Yugoslav Mauser M48
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 597 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.90 kg
- Introduced
- 1948
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 (Zastava M48) is a post-WWII bolt-action rifle built on an intermediate-length Mauser 98 action, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser and produced at the Preduzeće 44 / Crvena Zastava plant in Kragujevac using German Kar98k tooling received as war reparations. Shorter than a standard 98, its action and bolt interchange with the Belgian FN M24 series rather than the K98k. Often called the last military Mauser, it was Yugoslavia's standard rifle in the early 1950s before being widely exported.
M48 receivers carry the Yugoslav crest dated 29 November 1943, the anti-fascist republic day; vast numbers were sealed under cosmoline and pulled only on a rotating five-year cleaning cycle, which is why so many surplus M48s reach collectors in near-new condition with all serials matching.
Variant progression added stamped parts: M48A (stamped floorplate), M48B and M48BO (further stampings; BO = 'bez oznake', unmarked for export). Muzzle velocity figures vary by loading.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Zastava Arms
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Yugoslavia
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1948 to 1965
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 597 mm
- Overall length
- 1105 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 760 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3700 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Controlled round feed
Intermediate length action
Staggered internal magazine
Stripper clip loading
Hooded front sight
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 36 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 3.90 kg | 4.00 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 35 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 1105 mm | 1105 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 35 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 597 mm | 600 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 36 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Yugoslav Mauser M48
How much does the Yugoslav Mauser M48 weigh?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 weighs 3.90 kg (8.60 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Yugoslav Mauser M48?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Yugoslav Mauser M48 hold?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 holds 5 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Yugoslav Mauser M48?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 is 1105 mm (43.5 in) long overall, with a 597 mm (23.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Yugoslav Mauser M48?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 is made by Zastava Arms (Serbia). It was designed by Paul Mauser.
When was the Yugoslav Mauser M48 introduced?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 was introduced in 1948 and discontinued in 1965.
How does the Yugoslav Mauser M48 operate?
The Yugoslav Mauser M48 uses a bolt action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Yugoslav People's Army
- 1950
- National Liberation Front (Algeria)
- Algeria
- Syrian Armed Forces
- Syria
Provenance
Confidence in this record
71%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/yugoslav-m48' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "yugoslav-m48", "name": "Yugoslav Mauser M48", "manufacturer": { "id": "zastava", "name": "Zastava Arms", "countryCode": "RS", "foundedYear": 1853, "website": "https://www.zastava-arms.rs", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "1280b11f95e216b0481865c8371fa30b9f7a5b33a8167e7b5ba6166da29d4149" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "YU", "year_introduced": 1948, "barrel_length_mm": 597, "weight_empty_g": 3900, "action_type": "bolt_action"}