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Zastava M93 Black Arrow

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Zastava M93 Black Arrow
M93 Black Arrow
TypeAnti-materiel rifle
Place of originSerbia
Service history
In service1998–present
Used bySee Users
WarsSecond Liberian Civil War
Syrian Civil War
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
War in Iraq (2013–2017)[1][2]
Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)[3]
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen[4]
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
Production history
Designed1993[citation needed]
ManufacturerZastava Arms
Produced1998–present
Specifications
Mass16 kg (35 lb)
Length1,670 mm (66 in)
Barrel length1,000 mm (39 in)
Caliber
ActionBolt action (rotating bolt; long action)
Muzzle velocity
  • 12.7x108mm: 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s)[5]
  • .50 BMG: 888 m/s (2,910 ft/s)[5]
Effective firing range3,000 m (9,800 ft)<[5]
Feed system5- or 10-round box magazine
SightsOptical sight (8×32)

The M93 Black Arrow (Serbian: М93 Црна стрела, M93 Crna strela) is a Serbian bolt-action 12.7×108mm anti-materiel rifle, developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms.

History

The rifle was designed in 1993 and entered production in 1998. In Serbian military service, it was issued with a ZRAK 8x56 optical sight (8x magnified 56mm scope with markings up to 1,800 m (2,000 yd)),[6] which was essentially a scaled-up version of the scope issued with the smaller Zastava M76.

Design and features

The Zastava M93 Black Arrow rifle is available in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG. It is a bolt-action, air-cooled, magazine-fed firearm with a fixed stock.[7] The weapon is fed through a 5- or 10-round detachable, spring-loaded box magazine. The shoulder stock has a telescoping design, with two stiff springs[6] connecting the stock to the pistol grip. The bolt handle rests over the right side of the receiver. A carrying handle is affixed to the forend and the barrel is capped by a multi-baffled brake to assist in handling the massive recoil action. A folding bipod is also attached.[8]

Its overall design is a scale-up of the Mauser 98 system, similarly to the Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr,[9] with some[10] influence from the French FR-F1.[6] The FR-F1 was developed primarily from the MAS-36, which itself was influenced by the Mauser; thus, the Black Arrow derives the majority of its features from the Mauser design and its French iterations. The front end of the M93's bolt closely resembles the Mauser design, while the back end and firing pin are essentially the same design as the FR-F1's bolt,[6] scaled up to 12.7mm caliber. This simplifies the manufacturing and disassembly process, while retaining the famed reliability of the original Mauser design.[6] The M93 has a trigger block safety design similar to the Russian SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle; the same design is used by the FR-F1.

Versions sold on the civilian market, particularly in the United States, have a Picatinny rail over the receiver instead of an included scope,[6] allowing purchasers of the rifle to mount the optic of their choosing. Originally chambered in the Soviet/Eastern Bloc 12.7x108mm cartridge, an optional chambering in the American .50 BMG (12.7x99mm) heavy machine gun round was later developed for the export market, as 12.7x108mm is rare outside of former Soviet nations.[6]

Users

Current

Peshmerga with M93

Non-State Actors

References

  1. ^ a b Gniew Eufratu (22 September 2017). Syria Combat Footage - Battle of Raqqa - Providing sniper fire on the western front. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Gniew Eufratu (27 June 2017). Sniper's day in battle of Raqqa - Syria Combat Footage. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Yemen Fights Back. "Yemeni fighters push back Saudi mercenaries from Midi shores". Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2017 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ a b Zivanovic, Maja (3 September 2018). "Serbian Weapons Used in Yemen Conflict Zone". Belgrade. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "M93 Long Range". Zastava Arms. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Forgotten Weapons (20 August 2021). "Zastava M93 Black Arrow: Serbia's .50 Cal Anti-Material Rifle". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
  7. ^ "AWT 12.7 mm M93 Black Arrow anti-matériel rifle". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2000-2001. 17 August 2000. pp. 2345–2346.
  8. ^ "Zastava M93 (Black Arrow) Anti-Material Rifle (AMR)". MilitaryFactory.com. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. ^ Jane's IDR 2001.
  10. ^ TFB TV (2 August 2017). Lets Talk Tokarev: The Soviet SVT 40. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ a b "Serbia 2017". United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA). United Nations. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Armenia 2007". United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA). United Nations. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  13. ^ a b Kuljanin, B.; Radisic, N. (12 January 2011). "Snajperi iz Zastave za Jordan i Indoneziju" [Snipers from Zastava for Jordan and Indonesia]. Blic Online (in Croatian). Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  14. ^ United Nations Security Council (25 October 2002). Report of the Panel of Experts concerning Liberia (S/2002/1115) (PDF). p. 18.
  15. ^ Jenzen-Jones, N.R.; McCollum, Ian (April 2017). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya (PDF). Working Paper No. 26. p. 53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2017.
  16. ^ Krott, Rob (1 October 2003). "Macedonia's Weaponry: A New Nation Re-Arms and Fights". Small Arms Review. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  17. ^ "AFP has unlisted donated sniper rifles, equipment worth P78M". archive.ph. 26 March 2024.
  18. ^ Republic of Serbia: Ministry of Economy and of Regional Development (24 September 2010). "Annual Report on the Transfers of Controlled Goods in 2008". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Belgrade. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014.
  19. ^ McCollum, Ian (18 October 2017). "Craft-produced anti-materiel rifles in service with Kurdish YPG". armamentresearch.com.

Sources

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