I was perusing the forums this morning and found an interesting thread in the big bores section relating to the Zastava (Remington M798) rifles.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/319104879

I found the Zastava website very interesting especially when looking at their action information under Sporting Rifles - Actions. Here’s their website.

http://www.zastava-arms.co.yu/english/civilni.htm

The Zastava M70 action, Zastava’s moderation of the M98 Mauser designed action, uses a single action length with four magazine lengths and two bolt face sizes to chamber everything from a 22-250 to a .375 H&H. This appears to be the same manufacturing model used by the Remington and Winchester when introducing their modern M700 and M70 respectively; i.e., a single length action with multiple length magazines and bolt faces, prior to their introductions of the short action rifles.

The Zastava M70 action at 9†OAL (2.875†to 3.6875†magazine length) is a bit more than midway between the action OAL of the commercial M98 standard action at 8.750†OAL (3.400†magazine length) and the commercial M98 long action at 9.150†OAL (3.640â€/3.840†magazine length).

Depending upon the Zastava’ price for their M70 action, and its availability, it may be a valid alternative for modern “M98 derivative†custom rifles. Unfortunately there are no custom trigger guard assemblies manufactured for this length of an M98 action so fitting a drop box trigger guard would require much work by the maker or a new generation manufacture by Sunny Hill Enterprises or Sound Metal Products LLC for this length M98 action.

Does any of our custom gunsmiths have experience with this action? Is it Zastava M70 action manufactured with sufficient quality to warrant the building of a custom rifle(s) using this action?

Thanks,
Jim

I always thought the Zastava M70 was simply the same action that has been imported to the states as the MKX, Daly, and now 798. Then again I've been wrong before.

Also I think it is the same as the Browning FN Mauser? I wish they would import the stainless steel version.

I once had an Interarms Mk X that was marked Zastava M-70 on the bottom side of the tang. S40

Yes I believe that Zastava has produced the M98 actions and perhaps barreled actions used by Interarms MkX and Whitworth, Daly, and now Remington (798) rifles, whether all were based upon their current M70 variant of the M98 action I do not know. I don’t believe Zastava ever manufactured the Browning FN Mauser action as the original actions were manufactured in the FN Belgium factory and later models were manufactured in Japan, both on contract with Browning. It would be interesting to know if the Interarms Whitworth action is identical to the current Zastava M70 action.

Hopefully we’ll have some gunsmith knowledge forthcoming to identify better information regarding the Zastava M70 action, particularly the type D M70 with the 3.6875†magazine.

Sorry, what I ment was that the Serbs bought the tooling from FN, when Browning was finished with it. Scope mounts fit both, and they are very similar when compared side by side. The difference is mainly the factory fit and finish.

A dowell, sandpaper and valve grinding compound have fixed the 798, in 375 H&H, that I am shooting. Ejection and feeding have been fine since I took it out of the box. I shoots Nosler partitions and Hornady DGS solids to the same point of impact at 100 yards, and the puppy had a metal block and fiberglass aroung the recoil lug and first 2" of the barrel from the factory.

All and all a good value.