The RAP M-70 (Rezervni Alat i Pribor Model 1970, meaning; Reserve tool and accessories, Model 1970) was an AK magazine pouch of Yugoslavian (SFRY) origin. It was produced and intended for the YPA (Yugoslavian People's Army) in first place, as well as for their police, the Yugoslavian People's Militsiya (Narodna Milicija) special units (the ones equipped with long firearms) and firstly issued in 1970, when they finally adopted their first modern automatic rifle - the CZ M-70 (Crvena Zastava, Model 1970), a Yugoslavian copy of world famous Soviet AKM (Avtomat Kalašnikova Modernizirovannij), generally the most popular, produced, used and known firearm in history. The pouch could be and was also practically used for CZ M-72, their almost direct copy of Soviet RPK (Ručnoj Pulemjot Kalašnikova), a LMG version of AK and also for CZ M-92 automatic carbine (shortened version of M-70, based on Soviet AKS-74U) since those all featured one and the same (interchangable) thirty round metallic magazines (or plastic, wood imitation ones - although SFRY never had or produced those). Today, the pouch is colloquially known simply as JNA RAP or M70 RAP, or, in English speaking world, the Yugoslav/Yugo AK/M70 pouch.
In contrast to most other AK magazine pouches (the ones from Eastern bloc, that is, Warsaw pact as well as from Asian communist countries, like PRC, DPRK or Vietnam) which were mostly either clones or based on original Soviet design (either on pouch or chest rig), the Yugoslavian version was actually truly original design and was neither clone or even influenced of any then existing AK type pouch (which is a actually a truly rare occassion, since the SFRY in general was mostly coping already existing designs far and wide through its whole existence, from military to civilian industry).
Reason why it was officially designated as above described RAP lies in simple and logical fact that it was not just used as a pure bag for reserve magazines but also featured few additional pockets intended for keeping the cleaning and maintenance tool of the weapon, (from plastic or metallic grease can and rifle grenade attachment to cleaning rag, brush and rope).
Also, in contrast to most other AK magazine pouches which can house only three spare magazines, the Yugoslavian pouch can carry one more, that is, four pieces altogether, making it one of the most popular AK magazine pouches around the globe even today, despite the fact that it was never formally exported or used by anyone except SFRY armed forces and was discontinued in production almost twenty years ago (in early 2000s) - with exception of Czechoslovakian leather made pouch of their ČSLA, which was, however, formally intended for their Sa Vz. 58 (Samopal Vzor 1958) automatic rifle (an original design) and which can also house four spare magazines, but since the Vz. 58 features the same caliber and very similar magazines in both size and design as the standard AK platforms (but still not interchangable, however), it can be freely counted in this context. Moreover, the Yugoslavian version featured one more advantage over most other AK pouches, by always featuring an adjustable and non-detaching cotton sling for carrying across the back, (together with the usual single belt roop behind), which means that it did not needed and depended on standard combat belt for carrying and so could be practically worn independently of rest of harness (although that has a disadvantage of being not fixed and thus has tendency to flee while running or bending, so it was mostly still worn pulled through the belt as well as across the back in the same time, as it was intended to be worn by YPA battledress regulations).
Overview[]
As already mentioned, the RAP M-70 was designed and inteneded for keeping reserve AK platform magazines, in their specific case either of CZ M-70 automatic rifle (the standard YPA infantryman's firearm), CZ M-72 light machine gun or later, CZ M-92 automatic carbine, along with all of their also above mentioned tool for cleaning and maintenance. However, it could be practically used for literally any other AK type rifle, whether original Soviet or some clone (including even the later AK-74 family, with its less curved and exclusively plastic magazines featuring 5,45x39mm round, due to the fact that those are still generally similar in both size and dimensions to the previous, either metallic or plastic and more curved ones, featuring 7,62x39mm round).
The pouch was shared generally the same materials as the standard YPA combat backpack as an example, firstly by featuring canvas, printed in their SMB (Sivo Maslinansta Boja; Greenish grey color - the official YPA fatigue) pattern, along with single, adjustable and non detaching cotton made sling for carrying across the back (although the dark blue colored as well as completely cotton or even leather made models of the pouch also existed, see the Variants section below for detailed info). On the back side, it featured a single belt loop which was accomodated for pulling it through their standard combat belt in the same time (either conscript's or officer's model) so that it could be completely and reliably fixed while in motion (exactly due to which the sling was deliberately made to be non detaching, in contrast to mentioned YPA backpack as an example, where the straps were made with detachable metallic clips, so that it could be worn in few different configurations). It buckled on a single genuine leather (calfskin) made piece, by simply pressing it over a brass made knob, literally the same configuration featured in the Sam Browne style YPA NCO's or officer's combat belt.
Internally, it firstly featured a twin cotton/canvas (depended on variant) cover which had to be raised in order to pull out spare magazine (or maintenance tool), located directly under the main opening and whose only role was to additionally cover the magazines and thus preventing any kind of terrain conditions (dirt, mud, water or snow) to penetrate inside the pouch and get into the magazines. Also, the pouch was internally completely covered with a layer of genuine leather (mostly black colored), whose only function was to keep the easily-absorbing and stain-sensitive material (canvas or cotton) clean from eventual grease stains (coming out of magazines, maintenance tool or grease can). The magazines were housed independently (in four individual compartments), divided from each other by buklheads, which were linked to the pouch body by sewing and a single screw each.
The middle sections of those bulkheads featured two gaps, which were intended to put the cleaning rag and the standard rifle grenade attachment (Tromblonski nastavak) of CZ M-70 - the M-70 was the sole AK clone ever which featured the obsolete and complicated for use rifle grenades instead of the usual, more efficient and much easier to operate and use GP-25 Kostjor modern grenade launcher found in most other AK clones. However, the newly formed Army of Yugoslavia (better known as the Army of Serbia and Montenegro, by its later official name) finally noticed that disadvantage after the breakup (during late 1990s) and decided join rest of the modern militaries in this context by ordereding Crvena Zastava from Serbian town of Kragujevac to design a copy of above mentioned Soviet/Russian grenade launcher (in Zastava designed as BGP-40 - Bacač Granata Podcevni 40mm, meaning; Underbarrel grenade launcher, 40mm), and a new M-70 variant which could mount it, which was designated as the M-70AB3, so those roughly obsolete, WWII standard rifle grenades mostly disappeared from scene till early 2000s.
On the front side of the pouch (which is covered when closed), the two frontal, open pockets were located, designed for housing a standard YPA plastic/metallic grease can and a metallic case for housing a brush and other maintenance tool.
Despite indeed being meticulously and durably designed for its role, the pouch however featured some minor drawback in its design, like having only a single belt loop which was sometimes criticized for not being enough to properly hold and balance it when being carried completely loaded on the belt (four loaded spare magazines - which can reach as far as few kilos, despite it always featuring a sling for additional balancing), due to which the cotton/canvas belt loop could sometimes tear out due to overloading. Second disadvantage was its buckling (which was somewhat annoying to buckle by default, especially while carring the pouch in terrain and during combat), the buttoning knob was located in the middle of the pouch; sitting directly on the spot between the two magazines located inside, which means that it could dug up in a narrow gap between them while trying to buckle it back, thus even more complicating the already sometimes complicated buckling.
The RAP M-70 was extensively used during almost ten year long Yugoslavian wars and later Macedonian conflict of 2001, being seen on almost every second soldier of literally every side involved, that is, by ones armed with mentioned weaponry the pouch was intended for (and those were almost all). Croatian army was the first one which officially phased it out and replaced already during the war, by introducing their own, domestically designed chest rig which could also accomodate four AK magazines, made in American Woodland four color camouflage pattern and firstly issued in 1993. Serbian army officially replaced it firstly in 2010, when introduced their own chest rig (although the pouch is still continued to be extensively used, even today by their conscripts and reservists, who generally use the phased out and old ex-YPA equipment, like their boots, backpacks and even helmets), made in new, five tone digital pattern designated as M10 (Model 2010), while Macedonian, Bosnian and Montenegrin armies formally replaced it in similar period by introducting modern plate carriers for magazines.
However, it is still a very popular piece of military hardware even nowadays, around twenty years after the end of its production and usage; apart from still sometimes being informally used by post-YPA formed armies, as mentioned (mostly Serbian and Bosnian), it is also often being used by civilians owning AK's in the United States (since they are allowed to own an automatic firearms) when en route to the shooting grounds as an example, or by various Airsoft players and Reenactors.
Variants[]
The pouch was made in three variants (early, middle and late production model). The first (oldest) and the rarest of all was actually being completely made out of yellowish (bare) genuine (calfskin) leather (both pouch and its sling), thus being literally the same in appearance to the older SMG pouch known as RAP M-56 (and the same type of leather was used on already mentioned YPA conscript's belt as well as on the first generation of their combat boots, in latter case the leather was additionally covered with thin black coating). This leather variant is nowadays extremely rare (even on ex-SFRY territory, from where it originates), so it can be freely concluded that it was most probably made very briefly (only during first few years of 1970s) so it is a real challenge to find today. Also, exactly due to that (as well as due to the fact that it was made out of far more durable material - genuine leather), that earliest model is much more valued in most cases, than the later cotton or canvas model.
The second (middle production) and the most common model was being made out of canvas (pouch body) and cotton (sling). Due to being the most common variant of the pouch, it is then also easy to conclude that this model was being the longest manufactured one, most probably being made from second half of 1970s to late 1980s.
The third and the last model was being completely made out of cotton (instead of canvas for pouch body, as found in previous model) and is thus more similar in appearance to other Eastern countries AK pouches (Soviet, Hungarian, Romanian, Polish and so on) due to the fact that they were all standardly made out of cotton while the Yugoslavian was the only made out of canvas until then. This last model is also somewhat rare, at least when compared to previous, completely canvas made one (but not nearly as rare as the firstly described; leather one), which means that it was not made for very long time, at least during existence of SFRY (it was most probably being manufactured from second half of 1980s until the breakup of the country and then in Serbia and Montenegro after the breakup until the end of the century). Apart from material, this pouch has one minor but immediately noticeable difference when compared to the previous (second/middle production model); the shining (chrome plated) bolt fixing the buttoning leather piece is not visible anymore, due to being located under the cotton layer, in contrast to second and previous version where it was not covered.
The dark blue colored (instead of standard SMB) version also existed and was intended for Militsiya forces, however, those examples are almost non existent today, logically due to being manufactured in much smaller quantity than standard Army (SMB) ones as well as the fact that Militsiya generally made very rare uses of automatic rifles, the M-70.
Many other various and unofficial variants also existed, like an example, the models featuring black leather edges of closing section or leather lining on the bottom and the ones featuring a modern buckle instead of obolsete knob buckling, which are all relatively rare, thus concluding that those were obviously some briefly made or maybe even some prototype variants. Moreover, some of those being a field modified examples, locally made by their owners during the war (some even made in camouflage patterns, like Yugoslavian, later Serbian M-87/89/93 pattern or American Woodland (by Croatian and Bosnian forces).