Zastava M91

Zastava M91 History

During modernization in the 1990s, Yugoslavia introduced the M91 sniper rifle made by Serbian Zastava Arms. Zastava's long history dates back to 1853, and since then has designed, developed and manufactured a large variety of small arms of all types, including pistols, rifles, automatic weapons, submachine guns and machine guns.

The M91 officially entered service in 1992 and about 4,000 have been delivered to date.

Visually, the M91 shares many of the same design lines as the 1960s Soviet-era Dragunov SVD series of sniper rifles that were prominent during the Cold War. Internally, the system owes much to the proven Kalashnikov action, which is actually more closely related to the AK-47 than the SVD itself - like how the similar Zastava M76 series was born Same. The M91 is a pneumatic weapon system chambered for the 7. 62x54R cartridge.

The key to the rifle's operation is its semi-automatic action, which eliminates any manually operated bolt levers common to this type of sniper rifle. Instead, the gun fires a round with every trigger pull without any additional operator interaction. As a result, the gunner can fire multiple targets in rapid succession, making the M91 sniper element a much wider tactical tool on the modern battlefield - as such, the M91 is suitable for both snipers and designated marksman mass units. The weapon is fed from a detachable 10-round magazine mounted in front of the trigger assembly.

The muzzle velocity is 2,592 feet per second, and the effective range is up to 875 yards (optics installed). Optics are optional, and backup sights are of course part of the M91 design. On the left is the mounted accessory rail, where optional accessories can be installed as needed.

The overall length is approximately 47 inches and the barrel length is over 24 inches. The total weight is just over 11 pounds.

Overall, the M91 has a very similar appearance to the Soviet SVD, including the use of wooden furniture in various parts of the rifle. The receiver is all metal, as are its inner workings. The wooden pistol grip integrates with the hollowed-out wooden shoulder rest for extra support. The pistol grip is sturdyly constructed to ensure a secure grip and is mounted behind the ring-shaped arc trigger system.

Arc magazines are mounted on the trigger front and front rear. The optics are mounted above the receiver. The loading handle and cartridge ejection opening are located on the right side of the gun body, which is beneficial to right-hand shooters to a certain extent.

A true "Kalashnikov" in design, with a two-piece wooden component at the front - one enclosing the lower barrel, the other the gas cylinder that sits above the barrel. As with any weapon designed for long-range accuracy, the M91's barrel extends a great distance from the front of the receiver and is covered by a slotted muzzle flash suppressor.

There is a distinct front iron point behind the muzzle.

So far, the only operator of the Zastava M91 is the Serbian military. It has already experienced combat action in the bloody Yugoslav war (1991-1995) and the subsequent Kosovo war (1998-1999).

Due to its distinguished heritage, the M91 is likely to have a considerable service life in the Serbian army.

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