Zastava M80

History of the Zastava M80

Zastava Arms was founded in 1853 and has since built a reputation as a competent supplier of small arms, supplying dozens of countries around the world and dealing in all types of military firearms. The Yugoslav (now Serb) focus has generally been on duplicating or improving Soviet-era equipment into locally produced forms, no doubt attributable to Soviet influence during the Cold War. Therefore, the M80 series assault rifles released by Zastava Arms are nothing more than replicas of the "modern" AK-47 assault rifles of the Soviet Kalashnikov AKM series. Because of this pedigree, the M80 series has a lot in common with Soviet designs, including its ease of use, robust field characteristics and reliability.

Several versions of the M80 were developed primarily for export and were widely serviced in other parts of the world.

Like previous AKMs, the M80 series features gas operation with swivel bolt function and selective fire in semi-automatic and fully automatic modes. The cylinders are mounted on top of the barrel in a true Kalashnikov fashion, and the wooden furniture is often used as in the original Soviet AK series. The right side of the receiver houses the pull handle and ejection port, while the left side is relatively featureless.

With a barrel length of 39 inches, the assault rifle is just over 18 inches long, and the M80 weighs about 7 to 8 pounds unladen. The M80 can be fed from a 20-round or 30-round curved detachable magazine.

The series can be loaded with standard 5.56x45mm, 7.62x39mm or 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges, which definitely opens the door for export sales. The rate of fire is about 600 rounds per minute. The M80 series, while equipped with adjustable iron sights, can also be equipped with optics for long-range precision shooting (through the use of additional brackets). In addition, like the AK series, a grenade launcher can be installed on the front lower part of the weapon to expand the tactical value of the weapon. A shoulder strap can be added for improved portability, attached to the sling near the front and rear (left side) of the receiver.

Completing the front end is a Kalashnikov-style two-piece wood system on the cylinder and barrel. Behind the muzzle is a prominent front sight assembly.

The M80 series is available in two different "flavors", referred to simply as M80 and M80A. The main difference between the two forms is the stock, with the M80 being the basic version with a fixed solid wood stock and the M80A a compact version with a folded wire stock.

The metal stock folds under the receiver for a shorter profile, making this model ideal for paratroopers, special forces and vehicle crews.

Specification

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