I feel like we’ve been talking about ARs way too much this year. How can we be talking about so many cool guns and not talk about an AK, especially one that brings the modern accessory capability of the AR to the AK platform? Zastava wanted to do something different in 5.56, and I was completely on board with that.
I didn’t want an AK chambered in 7.62×39 because, while my supply is getting low and I can easily replenish it, it costs more money than I care to focus on at the moment. For me, 5.56 is readily available, and it is something that makes going out to the range easy. I can grab it, load up a full magazine, and get to work on the review.
A few years ago, we became good friends with Zastava, and working with them on different projects is always such a pleasure. They have such a great line of products. Whether you want 5.56, a .50 BMG, a Tokarev, or you’re just looking for a new 7.62 gun for your collection, they probably have something for you.
That brings us to the ZPAP85.
Zastava ZPAP85: A 5.56 AK With Modern Features
The ZPAP85 is a pistol, which means it does not come with a stock on it. Thankfully, Zastava does send this gun with rails galore. What I mean by that is it comes with a quad rail on the front, a Picatinny rail on the top for an optic over its folding dust cover, and it comes with a Picatinny rail for your folding brace or stock.
Of course, I wanted to go with an SBR. With the $200 tax stamp gone, it is so easy and fast to do.
Now, before we get too far into this review, let’s establish one thing. This is an AK. It has AK controls, AK ergonomics, and an AK magazine. It is not your AR, and it should never be looked at as an AR.
What it does have, however, is something that makes a lot of sense for the American shooter. Rather than being chambered in the traditional 5.45 or 7.62×39 cartridges you associate with the platform, this particular AK is chambered in NATO’s 5.56×45 cartridge.
That means that even though our Soviet-era ammunition is starting to really dry up, or, in many cases (because someone who shall remain nameless decided that we can’t import anything anymore because he hated the Second Amendment), we can still run and gun with awesome AKs that we love.
The really cool thing, as I mentioned, is that this gun is accessorized in a way that lets you set it up how you want. With all of the rails already built into the gun, you aren’t having to immediately go out and buy new parts just to give yourself a flashlight, put a red dot closer to your eye, or get a rear trunnion so you can put a brace or stock on it.
These are things that just make sense for the end user.
ZPAP85 Specifications
Let’s talk about the specifications of the Zastava ZPAP85.
- Model: ZPAP85
- Caliber: 5.56
- Action: Semi-auto
- Barrel: 10 inches
- Barrel Construction: Cold hammer forged, chrome lined steel
- Receiver: Stamped steel
- Magazine: 30-round magazine
- Overall Length Without Brace or Stock: 19.7 inches
- Weight: 6.4 pounds
- Top Cover: Hinged
- Front Furniture: Quad rail
- Optic Mounting: Picatinny rail
- Brace/Stock Mounting: Picatinny rail
The top cover, which I find really nice, is hinged. It also has all of the amazing furniture we talked about before, including the quad rail.
The ZPAP85 also comes with a handguard that is angled. This is important when you go and put your brace on it because a vertical grip on a pistol can make the firearm no longer a pistol. Somehow, that is the way the rules work, which truly baffles the mind.
This pistol isn’t a super lightweight pistol. This isn’t a gun sitting in the four-pound range. The reason for that is simple: it’s still an AK.
The ZPAP85 still has the beef in it that makes it a substantial construction. It has a proven operating system that can withstand dirt, grime, grease, and whatever else you throw at it. At the same time, this is not going to be a gun that is meant for reaching out and hitting a target at a mile, and it isn’t just because it has a short barrel. The AK was never designed in that manner.
One thing that I notice every time someone picks up this gun is that it is heavier than they expect.
I don’t consider that a negative. It is just something that you point out. Yes, it is a compact gun, but it isn’t trying to shave every ounce off just to give you the lightest gun possible. Instead, it is taking the entire AK operating system and giving you the best opportunity to run this gun hard and put it up wet.
If your goal is to build the smallest and lightest 5.56 around, I would recommend going with something like an AR. That’s not what this is.
This is an AK.
It is supposed to be different. It is supposed to be a completely different gun, and it is one that you choose for its capability.
FRTs, Super Safeties, and My Concerns
Now I want to talk about something that I don’t typically bring up on, which is FRTs, Super Safeties, and the like.
The reason I don’t typically discuss them is because anytime one of our clients walks into the shop and says, “Hey, what do you think of the FRTs?” the first thing I’m going to tell them is that I think they are amazing. I love them, and I truly think they are the gateway for bringing back full autos and the ability to own them, plus getting rid of the terrible laws that gave us the Brady laws as well as the full NFA.
However, much like the braces were a political force used to criminalize people for no reason, I am worried that should the next administration put an anti-gun activist into power, FRTs and Super Safeties could be on the hit list.
If that happens, I, as a dealer, do not want to have to turn in my clients, and I don’t want to have to worry that the ATF might go and kill someone’s dog because of something as innocent as these parts.
If you want them and you want to own them, you should go out 100% and get them. That said, you are putting a target on yourself in the future, so be aware of that.
Personally, I do want to get a reset trigger for this particular gun. I think it would be a lot of fun to have, and in 5.56, that’s not going to be a back-breaking, pocket-exploding day at the range if you want to go and shoot through a few magazines.
All I want to say is use these with caution, be hypervigilant should things change, and do everything in your power to obey law enforcement so you don’t lose your life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness over something that is legal to own.
Shooting the Zastava ZPAP85
I have owned this gun for a few months now, and I can tell you that it is just a blast to shoot, pun intended.
It does have a big muzzle device on the end, and since it is a 10-inch barrel, you do get that fireball that comes with such a short barrel. That’s one of the fun parts about it.
This is a loud gun.
It is not meant to be a super-quiet, non-flashy gun. This is something you want to take out to the range and make a statement with. You want it to blast and make people go, “Oh, I want to shoot that next,” because it’s fun.
The nice thing is that with the cold hammer forged, chrome lined barrel, you’re going to get a great life out of this gun because it adds durability and corrosion resistance. That should mean you can enjoy this gun and take it out without worrying that you’re going to blow through the barrel after 50 rounds.
That isn’t to say that manufacturing defects can’t happen and that a barrel couldn’t die in 50 rounds. What I’m saying is that this is a durable, well-established method of producing high-quality barrels.
If you don’t like that this is a 10-inch barrel, go out and get yourself a 16-inch rifle. Go get yourself something that fits what you’re looking for.
But if you’re looking for something that is a dragon and is going to throw flames, this might just be it.
ZPAP85 FDE Finish and Modern AK Design
Zastava decided to give this particular gun an FDE finish, which a lot of people really love right now.
Traditionally, an AK is black with wood furniture, and that’s not what this is.
This takes calls for the modernization in the U.S. gun industry and puts them in your hands. It gives you what you’re asking for, whether that is color, accessorizing, or simply having the ability to use modern 5.56 ammunition.
There is enough traditional AK DNA in the ZPAP85 that this firearm doesn’t lose its identity. It simply gives it a contemporary appearance that fits nicely alongside modern optics, slings, and flashlights.
If you’re looking for that older design, like a person who wants to build a Vietnam-era M16, you can do that. But that’s not what this is.
And I like that.
I like that this gun calls out and says, “I am modern, and I am here.”
There is something else worth talking about, and that is the hinged top cover.
I really like it.
Traditionally, an AK has a removable dust cover. If you’ve ever spent time with an AK trying to put the dust cover back on, you know that, to begin with, until you become familiar with it, it can be a pain in the rear end.
Why did it have to be such a pain to put back together?
That’s just one of the joys you get with the AK.
The ZPAP85’s hinged cover makes it much easier. You can lift up the cover, work on the gun, spray the gun down, and put it back on because everything is already lined up from the hinge. It just goes together easily, back and forth.
There are drawbacks to every platform, but this drawback has been around for generations as the removable dust cover of the standard AK.
Small improvements like this truly make a difference.
The fact that Zastava went with not only a hinged dust cover but one that allows you to have your red dot mounted to it means they are truly thinking about the end user and not just what the gun looks like to get the most sales based on design.
Classic AK Sights
Speaking of the sights, the ZPAP85 does retain the classic AK sighting arrangement.
It has a traditional post-style front sight while using a Krink rear sight. This means that the overall sighting system remains very compact and simple.
Simple is a good thing, especially on an AK.
There’s no need to overcomplicate something.
The ZPAP85 doesn’t try to reinvent every part of the AK. Instead, it takes the things that make an AK an AK and combines them with the modern features that make this particular gun interesting.
ZPAP85 Reliability
Let’s talk about reliability and shooting this gun.
This has been an extremely reliable gun.
It shoots well every time I have pulled the trigger. It works, and I haven’t had a single malfunction with this gun.
Every time we load the magazine up and shoot the gun, I know with confidence that it’s going to work.
The biggest thing I always see is watching a shooter who has never used an AK start questioning how to charge the gun or operate the safety. However, just by looking at everything, they can figure it out really quickly.
That is truly the only problem I have had out on the range.
I’ve had to say, “You don’t have a rear charging handle. You have a right-side charging handle.”
Once anyone knows that, it functions and runs like a dream.
ZPAP85 Accuracy at the Range
Let’s talk about accuracy.
This is not my 200-yard range gun.
Well, I have no issue taking it out to the 200-yard range. I really don’t care to, though. I don’t care to sit there and try to put this on a tripod and test out to see what my MOA is.
That’s not what this is for.
This is my fun gun.
This is for me going out to the range, throwing fireballs, making loud noises, and, hopefully, if all goes well, annoying one or two neighbors because of how cool this gun is.
Everybody that I’ve ever talked to says that this is a great-shooting gun. I’ve never asked anybody what their accuracy level is, but I can tell you that once you throw your red dot on it and you’re sitting there between 25 and 100 yards shooting at a 75% IPSC target, you’re going to hit it.
What more can you ask for?
That is the size target that I want you to be able to hit at any distance because that is the goal of getting your target.
That said, at 100 yards, I have no problem hitting my 8-inch gongs.
That is far from saying that this gun is any specific level of accurate.
You are going to be able to hit your target at these distances, but whether you’re going to be at one MOA or three MOA depends on your shooting and your ammunition.
As always, ammunition, shooting skill, optic choice, and individual firearm preferences will affect actual results. That’s true of any firearm.
You can have the highest-quality $10,000 bolt-action rifle and slap a Chinese optic on it that immediately goes out of zero the minute you turn it on, and everything you’ve just spent money on has been a waste as far as accuracy is concerned.
The ZPAP85 isn’t trying to be a precision rifle.
It doesn’t need to be.
Where Does the ZPAP85 Make Sense?
So, where does the ZPAP85 make sense?
The ZPAP85 isn’t trying to be everything all at once.
It is a compact 5.56 AK.
That’s it.
If you want an AR-15, buy an AR-15. There are millions of configurations you can have available in the AR platform.
But if you want a true AK, Zastava has those.
They have the 7.62×39 options you’re looking for if you’re interested in a regular AK.
If you want something compact, distinctive, chambered in 5.56×45, and built on the AK platform, this occupies a pretty awesome corner of the market.
It’s a fun piece to shoot because it throws fireballs.
Let’s face it, the reason people buy this gun is more than likely because it’s just fun to shoot.
The firearm world doesn’t always have to be about the most effective gun or the one-and-done solution.
The firearm world is really about what you want.
What is a fun gun for you to own?
What is your next gun to own?
The ZPAP85 is just one of those guns. It is one that you look at and simply say, “I want that because why not?”
And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that.
Final Thoughts on the Zastava ZPAP85 5.56 FDE
Now let’s talk about my final thoughts on the Zastava ZPAP85 in 5.56 FDE.
This is one of those guns that doesn’t need to apologize for being different.
I like that.
In a world full of AR-15s that can be configured almost any way you want, the ZPAP is something different. It retains the classic AK operating system while having Zastava’s name attached to it, meaning it is a great gun that is going to last you for a long time.
It is chambered in a caliber that, in the United States, makes sense, and because you can either go with the SBR route or the pistol route out of the box, you’re not limited in what you can do with it.
They weren’t really interested in making the lightest AK possible. They wanted a gun that was going to take the abuse.
Whether you’re shooting steel-case ammunition or high-quality 5.56, it’s good to go.
It has that modern look with the quad rail. It has the Picatinny rail option on top for your red dot… whatever kind of red dot you want, and it has a nice angled grip that manages to give you both that classic look and modern feel at the same time.
This is not going to be the lightest 5.56 on the market.
It is not going to be the most ambidextrous gun on the market.
Honestly, trying to find magazines for this gun isn’t necessarily the easiest thing either. There may be more than one or two brands out there that you’re going to be happy with, and that’s okay.
It doesn’t bother me because this isn’t my AR-15 that I want to have a thousand magazines for because I have 500 ARs.
This is a gun where owning four or five magazines is plenty.
If you buy this gun, you’re buying something different.
It’s a compact AK in 5.56.
It gives you all of these differences while still offering you the modern take and lower cost of 5.56 ammunition that you want.
If you’re an AK enthusiast, this might be another gun you want because it’s a cool AK.
If you’re an AR-15 enthusiast, you might want it because you’ve always said, “You know, I’d like to try an AK, but I don’t like the AK round.”
Somebody who just wants a fun gun at the range can probably pick this up and say, “Yeah, I like it.”
And in today’s firearm market, there are so many guns that having something slightly different might be exactly what you need for your new gun room.
Either way, I would recommend picking up any of Zastava’s AK offerings. If you have the opportunity to pick up a ZPAP85 and just put it in your hands to feel it, well, you should do that too.