Zastava M70 assault rifle
The Zastava M70 (Serbian Cyrillic: Застава М70) is a 7.62×39mm assault rifle. Developed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by Zastava Arms during the 1960s, the M70 was an unlicensed derivative of the Soviet AK-47 (specifically the Type 3 variant). Due to political differences between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia at the time, namely the latter's refusal to join the Warsaw Pact, Zastava was unable to directly obtain the technical specifications for the AK and opted to reverse engineer the weapon type. Although the M70 was functionally identical to the AK, it had unique in-built features that better enabled it to fire rifle grenades. These included a thicker receiver, a new latch for the dust cover to ensure it wouldn't be jarred loose by a grenade discharge, and a folding grenade sight bracket over the rifle's gas block, which also shut off the gas system when raised.
| Zastava M70 | |
|---|---|
A Zastava M70AB2 | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Yugoslavia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970–1982 (limited use) 1982–present (standard service rifle) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars |
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| Production history | |
| Designer | Zastava Arms |
| Designed | 1962–1968 |
| Manufacturer | Zastava Arms |
| Produced | 1970–present |
| No. built | 4,000,000 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.70 kg (8.2 lb) |
| Length | 890 mm (35 in) |
| Barrel length | 415 mm (16.3 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Action | Gas-operated (rotating bolt) |
| Rate of fire | 600-650 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 720 m/s (2,400 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 400 m (440 yd) |
| Feed system | 30-round AK-47 detachable magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights graduated from 100 to 1,000 meters |
The M70 became the standard issue infantry weapon in the Yugoslav People's Army in 1970, complementing and later superseding the Zastava M59/66. The M70 was also used by Republika Srpska in the Bosnian War alongside the AK-74 and other weapons. Both the original M70 design, as well as commercial variants of the weapon without select-fire capability, known as the Zastava PAP series, are still produced by Zastava for export.