The RAP M-56 (Rezervni Alat i Pribor Model 1956, meaning; Reserve tool and accessories Model 1956) was a genuine leather magazine pouch of Yugoslavian (SFRY) origin. It was produced and intended for their armed forces, firstly for YPA (Yugoslavian People's Army) as well as for their police, the Yugoslavian People's Militsiya (Narodna Milicija) special units (the ones equipped with long firearms). Firstly issued in 1956 (as its sole designation clearly points) and intended for spare magazines of domestically produced SMG (Sub-Machine Gun), the CZ M-56 (Crvena Zastava Model 1956), colloquially often nicknamed Pikavac (loosely translated as Stinger) among YPA personnel, which was practically a hybrid of famous German MP-40 (Maschinenpistole 1940) and Soviet/Russian PPS (Pistolet Pulemjot Sudajeva), by combining a MP-40 under-folding stock, barrel, grip and receiver together with its mechanism along with Soviet 7,62x25mm M-30 caliber (Yugoslavian version of that cartridge was designated as M-49) and thus literally the same thirty round metallic box magazines of the PPS (very similar but not interchangable magazines were used in another and more known model; the PPŠ, although that one more often used its 71 round drum magazines). So, this pouch could be practically used for both Yugoslavian models (CZ M-49 and M-56) as well as for German MP-40/41/35/34/28/18 and Soviet PPS/PPŠ. Moreover, since the most other SMG's of the period featured roughly similar thirty round metallic box magazines, this pouch could be freely used for almost all other then existing models of the world, like American Thompson, Italian Beretta M-38/42, even the British Sten and Japanese Nambu Type-100. Today, this pouch is colloquially known simply as JNA RAP or M56 RAP, or, in English speaking world, the Yugoslav/Yugo SMG/M56 pouch.
Interenstingly, this pouch made its first appearance yet in 1956, as already mentioned (with appearance of also mentioned CZ M-56 SMG) despite the M-56 was not actually the first Yugoslavian produced SMG and the first one which the YPA officially used. There was another and earlier (first) model, the CZ M-49, which was practically a hybrid of already mentioned Italian Beretta M-38/42 (which was much used by Yugoslavian Partisans during World War II, especially the Croatian members in their regions of Istria and Dalmatia, which were then under Italian occupation, exactly due to which the YPA had much pieces of those Berettas stored after the war) and also mentioned Soviet PPŠ (by combining barrel and receiver of Beretta together with its mechanism, along with stock, trigger, caliber and thus, magazines of PPŠ). So, until the appearance of new, M-56 and its pouch along with it, the YPA personnel armed with M-49's (which were mostly NCO's and officers back then, since the regular soldiers were mainly issued with simple and obsolete bolt action rifles in that time) practically used original Wehrmacht's Magazintasche (literally; Magazine bag), a surplus left from WWII, from which the then future M-56 RAP was obviously and visibly derived.
Overview[]
The RAP M-56 was completely made out of original, smooth and very durable bare calfskin leather (which explain its somewhat odd yellowish appearance), literally the same type also used on their conscript's harness as well as for the first generation of their combat boots (although in that case it was covered with thin black coating) and featured a single, non detachable and metallic buckle adjustable sling, for carrying across the back and could house four thirty round SMG metallic magazines.
In contrast to later and newer canvas or cotton made pouch for spare magazines of automatic rifles, (the CZ M-70 in their case, a copy of Soviet AKM), which is known as RAP M-70, this older, SMG pouch did not feature any kind of additional pockets or compartments for maintenance tool and accessories of the weapon (as an example; for grease can, cleaning rod, brush, rope and rag), but was still officially designated as RAP (what assumes that it is intended not only for magazines, but also for maintenance tool). However, the later variants of the pouch did include a distinctive closed compartment (also leather made) on a single button buckling which was sewn onto the sling (since the sole pouch did not have space nor was designed to take any additional pockets or compartments) and was exactly intended for carrying the above mentioned maintenance tool of the weapon, along with the spare magazines. Another distinctive feature which differed it from later, automatic rifle pouch was the fact that it never had a usual belt loop located on the back side of the body, so it could not be carried pulled through the belt in the same time, but exclusively across the back. That came with a minor disadvantage by pouch not being reliably fixed to the body, what means that it would always move while in motion (running, especially bending), what could sometimes be annoying (when a few kilos heavy and hard pouch with four loaded magazines hits the body of its owner every few seconds while running - exactly due to which the later, M-70 pouch received its belt loop on the back side). Also, each of its magazine compartments featured its own buckling (in contrast to later pouch which had a single buckling covering all compartments located inside) which were buckling simply by pressing the compartment cover through a single brass made knob, same desing and practice found on their officer's harness.
All of the stated thus undobtely indicates that the RAP M-56 was clearly modelled after the WWII German Magazintasche, originally intended for their MP-40/41 as well as for older, MP-18/28, MP-34 and MP-35 submachine guns, as already mentioned. This does actually not surprise at all, since most YPA equipment and even weaponry until 1960s were either based on or even copied from German Wehrmacht. (the already mentioned conscript's harness being the another clear example, being clearly influenced by Wehrmacht's Koppeltragegestell. However, in contrast to mentioned German Magazintasche (which was mostly made out of canvas), the Yugoslavian version was exclusively made out of mentioned calfskin leather (although the original German variant also existed in dark brown or black coated calfskin leather, but much rarely).
The RAP M-56 was produced until 1970 when its main and only reason of existing, the CZ M-56 was discontinued in favor to new and modern automatic rifle, the mentioned CZ M-70. However, it was still being used by YPA reservistis or eventually, sailors (mostly the ones operating on shore batteries) and more often by so called TO (Teritorijalna Odbrana; the Yugoslavian Territorial Defense, a sort of people's militia), which mostly received older and outdated weaponry from the Army, which was phased out of active service. Also, this pouch could still be seen in few occassion in the beginning of Yugoslavian wars in 1990s - by those individuals which used the CZ M-49 or M-56 (and those were mostly only a few members of Croatian or Bosnian forces during first years of the war, which did not have enough pieces of more modern weaponry back in that time, so were forced to use whatever they find or acquire, the old M-49 or M-56 SMG's among other).
Gallery[]
In popular culture[]
|
Media |
Notes |
Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly's Heroes | Carried by Pvt. Kelly, anachronistic & inappropriate - of Yugoslavian origin[1] | 1970 |
| Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One: Scarif | Carried by Shoretroopers | 2016 |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Carried by Shoretroopers | 2016 |
| Battlefield V | Part of the Nighthawk & Tropical Grit outfits, anachronistic & inappropriate - of Yugoslavian origin | 2018 |