Zastava M21

The Zastava M21 is a series of 5.56mm firearms developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms.

Overview
The M21 is based on the AK-47 Kalashnikov principle, chambered in the 5.56×45mm cartridge. Like many modern assault rifles, the M21 can incorporate picatinny rails for mounting accessories like optics, vertical grips, bipods, etc.

The Zastava M21 is gas operated with a rotating bolt locking system. It features a hard chromium-plated, cold forged standard rifled or an optional polygonal rifled barrel, integrated 22mm flash hider grenade launcher, rigid metal folding stock, heavy-duty synthetic handguard with an additional left hand side fire selector, cover mounted picatinny rail for optical sights. The rifle can also mount a 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher. It has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The cyclic rate of fire is 680 rounds per minute, and the sustained rate of fire is 120 rounds/min. Barrels
 * conventional barrel (Zastava M21)
 * polygonal barrel (Zastava M21B)

The regular barrel has six grooves with a right-hand twist. An octagonal polygonal version is also available and has four grooves with a right-hand twist (M21B). Barrels are also hard chrome plated to provide a longer service life.

The rifle has conventional iron sights that consist of a front post and a flip-up rear sight with 300m and 500m apertures. A set of picatinny rails on the hand guard can mount various optoelectronic devices. The M21 is a modular weapon, with configuration dependent on the task and mission.

Optical sights:
 * ON M04 "TELEOPTIK and
 * ON M04A "ZRAK"

Optoelectronic devices:
 * Reflex sight, M04 "MARS"
 * Bookmark target laser M04A-AIM2000
 * Passive monocular M04 MINI N/SEAS
 * Passive sight PN 3x50 "SOVA"
 * Bookmark laser target M04 "INFIZ"
 * Passive monocular MINI N/SEAS combined with reflex sight M04 "MARS"

Variants
The M21 comes in several assault rifle and submachine gun variants:
 * M21A – Standard baseline assault rifle.
 * M21ABS – Built-in picatinny rail system.
 * M21S – Compact short barrel assault rifle.
 * M21SBS – Built-in picatinny rail system.
 * M21 – Submachine gun model.
 * M21BS – Built-in picatinny rail system.

Users

 * 🇦🇲 Armenia - Used by Armenian special forces
 * 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan - Used by Special Forces
 * 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina - Used by federal (SIPA) and special police units.
 * 🇨🇲 Cameroon - Special Police Forces.
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq - Iraqi Armed Forces, Private security contractors, Multinational force.
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan
 * 🇲🇰 Macedonia - Purchased in 2005.
 * 🇵🇪 Peru
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia