Zastava M93 Black Arrow

Zastava M93 Black Arrow
Zastava M93 Black Arrow
Type	Anti-materiel rifle
Place of origin	Serbia
Service history
In service	1998–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Second Liberian Civil War; Syrian Civil War; Libyan Civil War (2014–present); War in Iraq (2013–2017); Yemeni Civil War (2014–present); Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen ; 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
Production history
Designed	1993[citation needed]
Manufacturer	Zastava Arms
Produced	1998–present
Specifications
Mass	16 kg (35 lb)
Length	1,670 mm (66 in)
Barrel length	1,000 mm (39 in)
Caliber	12.7×108mm; .50 BMG (12.7x99mm);
Action	Bolt action (rotating bolt; long action)
Muzzle velocity	12.7x108mm: 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s); .50 BMG: 888 m/s (2,910 ft/s);
Effective firing range	3,000 m (9,800 ft)<
Feed system	5- or 10-round box magazine
Sights	Optical 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.

Overview

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. There are also iron sights mounted to the rifle, as a backup. 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]

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.