M24 Yugoslav Mauser
Vojno-tehnički zavod Kragujevac · Rifle · Discontinued · 1924
Also known as: M1924, Puška M.1924, M24 ČK, Yugoslav Mauser M24
Overview
The M24 Yugoslav Mauser is a bolt-action rifle adopted by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1924. Built on the intermediate-length Mauser Gewehr 98 action and chambered in the powerful 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge, it was a short-rifle pattern derived from the Belgian FN Model 1924, with tooling and early examples supplied by Fabrique Nationale before domestic production began at the Kragujevac arsenal. It served as the standard infantry rifle of the Royal Yugoslav Army through the interwar years and into World War II.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3600 J (2655 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 8x57 IS, 7.92x57mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Wing Safety
- Features: Stripper Clip Loading, Intermediate Length Action, Turned Down Bolt Handle, Tangent Leaf Sight, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- M24/47 — Postwar Rebuild
Service history
Operators
- Royal Yugoslav Army · adopted 1924 · as Puška M.1924
- Yugoslav Partisans
- Chetniks
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Invasion of Yugoslavia (1941)
Production
Production years: 1924-1941
Manufactured at the Kragujevac arsenal; many surviving rifles were rebuilt postwar as the M24/47
Origin
Country of origin: Serbia
Designer: Fabrique Nationale (Mauser pattern)
Discontinued: 1941
Notes
Produced at the Vojno-tehnički zavod (Military-Technical Institute) at Kragujevac, the predecessor of Zastava Arms. After WWII, surviving M1924 actions were rebuilt into the functionally similar M24/47 alongside new M48 rifles.
Background
The M24 was the first Mauser rifle mass-produced in Yugoslavia after FN supplied the machinery and patterns in the mid-1920s, establishing the Kragujevac works as the cornerstone of the country's small-arms industry that later became Zastava Arms.