#Zastava

Zastava unveiled a new machine gun chambered in the increasingly popular .338 Norma Magnum prototype at the Partner 2025 arms expo in Belgrade. Partner 2025 (held September 23-26, 2025) was officially opened by the Serbian Ministry of Defense and showcased the country’s latest military technology. As a machine gun guy, observing Partner 2025, I took note of the Zastava .338 NM MG, and in my opinion, it is one of the exhibition’s most innovative infantry weapons. Overall, the system represents both a technical and strategic milestone: for the first time, Serbia joins the cadre of nations fielding next-generation medium machine guns in the .338 Norma Magnum caliber. With this entry, Zastava joins a small, select group of manufacturers and nations investigating or adopting the .338 Norma Magnum for medium/heavy machine guns, pushing the boundaries of automatic fire while keeping the company’s trademark emphasis on durability and battlefield practicality.

While in Serbia, I had the opportunity to visit the Old Gun Foundry Museum in Kragujevac, a must-see for anyone interested in the country's industrial and military history. The museum highlights the pivotal role of the Zastava Arms factory, a historic manufacturer of firearms and military equipment in the region. Its exhibits feature a diverse collection of weapons produced over the years, offering a look at the development of Serbian small arms and industry.

Recently, Serbian company Zastava Arms presented an entire array of new firearms at the Partner 2025 exhibition in Belgrade: the light machine gun chambered in 6.5 Grendel and the M24 modular rifle chambered in 5.56x45. That alone would have been newsworthy, but there was more.

These days, when you roam around a defense expo, it is really difficult to find anything new and different. At the end of the day, weapons that use the same caliber and roughly the same barrel length will have very similar capabilities, regardless of cosmetic features, a country of origin or marketing claims about “increased lethality”.

During my recent visit to Serbia, I had the remarkable opportunity to tour the Zastava Arms factory, located in the historic city of Kragujevac. Known for its long-standing tradition in firearms manufacturing, Zastava Arms has played a significant role in the region’s industrial and military history. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by members of the administrative staff, who provided a brief overview of the company's legacy, current production capabilities, and export operations.

During my time in Serbia, I had the opportunity to explore the country’s storied legacy of small arms manufacturing, a tradition deeply woven into its national identity. Alongside experiencing Serbia’s diverse cuisine, a major highlight of the trip was visiting Zastava Arms in Kragujevac, the historic first capital and the epicenter of Serbia’s defense industry. I’m especially grateful to Zastava Arms for welcoming us and granting access to examine some of their weapon systems firsthand.

The Zastava Master FLG is a compact 9mm submachine gun developed by Zastava, the renowned Yugoslavian (now Serbian) arms manufacturer located in Kragujevac. Known for its heavy-duty line of military small arms, Zastava developed the Master FLG in the early 1990s as part of its effort to modernize personal defense weapons (PDWs) for military, police, and special operations forces. Although not widely known globally, the FLG represents a blend of Balkan engineering philosophy: durable, simple, and purpose-built.

Following my article on the Zastava M64, it is only fitting to continue with its lesser-known sidekick, the Zastava M65. While the M64 represented Yugoslavia’s first foray into a domestically designed assault rifle inspired by the Kalashnikov platform, the M65 was its parallel attempt to develop a complementary light machine gun (LMG) or automatic rifle within the same program. This effort formed a critical chapter in the broader FAZ (Familija Automatskog Oružja Zastava) program, which aimed to create a standardized family of automatic weapons for the Yugoslav military.

After the Assault Weapons Ban ended in 2004, I became familiar with Zastava rifles, particularly the M59/66 and the M70AB2. Before that, my gateway into the world of Kalashnikovs was the Romanian WASR-10, which initially sparked my interest in foreign firearms. I owned several Zastavas over the years. Aside from the somewhat flimsy underfolder stock, the M70AB2 was a rock-solid rifle built like a tank, which left a lasting impression.

JMAC Customs has released its new   1913 Dust Cover Assembly for the popular Zastava M85 and M92 family of AK pistols, or rifles if you’re into doing paperwork. The West Virginia-based company claims its full-length Picatinny assembly, trusted to hold zero on your aiming devices, is precision-designed for versatility and reliability. Having had vast experience with their products, I’m inclined to believe them.

Photo Of the Day and Bravo42 Photography gets our attention in this Call of Duty-inspired build, including a thermal optic, suppressor and weaponlight. You can look at the build details below:

At the IDEX 2025, Zastava Arms from Serbia presented their version of modernized PKM called M84M. There are a few key improvements: the M84M machine gun has a Picatinny rail on the receiver cover and elevated iron sights. The rear sight is attached to the rail. M84M also has a new stock that resembles FN MAG.

Zastava Arms USA is stepping up their game with the VUK Titanium Suppressor—a lightweight, full-auto-rated AK suppressor featuring Purposely Induced Porosity (PIP) technology for superior strength, heat dissipation, and reduced back pressure. We check out this cutting-edge 3D-printed design at SHOT Show 2025. Plus, Zastava is rolling out new AK parts kits—is this the start of a new era for AK builders? Let’s take a look!

Zastava might be best-known for modern-day rifles adapted from ancient ComBloc patterns, but they know how to get with the times. Along with the modernized AKs on display in their SHOT Show booth, and the RPK rifle that’s finally made it to market after teasing last year, Zastava is also showing their new VUK suppressor, specifically built for 7.62x39 rifles.