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The Zastava M57 is a Yugoslavian and Serbian semi-automatic pistol produced by Zastava Arms. It was the standard service pistol of the Yugoslav People's Army from 1961 until the early 1990s.[3] The M57 was an unlicensed derivative of the Soviet TT pistol, but incorporated a number of detail modifications, namely a longer grip and a slightly larger magazine.[2] Zastava reverse engineered the Soviet TT in 1954, and began serial production of the weapon type as the M57 in 1963.[3]
| Zastava M57 | |
|---|---|
 The M57 with a loaded 9-round magazine. | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Yugoslavia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1961–1992 (Yugoslavia) |
| Used by | Yugoslav People's Army |
| Wars | Vietnam War Persian Gulf War Internal resistance to apartheid[1] Yugoslav Wars Russian invasion of Ukraine[2] |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Zastava Arms |
| Designed | 1957[3] |
| Manufacturer | Zastava Arms |
| Produced | 1963–1982[4] |
| No. built | 260,000–270,000[4] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 854 g (30.1 oz) |
| Length | 194 mm (7.6 in) |
| Barrel length | 116 mm (4.6 in) |
| Height | 134 mm (5.3 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×25mm Tokarev |
| Action | Short recoil actuated, locked breech, single action |
| Muzzle velocity | 480 m/s (1,575 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 50 m |
| Feed system | 9-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Front blade, rear notch 156 mm (6.1 in) sight radius |
As of 2021, Zastava still produced modernized variants of the M57 with updated safety features - the M57A in its original chambering and the M70A in 9mm Parabellum.[5]
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Designed in the mid-1950s, the M57 was an unlicensed copy of the Soviet TT-33 Tokarev.[3] The Yugoslav People's Army had initially attempted to adopt the TT as its standard service pistol after World War II, and a number were delivered by the Soviet Union.[3] However, the Tito–Stalin split prompted the Soviet government to cease military aid to Yugoslavia before deliveries of the pistol were fully completed.[3] In 1952, Zastava was charged with developing its own variant of the TT to satisfy the army's needs.[4] Zastava's engineers were able to reverse engineer the weapon by 1954, creating a faithful copy of the original TT.[3] However, its factory was already at capacity manufacturing rifles and submachine guns, and it was unable to open a new production line to produce a new handgun.[4] The project was shelved until 1956, when army officials again expressed interest in the TT design.[3] Work on an improved TT derivative began in earnest in 1957, and the first prototypes appeared in 1960.[3] The Zastava pistol was formally designated M57 and accepted for service in 1961.[3] Although the army took delivery of various pre-production models that year, serial production was delayed until 1963.[3]
Zastava manufactured the M57 for the Yugoslavian state from 1963 until 1982, at which time at least 260,000 had been produced.[4] It was retired from military service in the former Yugoslavia during the late 1990s and early 2000s, being largely superseded by the Zastava CZ99.[3]
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In 1954, Zastava initially unveiled a handgun that was an identical copy of the original TT-33.[4] However, between 1957 and 1960, a number of modifications to the Soviet design were made.[3] The most noticeable difference is that the M57 was designed with a larger magazine that has a capacity of nine rounds as opposed to the TT-33's eight.[4] The M57 was also fitted with a magazine safety, reducing the likelihood of an accidental discharge while the magazine is being removed.[4] Zastava engineers added a dovetailed front sight that may be adjusted for windage, and the top of the weapon's slide is serrated to reduce glare.[4] There were a few minor internal changes as well, including a unique Zastava firing pin and a captive recoil spring to simplify disassembly.[4]
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- M57: Standard military version.[5]
- M57A: Commercial production model of the M57, with an added external slide safety.[5]
- M70A: Export variant of the M57 chambered for 9×19mm Parabellum and introduced in 1970.[5]
- M70AA: Commercial production model of the M70A, with an added external slide safety.[5]
Former users
Inkatha Freedom Party[1]
North Macedonia: Issued both the M57 and M70A concurrently as standard service pistols.[6]
Serbia: Retired in the 2000s.[3]
Yugoslavia[3]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zastava M57.
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