Zastava Arms
44°00′29″N20°54′51″E/ 44.00806°N 20.91417°E
Native name | Застава оружје Zastava oružje |
---|---|
Company type | Joint-stock company |
Industry | Arms industry |
Founded | 27 October 1853 31 December 2000(current form) |
Headquarters | Kosovska 4,Kragujevac , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Firearms,artillery |
Revenue | €32.59 million(2019)[1] |
€10.17 million(2019)[1] | |
Total assets | €127.98 million(2019)[2] |
Total equity | €0(2019)[2] |
Owner | Government of Serbia(48%) |
Number of employees | 2,631(2019) |
Subsidiaries | Zastava Arms USA |
Website | www |
Zastava Arms(Serbian:Застава оружје,romanized:Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer offirearmsandartillery,based inKragujevac,Serbia.In 1853, it was founded, and cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firearms in Serbia and is a large contributor to the local defense industry. Zastava Arms produces and exports a wide variety of products to over forty countries, including theZastava M70,aKalashnikov rifle.
History
[edit]The successful production of four four-pound cannons and two shorthowitzerson 27 October 1853 is date of foundation of Zastava Arms inKragujevac.Between 1856 and 1860, the facilities in Kragujevac received many upgrades to its manufacturing system, eventually allowing the plant to produce weapons with full parts interchangeability. In 1878, one of the main priorities became the modernization of armaments. Serbian rifle „Piboduša “Model 1870Peabodybecame obsolete with their large 14,9mm caliber.[3]After a research project and a competitive tender in 1879, a new model rifle was chosen as the replacement. The first domestic-made repeating rifle, a derivative of theMauser Model 1871bolt-action rifle, was designed in 1880 by Kosta Milovanović and was namedMauzer Milovanović M. 1880,known as "Mauser-Koka" or "Koka's Rifle", after its designer. The weapon was first manufactured in Germany and was called the Mauser-Milovanović M1878/80, cal. 10.15mm.[4] In 1924 and 1925, the Ministry of the Interior signed contracts withFN Herstal,Belgiumwhich allowed the production ofM24 seriesbolt-action rifles chambered in7.92×57mm Mauser.A factory for production of rifles and infantry ammunition was also built. The factory for production of infantry ammunition began production on 22 March 1928 and the factory for production of rifles and ammunition began operation on 15 October (the 75th anniversary of the first casting of cannons in Kragujevac). In 1930, the factory started the production of signal pistols 26 mm M 1929 on aCzechoslovakianlicense. In July 1936, the factory received a license from the CzechoslovakianZbrojovka Brnoto produce the light machinegunZB vz. 267.9 mm M 1937.
Zastava Arms was heavily damaged duringWorld War II.When Kragujevac was liberated on 21 October 1944, the weapons factory was repaired to working order within months and production began shortly after, with the 9 mm M 1944 B2 submachine gun developed the same year. The next postwar production rifle was the 7.92×57mmMauser Model 1948based on theModel 24.The production of air rifles and sporting rifles on the basis of the M48 rifle started in 1953. In 1954, Zastava started the production of shotguns and small bore rifles, as well as the 7.9 mmM53 ¨Sarac¨machine gun. Batch production of the 7.62×39mmPAP M59semi-automatic rifle started in 1964. In the 1964, the factory started the development of an automatic rifle based on theKalashnikov system,which was designated the M67 in 1967. On the basis of the M67 rifle, the factory developed an automatic rifle chambered in 7.62×39mm, which was named theZastava M70in the following year. TheYugoslav People's Armyadopted the M70 assault rifle into its arsenal in 1970. Small arms derivatives of the M70 produced rifles chambered in Western bloc ammunition such as7.62×51mm NATOand5.56×45mm NATOwere also produced. In 1988, the factory developed a compact pistol in 9 mm Parabellum, theM88.
In the 1980s, the plant for theM84,M86 in 7.62×54mmR and 12.7 NSV M87 machine guns began to operate. In July 1989, Zastava started the development of a double-action pistol in caliber 9mm PARACZ 99.In 1992, the factory finished the development and testing and started batch production of the 7.62 mmM92submachine gun, based on theM85submachine gun. Using the Mauser mechanism, the factory developed a 12.7 mm long range rifle, theBlack Arrow M93.
During theYugoslav Warsof 1991 to 1995, theUnited Nationsplacedeconomic sanctionson the import and export of weapons from Yugoslavia. Production slowed as a result. In 1999, the factory was damaged byNATObombing.
In 2005, a memorandum of understanding was signed withRemington Armsto export hunting and sporting guns to theUnited States,CanadaandMexico.From 2005 to 2014, Zastava Arms underwent restructuring.
In 2013, the Government of Serbia decided to convert debt of defence industry companies to state into shares in a company, with Zastava Arms owing the most at over 80 million euros in taxes.[5]However, the realization of that decision has been postponed indefinitely, making Zastava Arms the most indebted defense industry company in Serbia.[5]
The Government of Serbia invested 9.7 million euros in the factory's modernisation in 2017, for the needs of defence industry.[6]
In January 2019, the creation ofZastava Arms USAwas announced,[7]which would serve as "exclusive importer and distributor" of Zastava Arms products for the US market.[8]As of June 2019, company's debt in taxes increased to 85 million euros, with total debt being at around 145 million euros.[9]
Production of firearms in 2020 increased 20%, despite theCOVID-19 pandemic.[10]The deals made in 2020 were worth 95 million dollars, with buyers mostly from Asia, Africa and the United States.
Products
[edit]- Semi-automatic sporting rifles/pistols:Zastava PAP series
- Bolt-action rifles:Zastava M48
- Semi-automatic rifles:Zastava PAP M59
- Submachine guns:M56,M97,Master FLG
- Sniper rifles:M76,M91,M07,SRX20
- Pistols:P25,M57/M70A,M70,M88,CZ99,PPZ
- Select-fire rifles:M70,M77,M80,M85,M90,M92,M21,M19,M05,M17
- Machine guns:M1937;Light machine guns:M72,M77,M84;Heavy machine guns:M87,M02 CoyoteM53
- Anti-materiel rifles and other:M93 Black Arrow,M12 Black Spear
- The M12 Black Spear can be chambered for either12.7×108mm(maximum range 1,800 m) or.50 BMG(maximum range 1,600 m) ammunition. On top of the chamber has aPicatinny railto fix different types ofoptical devices.[11]
Anti-aircraft autocannons
[edit]Name | Type | Prod. years | Cartridge | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zastava M55 | triple-barreled | 1978– | 20 mm | [12] | |
Bofors 40 mm gun | anti-aircraft/multi-purpose | 1978– | 40 mm L/60–70 | L70 version with laser-computer group under license from Bofors[12] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"БИЛАНС УСПЕХА (2019) - Застава Оружје".apr.gov.rs(in Serbian).Retrieved14 December2020.
- ^ab"БИЛАНС СТАЊА (2019) - Застава Оружје".apr.gov.rs(in Serbian).Retrieved14 December2020.
- ^Collection of 19th century weapons until 1918.ArchivedOctober 6, 2011, at theWayback MachineMilitary Museum
- ^Viktor Kovačević (August 1998)."KOKA POPRAVLJA MAUZERA".Srpsko nasleđe, Istorijske sveske, broj 8(in Serbian). NIP "GLAS".
- ^abRadovanović, Z. (5 September 2017)."Planina duga Zastave oružja čeka Vladu Srbije".danas.rs(in Serbian).Retrieved18 March2019.
- ^"Vojne fabrike u dugovima, hale i oprema zastareli".danas.rs(in Serbian). 24 April 2017.Retrieved23 December2017.
- ^Edger, Chris (24 January 2019)."PAPS, TOKS AND MAUSERS FOR THE MASSES: ZASTAVA LAUNCHES U.S-BASED OPERATION".guns.com.Retrieved4 May2019.
- ^H., Hrachya (2 January 2019)."Zastava Arms USA to Become the Exclusive Zastava Firearms Importer".thefirearmblog.com.Retrieved4 May2019.
- ^"Poreski dug" Zastava oružja "dostigao 10 MILIJARDI DINARA".blic.rs.Danas. 26 June 2019.Retrieved22 July2019.
- ^Карталовић, Бране."Од" острагуше "до модуларне пушке М19".Politika Online.Retrieved2020-11-03.
- ^"Long Range Rifles M12 Black Spear".Zastava Arms.Retrieved13 October2023.
- ^ab"1970-1992".Zastava Arms.