CAI VZ2008

[dwickstrom]

Has anybody had any experience with these recently bought one. Took it out of the box cycled the action pulled the trigger and nothing. Started to strip the rifle couldn't remove action cover ir was like the striker was engaged but stuck pulled back on bolt came back and locked up wouldn't move so I slammed my hand against it it went forward heard something click pulled the trigger and it worked any ideas what caused this?

 

[dwickstrom]

No visible damage to any parts and cycles fine hope to get out and shoot it Wednesday. Your input is greatly appreciated.

 

[sloughfoot]

I am stumped. Before you shoot it, you are going to field strip it and clean it?

Maybe it had a piece of crud in just the wrong place and you cleared it?

 

[mrzachary]

My buddy has had one for awhile. He got it when JG Sales had them for something like $375 I think. Hasn't had any issues. I think the recoil is a bit much on these due to how darn small they are. A blast to shoot though. Nice looking too. Let us know how it works for ya.

 

[MilitaryArms]

What happened was Century Arms built it.

I would send it in for warranty service. Hopefully you don't get screwed around like I did when I had one of their AK's with massive problems. I discovered their warranty starts the day they make the rifle, not the day you buy it. So if they make it and it sits in their warehouse for 3 months, then it goes to a distributor where it sits for 3 months, then it goes to your dealer where it sits for 6 months before you buy it, you're out of warranty as I was. They will give you grief saying there is nothing they can do to help you, but if you are persistent you can get them to fix the rifle or replace it. At that point, sell it and buy a real CZ rifle which is only a few hundred more but properly built and it will accept all Vz58 accessories - something the CIA clones rarely do due to being slightly out of spec in a number of areas.

Or, if it works when it comes back, keep it as a blaster.

 

[theundeadelvis]

Good info here. I've been wanting a VZ desperately, and have been leaning towards the Czechpoint offerings, but the price of a CAI is always tempting. I guess in the long run, spending the extra cash will be worth it.

 

[bullet293]

check the safety lever on the side. mine did this when i turned from safe to fire but rotated it the wrong direction because it doesnt have a a stop to keep you from going the wrong way????

 

[calcot7]

sounds like you fixed it rather than broke it.

 

[dwickstrom]

I was trying to field stripit when this occured due to work 120 plus hours evry two weeks haven't had the chance still to shoot it but it cycles manually fine and field strips with no issues must have been like a previous poster stated a piece of dirt or crap that got knocked loose going to. My dads friday to shoot it will let you know the results thanks for the input folks its got a nice coat of weapons shield on it and the internals.

Bullet it was in the fire position when I tried

Undeadelvis buy it the only downside so far is the magazines are expensive.

Fullauto thats what orginally steered me away was everyone told me to stay away from CAI guns on internet but I have friends who have no issues with the guns.

Calcot7 we will see on friday.

One of thso mysteries that may never be solved.

MrZachary I got a great price on it as well.

 

[Beowulf]

Good info here. I've been wanting a VZ desperately, and have been leaning towards the Czechpoint offerings, but the price of a CAI is always tempting. I guess in the long run, spending the extra cash will be worth it.

As someone who has been burned by CAI and their crap reputation more times than I'd care to admit, just spend the extra money for the good quality rifle. You will be so much happier you did.

As a recovering CAI addict, I hope I've learned that lesson myself and stop getting suckered by CAI's prices and them building interesting guns from parts kits (and doing a @#$% terrible job while doing it). When I total it up, I've owned at least 10 CAI guns, 4 of them actually built by them. Of the 6 imports, they've been pretty good (kind of hard to screw that up). One had a recall (Romak PSL) but that was because of the ATF deciding it was too easy to convert to a machine gun (with a 10 round magazine). But I sent it back to CAI and when it was returned, I had 2 new mags to go with the one I had (pretty good, considering how hard those were to find for a while). Now, of the 4 they've built, 3 have had serious issues. I had a CETME with what turned out to be salt water damage in the lower and a screwed up gas system on the upper. I had an AK74 with a corroded barrel (so bad that you couldn't even chamber a round... this from a "new" rifle), and a Galil where they screwed up the bolt and gunked up the chamber with their hack finishing job so that spent shell casings would get wedge in there.

 

[Beowulf]

Oh and the other bad thing about CAI built guns is their crap resale value. Even when you have a working gun, most people at a gun show will assume you are just trying to pass off a dud and will either refuse to consider it or severely low ball you. So, whatever savings you think you gaining in buying CAI over a better brand, you are almost guaranteed to be losing when you sell it (I just went through this with that AK74, after I gotten the barrel replaced by CAI and it was fully functional).

 

[It'sAllFun&Games]

I was trying to field stripit when this occured due to work 120 plus hours evry two weeks haven't had the chance still to shoot it but it cycles manually fine and field strips with no issues must have been like a previous poster stated a piece of dirt or crap that got knocked loose going to. My dads friday to shoot it will let you know the results thanks for the input folks its got a nice coat of weapons shield on it and the internals.

Bullet it was in the fire position when I tried

Undeadelvis buy it the only downside so far is the magazines are expensive.

Fullauto thats what orginally steered me away was everyone told me to stay away from CAI guns on internet but I have friends who have no issues with the guns.

Calcot7 we will see on friday.

One of thso mysteries that may never be solved.

MrZachary I got a great price on it as well.

My head hurts trying to decipher this post!

I would stay far away from anything from CAI.
If you want a vz.58, the Czechpoint is the way to go.
Yes, it's more expensive; and yes, you might have to wait a month to get one, but it's worth it.
Remember, you get what you pay for!

 

[LEaSH]

If you have never shot or experienced a VZ2008, you really should. Mine has been 100% reliable, and accurate to 100 yards for me. Some folks would love to have you know that they know everything about every firearm with out shooting most things.

If I had the choice to buy a $750 VZ 58 or another $475 VZ2008, I'd buy the latter.

If I destroy my VZ2008 in some way, I can buy another knowing it is probably going to be just fine.

 

[KoopaKGB]

If you have never shot or experienced a VZ2008, you really should. Mine has been 100% reliable, and accurate to 100 yards for me. Some folks would love to have you know that they know everything about every firearm with out shooting most things.

If I had the choice to buy a $750 VZ 58 or another $475 VZ2008, I'd buy the latter.

If I destroy my VZ2008 in some way, I can buy another knowing it is probably going to be just fine.

I second that, the VZ2008 I picked up has practically no machining marks visible and the fit is tight as can be. I also haven’t heard of the usual front sight canted on these guns like they are on some WASRs. I've owned 3 century WASRs all had no cant or major problems. The VZ2008 flat out looks better then all my previous century WASRs did. Shoots great too, the firing mechanism is so different then that of a regular AK, completely different even though both guns appear similar at first glance sitting on the shelf next to each other. It isn’t until you handle the Czech gun that you realize it’s a completely different gun disguised as an AK. Yeah the VZ58 is the official Czech rifle to own (their military still uses em too), century's version is a bargain in comparison and totally worth the couple hundred dollars in savings. You can use that same money you would have spent on the VZ58 to buy extra magazines for your VZ2008.

 

[Ljungman]

ok, no biggie. I have a vz2008. And i can pretty much bet good money i know what happened. the rifle would hand cycle fine, nothing out of the ordinary. just nothing happened on trigger pull. The back receiver cover also acts as the striker spring retainer. The top cover was probably put on with the front edges not properly in the milled grooves. ive done this to myself when i rushed putting the cover back on and didnt notice it had a gap on the left side where it was not fully in the machined grooves. It bound the striker spring inside the striker...pulled trigger...nothing. looked everything over..noted gap in cover, removed cover properly placed in back..voila fixed. And i can replicate this issue on my rifle if i do not get the cover on correctly. when you gave it a love tap...you merely seated the cover properly/unbound the striker spring and you noted it worked better. The VZ58's share a decent CAI reputation as being one of the rifles that missed the monkeys with hammers. However, i too am a CAI victim/self induced. I have gone through many cetmes. Ive given up on them completely. 5 rifles later (cetme) i sent it back and got my money back out of them. Good customer service but strike 5 was enough..for that gun. Ive had Wasrs...had. And currently awaiting return (number2) on a C93 hk clone.