![]() Unlike the grenade launching spigots for the M48 which were issued to a limited number of troops, launchers were built in on all M59/66 SKS rifles and the hardware included with every M70 rifle. It should be recognized that despite starting the design process from scratch, it was not a trivial task to incorporate safe and durable grenade launching into the SKS and especially the AK platform. As a result, the locally produced SKS and AK rifles were reverse engineered and “redesigned” from the ground up, allowing the addition of whatever features they wanted. Because Yugoslavia was never part of the Communist Bloc, they were unable to receive technical assistance or licenses to produce SKS and AK rifles from the USSR. Grenade launching capabilities remained a priority in the 1960s when the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) began to consider semi-automatic arms to replace the M48. Both launchers were spigot-style and attached to the muzzle with a steel strap and wing nut, similar to the American M7 design for the 1903 rifle. Their M48 Mauser rifle had at least two grenade launching attachments designed for it in the 1950s: the M1951 ENERGA launcher from Liechtenstein, and the domestic M1960 Zastava launcher. ![]() The ability to launch grenades from standard infantry rifles was a priority in post-World War Two Yugoslavia. ![]()
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