Zastava M07

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 M07 Rifle Review

Zastava M07 is a military-grade, high-precision sniper rifle with an effective range of 1000 meters. It uses a Mauser 98 bolt-action system, based on a large, non-rotating claw-controlled feed extractor which allows for fast primary extraction. The bolt has three locking lugs, two on the front and one on the rear end of the bolt. M07 was adopted by the Serbian army in 2007 and has been in use ever since. The barrel is forged from chrome-vanadium steel, granting extra precision and accuracy.

On the top of the receiver is an integrated Picatinny rail for mounting purposes. Contrary to the M808 sporting rifle that has a two-part Picatinny, the rail on the M07 is full-length. Although the stock on M07 is made of durable polymer material, the M07 Match variant comes with a wooden stock - like the M808. However, it is adjustable for comb height and length of pull, none of which are available on the M808. The overall shape of the stocks is also different. Moreover, an optional adjustable bipod can be mounted on the pin on the tip of the stock which is yet another feature only available on the M07 Match. Nonetheless, the two rifles do share some features such as the detachable magazine with the same release mechanism and a safety lever.

Figure 1: Zastava M07 Match compared to Zastava M808 (Source: https://zastavaarmsusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Zastava_Arms_USA_2019_February_Catalog_without_index_page.pdf)

The three-position mechanical safety of the M07 is positioned on the right upper side of the action, next to the bolt shroud. When the safety is pushed to the front position, the bolt is unlocked, and the trigger can fire. The middle position puts the safety in the ‘secure’ mode. In this position, the bolt is unlocked but the trigger remains blocked. In the rearmost position, the safety is engaged, blocking the trigger, and locking the bolt. Zastava M07’s magazine is removable and made of a high-quality durable polymer material. It can hold up to five standard and three magnum cartridges.

A single trigger is crisp to operate and can be adjusted for weight to match the user's preferences. A foldable stock is available for the M07 AF model but not for the M07 AS which comes with the same specifications but has a straight, fixed stock. The cheek pad is height adjustable for an ergonomic shooting experience. Moreover, the length of the stock can also be adjusted which is done by adding or removing the polymer inserts at the rear end of the stock.

Figure 2: Zastava M07 AS, chambered for .308 Win. (Source: https://atlanticfirearms.com/zastava-arms-m07-as-308-sniper-rifle)

Zastava M07 Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

• 6.5x55 SE 

• .308 Win.

• .300 Win. Mag.

• 7.62x54R 

Zastava M07 Variants

The M07 is available in the following variants:

• Zastava LK M07 Match (wooden stock)

• Zastava M07 AS (polymer stock)

• Zastava M07 AF (polymer folding stock)

The receiver of Zastava M07 comes with an integrated Picatinny rail for mounting purposes.

Figure 3: The receiver of Zastava M07, chambered for .308 Win. (Source: https://atlanticfirearms.com/zastava-arms-m07-as-308-sniper-rifle#)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M07

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M07

All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Zastava M07. Rifles that have the same mounting surface as Zastava M07 are:

• Rifles featuring a Picatinny rail for mounting purposes

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M07

All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Zastava M07.

• Rifles featuring a Picatinny rail for mounting purposes

Best Scope Mounts for Zastava M07

Fixed Scope Mounts for Zastava M07

If you are looking for a fixed mounting solution to install on your Zastava M07, we recommend this mono-block mount for Picatinny manufactured by the Swedish company Spuhr. It is made of high-quality aluminum and comes with a two-year warranty.

Order Spuhr mount for Picatinny

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Zastava M07

We recommend this mono-block mounting solution manufactured by the Swedish company Spuhr that provides the user with the flexibility of easily attaching and detaching an optic without any tools and retaining zero at the same time.

Check out Spuhr QD mount for Picatinny

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