IMPORTANT UPDATE about Zastava NPAP 5k rounds rifle: guys, one of the members spotted small cracks developing on the back of the receiver of NPAP rifle in our last video.
I have checked pictures from early runs and those cracks weren’t there (included is picture from 1st video, after 1k rounds).
Now, after 5k rounds, you can see 2 cracks around cover button hole (see bottom picture).
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Rob,
Do you think that a recoil buffer would have helped stop that? What other mods would you recommend on the NPap to make it a go to gun for any situation (battle ready)? Your videos are great, really helping me to understand the AK.
No, honestly, buffer has no place on AK…
do you think the missing part would have prevented the receiver from splitting like that? or is the hole so close to the edge and the rivet just a bad design?
Yeah time to test the O pap i have 3k through mine and no cracks. And i have a double power recoil spring in mine. But i have a M70 bolt in my heavy receiver pap the one before they turned it into the Opap.
I’m fairly sure I know why this crack formed in that location. I noticed from your videos that you fire the rifle with the dust cover removed at times. If you depressed the button to remove the dust cover, and left the recoil spring riding on the pin, as it would be to remove the cover, the bolt carrier will hit the recoil spring and put all the force on this pin, rather than the usual location of the rear trunnion. This would cause the hole to increase in size until it cracked. Could be wrong, but that would make perfect sense as to why it cracked in that location, and the pin flew out.
I totally agree the pin is also VERY sticky if you’ve dirtied your rifle up a bit and does not allow you to depress the button. So all the receipts is slamming into the pin and making it have uneven recoil absorption.
Hmmm, I’m wondering if an XP +15% power wolff spring would have negated the issue Rob… I’m wondering if the N-Pap is under sprung. Look at those superman level ejection patterns, another sign of a weak recoill spring. I honestly wonder if the bolt and carrier group were just battering the crap out of your receiver with that weak spring not slowing it down enough. Just food for thought.
Rob, no reply to mike edwards regarding the wolff power spring? Others have stated that they replaced the stock spring with the wolff…kind of makes sense…..no????
Love your videos…trust your opinions.
I beat all of the U.S Army officer pilots in the class, during the motorcycle rider’s exam. I scored an “A,” the only “A” & a perfect 100%. I beat, everyone enlisted, civis & all Veterans. The Black Hawk pilots scored 82-84% high. That’s 18%+ higher. I can deduce that, if the rifle had the pin, in the rear trunnion, along, with a periodic recoil spring, it wouldn’t have cracked. It is logical. NPAP’s don’t have the best of recoil springs. AKOU’s gut feeling is right. NPAP’s springs are usually shorter and they likely have been compressed for a while on a shelf. They are like 3 generation springs behind, which is why, owners need to get them new & uncompressed.
A new good recoil spring is 18-18.25 inches or so, 19 inches for longer ones, while others might be 15.75-17 inches short, for the range. That’s just for what I have laying around. AK trigger weight should be 5-7 lbs (6.5 lbs. AK manual). Century provides a MILSPEC pull weight trigger, with the RAK-1, the Tapco G2 is not. The G2 is out of spec, along with recoil spring – both are too low.
My spring had the nut fall out while shooting, didn’t realize for weeks…anyone have an idea how I can get another one?
Check with Arms of America
I have a n-pap or m70 by zastava made in Serbia from century international inc. and after about 1k rounds the rear trunion cracked right off the back and almost took me with it.You can say all you want about abuse and neglect ;but I tell you this rifle was cared for and kept clean .SO MY THOUGHTS ARE CENTURY NEEDS TO COME CLEAN AND FIX THE PROBLEM….I saw my of these in the nam filty and scarred after thousands of rounds and they still fired..with out all the fix its needed on these so called hybrids.Mad yes I am mad and fed up with excuse for inferior products.
HI Lawrence, would it be possible to email me pics? My email is: ak74ski@comcast.net
hope the pics I sent you arrived ok
can not get posting on whether you received pics of n-pap failure to the max so I will attempt the send pics of same to your mail address