AK-47
vs
AR-15

Zastava Arms has been making AKs in Serbia for decades, and the M70 ZPAP is their flagship export to the American market. For a long time these rifles were imported through Century Arms — but Zastava wasn't happy with the finish work being done stateside. So they took the matter into their own hands and set up their own importation operation in the Midwest, doing all the conversion work themselves.

When these rifles arrive from Serbia they come in sporterized form as required by U.S. import law: thumbhole hunting stocks, single-stack magazine setups, long non-tactical furniture, and pinned-and-welded muzzle brakes. Zastava's U.S. team hand-fits all the furniture components, cuts and removes the compliant parts, installs slant brakes, and fits the beautiful wood furniture you see on the finished product. The result is a rifle that looks and handles like it was always meant to be.

The M70 ZPAP comes in a variety of configurations — standard walnut, the distressed "Battlefield Collection," folding-stock variants, blonde wood, and yes, even a gold-plated version for those with a particular aesthetic in mind. But whatever the finish, the bones are the same: a serious, heavy-duty Yugo pattern AK that punches well above its price point.

The biggest difference between a Yugo pattern AK and a standard AK is in the fundamentals of how the rifle is put together. Standard AKs use a tang-style stock mount that works fine but leaves the stock hanging off the back. Yugo pattern rifles use a through-bolt system that locks the stock in with a solid, reinforced mount — a noticeably stronger connection.

The M70 also features bulge trunnions — the same reinforced trunnion design used on Zastava's automatic light machine guns. Rather than the stamped receiver setup common on budget AKs, the M70 uses a 1.5mm receiver with forged front and rear trunnions. Some cheaper AKs get by with cast trunnions; these are forged, and you can feel the difference. This is a rifle built to last.

Add to that a nickel-moly steel bolt and carrier and a cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined 16.3" barrel, and you've got a rifle that shrugs off corrosive ammunition without a second thought. Chrome lining is the military-proven solution for barrel longevity — it resists corrosion and wear, and won't pit even with years of surplus ammo. Matt reports going 5,000 rounds between cleanings — a light application of axle grease and back to shooting.

Right out of the box the M70 ZPAP is a complete, ready-to-run rifle. But like any good platform, it rewards the builder. After running his stock for a while, Matt couldn't help himself. The rifle in his hands now is a testament to how far the Yugo-pattern aftermarket has come.

Because he hates shooting suppressed guns without a suppressor, a KGM suppressor went on the threaded muzzle. For low-light situations, a weapon light was added to the Midwest Industries handguard — which mounts directly to the rifle and provides a solid platform for accessories. A Trijicon MRO red dot sits up top for those eyes that don't track iron sights like they used to. A Magpul MOE AK grip and a folding, length-adjustable Magpul stock round out the furniture package. A Magpul QD sling handles carry duties.

The most significant internal upgrade is a KNS Precision adjustable gas piston. Standard AKs run massively over-gassed from the factory — great for reliability in adverse conditions, less great when running a suppressor. The adjustable piston lets you dial things in. Matt can't say enough about KNS — well-made, American, and highly recommended.

The key thing to know about upgrading a Yugo pattern AK is that you need Yugo-pattern specific parts: Yugo stocks, Yugo handguards, Yugo-spec components. It's not plug-and-play like an AR-15 — but it's also not nearly as difficult as people assume. Matt is an armorer, not a gunsmith. No mill, no lathe. Just some fitting and a hammer on occasion.

The AK-47 was introduced in 1947, designed by Soviet military engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov after he was wounded at the Battle of Bryansk in 1941. Listening to fellow soldiers complain about their unreliable rifles, he set out to build something better. The result was a gas-operated, long-stroke piston rifle with loose tolerances and forged steel everywhere — built to function in mud, sand, cold, and neglect. It was never meant to be elegant. It was meant to work.

The AR-15 came from a different world entirely. Eugene Stoner — a WWII Marine veteran turned aerospace engineer — developed the AR-10 in 1956 as a lightweight 7.62mm replacement for the M1 Garand. The military opted for the M14 instead. When NATO shifted to a smaller caliber, Stoner's team scaled the design down to 5.56×45mm, producing the AR-15 — which the military adopted as the M16. The AR's gas system is often called "direct impingement," but it's more accurate to describe it as a bolt-driven system: gas returns into a small combustion chamber inside the bolt carrier itself, with the excess venting out the side.

Early AR-15s had real problems in Vietnam — not because of Stoner's design, but because the military cheaped out: chrome-plated bolts instead of stainless, and surplus artillery ball powder that fouled the action. Once the original spec was restored, reliability issues largely disappeared. Today, a well-maintained AR-15 is as reliable as anything on the market.

So which is better? Neither. They are genuinely different tools. The AR-15 wins on ergonomics, modularity, accuracy, and parts availability. The AK wins on low-maintenance operation, heavy-duty construction, and the kind of reliability that doesn't require cleaning schedules. Matt coyote hunts with his AR at 300–500 yards; he's shot deer at close range with his AK. Different tools, different jobs, different virtues. Own both if you can.

Would Matt buy his Zastava again? Without hesitation. He's already thinking about a second — a classic-looking one just for aesthetics — and is seriously considering the M92 ZPAP, the short-barreled pistol variant. The 7.62×39 cartridge performs well out of short barrels, making a 12-inch pistol or SBR a compelling option.

Zastava also offers the platform in 5.45×39 (AK74 variant), 5.56×45 (for those with a lot of AR ammo on hand), and a 7.62×51 DMR variant that ships with a scope. They've recently started importing retro pistols as well. It's a company worth watching.

If you want Toyota Corolla reliability — put ammo in, shoot until the end of time, do minimal maintenance — the AK-47 in general, and the Zastava M70 ZPAP in particular, is the rifle for you. At ~$1,600 it's not the bargain AKs of the past, but it's still excellent value for what you get. Everything you need, nothing you don't.