Zastava M76
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.20 kg
- Introduced
- 1976
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Zastava M76 is a Yugoslav semi-automatic designated marksman rifle chambered primarily in 7.92x57mm Mauser, developed by Zastava Arms in the mid-1970s. Based on a scaled-up Kalashnikov action with a longer receiver and heavier barrel, the M76 was Yugoslavia's answer to the Soviet SVD, designed to provide squad-level precision fire support using the abundant 8mm Mauser ammunition stockpiled from World War II and post-war production. The rifle saw extensive combat use during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and has been exported to several countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Yugoslavia chose to chamber the M76 in 8mm Mauser rather than the Soviet 7.62x54mmR as a deliberate act of military independence from Moscow. This decision reflected Tito's non-aligned stance and ensured that Yugoslav snipers would never be dependent on Soviet ammunition supply, even though both cartridges offered similar ballistic performance.
The M76 is essentially an enlarged Kalashnikov-pattern rifle optimized for accuracy, sharing the AK's rotating bolt and long-stroke gas piston system. Yugoslavia chose the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge rather than the Soviet 7.62x54mmR to maintain ammunition independence from the Soviet Union, reflecting Yugoslavia's non-aligned foreign policy. Export versions are available in 7.62x54mmR and .308 Winchester. The rifle is typically issued with the Zrak ON-M76 4x optical sight, a domestically produced scope. Accuracy is approximately 2 MOA with standard military ammunition, adequate for the DMR role. The M76 was extensively used by all sides during the Yugoslav Wars, where it gained a fearsome reputation in the hands of snipers during the Siege of Sarajevo.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Zastava Arms
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Yugoslavia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1976
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Overall length
- 1135 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.20 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated rotating bolt
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 25.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Chrome lined steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 730 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3412 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 30 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.
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.
Adjustable iron sights
Chrome lined barrel
Flash hider
Zrak on m76 scope
Rotating bolt
Machined receiver
Bipod compatible
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 430 sniper rifles | 4.20 kg | 5.40 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1135 mm | 1150 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 550 mm | 620 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Zastava M76
How much does the Zastava M76 weigh?
The Zastava M76 weighs 4.20 kg (9.26 lb) empty and 4.60 kg (10.14 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Zastava M76?
The Zastava M76 is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Zastava M76 hold?
The Zastava M76 holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Zastava M76?
The Zastava M76 is 1135 mm (44.7 in) long overall, with a 550 mm (21.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Zastava M76?
The Zastava M76 is made by Zastava Arms (Serbia).
When was the Zastava M76 introduced?
The Zastava M76 was introduced in 1976.
How does the Zastava M76 operate?
The Zastava M76 uses a gas operated rotating bolt action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
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
- 1976
- Serbian Armed Forces
- 1976
- Bosnian Armed Forces
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Croatian Armed Forces
- Croatia
- Iraqi Armed Forces
- Iraq
- Libyan Armed Forces
- Libya
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-m76' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "zastava-m76", "name": "Zastava M76", "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": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "YU", "year_introduced": 1976, "barrel_length_mm": 550, "weight_empty_g": 4200, "action_type": "gas_operated_rotating_bolt"}