POTD: Croatia’s Domestically Produced Submachine Gun – Pleter M91
Sam.S 09.16.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Pleter M91 was a submachine gun developed in Croatia in 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. Created to arm the newly formed Croatian military amid an arms embargo, the Pleter M91 was based on second-generation submachine guns like the British Sten. Produced by OROPLET factory in Pleternica, it became the most widely manufactured of Croatia’s domestic submachine guns, with approximately 4,500 units made. The M91 featured a simple yet high-quality design, incorporating elements from the Sten such as the removable barrel assembly, bolt, recoil spring, and open-bolt firing mechanism. It used Uzi magazines and was chambered in 9mm. The gun was full-auto only but had a low rate of fire allowing for controlled single shots. Some models were produced with suppressors. Despite its limitations, including non-adjustable sights and lack of safety features, the Pleter M91 proved to be an effective insurgency weapon. It helped fill gaps in the Croatian Army’s arsenal during the Yugoslav Wars. Production ceased after the conflict, with most units destroyed, leaving only a small number in existence today.
Pleter M91. (n.d.). ArmedConflicts.com. photograph. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from https://www.armedconflicts.com/Pleter-M91-t105965.
