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Thread: VZ58 straight pull 7.62x39

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    469

    VZ58 straight pull 7.62x39

    Hi

    I thought I'd do a review, as I've not done one before. It's regarding my Caledonian Arms VZ58 straight pull in 7.62x39, which I purchased nearly 2 years ago. Why did I buy it in that calibre, when I could have bought it in the far more sensible .223? Mainly because I like 7.62x39, and it's not as awful a round as many seem to think.......

    My first 7.62x39 was an AIA bolt action - it looks a bit like a jungle carbine. I bought it partly because it was such a good looking rifle, and at the time Landmarc kept cancelling our military ranges and I needed something in a calibre which could readily be downloaded so I could use it at our other range which has an upper limit on muzzle velocity. On the odd foray to military ranges the other benefit was that I could use cheap steel cased ammo, which works remarkably well (though make sure that you thoroughly clean the bore as it's corrosive). Unfortunately, despite much experimentation, I never managed to develop a downloaded round with acceptable accuracy, and I ended up selling that rifle. Shortly after I purchased another 7.62x39 - the VZ58........

    So what's it like? The trigger pull is frightful, the cases regularly don't eject sufficiently and fall back into the action, the scope rail is positioned too far back. However it is probably my favourite rifle! Accuracy is good - I have taken it out as far as 400 yards and it can compete in our military rifle competitions with the .303s. With downloads (7.5grains trailboss with a cheap 123grain .308 fmj) it will tear a single ragged hole at 25 yards. I have also developed subsonic rounds using 180 grain .308 bullets, and with a moderator fitted it is extremely quiet. Also Scott of Caledonian Arms was a pleasure to deal with. If I remember rightly it cost me £780. I purchased it with the standard military furniture, made of what looks like a mix of polyester resin and wood chips - I wouldn't leave it near a fire.....The stock is a bit short in length, so I may add a spacer to the butt. Dressing them up in an AR15 style seems to be the thing to do, however I wanted to have it in authentic military style. The scope rail attaches to the side, similar to the AKs, and is really more suited to a red dot than a scope, however I prefer the latter. I'm sure that the trigger pull can be improved with a bit of work.

    In short I would thoroughly recommend one.

    SpringfieldM6

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Warminster, Wilts
    Posts
    726
    If you really want to keep/shoot it get hold of a Red Star trigger group which will sort your trigger out, easy to fit, I put one in a ROMAK a while back and it changed the whole rifle. Fully adjustable to boot!

    T

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    469
    Cheers, I'll look into that.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    469
    Unfortunately Red Star only seem to do trigger groups for the AK, and the vz58 is not an AK.

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