ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

The Zastava M65 and M72 Light Machine Guns

The Zastava M65 and M72 are Yugoslav-Serb variants of the Kalashnikov RPK, a widely used light machine gun. These firearms were manufactured by the company Zastava, which offered a range of AK-47 handguns, including the local version of the 7.62 x RPK with forged steel carcass, known as the M65/M65B.

The M72 was developed and produced by Zastava Arms, an easy-to-use machine gun that fired the 7.62×39mm round. Its design is based on the Soviet RPK light machine gun, featuring an air-cooled, drum-fed firearm with a fixed stock. The M72 has undergone several variants, including the standard version with a fixed wooden stock and the updated stamped receiver variant known as the M72B1.

The Zastava M72 was employed by various military forces around the world, including the JNA soldiers of Yugoslavia, combatants in the wars of Yugoslavia, Croatian militiamen during the Croatian War, Bosnian militiamen during the War of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iraqi Army personnel during the Iran-Iraq War. The variant produced under license by the Iraqi arsenals, known as Al Quds, experienced intensive use during the Gulf Wars and the 1991 Insurrection.

The Zastava M72 has also been used by non-state actors, including the Taliban Liberation Army in Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021). The variant Zastava m72b1 was specifically used during this conflict.