I am often asked if some model of grip will fit a Yugo surplus or current day commercial Zastava rifle and the answer is a bit of an “it depends”. Let me tell you why.
When Zastava was still located in the former country of Yugoslavia, they did a number of modifications to the base Soviet AK-47 design. Relevant to this post whas their decision to use a retained grip nut that is riveted to the receiver. This is different from AKMs that have a removable forged grip nut that drops down through a square hole between the trigger guard and the rear end of the receiver.
All AK-based rifle designs that I know of have this grip nut “strap” that is riveted in place. Note how the trigger guard rides higher than a normal AKs and a longer rivet is used to pass through the trigger guard, strap and the receiver itself.
When it comes to grips, that strap and its rivets are the problems. If you have a grip with very limited space in the top, it will not fit – at least not without modification. The AK-12 grip has a tight backstrap that goes along the bottom of the receiver and I don’t think it could even be made to fit.
Notice the extra rivets sticking up behind the round grip screw hole.This is our version of a Russian AK-12 grip. It’s very comfortable and a grip I like a great deal.The middle of the top and some of the back aren’t going to clear the grip nut strap and rivets. I could carve/Dremel the middle out but there is very little material to work with in the back. Might it work? Maybe but I didn’t have time to give it serious try.
If you look at the top of a traditional Zastava black polymer grip, you’ll notice the top is wide open. It has plenty of room to accomodate the grip strap. So, a grip like a Russian Molot will work as well.
The Molot’s top is wide open.Due to the wide open top, a Molot grip can readily go on a Zastava.
Summary
Grips with shallow tight tops will not fit on a Zastava rifle, unless modificatios are made. Examples of grips like this are Hungarian AMDs, IMI Galils, Polish Beryl eronomically styled grips, and Russian AK-12s.
What will fit are grips with big top mouths such as many traditional AKMs (Romanian and Egyptian), plus newer grips like the Bulgarian ARMs, and Russian Molots.
I hope this helps.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Scot Hoskinson owns RS Regulate and is a meticulous engineer. His products are top notch and one thing I would tell you is to always read the instructions. He puts a lot of effort into documenting what you need to do so find the instructions and follow them.
Trust me – read and follow the instructions to install a RS Regulate handguard. Note the instruction sheet is for the old part number GKR-9Y. Scot revised the part number and it is now the GKR-9DY — same handguard but different part number.Per the instructions in steps 3 and 4, I tapped the end cap into place. Note, you do need to test fit and make sure it will fit. You aren’t beating it into place with a ton of force. Mine went in without any filing needed but I did need to tap it to get it fully seated. You want the end cap to sit in the receiver firmly – not loose.
I don’t have photos of every step Scot lists, but I do want to mention step 5 – the front retainer set screws are backed out towards the receiver with the allen heads facing the rear. Once you have the front retainer in place and screwed to the handguard in step 10, you then tighten down the set screws to make everything nice and tight.
In all of his steps, be sure to follow the torque specifications and use blue loc-tite or your favorite medium strength thread locker. If you don’t, then the screws will risk coming loose and potentially falling out.
You can see the rifle’s handguard retainer is locked in place because the cam lever is rotated backwards. Looking down past the barrel you can see one of the two front retainer set screws waiting to be snugged down.I used a long Bondhaus ball head allen key to reach in and tighten the set screws. Let me spare you some future grief – buy quality sets of allen wrenches that properly engage your fasteners. The cheap import keys are prone to poor fitment and/or rounding over the edges and both will mess up your fasteners.I applied Blue Loc-Tite before I snugged down the set screws. I removed the residue with a shop towel.
To remove it, rotate the locking lever on the rear sight base. Zastava is one of the makers that make that lever really tight. I use a large adjustable wrench’s jaws to hold the lever while I rotate it up. You can also use a hammer with plastic heads to tap the lever up. Once it is rotated, the rear of the tube closer to the receiver can be lifted up and the unit brought back just a tad to clear the front gas block. By the way, the bolt carrier must be removed or the long gas piston will be in the tube and block removal.
I didn’t get a picture of the gas tube with the wood before I removed it so we’ll just pick up here. This is one of our high-temp Yugo/Zastava gas tube covers. The spring clip is from the wood set and pops into the our cover to help provide tension and support. If you don’t have the clip, I would recommend buying one vs. skipping it. Check Apex Gun Parts, Robert RTG, Numrich, Centerfire, etc.The spring clip just presses into the pocket molded foir it in the cover.I like to use a vise to hold the forged end of the gas tube. DO NOT try and clamp the thing circular end or you will crush it. The vise you see has smooth jaws and will not hurt the forging – if your vise has aggressive jaws to hold material, use something to protect the gas tube like jaw covers, pieces of wood, etc. In this photo, the cover is fully rotated into position. You may find it easier to rotate your cover to the left or to the right when it comes to installation or removal. If it will not turn, carefully inspect why and remove a bit of material as needed with a file, Don’t rush – you want a firm fit and for it to look good.What it looks like when done.
RS Regulate makes some great lower handguards for a variety of AKs including for the Yugo/Zastava M70 and M77s. It takes a little bit of effort to install and is very much worth it. You can optionally use your wood gas tube cover or buy one of our polymer units.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Years ago, I had a Zastava M77 and regretfully sold it back in 2014. It was one of those situations where I had to sell it to fund other projects but I didn’t even get a chance to shoot it. I also had a custom M76 (the 8mm version) for a while but I did sell that one – mainly because it was a primer popper. That is a known issue because the firing pin hole opened up out of spec due to corrosive ammo use and didn’t adequately support the primer as a result but I digress.
I had resisted buying another one until Zastava decided to release what they called the “Battleworn” model (ZR77308W) and I caved. On one hand, it comes with some really nice retro looking Europen beech wood furniture. What really got me was that it was way cheaper than their other models that had optics and/or polymer furniture at that time.
Why the M77?
So, I had wanted to get back into the Zastava designated marksman’s rifle (DMR) game for a while and was just biding my time. The reason I wanted the M77 was due to all of the quality match 7.62×51 and match .308 match ammo that is out there. In comparison, try finding affordable true match grade 8mm ammo for the M76 or match 7.62x54r for the M91. You can find it once in a while but it’s not cheap and choices are limited here in the US. On the other hand, match 7.62×51 and .308 plentiful and affordable.
So, the main reasons were the ammo and the second was the M77 Battleworn model being very affordable in the Late Summer of 2023. As I am writing this, a quick search on GunBroker shows the Battleworn model selling fro $1369 with one 20-rd magazine up to $1,499 with five 20 round mags plus the various models are a lot closer in price. I paid less last summer but you get the idea. (In 2014 I bought a M77 with a thumbhole polymer stock and polymer handguard set for $600 or 700 from Centerfire Systems but that’s the way pricing goes – any vendor will raise prices to what they think the market will bear to try and maximize profits.)
Taking a Closer Look
It’s well packed in an egg foam box. Note the CSSpecs 25 round magazine on the box cover. Honestly, the wood is really nice. It’s very reminiscent pf the M76 wood with a few minor exceptions – the grip does not have a ferrule, the recoil pad uses allen head screws and the stock bolt is one of their modern commerical shorter ones vs. the long Yugo military 8x1x260mm (about 10.23″ long).Like many aspects of the original designs, the Yugoslavs modfield their scope rails and how they mount The result is more to the rear and is often refered to as “rear-biased” so they need a scope mount vs. an AKM pattern rail.Honestly, the wood is cool. It has almost rough hewn look but better finished if that makes sense. The grip reminds me of one that Matt Shuster of Ironwood Designs came up with many years ago before he passed. I think he called it the “mini fat cap” – if someone remembers, please tell me. He made the M76 Fat cap patterned after the original wierd awkward really fat but oddly short M76 grip but without a ferrule. Then he came up with a far more elegant smaller one and this Zastava design reminds me of it. Folks, Matt helped me get started years ago and was a genius with wood. God rest his soul and take care of his family.It has the mile long 19.7″ cold hammer forged barrel. The silver disc on the gas tube is the three position gas regulator. It has a slant brake on it and 14x1mm left hand threads under it just like any other AK. A M76’s long flash hider is actually part of the front sight assembly but that is not the case with the M77 – you can install whatever you want. Also, note the cleaning rod.Here’s a view of the rifle looking at the operating side. The chromed bolt jumps right out in contrast.The M77 uses a bulged trunnion and the oversized AK receiver needs to accomadte it. These bigger 1.5mm thick receivers are beefy. They both hold the various component assemblies in position and the thicker receiver means more steel to compensate for any metalurgical or hardening shortcomings.Zooming in on just the receiver. Note the notched selector/safety lever and the relatively tall selector stop. In the top right you can see the other side of the operating rod lock.
Opening it up
The locking dust cover was introduced in the M70 Yugo rifles because their doctrine made extensive use of rifle grenades. They didn’t want the cover top pop off so they added a sliding lock that holds the rear recoild spring assembly in place and, thus, the top cover in place. By the way, one of the really nice side benefits is that when you reassemble a rifle with one of these locks, you put the recol spring in front, install the dust cover without fighting the spring, push the button and the recoil rod pops out the back.Looking at the locking assembl, the plunger button the operator pushes is at the bottom of the photo. The slightly elevated portion under the top lip of the trunnion (top in this photo – right side in real life looking down – is what slides out of the way wehn pressed so the recoil spring assembly can come forward for removal. What you don’t see is the hidden compression spring. If you ever need these parts, CNC Warrior make and sells both the whole assembly.Looking down at the classic double hook AK trigger and double wound spring. I’ve had guys ask me why did they double these? The answer is fault tolerance. The second hook is there if the first should fail and the second spring winding is there should one of the two fail. In all of my years working on civilian AKs, I’ve never seen a hook fail but I have seen springs fail although very, very rare and usually from a surplus kit build.Look at those hooks! They are forged and not stamped. The bevels in the front and the back help the bolt carrier pass by.Here’s a better view of the three position gas regulator disc. Note the vent holes in the gas block itself.One oversized bolt assembly. Despite what some may tell you, the PSLs and these M76/M77/M91 families of rifles are oversized AKs. The SVD Dragunovs use very different bolt carrier assemblies.Longer than a normal AK gas pistol and chrome plated to improve corrosion resistance.View from the side. Some of the machining is crude but effective in places.Bolt extended in the carrier.I chuckled when I saw this. There are two numbering systems on some of the parts – crisp machined ones and ones done by hand with an electropencil like you would see on some kits.You an see the numbers of the key parts and they should all match.Interesting – more holes to vent propellant gasses.A better view of the upper and lower handguard assembly,A view of the grip.The buttstock has the distinctive grip area like you would see on the M76 military stocks. I have never had the purpose of that grip area explained to me.It uses a classic Yugo military sized recoil pad. What’s noteworthy is that they have ditched the old slotted screws for allen/head-head screws.
Summary
This gives you an overview of the M77 battleworn model right out of the box. Nothing really surprised me and the quality looked good. Sometimes I buy stuff and regret it but not this time.
If you know me, you also know I could not going to leave it alone and the customizations will be in future posts.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
In early March 2023, I picked up my second RIA 52000 Pro Ultra Match 6″ HC 10mm pistol – more affectionately known as “The Big Rock”, which is exactly what it is. I sold my first Big Rock many years ago because I needed the funds and regretted it once I started making custom 10mm mags for whole family of high-cap 10mm and .40 S&W RIA pistols. I couldn’t buy a new one at the time because Armscor, who owns RIA, only seems to make them periodically. Maybe 2-3 years later after I wished I had it and was looking, 52000s started popping up on my saved searches – Gunbroker alerted me first and I bought one about a week later. [A number of places have them now including GrabAGun – click here]
I should add that as soon as I ordered the pistol, the next thing I did was to order another set of grip panels from Mark Browne. His grips just look and feel great compared to the rather boring but durable G10 composite grip panels that come with the pistols.
Bottom left is the new Big Rock with its factory grip Panels. Above it and to the right is the 51679 with Mark’s wood panels. The lighting doesn’t do the wood justice.Here is a better view of the wood on the 51679 plus you can always go to the blog post about it and see more.
The new panels for the Big Rock arrived
I emailed Mark and told him how much I liked the first set and he said he’d look for one with plenty of grain and contrast. What showed up was awesome.
…Wow…
Fitting them to the Big Rock
While RIA does use modern CNC machines to make the frames, the funnel fitment can vary – I know this based on clients that have fitment issues with the relatively shorter 9mm mags using Dawson Base Plates. Either they do not use a jig or it moves and wheter the funnel sits exactly can very. Why this matters is that you may find the panels go right on or you may need to fit them. DO NOT FORCE THEM! So let’s step through this.
Each OEM grip panel is held in place with two unique Allen head screws. Remove the screws and the panel lifts right off. Note in this photo how very little material is between the grip screws hole and the funnel – that’s tight. The pistols are made in the Philippines and then need to travel across the Pacific. They liberally coat these pistols in preservative oil and this is one example of how much they use. Have a towel or rag handy to wipe this stuff off before you start installing the wood panels. By the way, this is typical of all the RIA 1911 pistols and again highlights why you need to clean them.This side went right on without adjustments being needed. That was an unexpected pleasant surprise. They panels need to seat fully without pressure being needed. If you try to force them in, something will snap.Everything is nice and flat and the screws went in without forcing them. The screws are installed until they are firm – not so tight the wood snaps – they just have to keep the grip panel in position, You do need to use a dab of medium-strength screw threadlocker such as Loc-Tite Blue to keep the screws from backing out.The other side had issues. Teh funnel was riding high here and the panel would not even seat fully. To adjust the wood, take a single cut file and remove a bit of wood from the bottom and try over and over.Fitting is slow work with wood. It is better to be able to take more off than wish you could put it back on. After maybe 5-10 minutes I thought I had the panel good to go but it was still riding too high and the screw could not seat properly. So, more fiiling and testing until it fit completely. Take your time and you will get a nice fit without a gap. This is a great example of time, patience and handwork can generate a far better end result than being in a rush with a sander and taking off too much. The bottom is the new Big Rock.The top is the new Big Rock with it’s 6″ barrel and slide. I really like the gloss finish. It really brings out the contrast in the wood.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
2024 edition prologue: I had to revise my list of Uzi videos to reflect one that had been removed from Youtube and two that were added.
As part of my research into the iconic Israeli Uzi, I found these videos that do a very nice job providing background on the political climate driving the need for the Uzi. For fans of the Uzi, these may give you some appreciation for the forces that shaped it.
The second video is a great one from Ian of Forgotten Weapons:
And one more video:
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Mr. Gaboury does an exceptional job giving the reader the historical context of what was going on in Israel with its fight for independence, the plethora of firearms they were using and then search for a new submachine gun. Of course, this culminated in the creation and evolution of the Uzi design by Uzi Gal.
From there he covers the evolution of the weapon with the Mini Uzi, the Uzi Carbine, Uzi Pistol/Micro Uzi, Ruger MP9 and the Uzi Pro. The book was published in 2017 and its coverage is very current.
One thing I did not know was how widespread the adoption of the Uzi was and Mr. Gaboury provides coverage of its use in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, China and other countries.
He then covers a number of other topics in the book that I’ll skip for the sake of brevity. For me, the last section of the book was very, very helpful where he provides significant detail on the weapon including:
Operation, Disassembly and Specifications
Parts Identification
Magazines
Accessories
Being new to Uzis, his coverage of the firing cycle, fire control group and how it all comes together in the grip frame (what some call the “grip stick”) was worth the price of the book all by itself. For me, it was really the history and this last section the detailing of the operation and assembly that were hugely worthwhile. I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the iconic Uzi.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Folks, I have found the Russian Hind Mi-24 helicopter absolutely fascinating for decades. Both I and the Hind are old enough to truly say decades in this case as it was delivered to the Soviet Air Force in 1970 but NATO and the West didn’t find out about them until 1972.
The HIND is a huge helicopter gunship and unique in that it has room for eight passengers. At the same time it is fast, armored and loaded with weapons. Soviet pilots called it the “flying tank: and other nicknames include Galina, Crocodile/Krokodil and Drinking Glass.
At any rate, it is very interesting and has evolved over the years plus the Soviets and later the Russians exported it to many countries including Bulgaria, Macedonia and many others plus it has served in a number of conflicts (click here for the Wikipedia Mi-24 page if you want more details).
The purpose of this blog post is to share with you an amazing video assembled by Erik Johnston where Bruce Stringfellow, a Hind pilot, gives a detailed walkround tour of the helicopter. How detailed? It has an hour and 16 minutes of detail – it is the best video I have ever seen if you want to really know more about the design, capabilities and what a preflight check looks like from a pilot’s view. Here it is:
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Okay, I wrote about Galil Ace .308 Pistol some years back and it got sold at some point to fund other projects. However, when I sell firearms it’s not that there was any problem – like tons of other projects, I finished it, learned from it, got bored of it and sold it … that’s my usual progression for 99% of the firearms I buy. At any rate, some time last year it really dawned on me that the hands down best factory manufactured rifle that you can buy in the US today are the Galil Aces. I’m sure someone will argue with me but the evolution of the design that they did is remarkable regardless.
This is the original 308 Galil Ace before updates. I took the photo right as the sun was going down so everything had a bit of an orange hue to it.
RS Regulate Handguards
So, I bought a .308 Galil Ace rifle knowing I would get rid of the handguard. Yes, the factory one is functional but it is way too fat for me I prefer a long narrow one aluminum handguard. Even before I bought the rifle, I knew I would get one of RS Regulate’s GAR-14M-N handguards. The biggest problem you will run into with an RS Regulate product is finding one – his scope mounts are the best out there and the handguards are excellent as well. As a result, you may have to hunt around. I found one in grey thinking I would refinish it but the contrast actually looks pretty cool so I am running with it.
The original handguards do have rails under those covers but the combination is too fat for my taste.
This is the RS Regulate GAR-14M-N handguard in Desolation Grey. Installation is very straight forward and instructions are provided.
The two short screws and spacers are for attaching the handguard to the barrel. The long screw is for the rear. Install the rear end cap before you install the rear screw. Use blue Loc-tite on all. Use needle nose pliers to hold the spacers in place when you side the side screws into the handguard and on to the barrel.
The end cap goes to the bottom rear of the handguard and sits on the inside. Two additional short screws are in another bag for it. See the long needle nose pliers at the top? Something like them will enable you to install the spaces very easily.
This is the end cap right before I installed the screws.
Vortex PST II Scope
Because of the accuracy reports (1 MOA-ish) I also planned on getting a decent scope to make the Ace a designated marksman’s rifle (DMR). To explain, a DMR is a supporting rifle that usually has better accuracy and/or reach than the rest of the squad but it typically doesn’t have the accuracy of a true sniper rifle. From what I read, the Galil Ace would fill a DMR role no problem so I wanted a scope with a decent range starting with a low value so I would have a decent field of view (FOV). What I bought was a Vortex PST II 3-15×44 — first off, Vortex is my favorite scope maker and second, the second generation PST scopes are very clear and have good light transmission. I purposefully did not go with a 50mm objective because while it does pull in more light all things being equal, I didn’t want an topic standing up a mile above the receiver either.
American Defense Scope Mount
I’ve become a scope mount snob over the years after having a ton of problems with cheap ones – screws stripping out, moving on the rail, letting the scope move, quick release levers that bend on break off, crappy finishes, etc. To be honest, I am done with the cheap ones. My go to for scope mounts is American Defense – I also use the offset Vortex mounts that are also made by American Defense.
Why American Defense? They are solid quality all the way through – they are everything the cheap ones are not and have never let me down. So, yes, I will pay a premium for them and be happy about it. For this build and the smaller objective, I used a AD-Recon-X-30-STD.
This is an American Defense AD-Recon-X-30-STD scope mount with quick release levers. Excellent quality.
In Case You Are Wondering – Why .308?
Well, I am done adding yet another caliber and had a good selection of range and match .308 ammo that I can try out. When I do take this to a range, I’d like to find out what this particular rifle likes and buy more. By the way – for folks relatively new to firearms – you will find out that some ammo works great in one firearm and horrible in another so always experiment and find out what load your rifle likes. Handloaders spend hours agonizing over every possible details to find the round that works best at a given range and situation.
The Result
It came out pretty cool – I thought I would refinish the grey but it grew on me.
In Closing
The .308 Galil Ace is pretty slick. I really like the components I picked and now need to find time to go to the range. I will be adding a Magpul bipod before then as well.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
