Where was my m-48 born?

[Red4]

I've searched the internet and have not found the info I'm looking for so I thought I'd see if any of you guys could help me out.
I'd just like to know a little about where my M-48 came from - besides I suppose Yugoslavia.
It has the Yugo crest with M-48 stamped below it.
On the left side of the receiver there is what looks like 9 Russian characters followed by the number 44.
To the left of all that there is stamped a football shape with a vertical line through it followed by 3 numbers.
Also, there are triangles with "upside-down" U's in them stamped on everything.
There are no importer markings on it and it's in new condition.
Any info - or where i could find it - would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Probably a Yugo. They use Cryllic characters, too. As for import markings, look up near the muzzle. The stamp is small and easy to miss.

[OODA_Loop]

I do not have my M-48 in front of me, but it is probably PREZDUCE 44 - sort of like Factory 44, Enterprise 44, it's a commie term with no good translation. This is the Kragujevac arsenal, also known as Crvena Zastava (Red Banner). They made Mauser pattern rifles from the 1920's -on - imported here as Mark X - Yugo AK's, Tokarevs, revolvers, a pretty good SIG copy called CZ99 (not the same as the Czech CZ) and the Yugo car. We bombed it in 1999. It's in Serbia proper, not far from Belgrade.

The thing (oh with a slash) is an f, I think.Could be FSRJ, Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, or something else.

These rifles were standardized by Tito after WW2- they also had a lot of prewar Mausers, buys from the Czechs and Belgians, to a similar pattern, and rebuilt/captured German rifles (98k). Shortly after they went to the SKS and the AK pattern with some local improvements and these went into war reserve - we are talking tunnels complexes into the limestone here, and civil defense militia units (TO) - arms rooms in schools and factories.

Any draftee in the pre-1991 JNA can tell you about drilling with those.

Most of them were unusued except for the recent wars - yours probably came from Macedonia ("Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - FYROM" - look for an importer stamp and FYROM under the muzzle, like Blood of Tyrants said.

They are fine rifles.

[Red4]

Thanks for the info guys...I have a K-98 that has PREZDUCE 44 on it but the cryllic letters on my M48 made me think it may be something else. I suppose with all the mosins I have I should be able to read "Klingon" by now eh?

[panzer]

you see,when a tree and a pile of steel really love each other...... :rolleyes:

[Red4]

NOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN FOR GODS SAKE PANZER !

[Teslaman's Goat]

Based on your description, your M-48 was manufactured during 1950-52. Total M48 production years for all M48 variations was 1950-65. From 1945-63, Yugoslavia was officially called the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. From 1963-91 it was called the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The M48s were in production from 1950 to the end of 1952, the M48As were produced from 1953 to 1965. The Preduzece 44 desingation was abandoned at the end of 1952 when the Kragujevac plant was renamed Zavodi Crvena Zastava (Red Banner Works.)

The M48B rifles began production at the end of 1956. The M48Bs made increased use of stamped components, including the solid upper band. Comparatively few M48Bs made it to North America as most of them were sold by Yugoslavia to Iran with a sizable shipment going to Algeria.

Also beginning in 1956, Yugoslavia produced the M48BO (BO=bez oznake=without markings.) The M48BOs in fact were reworked and restocked German Kar. 98k rifles completely wiped of all positive identifying markings, including serial numbers, except for generic proof marks. These were sold primarily to Egypt and Syria along with a large contingent of M24/47s. Zastava also designated the M48BO as M98/48N.