfortable to hold and shoulder. The walnut, Monte-Carlo stock fit me well.

The trigger, while not as smooth and light as one found on a competition-grade instrument, was more than crisp enough for use in the woods, on the farm, or at the gravel pit.

An interesting and much appreciated feature sported by the M85 is a detachable magazine floor plate. Pressing a button located at the front of the trigger guard allows the magazine floor plate to unhinge, meaning the user can quickly and easily unload at the end of a long day afield.

Above: The M85′s detachable magazine floor plate.

The Zastava M85’s action is, unfortunately, less than smooth. If the bolt is not worked just right when ejecting a round, it tends to bind, stick, and require considerable jostling to return forward. I’m hoping that with repeated polishing and break-in from use, the problem will diminish over time.

It should also be noted that extraction of spent, steel cases required substantially more force than the extraction of brass cases. This is of little concern to me as I prefer to buy brass case ammo that can later be reloaded.

The bottom line

Although the Zastava M85 is by no means a perfectly slick machine, I am not one to expect competition level quality from a $450 rifle. If the M85 ultimately always goes off when I need it to, doesn’t break and proves consistently capable of hitting gallon jug sized targets at 50+ yards, I’ll be happy.
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The acquisition of a new firearm is not regular occurrence for me and such an event typically only takes place after a rare windfall or the liquidation of unneeded and unused personal property. It follows that on those exceedingly rare occasions where I can work a new gun into the budget, deciding upon which gun to buy is a tedious, drawn-out, and irritating process fraught with excessive hemming, hawing, and internet research.

When disposable income is limited (and realistically not all that disposable) the inclination is to seek a do-it-all gun or at the very least a multi-purpose gun. In my case, I knew I wanted a light weight, quick handling rifle capable of taking deer at close to medium range that would also be a lot of fun to use to punch paper at the range or plink bits of debris at the local gravel pit. It’s a tall order to fill.

Initially, I had my sights set on a Ruger 77/44, but two factors derailed this plan: cost and availability. I knew that after the addition of a decent scope, sales tax, and possible shipping fees, it was likely that the ultimate price tag for the purchase would be $1,000 or more and thus out of my price range. Additionally, most of Ruger’s fine products are currently back ordered to the fullest possible extent, meaning it was unlikely that I would locate a dealer that had one in stock.

Even though a 77/44 was likely out of the question, I still wanted something that would fill the niche of a mostly fun gun that could take medium game at common woods ranges. Ultimately, I spotted a Zastava M85 in 7.62x39mm on the wall of a local gun shop. Even though the rifle was chambered in a comparatively light round (the 7.62x39mm is ballistically similar to, but not quite as powerful as the venerable .30-30 Win.), it still met most of my requirements: short overall length and light weight, chambered in a deer-capable round that won’t generate enough recoil to make hamburger of my shoulder, and a bolt action for ease of cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, the M85 had a price tag of approximately $450, which was well within my range.

Above: The Zastava M85 (top) is approximately the same size and weight as a Savage Mark II in .22 lr. (bottom).

Admittedly, I had (and still have at the time of this post) a handful of reservations about the M85. For instance, the bolt seems to bind and require a fair amount of jostling to close. Also, my research indicated that the rifle’s extractor is a weak point and is prone to breaking when cycling inexpensive steel cased ammo (the exact kind that most people like to use on water jugs and rotting vegetables). That being said, my research also indicated that the action could be smoothed with a little polishing of the bolt. I’m not that concerned about a potentially weak extractor since the rifle will be relegated to hunting and plinking rather than personal defense. If an extractor breaks, I’ll simply curse, grumble, and order a new one.

Above: a 7.62x39mm round (center) compared to a .270 Win. round (left) and a .308 Win. round (right).

I plan to give the Zastava M85 its initial range trial in a few days. Until then, here are the rifle’s specs.

Make: Zastava Arms of Serbia (Currently imported by Century Arms International)

Model: M85

Chamber: 7.62x39mm (reviewed), .223 Rem., and .22 Hornet

Action: Push Feed Bolt Action

Capacity: 5 + 1

Barrel: 20-inch, blued

Sights: Adjustable iron

Receiver: drilled and tapped to accept a scope mount

Stock: Walnut, Monte-Carlo

Overall Length: 39.8 inches

Weight: 6 lbs.

Additional Notes: Zastava M85s were previously imported by the now defunct Charles Daly firearms and then by Remington from 2006 to 2008 as the Model  799. (96)