Zastava M70 assault rifle

History

Beginning in 1952, Yugoslavia's defence industry had been experimenting with new automatic rifle designs, mostly patterned after the German StG 44, an unknown quantity of which had been captured by Yugoslav Partisans during World War II. In 1959, two Albanian soldiers defected to Yugoslavia with Soviet AK-47s, which were promptly passed on by the Yugoslav government to be inspected by Zastava engineers. Zastava was able to make metal castings of the two sample AKs, but could not glean enough technical data to reproduce the weapons or their associated parts. By the end of the year, however, the Yugoslav government had obtained more early pattern AKs from an unidentified Third World nation that was receiving Soviet military aid, most likely Egypt. At this point, there were enough AKs in Zastava's possession for its engineers to study and effectively reverse engineer the weapon type. Unlicensed production of an AK-47 derivative commenced in 1964.

The first domestic Kalashnikov rifles submitted by Zastava for military field trials were unofficially designated M64 and incorporated a milled receiver based heavily on that of the AK Type 3 but with several cosmetic differences. As the recoil from the rifle grenade could dislodge the standard AK dust cover, this was replaced with a new design that utilized a spring-loaded bolt. The stock of the M64 was also fitted with a heavy rubber recoil pad to help absorb the recoil. The M64 was fed from modified AK-pattern magazines and was manufactured with a device that left the bolt open after the last round in the magazine had been fired. It also possessed longer handguards that were not interchangeable with the Soviet type. The placement of the AK-47's rear sight was moved even further to the rear, giving the operator a longer sight radius. Though performances during field trials were satisfactory, the Yugoslav People's Army did not adopt the M64 in large numbers.

The M64 was produced in three iterations for trials purposes: a variant with a wooden stock and a 20 inch barrel, a variant with a fixed wooden stock and a 16.3 inch barrel, and a variant with a 16.3 inch barrel and a folding stock. The variant with the 20 inch barrel did not prove popular and was discarded early on. The other two variants were produced in greater numbers and received the designation M64A (for the fixed stock) and M64B (for the folding stock), respectively.

In 1970, the Yugoslav government approved the M64A for serial production as the AP M70 (Automatska Puška Model 1970, "Automatic Rifle Model 1970"), with a few alterations to the original design.

Shortly afterwards, Zastava ceased threading the barrels of M70s into their receivers and adopted the cheaper and easier method of pressing and pinning barrels into the receivers. The M70s produced with pressed and pinned barrels, along with other detail improvements, were redesignated M70B, with the folding stock variant being redesignated M70 AB.

By the mid 1970s, Zastava began manufacturing the M70 with a stamped rather than a milled receiver to reduce production costs. This was known as the M70B1. Derivatives of the M70B1 with folding stocks were designated M70AB2. Both the M70B1 and M70AB2 were fitted with night sights, which alternatively utilized tritium vials or were marked with luminescent paint, that could be raised or lowered as needed. Small numbers of M70B1s and M70AB2s were manufactured with mounting brackets for optics, these were designated M70B1N and M70AB2N, respectively.

The final variant of the M70 to be produced was the M70B2, which possessed a new stamped receiver thicker and heavier than those found on comparable stamped receiver Kalashnikov rifles such as the AKM. The M70B2 and most later models of the M70AB2 were also manufactured with sturdier barrel trunnions resembling those on the RPK light machine gun. The rifles now possessed distinct bulges on either side of their forward receivers, necessary to accommodate the larger RPK-pattern trunnions. The addition of the larger trunnions and thicker receivers was seen as a necessary measure to strengthen the rifle design and make it more suitable for launching grenades.

Features

The original M70 design was based on the early pattern Soviet AK-47 (specifically Type 3), which utilised a milled receiver. There are a number of cosmetic differences between the two receiver patterns, namely the smooth left side of the receiver, which lacks the machined section normally found on original Soviet Type 3 AKs and their derivatives. The M64/M70 dust covers were secured into place by a unique locking recoil spring guide, which prevents it from being dislodged while firing rifle grenades. Additionally, Zastava serial numbers were engraved just above the magazine well on milled receiver M64s and M70s rather than on the trunnion. Even after Zastava began producing the M70 with a stamped receiver, many of the weapon's features more closely resembled those of the Type 3 AK rather than the stamped receiver AKM.

Zastava began incorporating larger, RPK-pattern barrel trunnions in the M70 during the mid to late 1970s, which resulted in a distinctive bulge on the forward receiver beneath the rifle's bolt handle. Each M70B1 was marked on the left above the bulged trunnion with the Zastava brandmark, model number, year of production, and a serial number. There are three fire selector markings on the right side of the receiver: "U" ("Ukočeno", safety), "R" ("Rafalna", automatic fire), and "J" ("Jedinačna", semi-automatic fire).

The M70 included an integral folding ladder sight and a detachable grenade launcher spigot for launching rifle grenades. The sight is normally locked into a folded position atop the rifle's upper handguard. Prior to firing a rifle grenade, the sight is raised and locked in the vertical position, which closes off the gas port in the barrel and prevents the M70's action from being cycled while a grenade is being launched. The M70 was designed to fire the M60 rifle grenade, with either a high-explosive or shaped charge warhead. The sight markings on the left side of the ladder sight are graduated for high-explosive or anti-personnel rounds, while those on the right are graduated for targeting armored vehicles and other hard targets.

The M70 was issued with a late pattern AKM bayonet, copied from the original Soviet product, with a leather scabbard hanger. It was also issued with a unique Yugoslavian canvas sling, which was secured to the rifle by a flat steel hook. The hook design required a much broader sling swivel to be attached to the M70's gas block than was usual to other Kalashnikov rifles.

Variants

Yugoslavia/Serbia

• AP M64A – prototype milled receiver with stock tangs and bolt hold-open, screw-in barrel, fixed stock
• AP M64B – prototype milled receiver with bolt hold-open, screw-in barrel, underfolding stock
• AP M70 – early milled receiver, screw-in barrel, fixed stock
• M70A – milled receiver, press-in barrel, underfolding stock
• M70AB – milled receiver, press-in barrel, underfolding stock, mount for night or optical sights
• M70B1 – stamped receiver, fixed stock
• M70AB2 – stamped receiver, underfolding stock
• M70B1N – stamped receiver, fixed stock, mount for night or optical sights
• M70AB2N – stamped receiver, underfolding stock, mount for night or optical sights
• M70AB3 – stamped receiver, underfolding stock, rifle grenade sight removed and replaced with a BGP 40 mm underslung grenade launcher
• M70B3 – stamped receiver, fixed stock, rifle grenade sight removed and replaced with a BGP 40 mm underslung grenade launcher
• M92 – carbine, the shorter variant of the M70AB2
• PAP M70 – semi-automatic variant intended for the civilian market

Iraq

• Tabuk - Iraqi copy. Bore and chamber are not chrome plated.
• Tabuk Carbine - Iraqi carbine variant with underfolding stock
• Tabuk Sniper Rifle – Iraqi long barrel stamped receiver and fixed stock variant

Users

Current

• : Received as military aid from the United States. Several were captured by the Taliban in 2021
• Angola
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso: used by the Burkinabe contingent of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
• Cyprus
• Iran: Some captured from Iraq and re-issued during the Iran–Iraq War.
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Libya
• Mali: 1,000 rifles donated by Croatia in 2013
• Montenegro: Used by the Special Police Unit (PJP).
• North Macedonia
• Palestine: Used by the PLO and later by the Palestinian National Authority.
• Rwanda
• Slovenia
• South Sudan
• Ukraine: Donated by Croatia in 2022.
• United Kingdom: Purchased a number of M70s for training of Ukrainian soldiers.

Former

• Croatia
• Serbia (stored in reserve)
• Republika Srpska (1992–95)
• Yugoslavia
• Zaire: Used by the White Legion

Non-state users

• Hamas
• Islamic State
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad
• Flag of UNITA.svg UNITA

References

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