Zagi M-91

Description

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the impending civil wars within its former satellite states, Croatia urgently needed to arm its military, which up until this time had been under the control of the SFR (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia).

Out of this necessity, came the crudely produced Šokac and this one, the Zagi M-91. A submachine gun that was a mismatch of World War Two SMG’s. The action and tubular appearance mirrored that of the British STEN, the retractable stock of the US M3 ‘Grease Gun’ and the box magazine was based on that of the German MP 40.

It is unknown if these weapons were ever widely exported, although their outdated/crude design makes this highly unlikely. They were however used by an array of regular and irregular forces during the many internal conflicts that flared up in the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001.