Yugoslavia M48 Sniper Rifle M48 Mauser Sniper Rifle or Tandzara 'Tahn jara' By John Hardin The rifle above has mounted a Zrak ON-76 Sniper Scope. It has a range finding reticule cammed for the 8mm cartridge. What is a M48 Mauser rifle and Preduzece 44? The M48 was made post war by Yugoslavia on the pattern of the K98 with some changes such as the full handguard and a shorter intermediate length action. All M48 Mausers were made in Yugoslavia at the Preduzece 44 factory, part of a group of factories for Zastava. Practically all parts of the M-48 rifles were milled as opposed to using stamped steel. The exception is the M48A and M48B rifles. In order to reduce production costs the Preduzece 44 factory used stamped barrel bands, stamped trigger guards, and stamped floor plates. To confuse things there is a whole line of models and variations of Yugo Mausers. These include, 1924, M-24, M-24/47, M24/52, M48, M48A, M48B, M48BO, M98. Any of these may have been found in the same sniper configurations as the M48 for use in the Bosnian Civil War. To better understand the many variations and models of Mauser rifles produced in former Yugoslavia I highly recommend the article presented on the Marstar Canada website. This is a M48 rifle that has had EAW style Hebelschwenkmontage style scope mount bases added at some time. When these rifles were first imported and offered by Century Arms there was a choice of rifle with Mauser Banner marked mount or ZRAK marked mount. Yugo M48 Mauser Length: 43.5 inches Barrel Length: 23.25 inches Caliber: 8mm Mauser The Yugo M48 Mauser is generally considered to be “the last Mauser.”. At one time, in the 1990s, whole crates of the rifles could be had with consecutive serial numbers, and a new example would cost under $100, but those days are long gone. Examples still. Both mounts are very similar. The Banner marked mount is of much older use with the ZRAK mount of more recent manufacture and still produced today. They were initially marketed as Bosnian Sniper Rifles. These rifles will be import marked on barrel with Yugo 8mm C.A.I. With similar mounts still in production and readily available, the M48 is an excellent candidate to replicate by collectors as used during the Bosnian War. At the same time a rifle built from parts should never be presented as an authentic Sniper rifle. With replica or fake examples of this rifle easy to produce by just adding mount, scope, and altering the bolt, collectors purchasing an authentic example of this rifle in Sniper configuration should always request and retain the original shipping documents if at all possible. There were a few other mystery mounting systems that were mixed in with the above rifles. Some with mounts even crudely welded. Century arms more recently began offering drilled and tapped M48 rifles not marketed as sniper rifles. There has been a great variety in the mounting on these. Some that look like they take standard Weaver mounts or likely a similar mount made by EAW. Some have been reported with just one big hole drilled. It appears Century Arms sorted every rifle that was missing one or more mounts, or just had holes tapped into them onto one pallet and sold them as 'drilled and tapped'. All about the game authentics maryland. Some appear to be someone's project never finished. My rifle came from Century Arms in better than the advertised 'Good' condition in my opinion. About 90% or better blue. Stock has only a few dings or scratches with the worst from the included bayonet riding against the stock in the shipping box. Serial number of K50480 and matched on all parts. Handle is ground where serial number would have been on bolt. Three digit number on bottom of bolt does not match serial number of receiver, but is stamped under the wood line on the receiver and the barrel which apparently was replaced during an arsenal overhaul or sniper conversion. One other rifle has been reported to me as being marked in this way. The bolt has much grinding and polishing in various places and works smoother than any bolt action rifle I currently own. It turns out through some complicated accidents of history, this was the national symbol of Bosnia and was used in Bosnia's Coat of Arms. This would indicate this as a rifle used by Bosnia. First thought by me was that by chance would have been added by the soldier that used it. I did receive information from a gentlmen who spent the last 7 months as part of the SFOR (UN 'police' force that the US participates in). He witnessed a similar emblem on a whole pile of various weapons including AK's, RPG's, and even their Mortars. As far as they were able to figure out it is a Bosniac (Yugoslavian Muslim) emblem. For instance one of these on a weapon or whatever would indicate it as being Bosniac, and not a Serb or Croat weapon. Croat used weapons often have a Croatian checkerboard shield carved or painted on them. The patch at top left used during a time of alliance between Croats and Muslims during the war shows both these symbols. I also was contacted by an ex Serb soldier with some chilling information on the symbol as it appears on my rifle stock.
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