Zastava M48

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 M48 Rifle Review

Zastava M48 is a bolt action rifle with a controlled feed that was designed after World War II in 1948 and produced from 1950 up until 1965. It is the Yugoslavian adaptation of the German K98k model with some minor modifications and changes in the design. Moreover, most parts are not interchangeable between the Yugoslav and German versions. The action and the overall length of the M48 are much shorter compared to the K98k and the upper handguard completely encloses the barrel from the rear to the receiver. Most models have the bolt handle shaved on the lower side which is yet another small difference that separates the two rifle models apart. However, apart from the length, the bolt and receiver design is the same as on the K98k. The bolt body features three locking lugs, two at the front and one at the rear end of the bolt that locks up safely with the action's housing. Some early versions come with a steel plate on the buttstock, whereas the newer ones were redesigned into a cupped shape, increasing the overall durability of the stock. A conventional Mauser flag-style safety lever is located at the rear top end of the receiver. Like on the K98k, a dedicated bolt release lever is placed on the left rear side of the receiver of the M48. The sights consist of a typical inclination adjustable rear notch and a front post with a hood that can be adjusted for windage. Zastava M48 uses an internal five-round capacity magazine that can be loaded using stripper clips, thus the receiver features a bulb that functions as a guiding slot.

There are several variants of M48 available on the market, with the differences between them mostly in the use of materials. Changes happened to speed up production and lower the cost, thus the earlier versions of the M48 had machined steel parts whereas the later models predominantly used stamped parts. Some of the rifle components such as the magazine, floor plate or trigger guard were made of sheet metal stampings; however, the quality of materials was never compromised on the most critical parts such as the bolt and receiver. Some models came with an included cleaning rod, fitted through a bayonet stud.

Zastava M48 comes with a 597 mm (23.5-inch) long barrel.

Zastava M48

Figure 1: Zastava M48, chambered for 7.92×57 mm JS (Source: https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/274015958561825897/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID%28_%29&mweb_unauth_id=%7B%7Bdefault.session%7D%7D&simplified=true)

Zastava M48 Calibers

Zastava M48 can be chambered for the following calibers:

7.92x57mm Mauser

Zastava M48 Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

Zastava M48 A
Zastava M48 B
Zastava M48 BO
Zastava M48/63

Zastava M48 receivers come without holes for mounting purposes, therefore they must be manually drilled by a gunsmith. There is a bulb on the rear end of the receiver which functions as a stripper clip guide.

The receiver of Zastava M48

Figure 2: The receiver of Zastava M48, chambered for 7.92x57mm Mauser (Source: https://www.breachbangclear.com/yugoslavian-m48-mauser/)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M48

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M48

Gewehr 98
Mauser K98k
Spanish Mauser M43
Israeli Mauser

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Zastava M48

Gewehr 98
Mauser K98k
Spanish Mauser M43
Israeli Mauser

As the M48 comes without holes in the receiver, the interchangeability conditions depend on the overall length and shape of the receiver. Please note, that although the action length of the M48 is not identical to the one on Mauser K98k, the same mounts can be installed on both rifles by slightly adapting the holes' drilling position.

Best Scope Mounts for Zastava M48

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Zastava M48

Detachable pivot mounts make attaching and detaching your preferred optic an easy task. This pivot mount made by the Croatian company Rusan is repeatable and comes with a ten-year warranty, making it a suitable choice for Zastava M48.

Picatinny Rails for Zastava M48

This Picatinny rail manufactured by the German company EAW is made of steel and will be a suitable fit for Zastava M48.

The rail comes without holes therefore they must be manually drilled by a gunsmith.

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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Rusan Picatinny rail - Military Mauser K98 (with bulb, without holes)

$78.00

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Rusan Picatinny Rail for Mauser K98 (with bulb, with holes)

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Rusan Picatinny Rail for Mauser K98 (with bulb, with holes) - 20 MOA

$95.00

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EGW Yugoslavian M48 Picatinny Rail

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VIDEO

Introduction

In recent years we can observe that a trend of Picatinny rail has become widespread and global. It is driven by the NATO standardized rails, more commonly known as the Picatinny rail standard. Picatinny rail being the New Jersey Arsenal that developed it in 1995.

These mounting options are revolutionary. The biggest and best advantage being that the Picatinny rail can be used its entire length and not bordered to a few pre-designed slots like for example the Weaver rail standard was before.

The other main advantage is the ease of use and interchangeability. If a product is meant for a Picatinny rail design it will fit all Picatinny-rails, no matter the manufacturer or date of production.

Picatinny/Weaver Rail

Picatinny Rail and Weaver rail profile

Design

The Picatinny rail is almost exclusively crafted from a single piece of metal (in some cases aluminum). In this manner, the axis of the Picatinny rail is perfectly straight and aligned with the axis of the firearm. Therefore the rifle scope which is mounted onto this kind of configuration is certainly aligned with the rifle / gun and the trajectory of the ammunition.

Weaver rail design on the other hand is usually manufactured in two separate pieces, greatly increasing the possibilities for the axis to be crooked, overlapping, and out of line.

It is always harder to align two separate pieces to a third line than it is to align one piece to another. In this way, the lapping of two mounting rings on a single-piece Picatinny rail is no longer required.

The single-piece rail will assure that both rings are perfectly aligned to each other and that no unwished stress is transferred to the riflescope.

Picatinny compare to Weaver Rail

The Picatinny rail itself is an evolutionary step forward from the older Weaver rail. The main difference between Picatinny rail and Weaver rail is the spacing of the slots. Picatinny rail design has them evenly placed exactly 5.23 mm from one slot to the other, 3 mm deep. For this reason, the mounting options are repeatable and the same as other firearms using the Picatinny rail standard.

Interchangeability was a major driving force in the development of the new standard as different NATO armies need to be compatible with each other.

Weaver rail has 3.8mm wide slots and these slots can be placed anywhere on the Weaver rail and in any number that the producer wished.

Advantages of Picatinny design

A big advantage for using the Picatinny rail design is the ever-present recoil stop. Furthermore, the manufacturing of the rail is not very technically demanding and can be done without the use of state-of-the-art machines which greatly reduces the cost of the finished product, making it very affordable.

The Picatinny rail is easy to mount and usually, this type of configuration does not transfer negative stresses and forces from the fired weapon to the rifle scope.

In addition, the Picatinny rail with its very long useable surface works well for mounting longer rifle scopes or to achieve optimum eye relief.

The durability and toughness are other big pluses for this solution.

Manufacturers of Popular Models

A majority of the Picatinny rings are fixed, but a number of best rated European manufacturers (EAW, MAK,..) have, in recent years, put a lot of effort into the development of detachable ring with100% repeatability, with which it becomes easy to remove the scope from the weapon without the use of tools.

No re-zeroing is needed with such mount options, but these models tend to be expensive.

Weaver and Picatinny Rings

Picatinny rail and weaver rail share one more thing. It is possible to use the Weaver ring and the Picatinny ring on the Picatinny-rails, but it is usually impossible to use the Picatinny ring on the Weaver base. The reason being the above-mentioned positioning and spacing of the slots.

Picatinny mounts have a 5mm recoil stop that goes into the rail slot and since
Weaver rail only has 3.8mm wide slots such rings do not fit on Weaver rails.

Due to this reason, the Picatinny-rails are popular and prevailing on the market in recent years and eventually, these options will completely oust the Weaver rail from the market.

Zastava M48

The History of Zastava