The collection was created after World War II as part of the renovation of the Military Museum and its collection, and in the then very present enthusiasm for victory over fascism. The idea was to present the struggle of the Yugoslav peoples in World War II in the most representative way, and therefore this collection was given the greatest representation in the exhibition space of the Military Museum, with an entire floor dedicated to the period from 1918 to 1945. The objects for the collection were collected from the entire territory of the then Yugoslavia, and as a result, a very impressive collection was created that fully covered the struggle of the NOVJ in World War II.

Today, the Collection of Factory Weapons from 1918 to 1945, with over three and a half thousand items, is even richer in its diversity of objects and their value, and with the exclusivity of individual items, it represents a curiosity not only within the national framework but also in Europe, and one could say the rest of the world. 
A special part of the collection is occupied by weapons from the period between the two world wars, which were in use by the Army of the Kingdom of SHS, i.e. the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Military Museum can boast that its objects almost completely cover the arsenal of infantry weapons of that period, including very well-preserved specimens.

The largest and most significant part of this collection certainly represents the weapons used in the territory of the then Yugoslavia during World War II. This part of the collection consists of weapons used by German, Italian and other occupying units and resistance movements in the country, including weapons from the arsenal of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, seized from the occupiers, improvised, manufactured in guerrilla workshops, and weapons that were delivered to resistance movements as part of Allied aid.

Improvised weapons from partisan workshops represent a kind of treasure of the Military Museum, because they are unique in themselves and valuable both in terms of workmanship and ingenuity in their manufacture. As for the weapons that were used by resistance units, which mainly originated from Allied countries and the armies that made up the Axis Powers, the collection possesses a large number of diverse specimens, with which it mainly covers the arsenal of weapons used in these areas.

In addition to the exclusivity of the objects themselves, the Collection also stands out in this regard for the number of objects that belonged to famous figures of that period. The collection also includes personal weapons and items of the Supreme Commander of the NOVJ and POJ, Josip Broz Tito, as well as Generals Sava Orović, Pavle Jakšić, Petar Drapšin, Bogdan Oraščanin; Moša Pijada, Dr. Ivan Ribar, Sava Kovačević, Milan Šijan, artist Đorđe Andrejević-Kun, Major Stuart, head of the British military mission to the Supreme Staff, and many others. It should also be noted that the Military Museum's depots store the confiscated sabers of the Ustasha leader Slavko Kvaternik and the German General Alexander Lehr, commander of Group South.