Outpost Weapon

The successful production of four four - pound cannons and two short howitzers on October 27, 1853 in the city of Kragujevac is the date of foundation of the Zastava Arms. Between 1856 and 1860, enterprises in Kragujevac received many improvements in their production system, which ultimately allowed the plant to produce weapons with complete interchangeability of parts. In 1878, one of the main priorities was the modernization of weapons. The Serbian rifle “Piboduša” of the Peabody system, model 1870, became obsolete with its large caliber of 14.9 mm against the background of the world tendency to switch to a small caliber ^[3] . In 1879, a commission was organized to select a new rifle, and Kosta Koka Milovanovic, the military designer Kosta Koka, was appointed as chairman. The commission organized an international competition in which designers and weapons manufacturers from around the world could participate. ^[4] According to the result of the competition, the victory was won by a German rifle with a longitudinal sliding gate Mauser Model 1871 . Milovanovic made a number of changes to the rifle and the resulting sample was adopted as the Mauser-Milovanovic M1878 / 80, also known as the "Mauser-Kok" or "Kokinka." ^{[5] The} weapons were produced in Germany, and in 1907, 50,000 rifles were modernized in Krugjevac - they were converted to a cartridge with smokeless powder of 7 × 57 mm caliber with a 5-charge magazine. These converted samples received the designation "Mauser-Milovanovic-Djurich M 80/07".

In 1924 and 1925, the Ministry of the Interior signed contracts with FN Herstal , Belgium , which allowed the production of Mauser M1924 rifles chambered for 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser . A rifle and ammunition factory was also built. The plant for the production of ammunition began work on March 22, 1928, and the plant for the production of rifles was put into operation on October 15 (on the 75th anniversary of the first casting of the guns in Kragujevac). In 1930, the plant began the production of signal pistols 26 mm M 1929 on the basis of the Czechoslovak license. In July 1936, the plant received a license from the Czechoslovak Zbrojovka Brno for the production of ZB vz light machine guns . 26

During the Second World War, the company suffered greatly. When Kragujevac was liberated on October 21, 1944 , the weapons factory was returned to operation during several months, production began in the same year when the 9-mm machine gun M 1944 B2 was launched. The next post-war rifle was Zastava M48 , created on the basis of the German Mauser 98k rifle and the Belgian Mauser M1924 . Production of air rifles and sport rifles based on the M48 rifle began in 1953. In 1954, Zastava launched the production of hunting rifles , as well as machine guns Zastava M53 . In 1964, mass production of the PAP M59 self-loading rifle was launched , chambered for 7.62 × 39 mm , a copy of the Soviet SKS carbine. In 1964, the plant began developing an assault rifle based on the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, which was named the M67 in 1967. On the basis of the M67 rifle, the plant developed an automatic chambered for a 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge, which began to be produced under the name Zastava M70 the following year. M70 was adopted by the Yugoslav People's Army in 1970. On the basis of the M70 produced rifles for NATO ammunition, such as 7.62 × 51 mm NATO and 5.56 × 45 mm NATO. In 1988, the plant developed a compact pistol Zastava M88 .

In the 1980s, the plant was launched for the production of machine guns M84 , M86 chambered for 7.62 × 54 mm R and large-caliber machine gun M87 . In July 1989, Zastava started the development of a 9 mm dual action pistol PARA Zastava CZ 99 . In 1992, the plant completed development and testing and began mass production of the M92 carbine based on the Zastava M85 / M90 machine gun. Using the mechanism of the Mauser, the plant developed a 12.7-mm long-range rifle Black Arrow M93 .

During the Yugoslav wars of 1991-1995, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on the import and export of weapons from Yugoslavia, as a result of which production slowed down. In 1999, the plant was damaged by NATO bombing .

In 2005, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Remington Arms for the export of hunting and sporting weapons to the United States , Canada and Mexico . From 2005 to 2014, Zastava Arms was engaged in restructuring.

The Serbian Government has invested 9.7 million euros in the modernization of the plant in 2017 for the needs of the defense industry. ^[6]

• Self-loading sport rifles and pistols: Zastava PAP series
• Longitudinal Slide Rifle: Outpost M48
• Self-loading rifles: Zastava M59 / 66
• Submachine guns: M56 ; Zastava M97 (copy Uzi ); Master FLG
• Sniper rifles: M76 ; M91 ; M07
• Pistols: P25 ; M57 / M70A ; M70 ; M88 ; Ez
• Automatic machines: M70 ; M77 ; M80 ; M85 ; M90 ; M92 ; M21
• Machine guns: M1937 ; M72 ; M77 ; M84 ; heavy machine gun M87 ; M02 Coyote
• Sniper rifles: M76 ; M91 ; M93 Black Arrow ; M12 Black Spear ;

Anti-aircraft guns

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