Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1959
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Zastava M59/66 is the Yugoslav-licensed copy of the Soviet SKS semi-automatic carbine, chambered in 7.62x39mm. Originally produced as the M59 starting in 1959 by Crvena Zastava in Kragujevac, the design was modified in 1966 to add a permanently installed 22mm spigot-type rifle grenade launcher at the muzzle, along with a folding ladder grenade sight and a gas cutoff valve to redirect propellant gases when launching grenades. This grenade-launching capability - uniquely retained on the M59/66 long after most nations had abandoned rifle grenades - gave Yugoslav infantry an organic indirect-fire option without requiring a separate launcher. The rifle saw heavy use throughout the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and remained a JNA standard-issue carbine until being superseded by the Zastava M70 assault rifle. Surplus M59/66s have flooded the US civilian market since the early 2000s, where they remain popular for their robust construction, chrome-lined bores, and historical significance.
Long after most armies had retired rifle grenades, Yugoslavia kept the M59/66's grenade-launching spigot in active use - a doctrinal quirk that gave a single rifleman the firepower of a small mortar. During the Siege of Sarajevo, JNA-issued M59/66s saw both sides of the front line, with surplus rifles changing hands so frequently that combatants often carried the same model across multiple loyalty changes.
This entry covers the YUGOSLAV SKS family (M59 and M59/66) under Zastava branding - NOT the unrelated Zastava M70 AKM-pattern assault rifle (see zastava-m70). The M59/66 is distinguishable from a Soviet SKS by the bulged grenade launcher spigot at the muzzle, the folding ladder sight on the gas block, and the gas cutoff valve. Most M59/66 rifles imported to the US have had their grenade launcher capability rendered inert.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Zastava Arms
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- Yugoslavia
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1959 to 1986
- Variant of
- Foreign production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Overall length
- 1120 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.10 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 10
- 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
- 718 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2010 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 35 rpm
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.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Integral grenade launcher
Folding bayonet
Folding grenade sight
Gas cutoff valve
Stripper clip loading
Fixed internal magazine
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 409 carbines | 4.10 kg | 3.00 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 407 carbines | 1120 mm | 895 mm | Among the longest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 423 carbines | 550 mm | 406 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 423 carbines | 10 | 21 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)
How much does the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) weigh?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) weighs 4.10 kg (9.04 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) hold?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) holds 10 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) is 1120 mm (44.1 in) long overall, with a 550 mm (21.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) is made by Zastava Arms (Serbia). It was designed by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov.
When was the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) introduced?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) was introduced in 1959 and discontinued in 1986.
How does the Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) operate?
The Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS) uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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
- 1966
- Army of Republika Srpska
- 1992
- Croatian Armed Forces
- 1991
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
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/zastava-m70-sks' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "zastava-m70-sks", "name": "Zastava M59/66 (Yugoslav SKS)", "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": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "YU", "year_introduced": 1959, "barrel_length_mm": 550, "weight_empty_g": 4100, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}