Zastava M93 Black Arrow
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 1000 mm
- Weight, empty
- 16.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1998
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow is a Serbian bolt-action anti-materiel rifle designed and manufactured by Zastava Arms. Designed in 1993 and entering production in 1998, the Black Arrow is available in both 12.7x108mm Soviet and .50 BMG NATO chamberings, making it versatile for customers from both Eastern and Western defense procurement traditions. The rifle operates on a proven Mauser 98-based long-action bolt design with a rotating bolt. A massive two-chamber muzzle brake angled at 45 degrees reportedly reduces felt recoil by up to 62 percent. In Serbian military service, it was issued with a ZRAK 8x56 optical sight with range markings to 1,800 meters. The 12.7x108mm variant has an overall length of 1,670mm with a 1,000mm barrel, while the NATO-chambered version measures 1,510mm with an 840mm barrel. Fed from 5- or 10-round detachable box magazines, the Black Arrow has an effective range of 2,000 meters.
Named 'Crna Strela' (Black Arrow) in Serbian, the M93 carries on Zastava Arms' tradition of building robust military weapons for global export. Built on the legendary Mauser 98 bolt action, the same fundamental design that has armed snipers since World War I, the Black Arrow's 62% recoil reduction through its massive muzzle brake makes it one of the more comfortable .50 caliber rifles to fire.
The Zastava M93 was substituted for the originally requested Arsenal Bulgaria AR-M7 12.7mm, which does not appear to exist as a sniper rifle. Arsenal Bulgaria's AR-M7 designation refers to a 5.56mm/7.62x39mm assault rifle, not a heavy sniper. The M93 Black Arrow has been widely exported and has seen use in various conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. Its Mauser 98 bolt-action heritage provides proven reliability in harsh conditions.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Zastava Arms
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Serbia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1998
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1000 mm
- Overall length
- 1670 mm
- Weight, empty
- 16.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 15470 J
- Effective range
- 2000 m
- Maximum range
- 3500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Muzzle brake
Bipod
Mauser 98 bolt action
Optical sight mount
Carrying handle
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 16.00 kg | 5.40 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1670 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 1000 mm | 620 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Zastava M93 Black Arrow
How much does the Zastava M93 Black Arrow weigh?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow weighs 16.00 kg (35.27 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Zastava M93 Black Arrow?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow is chambered in 12.7x108mm and .50 BMG.
How many rounds does the Zastava M93 Black Arrow hold?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow holds 5 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Zastava M93 Black Arrow?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow is 1670 mm (65.7 in) long overall, with a 1000 mm (39.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the Zastava M93 Black Arrow?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow is made by Zastava Arms (Serbia).
When was the Zastava M93 Black Arrow introduced?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow was introduced in 1998.
How does the Zastava M93 Black Arrow operate?
The Zastava M93 Black Arrow uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Serbian Armed Forces
- 1998
- Iraqi Army
- Iraq
- Georgian Armed Forces
- Georgia
- Libyan National Army
- Libya
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/zastava-m93-black-arrow' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "zastava-m93-black-arrow", "name": "Zastava M93 Black Arrow", "manufacturer": { "id": "zastava", "name": "Zastava Arms", "countryCode": "RS", "foundedYear": 1853, "website": "https://www.zastava-arms.rs", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "1280b11f95e216b0481865c8371fa30b9f7a5b33a8167e7b5ba6166da29d4149" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "RS", "year_introduced": 1998, "barrel_length_mm": 1000, "weight_empty_g": 16000, "action_type": "bolt_action"}