Gun Review: Zastava N-PAP M70 AK-47

by Kelly Crow

The Crow Fly's brings you our first review at our new blog, and you are in for a treat with this one! As many of you know when it comes to firearms, I'm somewhat of a traditionalist. I prefer the AR-15 platform and either a custom 1911 or a standard Glock as my sidearm. I used to feel that anyone who carried an AR-15 and Glock at once was so "cliche" but theres a reason that these weapons go together so well. In today's modern society, urban combat become more commonplace. With population overcrowding and terrorism on the rise, today's conflicts aren't fought entirely in fields and trenches anymore. Because the environment in which we operate is changing, our weapons systems and tactics have had to change as well so that we can operate more effectively in these new environments. Piston driven operating systems are standard on all Next-Gen weapons platforms. The use of polymer and light weight alloys in receivers is more common as well. Smaller calibers have become more lethal and finding some commonality between the duty rifle and sidearm is more commonplace than ever. It's easy to get caught up in all these modern technologies and futuristic platforms as interest and the industry continue to get larger.  As much as I would love to talk more about Next-Gen platforms and the modern operator, that's not what today's article is about.  With all the super-light accessories, self-lubricating coatings, and overly machined parts & firearms on the market, it feels good to get back to the basics sometimes and to work with a proven platform. Having never owned an AK-47, I have always been intrigued by them and have had a burning desire to own one at some point.  With gun prices hovering at a 10 year low, my desire to own an AK has increased significantly, the closer we get to the November Presidential Election.

Early in July, my father had asked me, via email, what I thought a decent AK-47 was. I sent him a short description of a few various AK's I had found at Buds Gun Shop - two were imported by

Romanian WASR-10 AK-47

Century International Arms and one was an InterOrdnance AK. All three of these could be purchased for under $750. Early August, Kristin and I took a week off work and went out to our ranch in West Texas to help my parents prep for the 2016 hunting season. I love our West Texas Ranch Trips. It's the only time that I get to openly carry a sidearm on my hip and practice shooting my AR's. When I lived in Arkansas, the state park was 25 minutes from our house. The park had an outdoor range that was free to the public and open 7 days a week from 8am to sundown. The Park

Serbian N-PAP M70 AK-47

Rangers and local Sheriff's office maintained and operated the range. It was a safe, friendly atmosphere where locals could go and shoot on a first-come-first-serve basis. This State Park gun range featured a uni-sex restroom, trash cans, picnic tables, 8 covered benches, 100 yard paved ranged with the ability to move the target stand in front of your bench at 25 yard increments. It wasn't much good for pistol shooting, but it was a blast for shooting rifles. Long story short, since moving to Houston, Texas six years ago, my weekly trips to the shooting range disappeared. I've tried some of the various ranges in the Houston area, but most are indoors, charge $20 to $25 per person, for one hour of shooting time, one target, and they don't

Inter-Ordnance AKM AK-47

allow any type of rifle caliber to be fired unless you purchase ammo from them. They do this because they want you to shoot lead free, "green" ammo with frangible projectiles to minimize the risk of ricochet and lead poisoning. I guess it's a smart idea, but this kind of ammo is not cheap, averaging almost twice the price of a standard brass cased FMJ round, and that's if you can bring your own. If you have to buy "green" ammo at the range, you're looking at three to four times the price of a standard round. What I'm trying to say is, I haven't been able to further my passion for shooting since moving to Houston, and the few times I was able to shoot in Houston, I could only shoot pistols. Talk about the need for a pistol caliber carbine! Hint to my wife: "I need a 9mm SBR AR-15, preferably one that takes Glock mags!"

Back on topic, upon arriving at the ranch, dad promptly asked me to look at this new AK-47 he bought, and he asked me what I thought. Smiling from ear to ear, I closely examined the Century

My new Zastava N-PAP M70 AK-47

imported, Serbian manufactured, Zastava N-PAP M70 AK-47 and said, "You bought yourself an AK! That is awesome!" Dad's next statement took me by surprise, he said, "I did, but that one your holding is yours!" My wish had finally come true, I now owned an AK-47 and the coolest part is, it was a gift! Talk about a badass gift! To top it all off Dad threw in a new gun bag and 1000 rounds of Tula's finest steel cased FMJ 7.62x39mm! I have everything I need to become an effective AK operator, now I just need some time to run it through it's paces and practice.

Shooting and Testing the N-PAP M70 AK-47

Three days later, after all the hard work was finished, Dad, Kristin and I took our new AK-47s to our

range to see what it was capable of.  I was immediately impressed, having minimal experience firing piston operated systems, it shot exactly NOT how I was under the impression an AK would shoot.  These N-PAP M70's shoot superbly, lacking a chrome lined barrel they are so much more accurate than the stereotypical AK-47. Neither my father, nor I, are marksman by any means, but we both can take a deer, hog or turkey at 250 yards without thinking twice. Standing, at 50 yards with iron sights, both of our N-PAP's shot 1 to 2 MOA groups. I didn't get a chance to test it a 100 yards but I can imagine that from a bench with a properly mounted and zero'd optic, one could shoot 1 to 3 MOA groups with these AK-47s, making it just as capable as any off the shelf generic AR-15 on the market today!

No matter how we fired our AK's, slow, steady shooting, or rapid fire, they both functioned flawlessly, with no FTFs, FTE, stovepipes, feeding issues, jams, or any type of malfunction. I had always heard AK-47s were reliable but my experience with the SKS, the AK's older brother, there is always at least one malfunction per 100 rounds, even if

it's easily remedied. The next thing I wanted to do was to learn everything I could about the AK-47, how it functions, and to learn some good tests to assess durability and reliability in a combat type situation.  My research revealed the "AK Operator's Union: Local 47-74" who do video reviews and durability/reliability tests on various AK platforms. One thing I like that these guys do, is to do push-ups against the AK with one hand on the barrel and one on the stock while utilizing the pistol grip and mag to hold the AK up against the ground. If the rifle can't support your weight, the mag snaps loose from the magwell or it won't chamber and fire a round immediately after the push-up test, it's probably not the most durable, nor the most reliable AK-47 on the market. I have performed the push-up test several times, on varying terrain with different numbers of push-ups each time, and it has yet to fail. All furniture, the stock, pistol grip, and hand guards are still solidly connected just like they were when I first got the AK. I stress this again, ALL FURNITURE (stock, pistol grip, and hand guards) are STILL solidly CONNECTED just like they were when I first got the AK. I have read countless reviews of Century International AKs that had loose stocks, grips, or hand guards right out of the box, or furniture that would come loose after firing a couple hundred rounds. Even though one should expect some loosening of bolts, screws, nuts and any other type of connector from prolonged use and combat drills, I have yet to see a gun part become as loose as was described in several reviews I read. If you do have a firearm that has a loose screw or bolt, instead of just tightening it up next time your cleaning it, pull the loose connection apart and use Loc-Tite before tightening it back up.

Field Stripping and Cleaning the AK

Field stripping, disassembly and cleaning is identical to nearly all AK-47/74 platforms. The operator will remove the receiver top cover by depressing a button on the left hand side nearest the stock, then pushing the recoil spring button in toward the front of the rifle, allowing the receiver top cover to

come free. Once the top cover is removed, the recoil spring is removed by pulling it out from the back of firearm, then the bolt carrier is pulled back and up out of the gun. This is where things differ from what I was accustomed to with other piston operated systems like the SKS or piston driven AR-15s. The piston rod is connected by means of a rivet to the bolt carrier. This makes the system simple and decreases the number of parts. The operator now has access to the trigger group and firing control components, the barrel to run a cleaning rod down, and the gas system. The AK, like the SKS can be further disassembled by removing the gas system. This allows for cleaning of the gas block and the gas port which is drilled into the top of the barrel.

Aftermarket Accessories and Parts Compatibility

DoubleStar's AKRBY Receiver Block - AK Stock Adapter

Since the N-PAP M70 is manufactured in Serbia (what used to be known as Yugoslavia), it is patterned off of the very popular Yugo M70 AK-47. Because of this aftermarket parts compatibility is limited to the use of Yugo M70 specific parts only.  Fortunately, this platform has become more popular so more AK accessory and parts manufacturers are developing parts for the N-PAP.  If you would like to utilize a standard AK-47/74 stock, you will need to purchase an adapter. The Yugo M70 stock that the N-PAP M70 comes equipped with, utilizes a long bolt that threads through the butt of the stock and into the rear of the stamped AK-47 receiver.  N-PAP owners will find DoubleStar's sister company ACE Stocks sells a receiver adapter block, the AKRBY, for about $60 that will allow the use of any standard AK stock, like the fixed and side folding triangular shaped Khyber Pass stocks that are so popular with the AK crowd these days.  There are a few other manufacturers making receiver blocks similar to this one, a simple google search will return several.

Magpul's Zhukov-S Stock for Yugo M70 AK's

In 2016 Magpul decided to get into the AK 

Aftermarket game with the release of their Zhukov furniture line. Magpul currently makes two types of AK stocks, the MOE AK Stock which resembles a triangular Khyber Pass styled side-folder and their Zhukov-S adjustable side-folding stock. The Zhukov-S has a version that will fit Yugo M70 patterned AK's and this is the one N-PAP M70 owners will need to use. The cool thing is this stock can be used without a receiver block/stock adapter. I would like to find out if the Magpul MOE AK stock can be used with a receiver block/stock adapter, but until I can get my hands on one, I can't make that conclusion. Based off pictures alone it appears that it will NOT work, since it features a standard AK/AKM receiver block adapter that appears to be built into the stock, which I assume is not removable. If anyone can clarify or correct me if I'm wrong it would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail to kellym.crow@gmail.com. The Magpul Zhukov line of accessories also includes a handguard for the AK platform which says it is not compatible with Yugo pattern rifles. I'm sure the competent operator or gunsmith could make this work by making a couple modifications to the handguard and their rifle, in particularly, removal of the sling strap point on the gas block would be a start. Of course if the handguard doesn't cover this, you would need a way to paint or touch up the metal after removing the sling strap point. Magpul also manufactures two MOE handguards, one that appears to have the cutout for the sling strap point on the gas block, the other which doesn't. I would love to hear from someone who knows if they can be or has modified any of Magpul's AK handguards fit Yugo M70 pattern AK-47's.

Midwest Industries Standard Yugo/Saiga AK Handguard

Midwest Industries Inc is a reputable manufacturer of AR parts and accessories, but they are best known for their quad rails and handguards. They manufacture several types of AK railed handguard systems. All of their Yugo handguards state that minor modification will be needed to the grenade launcher sight. They are referring to the original Yugo M70s
as the Zastava N-PAP M70s do NOT have a grenade launcher sight on them, so I doubt any modification would need to be made to make these work. All of Midwest's systems come in one of three formats: Standard Picatinny Railed, M-Lok Compatible, or Key Mod Compatible. One unique feature of all the MI handguard

Midwest Industries Key Mod Yugo Handguard - this same handguard can
be purchased in the M-Lok format.

system's is that the top rail can be changed out to a propriety rail that features various mounting points for the most popular optics on the market; for example MI sells this optional top rail with mounts for Trijicon RMR, Burris, Leopuld, and Aimpoint. This feature provides perhaps the most solid mounting system for the AK-47 system.  Midwest Industries manufacturers yet another AK-47 handguard that I find the most interesting, the MI Gen2 Extended AK-47/74 Handguard. This particular handguard is much longer, covering the entire gas system, providing more room to hold the rifle as well as more mounting spots. This is supposedly a Universal type of handguard and comes in M-Lok and Key Mod configurations, however there is no evidence suggesting that this WILL in fact fit the M70 patterned AK's and I have yet to discover someone online that has modified it to fit. This would be my first choice for a handguard system if I knew it would fit the Yugo pattern. One part of the Gen2 Extended Handguards that I know for a fact will NOT fit the Yugo system is the supplied MI Gas Tube that is included. I'm not sure why MI includes a new Gas Tube but I do know that the gas systems differ in length between your standard AK and the Yugo modeled AK's.

There are still yet, a few more manufacturers making parts and accessories for this AK-47. I have read and seen people using the Ultimak railed handguards and the Leapers UTG handguards, neither interest me as I typically use very high end components on my firearms. I'm not trying to be a price snob here either, I have found that you do get what you pay for with guns and their accessories. Live and learn is the best way to discover the parts that work for you. Some people may have better luck with a part than someone else, so I DO recommend you try everything you possibly can before making a decision. I personally have had bad experiences with anything made by Leapers and Ultimak, and I've seen countless reviews of the Ultimak rails where various user's $500 optic reticles melted because of the heat induced by the Ultimak rail system. Not sure why Ultimak's rails do this, after all, the best rails are made from metal, more specifically aluminum which does absorb heat, but it should also dissipate the heat as well. I suggest you do your research when searching for parts for this system, and use what you find others have made work. If you want to try something new, ask questions, write the manufacturer or other AK-47 users to see what their opinions are.

Conclusion

All-in-all, the Zastava N-PAP M70 AK-47 is a beast! From what little use I've had with it, I've found it to be reliable, accurate, and lots of fun to shoot! I can't wait to modify it and continue to practice with this platform so I can gain the skills I need to effectively manipulate the AK-47 in a combat situation. If you are looking for your first AK or if you're looking to add another AK-47 to the collection, you won't be disappointed with the Century imported N-PAP M70 and all it has to offer! As of today, this AK-47 can be had for under $630! I suggest you don't hesitate if you've been thinking of purchasing an AK, especially with the uncertainty the future holds for America and it's gun laws. Stay safe, shoot safe, and God bless America!