The best place for these answers:
VZ-58 semi auto rifle
Start with this post:
Elitism is getting old....
A true, full capacity >10-round VZ58 cannot be imported into US. Everything is machined and rebuilt here, with much of both platforms - Century or Czechpoint - being used mil surplus. If Century, or whomever they farmed the rebuild work out to, does it right the first time, you are golden. If not, then customer service *can* be lacking.
If Czechpoint, who has been known to made build/rebuild mistakes themselves, screws it up, then support is somewhat better and they do the same thing rifle mag-well-expansions over and over.
We are *not* talking wasr compared to arsenal. Arsenal takes new stock and rebuilds proper config akm's out of them. A better comparison might be a Century WASR build to another importer/rebuilders WASR.
The Century builds were selling for $349 a year and a half ago. The VZ.58 purists, who already owned CZechpoint rifles, began buying VZ2008s in multiples and were generally elated with what they got. [Read forum linked above.] Now that the well of VZs for Century rebuilds is growing slim and the price has gone up to $500, then the monetary difference is less challenging for a Czechpoint purchase.
For a difference of $100-150? I would go Czechpoint for some piece of mind, support and supporting the little guy.
For $250-300 on a $800 rifle, maybe as a long term investment I *might* (50/50) go with Czechpoint.
For $350 for a Century instead of $800 for a Czechpoint [43% of the price of a Czechpoint,] I would go with VZ2008, based on price and how much the guys with Czechpoint rifles were pleased with the Century. Only if it was my primary weapon as I took a security contractor job, could I justify a Czechpoint at that spread.
This coming from a guy who has justified $800 Busse knives in the past over the $50 Kabar.
Other comparisons of "class of weapon" might be well served to include specifics: accuracy, reliability, usage? If you just want to throw a few hundred 7.62x39 100 yards down the range a couple of times a year, that WASR might be "good enough." While I like VZs, they don't have the wealth of surplus spare parts or mags in the US that an AK will. Quoted from frequent VZ guys, "Most VZs are 3-6 MOA guns."
They are a fine, lightweight, reliable, service rifle designed around 54 year old technology. And, yes, they are still in limited use in world militaries now but are being phased out for the modern CZ-805.
