After World War II, Yugoslavia took the design of the M24 rifle series and restarted production with minor modifications based on the German Karabiner 98k.

M48s are usually distinguished from the 98k by the top handguard, which extends behind the rear sight and ends just in front of the receiver ring, although this feature exists on other models as well.

The M24/47 stocks are mostly made of thinner Walnut or Beech wood and do not have a milled stainless steel "cupped" butt plate.

[2] The critical bolt and receiver which contain the pressure of the burning propellant within the cartridge case retained the same material requirements and design tolerances (i.e. were machined from forged steel) in the A and B variations.

The specific changes in parts is unverified but include stamped barrel and H-bands and the magazine spring follower.

Whereas previously, the trigger guard/mag well were machined from a solid billet of steel, it was changed to an assembly fabricated from stamped parts.

The M48 rifle has also been exported to Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

[5] Often the M48 was used as the basis for a sniper rifle, drilled and tapped for the ZRAK 4x32 telescopic sight and mounts.