Zastava grips

Zastava Arms (Zastava Oružje) is Serbia's premier firearms manufacturer, rooted in one of Europe's oldest arms industries

The story begins in 1853, when Serbian Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević ordered the establishment of a state arms foundry in Kragujevac to produce military rifles and reduce dependence on foreign imports. On October 27, 1853, the Kragujevac Arsenal (Topolivnica) officially opened—the first industrial facility in Serbia—starting with repairs and later manufacturing muzzle-loading rifles under Austrian and Prussian licenses

Key milestones:

• 1880: Adopted the Mauser M1878/80 "Srpska puška" (Serbian rifle)—the first domestically designed and produced military rifle
• 1924–1930s: Modernized into Zastava Arms Factory, producing Mauser-based rifles (M1924, M1924/27) for the Royal Yugoslav Army
• WWII: Heavily damaged; post-war rebuilt under socialist Yugoslavia as Zavodi Crvena Zastava (Red Banner Works)
• 1950s–1960s: Licensed production of Soviet designs (SKS, M48 Mauser) and development of the iconic M70 AK variant (Yugoslav AKM in 7.62×39mm)
• 1970s: Introduced the M70 pistol (Tokarev TT copy) and M84 sniper rifle
• 1990s: Survived wars and sanctions; began exporting civilian versions (M70, M85, M92 carbines)
• 2005: Privatized as Zastava Oružje A.D.; expanded U.S. market via Zastava Arms USA (2010s) with PAP series (M70/M92 imports)
• 2020s: Modernized production of M19 modular rifle, precision rifles, and pistols (e.g., EZ9/EZ40)

Today, Zastava Arms produces military, police, and civilian firearms—AK-pattern rifles, Mauser derivatives, shotguns, and pistols—renowned for rugged reliability and value. From 1853 arsenal to global exporter, Zastava embodies Balkan engineering resilience and tradition