Today we’re pitting the Zastava ZPAP M70 vs the WASR-10 v2 to find out which AK-47 is the best in terms of value, durability, quality of parts, and features.
We’re big fans of Yugo-pattern AKs as well as Romanian AKM-pattern AKs but only one will end up on top!
We’ll be basing our scores on these 8 metrics:
- Barrel
- Front Trunnion
- Receiver
- Bolt & Carrier
- Trigger Group
- Furniture
- Fit & Finish
- Special Features
- Value
This will give us an average overall score between 0-5 stars. The AK-47 with the highest score wins the battle and the winner is crowned!
Zastava ZPAP M70 vs WASR-10 v2
Let’s start this AK vs battle with our first contestant- The Zastava ZPAP M70.
Zastava ZPAP M70 Introduction:
The Zastava ZPAP M70 is a new production AK-47 rifle manufactured in Serbia by Zastava Arms. This model features a standard AK-47 design with the added feature of a cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined barrel.
The Zastava ZPAP M70 also sports a hard nickel-plated steel bolt carrier group that reduces internal friction to ensure the action cycles smoothly while limiting the amount of debris that moves into the receiver from firing.
In addition to being corrosion-resistant, this bolt carrier group is incredibly accurate and will sustain high round counts or rapid fire.
One common problem on many modern production AKs is sharp edges on machined components. The Zastava ZPAP m70, however, has addressed this issue by providing a smooth bolt carrier group with sharp edges that are rounded off so as not to cause discomfort during extended periods of use and will aid in keeping the Zastava ZPAP m70 running.
The Zastava ZPAP M70 also has a cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined barrel, which is one of the most desirable features of any AK.
The production process for cold hammer forging improves structural integrity and increases service life expectancy.
In essence, cold hammering increases the density of the metal components by redistributing and establishing new molecular bonds at the molecular level.
This results in higher tensile strength, toughness, endurance, and corrosion resistance throughout the Zastava ZPAP M70’s entire operating system, aiding in longevity and reliability.
Zastava ZPAP M70 Specifications:
- 1.5mm bulged trunnion receiver
- Cold hammer-forged (CHF) chrome-lined barrel
- Bolt hold-open notch on the safety selector
- Adjustable front and rear iron sights
- 30-round magazine in polymer or steel
- Wood or polymer furniture
- 7.9 lbs
- 16.3″ CHF barrel
- 37″ overall length (35″ with collapsable stock
ZASTAVA ZPAP M70 SCORECARD:
Zastava ZPAP M70 vs WASR-10 v2
Zastava ZPAP M70 Get an Overall Score of: 4.8
Barrel: We give the ZPAP M70 5 stars for its heavy, cold hammer-forged barrel that is also chrome-lined to withstand corrosion.
These types of barrels are all but guaranteed to provide long life with decent accuracy.
Being a relatively heavy barrel means it’s less prone to overheating and accuracy loss with sustained fire.
The downside is added weight, and it’s a bit less accurate than a nitrided barrel.
Front Trunnion: The ZPAP M70 scores another five stars for its cold hammer-forged front trunnion, which also happens to be bulged to provide even more strength when married to the bulged 1.5mm receiver.
Receiver: The receiver on the ZPAP M70 gets five stars from us as it is the heaviest and most durable of the stamped receiver AKs, coming in at 1.5mm thick.
The only thing more robust would be a milled receiver, which is heavier still and adds the most cost to manufacture.
Bolt & Carrier: The bolt and carrier on the ZPAP M70 are cold hammer-forged as well, making it extremely durable compared to machined billet or cast parts.
For this, it gets five stars from us.
Trigger Group: The trigger group is the standard two-stage with dual hammer hooks for added strength.
It is also cold hammer-forged which makes it strong but it feels and performs like most factory AK triggers which are just “okay”.
There are better-performing triggers that are US-made so we give it just a 4-star rating.
Furniture: The ZPAP M70 comes with great furniture options out of the gate.
The polymer furniture options are better than the wood furniture making it better than a lot of AKs on the market.
For this, we give it a 4.5-star rating.
Fit & Finish: The ZPAP M70’s fit and finish is not the best, or the worst we’ve seen.
There may be some not-so-great rivets from rifle to rifle and the finish on the receiver is average to good at best.
It does a good job at resisting rust and the furniture fitment is nice and tight on our M70- your results may vary.
Overall, we give the fit & finish a 4.5-star rating.
Special Features: The Zastava M70 has a few special features that are unique to Yugo-pattern AKMs:
The safety selector has a notch that allows you to capture the charging handle, effectively acting as a manual bolt hold-open feature.
Zastava also makes a magazine with the last round bolt hold open built into the follower.
This is unique to Yugo/Serbian magazines but these magazines will work in other AKs too.
The final special feature is a bulged trunnion designed to withstand the force of shooting detachable military grenade launchers.
These grenade launchers are not available on the civilian market but the added strength benefit is a bonus we’re glad to see.
We give the M70 5 stars for its added features.
Value: Selling for just under $1,000 (with an MSRP of $1,099) for the wood furniture and Hogue polymer furniture offering ($981.99), the ZPAP M70 is a great value for the money.
Most people would be happy with the furniture that comes with their Zastatva and not feel the need to “upgrade” it any further.
This adds extra value to an already good value for an imported AKM from Serbia.
Looking for a great deal on a Zastava M70? Guns.com has good prices on the ZPAP M70
Now, let’s take a look at the WASR-10 v2 and see how it stacks up to the ZPAP M70!
WASR-10 v2 Introduction:
The WASR-10 was first imported to the U.S. in 1993, following Romania’s adoption of NATO standards. In 1994 the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban was enacted and eliminated the importation of all AK variant rifles into the U.S., including the WASR-10.
Even though the ban was lifted back in 2004, WASRs have never been allowed to be imported since (due to a lack of decent single-source importers). Until now…
After being out of stock for several years, Century Arms has once again begun importing the Romanian-made WASR-10 v2 —this time with a couple of improvements over previous models: they feature a traditional slant brake instead of a muzzle nut and include one 10/30 magazine instead of three 5/30 magazines.
Additionally, Century has replaced the RAK-1 enhanced trigger group with a standard double hook trigger group to comply with 922(r) regulations.
One of the nicest things about this latest shipment was that each was equipped with a side rail for an optic instead of being left bare—making them even more attractive.
Despite their somewhat cheap appearance and plastic furniture, WASRs have always been solid shooters due to their chrome-lined barrels and tolerances.
The only major downsides are cosmetic, in nature. They typically come in a brown cardboard box covered in greasy Cosmoline rather than a nice hard case, and the wood stained with black lacquer paint is never exactly pleasing to the eye.
As long as these rifles remain inexpensive—under $800 in most cases—the WASR-10 continues to serve as one of the best, lowest-cost AK variants on the market.
WASR-10 v2 Specifications:
- Century Arms AK 47 WASR-10 v2 Rifle
- Romanian Import
- 7.62x39mm Semi-Auto Rifle
- 16-inch chrome-lined hammer-forged barrel
- Threaded 14x1LH
- Wood Stock Set or Synthetic Polymer Furniture
- Side Mount Scope Rail
WASR-10 V2 SCORECARD:
WASR-10 v2 vs Zastava ZPAP M70
WASR-10 v2 Gets an Overall Score of: 4.4
Barrel: We give the WASR-10 v2 5 stars for its cold hammer-forged barrel that is also chrome-lined to withstand corrosion.
These types of barrels are all but guaranteed to provide long life with decent accuracy.
Romanian-made barrels have been proven to last up to 100k rounds of full-auto fire without keyholing or warping.
The only downside is that it tends to be less accurate than a nitrided barrel.
Front Trunnion: The WASR-10 v2 scores another 5 stars for its cold hammer-forged front trunnion which, although not as reinforced as a bulged trunnion, proves to hold up just as well after tons of wear and tear.
Receiver: The Romanian-made receiver on the WASR-10 v2 gets 4.5 stars from us as it is just the basic 1mm stamped receiver minus the added dimples.
Lacking dimples in the receiver makes it a little less stiff in the side walls. Some would argue the benefits are minimal but it’s still something to take into account when considering how these rifles rank against one another.
Bolt & Carrier: The bolt & carrier on the WASR-10 v2 is cold hammer-forged as well, making it extremely durable compared to machined billet or cast parts.
For this, it gets 5 stars from us.
Trigger Group: The trigger group in the WASR-10 v2 is the enhanced RAK-1 trigger which is an improvement over the stock M70 trigger in our opinion.
It is also cold hammer-forged which makes it strong and it feels like an upgrade over most stock triggers.
We give the trigger group 4.5 stars.
Furniture: The WASR-10 v2 comes with your choice of polymer or wood furniture.
The polymer furniture is some of the least ergonomic and fugly we’ve seen. I doubt anyone will opt to keep the synthetic furniture on the WASR-10.
The wood furniture is just plain hardwood, not laminate, and will ding easily and likely swell, shrink, or crack if left in the elements too long.
For this, we give it a 3.5-star rating.
Fit & Finish: The WASR-10 v2 fit and finish is nothing to write home about.
The riveting may be inconsistent on some but are generally “good enough” and won’t fail.
The finish is rather dull-looking, easy to scratch, and may not be the same shade as the dust cover.
Furniture fitment is nice and tight on our WASR-10 v2 but your results may vary.
We haven’t had any issues with magazine fitment but this will differ from rifle to rifle as each one is opened up by a gun technician at Century Arms to accept double-stack magazines.
Overall, we give the fit & finish a 3.5-star rating.
Special Features: The WASR-10 v2 is a very basic AKM-pattern rifle that has a mostly standard feature set that doesn’t stand out as being anything “special”.
The dimple-less receiver is the one exception that is mostly cosmetic and no doubt a cost-cutting/ time-saving decision.
We give the WASR-10 v2 an average of 4 stars.
Value: The WASR-10 v2 used to be the best value on the AKM market before the prices of imported AK-47s skyrocketed.
Now, what used to be an affordable $600-$700 Romainian AK with stock accessories has turned into an $899-$989 AK (with an MSRP of $1,099) for the same base model.
It’s still a good value- in our opinion- because the prices on ALL AKs went up respectively.
It’s just not quite as good a value as the ZPAP M70 and will require at least a decent furniture upgrade ASAP.
For Value, we give the WASR-10 v2 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Looking for a good deal on a WASR-10? We found a great deal at Guns.com brand new. You can also find used models as well as other imported WASR-10 AKs that most websites don’t even sell or have in stock. We recommend checking them out to find the best deals and models possible.
The Winner Is…
OUR PICK: THE ZASTAVA ZPAP M70!
There’s no doubt that both the Zastava ZPAP M70 and the WASR-10 v2 are battle-tested designs that were built to last through the rigors of war.
That being said we’re allowing ourselves to nitpick for the sake of comparison and the nod goes to the ZPAP M70.
Although it’s a bit heavier to lug around, the M70 outperforms the WASR-10 in several categories and wins with an overall score of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
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Thank you for this review. It is exactly what I needed to decide between these two models!
Very neat article.Really looking take up to contact more. want more.
There is another category you forgot: weight.
The Wasr 10 is a full pound lighter than the M70. The M70 is overbuilt for its purpose (being a derivative of the RPK). The thicker barrel and receiver of the M70 really provide no benefit here.
The other negative with the M70 is lack of furniture options. Yugo/Serb AK’s do not use standard AKM furniture, and their options are extremely limited compared to AKM’s.
Those are all valid points. Weight is an issue with any AK especially if don’t mount a sling. With a good sling, that extra weight is negligible unless you’re really out of shape! It’s true that furniture options are different but I haven’t had any issues finding furniture or accessories for my Zastava M70. Furniture options do tend to cost a bit more, but not that much more. I may update the article to address these differences so people can decide for themselves.
Go on a 25 mile march / hike with the Zpap and do the same with the standard AKM rifle / Wasr 10. Then we can talk my friend, Hahaa.
No doubt the Zastava ZPAP M70 is the heavier AK of the two. As far as military marches go, the average civilian will have problems completing a 25 mile march with no gear, let alone with a rifle and associated gear in their pack!
Carrying any rifle for 25 miles is pretty extreme training for the average gun owner, and is likely never going to be a requirement to successfully complete a civilian rifle course. Even still, it may be preferable to train with a lighter AK, if you’re worried about your cardio.
For the basic drills I do, the ZPAP’s weight isn’t a huge factor since I don’t like to upset the balance of the rifle by adding a ton of redundant accessories. I’ll also opt for a good sling to help mitigate some of those weight factors, especially when running larger side-mount optics.
You really can’t go wrong with either rifle (I own both of them and others), but weight shouldn’t be the only factor in determining which AK is best for you.