Ranko Ristic, CEO of Zastava Arms, gave us a full tour of their booth at SHOT Show 2022 and announced two exciting new firearms.
Zastava is one of the oldest gun factories in the world, founded in 1853 in Kragujevac, Serbia. "The products are very well known to be reliable," said Ristic. "A lot of these rifles have seen action in conflicts. And there is no better way to test a rifle than in a conflict," he added.
ZPAPM70
Zastava's best-selling rifle is the ZPAPM70. It is based on the classic AK-47 rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. What makes Zastava's interpretation of it so special is that it is a very robust construction. What's new for 2022 is the Serbian Red furniture. This complements the dark walnut and birds-eye maple furniture currently available.
ZPAPM92
Another top-selling product is the ZPAPM92 chambered in 7.62x39mm in pistol and tactical configurations. This includes a quadrail with angled grip upfront, an SBA3 brace, and a Night Brake by Zastava.
"A lot of younger shooters tend to buy a more tactical-looking AK," said Ristic.
The ZPAPM92 is also available in a more traditional style with wood furniture.
ZPAPM85
If you prefer an AK-style platform that fires the 5.56x45mm round, the ZPAPM85 pistol is for you. It is almost exactly the same as the M70, but fires the smaller round. 5.56x45mm chambered AKs are gaining a lot of popularity recently with many Kalashnikov manufacturers offering their own models.
ZPAPM90
The ZPAPM90 is a rifle version of the M85. According to Ristic, they have sold thousands of these rifles since introducing them in 2021. The adjustable gas block and weight of the rifle means that there is very little recoil. "It's a perfect combination for perfect shooting," said Ristic.
Ristic mentioned that it used to be difficult to get parts for Zastava a few years ago, but since the company opened its American website, it has gotten much easier.
ZPAPAM77
On display at SHOT Show was a sample of the Kalashnikov-style semi-automatic rifle that Zastava is hoping to start importing into the USA. It is the M77 rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm. According to Ristic, it depends on demand.
Guns.com will keep you up to date on its availability.
M07 RIFLE
Perhaps the most exciting new gun at the Zastava booth was on display at the front and got a lot of attention. It was the M07 precision rifle. Chambered in 7.62x51mm, it is used by the Serbian military.
Based on the famous Mauser M98 action, it features a threaded heavy profile barrel made of chrome-vanadium steel that is cold-hammer forged. The receiver is a polygonal shape, with a machined-in Picatinny rail to mount optics. The trigger is adjustable, as is the polymer stock for cheek and length of pull.
M93 BLACK ARROW
Not new, but certainly impressive, was Zastava's M93 bolt action .50 BMG long-range rifle on display at their booth. It is based on the Mauser action M98. "It's a really unique rifle. It has been on the market for the last few months, and it's a really good seller," said Ristic.
