Yugoslav M70A: The AK With a Real Magazine Holdopen
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
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Yugoslavia began development of a Kalashnikov pattern rifle in 1959. The Yugoslav rifle would be distinct from the standard Soviet model, as evidenced by features like the gas cutoff for grenade launching and the early use of a true bolt hold open feature.
The first version was the M64, but this saw very limited production. The first large scale model produced was the M70 (fixed stock) and M70A (under folder), and that is what we are looking at today. Note that these rifles are frequently misidentified as the M64 pattern.
These rifles include a bolt holdopen attached by a screw in the left side of the receiver. They use a magazine that is identical to the standard AK magazine, but with a notch cut in the left side for actuating the hold open. This device was removed form later versions of the rifle and retroactively removed form many M70 and M70A rifles because its presence prevented the use of standard AK magazines - and that was seen as more important than the hold open feature. In its place, Yugoslavia adopted a new magazine follower with a flat rear surface that would hold the bolt open, but only until the magazine was removed. This at least altered the user that the magazine was empty, which is worthwhile.
Rifles retaining the hold open device are very rare today in the former Yugoslavia, and essentially nonexistent in the US. Thanks to this rifle's owner for sharing it with me, along with the very cool Slovenian deployment case!
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Fun fact : Yugo AK is the only AK produced by reverse engineering.
Yugoslavia back then was not a friend with Stalin Soviet union, to put it mildly, thats why they used 2 captured Soviet AK (1952..53) to produce their own. Unfortaly yugoslav army officers were too short minded to realise the potential of the AK platform and stuck with the yugo version of SKS (PAP M59) for years to come. Only approximately 10 years after the first yugo AK prototype was done the army heads realised that the AK could be a good idea.
EDIT:
8:30 Ian Yugoslavia wasnt in Warshaw pact, for example YU airforce used US fighter planes F 86 Sabre sold new by the US, had a licence for French helicopters Gazelle, a licence for the UK RR jet engine, etc
Not really a things to gave by the west to the soviet satelite state.
that 2 AK that're brought by defecting Albanian soldiers arent sufficient enough to be fully reverse engineered, they have to import alot of AK from an African nation to get enough specimens to studied to finally get things right.
The first AK brought to Finland was smugled in from Poland.
China?
But if that's how they did it, why must they pick the same caliber as the Soviet AK? Shouldn't they get another caliber to avoid compatibility with Soviet ak in a hypothetical conflict with the Soviet Union? The only thing they are interested in should be the mechanism right?
@@minhducnguyen9276 Logistically it makes sense for everyone to have some form of compatibility, mainly magazines and ammo.
Probably the most common item in average Balkan household besides rakija
Nobody but nobody on balkan have this at home
@@maximus-6788 I am from the Balkans and I know several people who do
In any former Yugoslav republics as ordinary citizen Extremly hard to own military weapons you can legally own only semi automatic , You can NOT own automatic weapons.But hell yeah Rakija is home made just like moonshine in US🍹
@@dakikokic5456 Ne znam gdje ti živiš. Balkan ima oružja po tavanima za još 10 ratova. Dođi kod mene kad budu veće proslave da vidiš šta sve ljudi imaju. Poz
@@MrScar665 Ilegalno da,neko mozda u garazi i dalje ima nekakav bestrzajac ili cak top sto se desavalo da nadju ali legalno ne mozes kupiti automatsko naoruzanje niti u jednoj drzavi na balkanu u ovom slucaju zastavinu AB 1 i AB 2 osim u polu automatskom rezimu i sa smanjenom kadencom.Svo toi naoruzanje sto je ostalo iz ratova je sada van resursa ili osteceno i nije sigurno da budes za rukohvatom ili iza nisana istog jer moze da se desi veliki belaj .Poenta je da Automatsko naoruzanje je iskljucivo rezervisano za vojsku i policiju ma u kojoj drzavi zivio i to u nekim krugovima zovu pacifikacija stanovnistva.Pozdrav
I love the lunacy of the ground off bayonet lugs, as if a knife hanging of the end of your gun makes it more than a gun.
Who ever was the first reply to Zanzibar you are apparently shadow banned.... Can't read your post :(
Shit now I wonder if I'm shadow banned as well, it's a never ending cycle!
Well idk what would you say after getting stabbed by a gun
All living species are afraid and intimidated by sharp things. Also in psychology.
Weapon reliably blasts 30 rounds of hate hundreds of yards downrange but can't dare to have a knife stuck on the end of the barrel. A true example of bureaucratic failure.
@@maxpax3351 can you see this post? I can see yours
Have one of these and it's my favorite AK. Mine has tritium night sights. The Yugos are the Cadillac of AKs.
the popular name of the rifle is a "gypsy"
For anyone curious, the mask in the deployment kit is a Yugoslavian M1, they're a direct copy of the 1950's era US M9A1 gas mask. Not the greatest masks, and the rubber is infamous among collectors for eventually melting into a big puddle of Yugoslavian Silly Putty. Also that one is in really rough shape, the head harness rivets have fallen out of the mask it seems, which is a semi common occurrence with masks that use rivets to secure the head harness retention parts on.
Hey! I know you! And yeah, I've seen a substantial number of M1s where the melting process begins at the harness rivets. It's usually there or around the filter port from what I've seen.
This is actually M2 mask. M1 were older more common models, M2s have 40mm NATO filter thread and a different design.
@@VictorIndiaDeltaAlfa No, it is M1, it has 60mm thread and "big nose" design, M2 has much smaller "nose".
@@Bojan_Kavedzic You are correct, I thought I saw a screws under the lenses...
@Luke Terpstra There have been multiple people who have had their masks melt or dry rot horribly, there is something wrong with that rubber blend, simple as that. Hell, even the newer M2s are starting to melt and dry rot at an alarming rate.
I love that kit with everything together.
Right? It's very cool.
@@ForgottenWeapons I wonder how much the price if someone sold it in the auction in complete kit
That kit is awesome! I'm gonna duplicate that with my old Dutch army gasmask, Kevlar helmet, issued Buck M9 bayonet, Diemaco C7 mags and a maintenance pouch! Cool!
Slovens were always most practical nation in Yugoslavia
@@mynick937 Thats true but what is also true is that all that stuff was made by serbians
Gas mask is not "soviet style", it is a copy of the US M9A1 :). Night paint was NOT radium based one, but non-radioactive that you had to illuminate with flashlight before it would work. Later switch to tritium sights was made. Real reason for ditching bolt hold open is still unknown.
Many of those Yugo masks were exported to Iraq. I picked one up during Desert Storm, but they wouldn't let us bring home any of the filters (some filters were reportedly contaminated by mustard gas).
@@jarink1 I believe they used GP5 (Soviet) gas mask filters and the filters themselves have asbestos in them so you don't want to use those filters.
Was just about to comment this about the gas mask lol. I do actually have one of the Iraqi-Issued Yugo M1 gas masks in my collection, too.
@@fatcat9390 no, they don't use GP5 (civilian) or any Soviet military filters, and have a much larger thread. I have all 3 varieties.
@@fatcat9390 No, GP-5 and other 40mm filters do not fit on M1 since it uses 60mm filters. US, Canada, Netherland, Finland, Yugoslavia and few other made 60mm filters.
As for asbestos in Soviet filters, that is way overblown issue, since there was less than 2% asbestos in the particle filter and it is solidly bound in the particle filter paper. Occasional use of gas mask will not lead to any issues associated with long exposure to asbestos. Yugoslavia never used asbestos in filters, but as with original US and other M9A1 copies, filters contain chromium as a catalyzer to degrade poisons. This is not an issue in regular use, but can be issue if you are disassembling filter or it is old and charcoal dust is present where it should not be.
Currently sitting naked in a leather chair holding a zastava and a signed copy of “chassepot to famas”
Living your best life
@@alexdemoya2119 up until my mom walked into my room without knocking to collect laundry
I sleep naked in bed with my m92 lol
Got to carry an m70AB when I was training up Iraqi soldiers. Out of all the the AK pattern rifles I git to shoot, thus was the Cadillac of them all. For some reason i remember a rate reducer roller that pressed on the bottom of the bolt. It made it very manageable to shoot long FA bursts
M70AB2 gun Serbia army
Delivered from YU
Sounds like my kinda gun! Say about 400-450 rpm?
Ian is slowly becoming a Southern Slav.
he is becoming Иван 😂
When he wears a tracksuit to a BUG match, the conversion will be complete.
Does he squat like Western Spy or Gopnik?
@@davidbrennan660 by now I bet he is a cull heel gopnik
@@davidbrennan660 He can fire from a squat with both heels on the ground, so I'd say he can certainly Slav Squat
Russian AK: Who are you?
Yugo AK: I’m you, with the flaws removed
Amen.
Where's the quote from? Seems vaguely familiar.
@@thejackal5099 I got it from Tomb Raider Underworld
@@Tadicuslegion78 Oh right I remember it's from one of the Xbox 360 dlcs
Meh the major flaw of the AK platform is that it lets in mud , sand , snow , etc in far too easily.
Something this one still has. In fact I would argue the bolt hold open only makes that flaw worse.
Wow the bolt hold open, the bayonet, the rifle grenades, the improved dust covers, the flip up night sights...it's actually just a better made AK-12 lol
12:07 Actually, you need to place the knife the other way round: you cut the wire with the back of the knife, not with the actual blade. Though most of the knives were there for ceremonial purposes and were useless as bayonets. If you dropped the standard issued bayonet, it would most likely snap in (at least) two pieces...
Druze jel i tebe ubilo kad je citao Kragujevac na pocetku 😫😫😫
@@djordjekaljevic5725 ni ne govori, uzas i ocaj XD nisam gledao, jedva sam primetio da govori o kragujevcu
video sam u vojsci kako liku ispada bajonet i puca kod spoja sa drskom!
@@djordjekaljevic5725 ,,Kragiževič" xD pa kaže: ,,nije tako, ali blisko sam" xD e, bolan, idi probaj autostop s' tim izgovorom :D Aj, ovo drugo, al' što je pročit'o ,,u" i ,,a" oboje kao ,,i"...e, to me je ubilo :D to ne može, ne ide tako na bilo kom jeziku xD
@@djordjekaljevic5725 Jeste "sotonska jota", a lepo je Mitropolit Stratimirović govorio da se to ne unosi u srp(b)ski jezik, za njih je to "džej"
Yugo AK’s are some of the nicest ones out there.
Well bugger me Mikhail... they gave us these in bootcamp as a stand-in for dry (no ammo) tactics drills, before being issued a personal AK-74 that we use when deployed. Without any explanation of the additional features. We were thinking they were just jamming all the time / had some kind of bootleg mags in them.
This video certainly explains a lot...
Which army?
@@Bojan_Kavedzic Ak-74 znaci zemlje bivseg Sovjetskog prostora
@@Bojan_Kavedzic Volunteer unit in the Ukrainian AF
My dad has the AKM bayonet in his collection. When he showed me the wire cutter for the first time it was the most genius thing I've seen.
O yeah...but that bayonet oftenly break because of that hole for wire cutter!
yes the wire Cutter was a fantastic idea, i have 3 east german versions, one 6Ch2 (was surprised about the exellent Quality) , one 6Ch3 and one 6Ch4 style all brandnew with black Grips, plus a used Razorsharp (thx to "Mister Minit") 6Ch3.
also had a US Vietnam era Bayonett, Federal German Fallschirmjäger (Para) Fallmesser and a german Army Kampfmesser called Kappmesser during my service in naval infantry but my lil Brother stole all Three Knifes and lost it.
@@Sturminfantrist Oh man that's heartbreaking. How tf did he lost them??
@@Vollce He carried them in the City, one was stolen from him, the other 2 confiscated by Police, its not allowed in Germany to carry big Knives but you can carry/store big Knives in your own house/Property.
he also ruined my Vietnam Era Jungle Fatique uniform :(
Lil Brothers can sometimes be pain in the a...!
That opening will wake you up in the morning!
My first non-22lr rifle was a Century built Yugo M70AB2 underfolder, with flip-up faded night sights and GL sight/gas cut-off. It came with a converted Yugo mag, that has that BHO notch cut-out, but a flat-backed BHO follower too.
Later I got most of the Yugo kit to go with it (GL spigot, cleaning kit & brass oil bottle, 4-mag carrier, yugo bayonet), along with a bunch of yugo bho mags and a bunch of those cool green crates of M67 FMJ.
I've also experimented with blanks, factory & reloads, and dummy rubber rifle g'nades. Way more fun than lawn darts!
Isn't Century Arms just the importer? I don't think they built those.
AK / M70 with BHO: advantage - lefties.
It looks like you can beat a bank vault open with it, and the bakelite mp40 looking grip is pretty cool. It's too bad they didn't go all the way putting a bolt release on it, as it is you still need to rack the bolt handle although not as far. Sending the bolt home with the push of a button on an AK would make you the center of attention pretty much anywhere
Grip is glass reinforced nylon, and patterned after SIG P210 pistol grip. Not a joke. :)
@@Bojan_Kavedzic Yeah that will hold up a lot better than bakelite, it's pretty much the direct descendant with a plastic reinforced with fiber material, but bakelite has that feel to it were it's still a noble material somewhat. Overall I'm impressed it's beefy looks well made, it has a chinese ak vibe about it, like a milled receiver polytech with tritium sights. I don't get why nobody is making this style of higher grade ak more available in the US especially now that there is more of a market for them beyond hardcore collectors. Imagine this Ak with discreet mounting options on it, assorted optics, muzzle devices, were you can get it all in one place like a custom order 1911, those would sell like crazy.
@@Bojan_Kavedzic Thanks for the info !
@@Bojan_Kavedzic Haha holy shit it's literally the original P210 grip; I checked google images and the only difference is that thumb cutout. cheers for ur other info in comments too
@@AdamOwenBrowning Yeah, one of the engineers working in Zastava at the time owned P210 and since better shaped grip was required he used it to develop that one.
I have a Yugo M72 that has 2 bolt hold open functionalities. The first is the magazine, with rubber pads on the lifter, and the second is actually part of the trigger mechanism thanks to loose tolerances; if I pull the bolt back and pull the trigger, I can get the two to cam together and hold back, which is useful for helping the barrel cool down even faster and for showing the gun is clear when on a range, though having a dedicated cutout on the safety/ dust cover is more functionally useful.
Another outstanding video, my friend! 👍🏻👍🏻❤️
I am currently in the process of building a milled M70. The Yugoslavian AK’s from this particular era were built like tanks. They are my AK of choice in the realm of AK rifles. The Yugoslavian manufacturers even went the extra mile when it came to stamped receivers as well.
Once again, thank you very much for continuing to provide us with the operational, developmental and performance information for such a wide variety of firearms.
Have a great week, my friend. 🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸
U ratu '91 imao u rukama više AK47...Rumunjski, Kineski, Češki itd. Ali ovaj YU.. AK70 je najbolji. Izrada vrhunska...kvaliteta završna...preciznost i pouzdanost! Daleko najbolji 'kalaš!
Zivela!
Samo što taj češki nije bio baš kalaš, imali su neki svoj sistem koji je bio drugačiji ;)
Yugo guns are highly underrated. The A model was super forward thinking. Sad it didn’t remain the standard
Agreed. I like my Zastava M70. But it is chambered in 32ACP.
@@pithicus52 Seen that. It would be more dangerous if you'd throw it to opponent. A heavy piece of steel ;-)
@@burnout-d That would give me only one shot and only work at very close range. But yes it is a heavy chunk of steel compared to modern plastic guns. I don't know about you, but I do not want to be on the wrong end of a 32. The Zastava M70 pistol in 32 was used by the Yugoslav police.
not true, Yugo is the worse, it is heavier and non chrome barrel rusts fast
I don't think it's underrated. Allot of nations use Zastavas even some African rebels.
I also see that it's really popular in the American market for civilians; at least what I see on youtube.
Thanks to the owner of this Yugoslav M70A because without it, Ian won’t be able to showcase the greatness of this gun. Thanks to Ian as well for always educating us
At 12:30 , The gas mask which was used by Yugoslavia (the M1) is actually a copy of the USA’s gas mask used up until the Vietnam War (the M9). The bag is also based on an American pattern.
Yugo military equipment is this pretty interesting blend of both the Western and Eastern blocs, given the fact they weren’t aligned with NATO nor the Warsaw Pact.
They also had some WW2 German equipment mixed in. M48 was a copy of K98, M53 was a copy of MG42, Yugoslav paratroopers used captured STG44 rifles, captured Stahlhelm helmets were used until Yugoslavia started making its own helmets, etc.
@@ZP1993 Exactly, was kinda lumping “German” and “Western” into the same group lol.
8x57 even remained so relevant in Yugoslavia, that it was chosen for some marksmen rifles, such as the AK based M76.
I had a "Khyber build" that had a bolt that stayed open. It was a franken AK of multiple parts kits and nationalities.
Intentionally or not?
@@Tunkkis 😂
@@Tunkkis intentionally. It was advertised as a "Khyber Build" from. Lee Armory in AZ. Reputable builder. Rifle was, unique. Had features I liked so I bought it.
@@Subpac_ww2 Really neat!
I am very jealous of your position that allows you to just buy a rifle because you feel like it. Where I live it is a multi-week, sometimes multi-month process just for the paperwork.
@@Tunkkis here in Ohio you just need to provide the address of an FFL and it ships there. Still fill out the form and they still call the FBI to make sure I'm not a murderer. Lol.
Thank you, Yugoslavia, for taking the most common rifle in the world and making it better.
They made it worse, by making it non chrome line barrel and overall unnecessary heavier AK that needs special magazine
@@ZavodnikSFRJ We dont have Chrome deposits so if we have to be reliant on imports its a no no.
Clean that rifle soldier and quit your moaning!
"KAGUŽEVEČ" 😂👍🏻
But the fact is that this is the best version.
He had better pronunciation in some earlier videos, probably slivovitz was culprit
I bought a Zastava Import M70 and in my opinion it is the best ak for the price with its features in the American market
I'm so glad you made a video about this. I've been trying to get one of these.
Those grenade launching adapters can be (and were) used as a "improvised" flash hider, particularly useful in low light.
I love yugo engineering it’s just so cool to me, very much more com block aesthetic but with a little western flare much like Yugoslavia itself, pity how it ended out it was obviously gonna fail that was clear from the very beginning, but I wish it could’ve broken up peacefully
You are a lucky man Ian! As always thanks for sharing
20 views? Earliest I've been to one of Ian's videos in nearly a decade. I feel spoiled.
Earliest ive been to anything!
58 seconds!
Must’ve gone up by a thousand by the time you were done with it, that counter goes fast af
Haha.... I've never been earlier than 1500 😀
You nailed it with this one, Ian.
12:34 The gas mask is actually a clone of American M9 design which was distributed as an aid package to Yugoslavia, almost everyone in countries of the former Yugoslavia has one, I have one too,
It's also identical to the one finland had previously. I have one at home also.
I have a couple of them and they all melted -_-
@@user-is2mj2ig4v Yeah, when they are very old or not stored properly they decay
It never occurred to me until this video that left handed shooters can pull a right bolt back with their off hand.
but the shells still shoot past their face(obviously). that's why the galil is so popular with rightys. among other left side chargers, fal, etc. its too bad more rifles dont have that feature. someday someone will design a true ambi fighting rifle that has the ability to swap the charger to either side while maintaining a sealed action
@@binalith4898 ... some modern AR-15 already are fully ambi... like unfortuned WWSD...
Beautifully crafted piece
11:30 Real-life loot crate and Gun Jesus got just a regular helmet. Got buy 20 more of those to get some spec ops/tacticool stuff.
The inventor of this rifle, Kalasnikov, checked the quality of our AK during his visit to Serbia. His statement is that the Serbian version of the AK is even better than the original. The rifle is indestructible, precise, reliable, it means perfection.
True the zastava version of ak is better and I can say it as it fires much faster and rapidly
Finally!!! You're doing this rifle. The newer AB2 is the pinnacle of ak tech to me.
The best feature was the corroding barrel.
@@ahura skill issue, just clean it properly
@@lukamacura7656 You think I buy an AK to "clean" it?
Lol
@@getmeoutofsanfrancisco9917 This is not a civilan rifle, but a military one. Average soldier should clean his rifle after use, so a non chromed barrel is not a problem.
@@ahura Not if you cleaned it every day as we did in military .
Thank you for reviewing another one of my favorite firearms.
About darn time for one of these
8:35 Yugoslavia was never part of the Warsaw pact. Despite being communists, Tito and the communist partisans had essentially liberated the country on there own by the time the Russians had shown up so the soviets could not occupy them under the guise of liberation. Then following the war Tito and Stalin hated each other to the point where Stalin constantly sent assassins to kill him so needles to say they were in no rush to join the soviets. in the end Yugoslavia was one of the few truly neutral countries in Europe despite being right on the boarder between nato and warsa
Nice piece of gear that.
Better than the Soviet AKM.. if it only had a chrome lined barrel.
Kragujevac in Serbia is spelled Kraghooyewats (a spelled as the last A in America). Also Yugoslavia was not in the Warszaw pact. Problem with the mag was that it looked the same as an ordinary AK mag.
Another great video, Ian! I have a semi M70 underfolder and a fixed stock model, both with Zastava factory receivers. I have never seen that type of bolt hold open, as both of mine just have the magazine follower bolt hold open. That carrying case with gas mask, ammo, bayonet and spare mags is just too cool! Like their M59/66 SKS's, the Yugo AK's are works of art. Too bad the original Zastava factory is gone:(-John in Texas
Some where in Texas Brandon Herrera is in an expletive laced, white claw fueled rant of jealousy.
I'm sure he's got one, with the bayonet lug, gas cut off and select fire intact.
The kits are cheap if youre up for some welding and fabrication.
Ian, those night sight dots would be visible in dark for some time, only after you illuminate it with a lighter or torch. It wasn't the substance that glows in the dark on it's own. I believe it would still work.
No. Tritium depletes after some time
What a treat at the end being able to see that deployment case. Love military packaging
10:50 - That kit warms my Logistical heart.
Neat!!! Love that crate set, nice little rapid response package. Love my Zpap M70 AK, runs like a champ, Zastava still makes 'em very well.
Oh yeah I love my zpap, dream rifle for sure
Hi Ian! Considering you have been coming across ex-Yugo arms on your channel from time to time, the pronunciation of the town Zastava is based in goes like: Kra-ghu-ye-vats, all short vowels (all syllables are basically the same lenght). Might be cool to know for other Zastava owners in the US as well
Got a few of these parts kits when they were still available and cheap.
Boy am I glad I did that
Thoughtfully put together kit in the end.
I had that gun in Yugo wars. It never jammed. Far superior to any east European AK47 versions but not as good as Valmet (quality wise). Romanian, Hungarian and Chinese versions were so bad that we were told not to shoot two frames one after the other. If you did that and pressed barrel against the wall there was a high chance of bending the barrel.
I once had a Chinese Type-56-1, retrieved from some former Yugoslavian country.
the barrel on it? not straight at all!
Interesting. Did you have any experience with Russian and German made AKs?
Don't believe every bullshit you are told...
@@JustaGuy1250 - we had an embargo at the beginning of the war hence any gun was welcome. But you had to be very careful with chinese AK versions. Immediately after stockpile from ex DDR was available in sufficient numbers, those east europeans and Chinese version of AK would go to secondary units. The 4 or 5 main Croatian brigade had all western weapons and only Crvena Zastava AK versions. We also used M53 (whatever the naming was) that was unlicensed copy of MG42. It had the same caliber but was also supplied with original and heavier ammo belt. Heavier belt was used for slower rate of fire.
@@AGS363 - I personally did not have. I believe that East German guns primarily went to north Croatia and Lika (another area) in Croatia. I mean down at the South area we did not have them. Maybe someone did but I had no experience with them. Only M70 and M53 (unlicensed copy of MG42) that I gave after 1 month or so coz it was very easy to spot and you would become instant target for Serbian/Montenegrin mortars. But that M53 could kill at 2 km range … assuming target was staying still. 7.92 x 57 German caliber. That is the reason the Serbian ships stayed always like 2 miles away from the coast. So no experience with German AK versions here.
The suitcase full of, "...and here you go, you are now Soldier..." made sense on every level, yet somehow surprised me greatly.
Wow, that kit is pretty cool to see!
Yugo m70ab2 was the first gun I ever bought, had the grande launcher sight built into the front. Amazing rifles.
12:27 that's standard issue Yugoslav Army M1 gas mask which is copy of US M9 gas mask.
12:06 Oh, you didn't set the blade correctly in that position, you'll only damage the blade and you won't cut the wire easily. Use the side where the saw is above it has a flat place for cutting the wire. That bayonet can also be used as a hammer. The ring on the bayonet insert it into the slot of the holster.
Just realized that the AK Mags I bought a couple of years ago (for decoration), are all re-converted Yugoslav Mags.
Thanks for poniting out that detail.
Coming from my youth to which I shot mostly AK pattern rifles, and now finishing the assembly of my first AR; the bolt-hold open feature is a welcomed enhancement.
This was my service rifle while serving in the Slovenian armed forces! Brings back some good memories. Very powerful rifle.
Oh hey, I own a modern one of these. The Zastava M70 is a pretty damn good AK.
Hey Ian :)
This is for the "Ask Ian" series...
I literally asked this following question to the Military Arms Channel & to Mr Guns and Gear and would be grateful to know your opinion on this subject matter (as yet I am still waiting/hoping for a response at some point in the future and potential differing opinions could make this case more intriguing/interesting):
Thank you for adding to my knowledge base and educating the community !
There is a subject I would appreciate you to cover: what is "the best"* long gun (semi-automatic/automatic firearm) operating system ?
* with best I mean most reliable and most durable
The main contenders (that I know of) would be:
- long stroke gas piston
- short stroke gas piston
- direct impingement
- roller delayed blowback
(- any other worth mentioning that I forgot/don't know about ?)
I always understood the long stroke gas piston system to be the most reliable of all of them. As an ex Marine (in the French Army) that would therefore be my main criteria. Is it also the most durable if one is a prepper ?
And if the long stroke gas piston is in fact the most reliable & durable, why do modern duty rifles opt for the short stroke gas piston system ? (HK416/HK417 family, FN SCAR-L & FN SCAR-H, SIG MCX and more recently the NGSW-R). Is it just because this system is more controllable as there is less reciprocating mass ?
I cannot imagine that it is more reliable as there are more parts and therefore more can go wrong and more springs involved which wear out over time. Also, because it consists of more parts, it is difficult to visualise the manufacturing process being quicker and more cost effective compared to long stroke gas piston manufacturing process... or is my reasoning flawed and inaccurate here ?
The DI has its place, mainly for the controllability in my opinion, but less reliable than the previous two.
Is this operating system now getting obsolete ? Is it therefore going the way of the dodo ultimately ?
The roller-delayed blowback has worked great, yet it seems to have disappeared in more modern rifles. HK knows their stuff better than I do, so there must be a logical explanation of why they went for the short stroke gas piston when changing the HK G3's for HK G36's... why has this choice been made though ? What am I missing that made this operating system disappear ?
Anyways, I would adore your take on this !
Cheers ;)
That gas mask in the box looked very similar to the one I was issued by the Swedish army when I did my service back in the 80s. It was called Skyddsmask m/51 and was a licensed copy of the US M9 Mask.
I see an opportunity for an aftermarket bolt hold open feature here. I’m surprised it has t been brought to the US as an accessory. Great video 😊
But why though. I always thought the bolt hold open is one of those features that everyone talks about but isn't actually even useful or practical.
@@rubiconnn How is it not useful or practical? Like wtf?
@@vasilije94 It doesn't make anything easier. You still have to pull the charging handle to release it, but now you can't use standard AK mags.
@@vasilije94 It's not exactly the most useful of bolt hold open features. Since you can't drop the bolt without racking the charging handle anyway.
So while still vaguely useful it's not the best design.
As someone who likes to shoot competitively with my ZPAP m70, i think theres certainly an advantage to a proper holdopen like this. There's no feeling like racking the bolt and hearing a click when you realize your hand slipped off the handle and you didnt actually chamber a round when the clock is on. Ive considered holdopen mags and using the cutout in the safety lever since i have a krebs custom selector tab, but that's more likely to fuck with my muscle memory than anything. In a properly put together rifle like the m70a i could see it being just as smooth a process as any other cold war rifle. M14s, G3s, some FALs, all lacked bolt catch buttons so its not exactly a crazy idea
Zastava AKs are best AKs, especially the new one with a chrome lined barrel. (Not only the AKs tho, the Marksman rifles, GPMGs and so on, top quality)
Not better then arsenal, but still good, little short cuts here and there but its still solid
@@MegaJohnny80 Arsenal? You should have been a comedian.
I got the Century Arms version with Hogue handguards and Magpul Zhukov folding stock and pistol grip.
Great video, Ian!
I wonder if the tab on the lever could be shifted towards the center of the rifle so that the magazine cutout wouldn't be needed. Just weld an L-tab onto the lever instead of a straight tab, or something.
How does the ammo leave the magazine, then, with a big L coming out and placing itself over the feed?
@@Salamandra40k That depends on the space between the bullet and the magazine wall. There ought to be some, because the bullet is narrower than the casing.
Since its already just bent sheet steel, moving the tab all the way to the front corner of the mag has the potential to work, but might just be more effort than its worth or have geometry issues when loading a new mag
"Soviet style gas mask" Lol, it's a copy of the American M9 mask. :D
That crate with the gun, helmet, and all the goodies is FREEKIN COOL.
kragujevac as kra as in cra in crab, gu as in gun, je as ye in yellow, and vac as vats.
hope it makes sense
I see M70, i press like
The real question is did Yugoslavia build a platform where the dust cover is secure enough to mount an optic to and hold zero?
The button doesn't interact with the receiver cover, only the spring guide button.
What I've always wondered is why the Finnish Rks (originally 95 and later 62 for the modernization project) had stable enough dust cover to mount rear sight on but they still depend on side rail for optics. Like is it just that optical sights are that much heavier than the rear iron sight or what?
@@coolsenjoyer The Valmet M62 used a reinforcement bracket behind the dust cover to keep it stable. It can theoretically support mounting optics on the dust cover but the Finns took the cheaper way out. Instead of making a railed dust cover they just used a side-rail. Besides that reason, due to the position of the rear sight on a M62, there isn't enough space to mount optics on the dust cover,
Great content Ian, thank you!
That Lovely box set kit would make a wonderful Christmas gift. It would be a joy to see that gift under the tall green decorated tree...
The deployment kit case was meant for soldiers going on international missions, so most of the guys didn't even know it exists.
Ian, I just received my purple Pistols of the Warlords and I love it. It looks, feels and even smells amazing. And all those little "mistakes" are lovely.
That kit at the end would be amazing. I need to repo that
Very cool kit, love it!
I have Zastava M70 civilian which has the hold open on the last shot but the bolt closes whey you remove the mag.
None the less, it is far superior to every AR platform rifle I've ever handled.
AK…..AR….. both are shit! FAL, that’s a rifle.
If you get a krebs custom lever, try using the cutout in the safety to hold it open when you take out the mag, then flick it back to fire to release the bolt. Works fairly well as long as your lever is in the sweet spot between easy wnough to move one handed but can also hold the bolt back
its just an ak tho? like a basic naked ak is inferior in every way to a modern ar... thats like saying your old colt SP1 is superior to any ak you ahve ever handled... it doesnt make sense
@@marcusborderlands6177 I carried a goddamn M-16A1 & A2 in the Army. I'll never own one of those POS no matter how much someone claims they've been "improved". It was a bad design to begin with and will never be as good as the fan bois claim.
@@wlewisiii you had a beat to shit military issue one. If you had any sense you would know that the non military versions of something are 50-100 times better, as they are generally not used and treated like a 5 dollar crack whore behind waffle house...
I have an exact same ammo crate and gas mask sitting in my basement, in fact my whole current basement was filled with these crates after the 92-95 Bosnian liberation war. They used the basement as an ammo depot I guess and just left all the crates there. All of them turned into kindling except that last one that sits down there still to this day.
When I was drafted I was issued M70AB2. Stamped receiver and standard AK magazines. You would get 5 magazines. Man feels like eternity now.
I've been waiting for so long for Ian to talk about the best Ak Ive ever used
is it just me or was that kit box more interesting that the gun? haha. honestly pretty cool how they really had everything needed in a little case
While you are in Slovenia, any chance of covering the MGV-17? Thanks
I was planning to, but the scheduling didn't work out. I will cover it later, though.
Very nice!! I want that kit so bad!!
I liked my yugo's owned 2 AKMD - 65s & AKM70A with traditional stock. I built them all from kits. Finshed to factory quality & control. They were a lot of fun for years. After the house fire these 3 were stolen during a home burglary. Prior to the pack out.
177th like 😉. Greetings from Serbia, the land of Zastava Firearms.
Unfortunately, the hold open device is just related to the magazine.
Imagine a bolt release, like on the ar 15, but on the ak rifles.
One can only dream.
This rifle is like 90% there. Just make a hole in the receiver and extend a lever from the inside to the outside so you can operate it with a hand. Not that it would make a big difference with a rock and lock magazine - probably why they didn't do it.
In AR (and other rifles, let's not pretend AR15 is the only one) it's nice because the way you insert the mag puts your thumb right where it needs to be to press the bolt release. That's why it's nice and fast. It wouldn't be the case when your hand is nowhere near the bolt release.
Well, the AR-15 BHO is also magazine related, the the lack of external manipulation device is a separate factor.
That case for the equipment is pretty dang cool
Such a cool set
Yugoslavia was not part of the Warsaw Pact. It was one of the founding members of the nonaligned movement.
Zastava Kragujevac!!!
Woooo hooo!!!
Zastava needs to bring this BHO feature back in full.
that case kit was so cool