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Zastava 85 Mini Mauser

The History of Zastava

The beginnings of Zastava Arms reach back to 1853 when the company presented four cannons and two howitzers in their facilities in Kragujevac, Serbia. The factory was initially named Vojno-Tehnicki Zavod (Military Technical Institute) but was renamed at the end of the 19th century to Military Engineering Works. In 1904 the segment of the company dedicated to the automobile industry was opened which was renamed Zavodi Crvena Zastava ("Red Flag Factories") after World War II.

The arms production facilities were upgraded significantly in the 1860s and in 1880, the first repeating rifle inspired by the Mauser Model 1871 was presented by Kosta Milanovič. The rifle was also known under the name ‘Mauser Koka’. After a signed contract with FN Herstal in 1925, the company gained rights to produce the M24 series bolt-action rifles under their license. In 1928, Zastava started the production of rifles and ammunition in their new factory that was built only a few years prior. Due to enlarged facilities, they started manufacturing the Czechoslovakian 26 mm M 1929 signal pistols and light ZB vz. 26 machine guns under the Zbrojovka Brno license.

During World War II, Zastava facilities were severely damaged but were repaired in 1944 when the city of Kragujevac was liberated. Due to the ongoing war, the factory was repaired in the same year and the production of the 9mm M 1944 B2 submachine gun was launched.

After the WarZastava M48 was introduced. The structural design of the M48 was based on the Belgian Mauser M24 series – a line of German Mauser Gewehr 98. The production of shotguns and small-bore rifles was launched in 1954 together with the M53 machine gun that evolved from the German MG 42. The derivatives of Soviet weapons can be traced back to Zastava as well. One such example is the PAP M59/66 semi-automatic rifle presented in 1961 which was manufactured as the licensed version of the Soviet SKS. 

The M67 model which had been introduced in the following years set the foundations for the development of the Zastava M70 presented in 1970, which was later adopted by the Yugoslavian army. In the 1970s, a heavy machine gun was released which was design-wise much like the NSV machine gun. It was named Zastava M02 Coyote and it could fire over 700 rounds per minute. After a new plant had opened in the 80s, Zastava introduced several new models such as the M88 compact pistolCZ99 pistolM84M86 and M92 machine guns etc.

Although the production was significantly slowed because of the UN sanctions during the Yugoslav wars, Zastava continued its production and signed an agreement with Remington Arms in 2005 which allowed for the export of hunting and sporting rifles to the United States. Consequently, the company was reconstructed in the following years. Despite the escalating debts, their facilities were modernized in 2017In 2019, the company announced the opening of the Zastava Arms USA branch for import and distribution purposes, with the production of firearms significantly increasing in 2020.

Zastava M85 Mini Mauser Rifle Review

Not to be confused with the Zastava M85 - an AK-pattern rifle with some of the design features resembling the Soviet AKS-74U - the Zastava M85 Mini Mauser is a controlled feed, bolt action rifle presented by the Zastava company in 1985. The rifle was officially imported to the USA under the Remington 799 designation.

It comes with a cold-forged barrel made of chrome-vanadium steel. The Mauser flag-type safety had been replaced by a modern thumb safety positioned on the right upper side of the receiver which locks the bolt and blocks the trigger mechanism. On the opposite side of the receiver is a standard bolt release lever. For mounting purposes, there are four holes on the receiver, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.

The trigger comes pre-set at a pull weight of approximately 2041g (4,5lbs) and can be adjusted. The internal magazine with a hinged floorplate, released by a button at the front of the trigger guard, can hold up to five cartridges. M85 models that are chambered for .22 Hornet come with a detachable magazine. The rifle comes with a single trigger as a standard option; however, double-set triggers are also available. There is a factory-installed hooded ramp sight at the front end of the barrel and a rear sight that is adjustable for windage and elevation. Users can choose between half-stock and full-stock versions.

Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

Figure 1: Zastava M85 Mini Mauser, chambered for 7.62X39mm (Source: https://atlanticfirearms.com/zastava-arms-lk-m85-rifle-7-62x39-l8762pm)

Zastava M85 Mini Mauser Calibers

The M85 Mini Mauser rifle is chambered for the following calibers:

  • .22 Hornet

  • .222 Rem.

  • .223 Rem.

  • .222 Rem. Mag.

  • .22-250 Rem.

  • 7.62x39

The receiver of the Zastava M85 Mini Mauser comes with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front, and two on the rear mounting surface. There is no difference in height between the surfaces.

 The receiver of Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

Figure 2: The receiver of Zastava M85 Mini Mauser, chambered for 7.62x39mm (Source: https://calibremag.ca/tag/527/)

The mounting surface of Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

A: 16 mm

B: 73 mm

C: 10 mm

BHU: 3 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R15.20

R2: R14/30°

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M85 Mini Mauser 

All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Zastava M85 Mini Mauser. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. The rifle that shares the same dimensions and mounting surface with Zastava M85 Mini Mauser is:

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Zastava M85 Mini Mauser. To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece scope mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. The rifle that meets such criteria is: 

Best Scope Mounts for Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

Fixed Scope Mounts for Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

If you are looking for a fixed mounting solution for your Zastava M85 Mini Mauser, we recommend this reliable two-piece mount produced by the German company MAK that is made of steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

Detachable mounts can be easily installed and removed from the rifle which is especially useful for cleaning and maintenance purposes as well as versatility in using multiple optics on a single weapon. We recommend this detachable two-piece pivot mount made by the German company MAK that comes with a thirty-year warranty and is an ideal fit for the Zastava M85 Mini Mauser.

Picatinny Rails for Zastava M85 Mini Mauser

This Picatinny rail manufactured by the Bosnian company Optik Arms is made of steel and is a suitable choice for Mauser M85 Mini Mauser. Being one of the most versatile mounting solutions on the market, it will provide the user with numerous mounting possibilities. It comes with a ten-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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VIDEO

Introduction

In recent years we can observe that a trend of Picatinny rail has become widespread and global. It is driven by the NATO standardized rails, more commonly known as the Picatinny rail standard. Picatinny rail being the New Jersey Arsenal that developed it in 1995.

These mounting options are revolutionary. The biggest and best advantage being that the Picatinny rail can be used its entire length and not bordered to a few pre-designed slots like for example the Weaver rail standard was before.

The other main advantage is the ease of use and interchangeability. If a product is meant for a Picatinny rail design it will fit all Picatinny-rails, no matter the manufacturer or date of production.

Picatinny/Weaver Rail

Picatinny Rail and Weaver rail profile

Design

The Picatinny rail is almost exclusively crafted from a single piece of metal (in some cases aluminum). In this manner, the axis of the Picatinny rail is perfectly straight and aligned with the axis of the firearm. Therefore the rifle scope which is mounted onto this kind of configuration is certainly aligned with the rifle / gun and the trajectory of the ammunition.

Weaver rail design on the other hand is usually manufactured in two separate pieces, greatly increasing the possibilities for the axis to be crooked, overlapping, and out of line.

It is always harder to align two separate pieces to a third line than it is to align one piece to another. In this way, the lapping of two mounting rings on a single-piece Picatinny rail is no longer required.

The single-piece rail will assure that both rings are perfectly aligned to each other and that no unwished stress is transferred to the riflescope.  

Picatinny compare to Weaver Rail

The Picatinny rail itself is an evolutionary step forward from the older Weaver rail. The main difference between Picatinny rail and Weaver rail is the spacing of the slots. Picatinny rail design has them evenly placed exactly 5.23 mm from one slot to the other, 3 mm deep. For this reason, the mounting options are repeatable and the same as other firearms using the Picatinny rail standard.

Interchangeability was a major driving force in the development of the new standard as different NATO armies need to be compatible with each other.

Weaver rail has 3.8mm wide slots and these slots can be placed anywhere on the Weaver rail and in any number that the producer wished.

Advantages of Picatinny design

A big advantage for using the Picatinny rail design is the ever-present recoil stop. Furthermore, the manufacturing of the rail is not very technically demanding and can be done without the use of state-of-the-art machines which greatly reduces the cost of the finished product, making it very affordable.

The Picatinny rail is easy to mount and usually, this type of configuration does not transfer negative stresses and forces from the fired weapon to the rifle scope.

In addition, the Picatinny rail with its very long useable surface works well for mounting longer rifle scopes or to achieve optimum eye relief.

The durability and toughness are other big pluses for this solution.

Manufacturers of Popular Models

A majority of the Picatinny rings are fixed, but a number of best rated European manufacturers (EAW, MAK,..) have, in recent years, put a lot of effort into the development of detachable ring with100% repeatability, with which it becomes easy to remove the scope from the weapon without the use of tools.

No re-zeroing is needed with such mount options, but these models tend to be expensive

Weaver and Picatinny Rings

Picatinny rail and weaver rail share one more thing. It is possible to use the Weaver ring and the Picatinny ring on the Picatinny-rails, but it is usually impossible to use the Picatinny ring on the Weaver base. The reason being the above-mentioned positioning and spacing of the slots.

  • Picatinny mounts have a 5mm recoil stop that goes into the rail slot and since
  • Weaver rail only has 3.8mm wide slots such rings do not fit on Weaver rails.

Due to this reason, the Picatinny-rails are popular and prevailing on the market in recent years and eventually, these options will completely oust the Weaver rail from the market.