Zastava Smallbore MP

The History of Zastava

The beginnings of Zastava Arms reach back to 1853 when the company presented four cannons and two howitzers in their facilities in Kragujevac, Serbia. The factory was initially named Vojno-Tehnicki Zavod (Military Technical Institute) but was renamed at the end of the 19th century to Military Engineering Works. In 1904 the segment of the company dedicated to the automobile industry was opened which was renamed Zavodi Crvena Zastava ("Red Flag Factories") after World War II.

The arms production facilities were upgraded significantly in the 1860s and in 1880, the first repeating rifle inspired by the Mauser Model 1871 was presented by Kosta Milanovič. The rifle was also known under the name ‘Mauser Koka’. After a signed contract with FN Herstal in 1925, the company gained rights to produce the M24 series bolt-action rifles under their license. In 1928, Zastava started the production of rifles and ammunition in their new factory that was built only a few years prior. Due to enlarged facilities, they started manufacturing the Czechoslovakian 26 mm M 1929 signal pistols and light ZB vz. 26 machine guns under the Zbrojovka Brno license.

During World War II, Zastava facilities were severely damaged but were repaired in 1944 when the city of Kragujevac was liberated. Due to the ongoing war, the factory was repaired in the same year and the production of the 9mm M 1944 B2 submachine gun was launched.

After the War, Zastava M48 was introduced. The structural design of the M48 was based on the Belgian Mauser M24 series – a line of German Mauser Gewehr 98. The production of shotguns and small-bore rifles was launched in 1954 together with the M53 machine gun that evolved from the German MG 42. The derivatives of Soviet weapons can be traced back to Zastava as well. One such example is the PAP M59/66 semi-automatic rifle presented in 1961 which was manufactured as the licensed version of the Soviet SKS.

The M67 model which had been introduced in the following years set the foundations for the development of the Zastava M70 presented in 1970, which was later adopted by the Yugoslavian army. In the 1970s, a heavy machine gun was released which was design-wise much like the NSV machine gun. It was named Zastava M02 Coyote and it could fire over 700 rounds per minute. After a new plant had opened in the 80s, Zastava introduced several new models such as the M88 compact pistol, CZ99 pistol, M84, M86 and M92 machine guns etc.

Although the production was significantly slowed because of the UN sanctions during the Yugoslav wars, Zastava continued its production and signed an agreement with Remington Arms in 2005 which allowed for the export of hunting and sporting rifles to the United States. Consequently, the company was reconstructed in the following years. Despite the escalating debts, their facilities were modernized in 2017. In 2019, the company announced the opening of the Zastava Arms USA branch for import and distribution purposes, with the production of firearms significantly increasing in 2020.

Zastava Smallbore MP Rifle Review

Zastava MP is a series of small-bore rifles also known under the name CZ 99 Precision. It is worth noting that the CZ acronym stands for ‘Crvena Zastava’ and should not be confused with the Czech arms company ‘Česká Zbrojovka’. Moreover, when Remington company began importing Serbian-made .22 rimfires manufactured by Zastava into the USA, they named the Zastava MP Smallbore rifle Remington Model Five for the US market.

The MP rifle utilizes a Mauser-type action that is machined from a single billet of steel and houses a rotating bolt with twin extractors and a rather heavy firing pin spring. The barrel is cold-forged of chrome-vanadium steel and the stock is made of walnut wood. A lever-type safety which is placed on the right upper side of the receiver blocks the trigger mechanism, keeping the rifle safe while transporting.

The rifle comes with factory pre-installed iron sights and a receiver with an 11mm dovetail which accepts scope mounts. The trigger is smooth to operate; however, it is factory pre-set and can only be adjusted in the authorized service shops according to the manual. MP rifles come with a push-button removable magazine that can hold up to five cartridges. Additionally, a ten-round magazine is available. The rifles are available in half-stock and full-stock options.

Zastava Smallbore MP comes with a 560mm (22-inch) long barrel.

Zastava MP22 rifle

Figure 1: Zastava MP22 rifle, chambered for .22 LR (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/zastava-arms-rifles/zastava-mp22-22-lr.cfm?gun_id=101595346)

Zastava Smallbore MP Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.17 Hornet
.22 LR
.22 WMR

Zastava Smallbore MP Variants

Zastava Smallbore MP Fullstock
Zastava Smallbore MP17
Zastava Smallbore MP22

Zastava Smallbore MP rifle comes with an 11mm dovetail groove on the top of the receiver for scope mounting purposes.

The receiver of Zastava MP22 rifle

Figure 2: The receiver of Zastava MP22 rifle, chambered for .22 LR (Source: https://atlanticfirearms.com/zastava-arms-mp-22-rifle-22lr-mp22wmrf)

The mounting surface of Zastava MP22 rifle

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava Smallbore MP

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava Smallbore MP

All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Zastava Smallbore MP. Rifles that have the same mounting surface as Zastava Smallbore MP are:

All rifles featuring an 11 mm round-top dovetail

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava Smallbore MP

All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Zastava Smallbore MP.

All rifles featuring an 11 mm round-top dovetail

Best Scope Mounts for Zastava Smallbore MP

Fixed Scope Mounts for Zastava Smallbore MP

This two-piece fixed mount manufactured by the Croatian company Rusan is a suitable choice for Zastava Smallbore MP. It is made of steel and comes with a ten-year warranty.

Detachable Scope Mounts for Zastava Smallbore MP

If you want to detach your optic without the use of tools, we recommend this two-piece mount manufactured by Warne. Please note, that although the mount is detachable it is not repeatable, meaning that you will have to zero in your scope when remounting it back on the rifle.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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Zastava Smallbore MP

The History of Zastava