Welcome everyone to the 203rd edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

In our last edition, our poll showed that you, the readers, decided the custom Noreen 50 BMG was just fudd crap.  

HGFC – 50BMG Pack-a-Punch or Full Sucker Punch? — Poll Results

However, someone else did not agree with this landslide vote, and if you check the original auction, you’ll see it has since sold for $2,999. As it was a Buy It Now auction, we don’t know who the purchaser was. So all we can say is congratulations to you on what you deemed, a hot gat.  

In this week’s edition of HGFC, we look at a Custom M76 Zastava chambered in 30-06. As is tradition, this AK-pattern gat is currently up for sale on GunBroker for $3,700.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP?

M76 NATO or Yugo No?

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

Let’s see what the Staff had to say about this week’s offering:

“Kinda hot. But price is lukewarm.” -Nick C.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

Selling this rechambered gat is GunBroker seller mikeandnatasha, located in Irmo SC.  Let’s see what they had to say about their slightly modified take on a classic AK-pattern rifle.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

Professionally built rare .30-06 chambered M76 built on a Tortort receiver. Barrel machined from a stainless steel  green mountain blank . Properly headspaced .Test fired and function checked to run absolutely excellent Coated in Cobra black catalyzed baked cerakote. Top notch quality throughout with excellent wood and all matching numbers. Comes with 4 magazines, sling and ammo pouch. Bellorussian 8X POSP scope included. 

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

Also included is a custom designed and built mount machined to fit a GSL multi cal suppressor. These are excellent suppressors that retail in the $1200+ range. The GSL was chosen for its ability to take the full length of the M76 flash suppressor. Included are the New in box GSL suppressor rated up to 300 win mag and 5.56 and 308 thread adapters in addition to the M76 adapter. We are an 07/02 SOT shop and the supressor is on a form 3 for quick transfer to your dealer.   

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

Yes, .30-06

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

The Zastava M76 first entered service in 1976. It has since become the standard issue designated marksman rifle (DMR) for the Serbian Army. While it may look similar to a Russian Dragunov SVD-type rifle, it is built using their M70 AKM derivative design.  Unlike the SVD which uses a short-stroke piston, the M76 uses a more traditional long-stroke piston design similar to the Romanian PSL. In the late 90s, these rifles started being replaced by the Zastava M91’s chambered in 7.62x54mmR departing from the original chambering of 7.92x57mm Mauser or 8mm Mauser.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

While the 8mm chambering has slowly faded over the years, the Russian 7.62x54mmR has somehow stood the test of time. For those of us in America, none of that really mattered until the recent Russian ammo import ban happened. Since then, I’ve seen a lot more 5.56 and 300 BLK chambered AKM pattern rifles on the market. So re-chambering an M76 in 30-06 doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. Certainly, it would be a lot easier to find ammo, but will someone who’s in the market for these want something that’s been modified? Only time will tell. There does come the issue of reliability and sourcing magazines.  In all honesty, I think that anyone who purchases a rifle like this and is going to shoot it is willing to tinker with it to make it work.

What do you think? Is this modified Serbian classic worth it for the price with the suppressor, optic, and sling included? Or are you better off getting something more modern or an unmodified classic? As always I leave it up to you, the readers, to decide.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? M76 NATO or Yugo No?

What do you think?  Is this M76 a Hot Gat or not true to the original Fudd Crap?  Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and cast your vote to let us know if this Suppressed Zastava M76 in 30-06 is a Hot Gat or Fudd Crap: