Zastava M93 Black Arrow: Serbia's .50 Cal Anti-Materiel Rifle

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The M93 Black Arrow is a .50 caliber anti-materiel rifle developed by Zastava to replace some applications of the RPG with better accuracy. It was originally produced in 12.7x108mm, the same as used in the DShK machine guns then in use by the Serbian military. Later production (including this example) included 12.7x99 Browning, which is much more common in Western nations.
The mechanics of the gun are very interesting, as it is essentially a scaled-up French FR-F1 with the exception of the front half of the bolt, which uses Mauser-style locking lugs and extractor.
Contact:
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[@stefansamardzic2755]

Ian: "It never passed military testing, yet they are in service..." Serbs: (testing on battlefield)

[@poznavaoc]

Literally

[@atlantisstocked958]

@@poznavaoc sta se vi idioti lozite, ahahahah literally...

[@stefansamardzic2755]

@@atlantisstocked958 tisina tamo

[@AC1D303]

@@atlantisstocked958 Speak Serbian so that the Whole world can understand you right ?

[@travaa54]

@@AC1D303 NO

[@corbindick8943]

Luckily most of your opponents on the battlefield will be made of materials of some kind so you'll be ready for anything on the battlefield

[@Dr.KarlowTheOctoling]

To me, this is a modern Tankgewehr.

[@robmanueb.]

It would make a nice hole in a jet engine. Parked planes and engine blocks. You could wreck a lot of enemy assets for a small investment.

[@allangibson2408]

@@Dr.KarlowTheOctoling Given the 0.50 cal round was directly inspired by the Tank und Flieger Gewehr rifle (including its exactly 13mm caliber) that is essentially circular. (The TuG round was 13.2mm but the bore at the muzzle is 13mm as it is a squeeze bore).

[@Dr.KarlowTheOctoling]

@@allangibson2408 Mostly all anti-material rifles are inspired by the Tankgewehr, and especially it's caliber, so yea I guess it makes sense. Especially the way it's described as taking on heavy armor in ranges the RPG can't as described in the video. I have no Idea is this is applied to stuff like the M82, M107 and the M2000.

[@allangibson2408]

@@Dr.KarlowTheOctoling The original M1918 0.50 caliber tank machine gun was approved on 11 November 1918… It has a long history…

[@messmeister92]

Zastava: “The M93 is based on our own sporting rifles.” Ian: “Well yes, but also no.”

[@strahinjastevic7480]

It's a mauser system like most if not all zastava bolt actions

[@LikePhoenixFromAshes]

Well, that is not necessarily wrong statement. They did _not_ told what their sporting rifles are based on, so that is not technically a lie...

[@Simon_Nonymous]

So one of your sports is tank hunting? Serbia - oh yes . USSR - oh yes tank hunting of Fascists a national sport. Finland - hold my 67% alcohol fruit vodka and bathing trunks.

[@randomidiot8142]

@@strahinjastevic7480 pretty sure basically everything turn bolty is Mauser based or inspired or derived, several generations of seperation but still. Mauser based is unbelievably broad.

[@randomidiot8142]

@@johnanon6938 from an engineering standpoint that bolt handle locking lug is a very simple concept in firearms design. It is interesting that we arguably have a single source of where it came from, unlike say.. a wheel. We see the bolt handle locking lug still today with airguns and .22 rifles. Oh. You mentioned the Lee vs the Mauser.. so Arisaka? 😅 It's one of my favorites (partly because I have one) because it field strips so very easily.

[@pablowentscobar]

"Yeah, Zastava just sent me an M93 .50 cal. No biggie." Lol.

[@gohunt001-5]

less sent, and more... lent

[@Hybris51129]

Zastava: If we send you a M93 will you stop asking to see our reference collection? Ian: I will. Zastava: Oh thank God... Ian: For now.

[@hunglikeahorse120]

@@Hybris51129 I feel like this could be an actual transcript of their emails.

[@danielbernier9115]

Gun Jesus receives all guns for free .

[@samholdsworth3957]

It's not really a biggie this is what companies do to get their name out there

[@bakerking5351]

“Zastava M93 Black Arrow” is probably up there for most menacing firearm names

[@princecharon]

You could kill a dragon with it if you hit the right spot.

[@JohnnyLouisXIX]

*MENACING*

[@ulvschmidt7174]

Up there with ultima ratio

[@dragan_avramov]

Well, there is also "Zastava M12 Black Spear". ;)

[@CircusFoxxo]

PGM Hécate II Ultima Ratio

[@baronofhell2277]

Ian must have cleared alot of outposts to acquire this thing for the video.

[@gabrielkeeling59]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@matermacej3579]

...I knew I remembered that behemoth from somewhere

[@baronofhell2277]

@oky I will find peace and tranquility once you stop shoving that fucking link in every comment thread.

[@claudiaborges8406]

@@matermacej3579 it’s a very memorable big boy

[@charliethedoomslayer2793]

pirates and mercs are shaking and crying right now looking at this thing.

[@ivanstepanovic1327]

- It does have springs in the buttstock and they are very heavy. When you fire the gun, you should notice them... - In early models, there was a complaint about magazine falling apart while on the rifle; the bottom of the magazine would simply drop down, spill all the ammo from it and drag along... It was reportedly solved. - Early models also didn't have that carrying handle, so it was quite a problem to carry it around the battlefield; two soldiers did it. One would grab it by the barrel and the other by the buttstock. Which was particularly a problem if there was firing and the barrel was hot... To resolve it, the early solution was a special wooden crate that had that only one function - to carry the rifle around. But it was such a bad design that it did pretty much nothing and was awkward to handle. Among the troops, the crate was called "the coffin". - How does it shoot? Still kicks like a mule! But the effect on the target... Oh, man! Exactly what you expect of the caliber, especially if you use different types of ammo; remember it was not designed for very high precision and long distance shots, but against technicals and lightly armored vehicles.

[@BadHaddy]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine That's because the barrel moves relative to the barrel and receiver, and therefore the optics. It wasn't built or designed for accuracy. The M95 is their bolt action box fed rifle, and mine does 1.25-ish MOA/.38mil at 1000m with handloads. My newer production M29 is similar after some tuning (the muzzlebrake moves easily, and i ended up rock-setting it, as well as lock-titing certain bolts, and had to re-crown the muzzle.) Out of the box, my example was closer to 3 MOA@100m

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the additional information.

[@ivanstepanovic1327]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Believe it or not, a lot depends on year of production. The early models were made in 1990s. Back then, we were under sanctions and struggled with everything; food, medications... Let alone raw materials and quality control. Now, in years to come, it was pretty much resolved and the situation improved. Still, a lot depends on ammo. Most ammo here is also highly corrosive, especially for army use. I remember that during my service, the officers were very keen of making us clean the barrels immediately after the shooting (non chrome-lined barrels). Dedicated sniper rifle ammo appeared here as a concept rather late, not so long ago. Now, as I said, a lot of improvements since then, so it is possible that it is better now. To what extent? Not sure, tbh... And still, this is not a high precision rifle.

[@raics101]

Heh, right, a buddy from highschool was assigned one back when there was still mandatory service. Wasn't really a gun nut so the only impression he cared to share was that it was a huge pain in the ass to carry around, he's a big guy but when they gave it to him he just went: "If I'm supposed to lug this up the mountain, someone else is going to carry the rest of my stuff".

[@alexsis1778]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine You also have to consider this is a bolt action rifle while the Barrett is a long recoil semi-auto. There's an inherent accuracy boost to that alone. Its the same reason why all actual sniper rifles are bolt action and why France's own anti-material rifle the Hecate II is bolt action. Its all a matter of whether the accuracy or the rapid fire ability is more important to you. The Barrett was originally intended more for disposing of things like unexploded ordinance at safe but not at all long ranges and so accuracy wasn't nearly as big of a concern.

[@nikital.6523]

Ah, a rifle for shooting down dragons, those must've been quite a nuisance back in the days.

[@notgraham.7215]

The 90s WAS pretty wild

[@lycossurfer8851]

Also good for fleas & ticks

[@gabrielkeeling59]

Also good for aisan rhinos fc4

[@joshstanton267]

But you have be be Bard class to equip it.

[@LDSG_A_Team]

@@joshstanton267 *slow clap* Well done. Your pun has been noticed and appreciated.

[@chrish.942]

Normal owners manual: "make sure to clean and lubricate the rifle" Serbian military manual: "you see Miroslav, this is how you make Humvee go boom"

[@StromtrooperV2]

What is the survival chance if it hit a human? Is there any at all? 🤣

[@chrish.942]

@@StromtrooperV2 Center mass? No. Grazing shot into the shoulder or shooting someones toe off? Pretty good survival chance all things considered.

[@nenadpopov3601]

@@chrish.942 I'm Serbian and a friend of mine just finished a military drill which is common here, he shot from this beast and no, if you shoot someone you will blow half of his body off lol.

[@Joker21SRB777]

Tee hee! Made me giggle! (I'm from Serbia)

[@sasakostic1982]

in the end in the user manual wrote > dont push the red boutton on the botton :P

[@THE_YIGLER]

"Just last year in 2019" I wish Ian, I wish.

[@wraithcadmus]

Today is Friday the 538th March, 2020

[@ForgottenWeapons]

Lol, whoops. :)

[@THE_YIGLER]

@@TheFirstCurse1 that's when I joined the Army 🙃

[@paynekiller75]

@@ForgottenWeapons It's all good, Ian. You're allowed 1 goof each vid, per contract 😉

[@asdasd-ty9se]

Our “two weeks to slow to spread” hasn’t ended yet, clearly still 2020

[@JTViper]

"I just happen to have a [insert random French firearm] here." Yeah, Ian, it just so happens lol Tout par chance lol

[@TheEnneite]

The FR-F2 isn't random, it's the standard DMR of the french army.

[@muffty1337]

@@TheEnneite oh pardon Monsieur

[@christopherreed4723]

But it's *not* an FRF-F2...it's an *FRF-F1*, without the redesigned, shrouded barrel, and in the proprietary French-only 7.5mm caliber. 😜

[@davidbrennan660]

He does move in a mysterious way.

[@JTViper]

@@TheEnneite my point is that you can just pick a French firearm at random and if Ian pulls it into frame you're not likely to be surprised lol

[@Chezeehat]

Hmm I wonder if Ian gets commission for this? :) Zastava: *Pushes brown paper bag across table.* Ian: "Ohhhh! 7.5mm French Long!" Z: "You saw nothing!" *gesture*

[@Thaddeus2007]

Hahahah, that made my day.

[@Requeium]

Too bad its made with modern primers and his guns all pierce the crap out of them but hey! Free ammo is free ammo xD

[@skoshman1]

I was wondering where he got the ammo last week when he was playing with a full-auto capable Hotchkiss Universal SMG.

[@rufusconnolly8489]

I feel as though if Ian ever was able to be morally corrupted, this is exactly how it would play out XD

[@JoshuaC923]

Hahaha give this man a cookie

[@Mishotaki]

"last year in 2019": Ian just confirmed that 2020 didn't happen

[@buttmonkey227]

I like how they sent the French rifle expert a copy of a French rifle and then tried to tell him it wasn't. Really thought you could slip that past Le Gun Jesus?

[@cropathfinder]

mind you the whole reason for black arrow being made was because croatians didn't wanna licence them the RT-20 anti material rifle aka "lets make something that can shoot trough tank sights... or hills"

[@mo45327]

@@cropathfinder Why would they try to get a licence for a Croatian weapon in 1993? There was a war going on between them.

[@beardlessodin945]

Nice Runes, dude.

[@rautavaara9194]

Probably the people he's in contact with didn't work there 30 years ago. And the design team may never have told anyone where they got their ideas from.

[@paynekiller75]

Hahahaha! No sh*t huh

[@m1k4c]

i didn't know m93 didn't pass any testing. we used it on Kosovo, 3 guys from my company carried m93, 12.7x108mm version, it proved itself as a great anti-alba... i mean anti-material rifle. we used to shoot at all the vehicles when surrounding houses, prevent terrorists from even thinking about escape. they were the first to shoot. i heard people complaining about jamming, we didn't have any problems, and we fired like a truck-load of ammo. there was a problem with a scope - it's like a long-range precision scope, very precise actually, but it didn't account for the fact that this is a hand cannon trying to brake your shoulder with every shot you take - it needed a scope adapted to the force of 12.7x108mm. i loved this rifle. i've been shooting so much in spare time, during the insurgency in Kosovo. and we had all sorts of rounds, incendiary, piercing, lightings, you name it, all rounds newly made, filled with military grade powder... while the rest of us poor fuckers carrying ak-47s were shooting 50 yo rounds that were piling up for the last century...

[@milkyyanks765]

Anti Albanian?

[@scynthetic]

@@milkyyanks765 👀👀👀

[@ljubafm]

Ljubi te brat :D

[@OleDiaBole]

Pomaže Bog junače.

[@m1k4c]

@@ljubafm :D

[@rodrigogoncalves6165]

What Ian keeps at home for self defense: the Lahti 20mm... Easy to carry, excelent for urban warfare....

[@notgraham.7215]

Ian has 2 chauchat MG teams he imported from France that patrol his yard

[@rodrigogoncalves6165]

@@notgraham.7215 But he uses the Lahti to kill anoying moskitos... 🤣🤣🤣🤣 By the way, my comments are just a harmless joke

[@notgraham.7215]

@@rodrigogoncalves6165 I know lol I think he has the Lahti mounted to his car now so he doesn't get stuck in traffic

[@rodrigogoncalves6165]

@@notgraham.7215 I think Ian will help to develop a 40mm version, so that he finally can enter a pigeon shooting championship....

[@kosovoisserbia8937]

That weights 109lbs or 50kg lol. Carry it if you can.

[@BabyGreen162]

"When you have to steal, steal from the best" - Zastava Oružje

[@PapaSchultz74]

In the case is called blue steal 😉

[@robrob9050]

Amateurs copy, professionals steal 😂

[@MadMagyar13]

“black arrow”, what a badass name

[@Bruhidk8835]

No wonder it's in far cry 3 and 4, I'm hoping it would apear in the 6th installment.

[@baronofhell2277]

@@Bruhidk8835 It may possibly be, I think its seen in one of the comics in a weapons locker.

[@nguyenthehien3034]

legendarium says Bard the Bargeman killed Smaug with a Black Arrow... a Zastava M93 Black Arrow

[@lambsauce5312]

Crna Strela

[@maverick3576]

How about Hammer Head

[@highmoonlookdownawe]

FR-F1: who are you Zastava M93: I am you but 12.7x108mm

[@vanja2565]

No, not at all, this rifle is closer to gewehr 98 than it is to F1

[@RIlianP]

Now we are going to extract the bolt and use it as a blunt weapon because we are out of ammo.

[@Thaddeus2007]

Hahahah, nice one.

[@rickansell661]

Firing Pin doubles as a Bayonet

[@eleanorlegg4674]

Nobody *admits* to copying the French! It is rather bizarre that they deny it despite the obvious similarities you point out.

[@murphy7801]

George Lucas didn't

[@BirdRaiserE]

They haven't done a lot of cool stuff recently, so nobody says "I copied the french" to get people interested

[@CurtHowland]

It's more obviously "directly inspired by" than "My Sweet Lord".

[@alexsis1778]

Well they only claimed it was based off their sporting rifle. They didn't deny the _sporting rifle_ was a copy of the FR F1

[@zimbu_]

Probably didn't talk to any engineers at Zastava. Just the marketing people sending this to him, coming up with stories about how it's totally related to the new sports rifles they happen to have for sale.

[@tomicbranislav3]

Still have the Dushkas on our vehicles... M93 is a bitch to carry... I hated the bloody thing.... Thank God my service issue was an M84.... Gun Jesus's favorite GPMG

[@DPRK_Best_Korea]

I thought he liked the KAC LAMG in 7.62x51 better.

[@tomicbranislav3]

@@DPRK_Best_Korea check out his video on M84 both the range and off range one.... His words not mine

[@DPRK_Best_Korea]

@@tomicbranislav3 I'm pretty sure he said in a Q&A video that PKM type machine guns used to be his favorite til he got to shoot the LAMG.

[@tomicbranislav3]

@@DPRK_Best_Korea Maybe mate, maybe.... Still I prefer my old M84, it saved my ass quite a few times while I was deployed to Africa

[@Soff1859]

@@tomicbranislav3 The serbian army is operating in Africa?

[@unlearningcommunism4742]

Your pronunciation of Zastava is 100% perfect. Impressed!

[@pavs7239]

90%*

[@TheodorTosho]

Love your name

[@unlearningcommunism4742]

@@TheodorTosho Hehe, I wrote a book with the same title

[@ES90344]

At the time of posting, there is at least one online shop in the US that has 12.7x108 for sale.

[@ES90344]

@asdrubale bisanzio there really aren't many 12.7x108 firearms in the US.

[@Broken_Yugo]

SGammo has PPU for $6/round, only double the cost of 50.

[@ES90344]

@@Broken_Yugo Well I was trying not to name them since YT hates places that sell gun things...

[@maxpulido4268]

1 shop equals unavailable. Especially since they can name their price.

[@GCho733]

Serbia: Hey France can I copy your homework? France: oui, but change it a bit so it doesn’t look obvious Serbia:

[@quentinking4351]

@oky spam

[@krissteel4074]

Serbia- Make big french rifle No, bigger Bigger than that one Bigger Bigger! Ok, big enough

[@Blazo_Djurovic]

Would us putting some Mauser in it, the thing we do with ALL our arms (got to add some Germans in it to be good), be good enough?

[@strajko2117]

job fuckin' done as far as i am concerned!!!

[@pepebeezon772]

>but yes, but

[@panzerkitsune]

somehow I am almost certain that due it its French heritage, a M93 will end up in McCollums personal collection sooner or later

[@vincentkermorgant]

I did not sense any particular liking of the firearm in Ian's review

[@MarvinCZ]

@@vincentkermorgant Liking has nothing to do with it. Did you feel any particular liking of the Hotchkiss Universal from Ian? He says it's a pretty bad submachine gun but he had to get it anyway.

[@godhedsmanden]

@@MarvinCZ Duh, yeah he was enthusiastic as fuck about the concept.

[@nottheatf5608]

I love these things. Handled one once, I liked it better than a Barrett.

[@ChrisG1392]

Really? It seems anti- ergonomic

[@boomerisadog3899]

I think I'd prefer the semiautomatic Barrett.

[@turtleshmmm5904]

@@danielpope3579 i knew that the name was a trojan horse.......

[@nottheatf5608]

@@ChrisG1392 It might be due to the weird shape of my hands, but I thought it was find of pleasant. Also the main reason is the uniqueness factor. Most everyone who owns a .50 cal means a semi-auto Barrett. Shooting one of these, a bolt action, magazine-fed, non-bullpup, is awesome.

[@nottheatf5608]

@@turtleshmmm5904 Hey now, let’s not go pointing fingers here; we’re all friends right…

[@colbunkmust]

Serbia: Yo Dawg, we heard you like MAS so we put mass on your MAS.

[@Thaddeus2007]

Ayyy, that's funny as hell.

[@nicholaspatton5590]

Live Mass

[@maki49574]

Xzibit memes never die.

[@JoshuaC923]

MASS39 it is then!

[@mr.international2778]

Ngl i got the notification for this and i thought Ian was finally gonna review the raffica

[@jhota42]

Have we examined Zastava's back catalogue of sporting rifles? Perhaps one of those was copied from the FR F1? Considering the French rifle has been around since the 1960s and the Yugoslavians were never shy of combining ideas to get what they felt was the best possible outcome, it's entirely likely both Zastava and Ian are correct.

[@ninoslavtrifunovic7038]

There's one FR F1 rifle in Zastava's R&D department and they used it as "inspiration" for M93.

[@Papafreud94]

I would guess that Zastava copied the Mauser part of the bolt to avoid double feed in a rifle that, contrary to a FR-F1, would have been given to maybe less trained, not specialized troops. A double feed in this rifle with a .50 caliber would be disastrous and likely to happen at some point. The Mauser-type bolt was a good idea in a rifle that would have go military testing and adoption.

[@PapaSchultz74]

Wtf man how on earth you double feed a 50cal? Its just made front lock as otherwise you need a very strong receiver that will make the weapon even heavier. Zastava is producing Mauser style bolt actions since ever so they put in what they know it will work.

[@sa-amirel-hayeed699]

@@PapaSchultz74 this guy has no idea wtf he's talking about. Unless your gun is literally broken bolt actions extract VERY reliably... And you're 99.999999% gonna notice the fact that when you pulled the bolt back you didn't see a giant casing get yeeted out. So.... You'd have to be legally required to wear a bump helmet outside when walking around to induce a double feed on such a weapon. Even if you DID induce it, it would take seconds to clear properly.

[@Ben_PN]

I'm surprised that Zastava didn't just scaled up their M91 to chamber .50 cal. That would technically made an actual AK-50.

[@Meyer-gp7nq]

Brandon Herrera intensifies

[@johnpenwell6402]

I thought I was done being a Zastava Zlut when I got an M91 so my M70 had a big brother to look up to…. now there’s a crazy French/German uncle I need to add to the family.

[@andersjjensen]

"Zastava M93 Black Arrow" does sound kinda mean... so perhaps "crazy mean French/German uncle" :P But seriously though, why would you want a 37lbs .50 cal rifle? It's hella heavy and doesn't fit in a trunk. It's expensive to shoot and fairly uncomfortable to shoot. And most ranges are too short and/or has too fragile targets to even let you shoot the thing. That is, of cause, assuming you don't just want a sexy wall queen. If that's the case: then go right ahead! :P

[@johnpenwell6402]

@@andersjjensen thankfully my rear seats fold down so fitting a 6’ long rifle in the trunk isn’t an issue. In all seriousness it would be fun to get a 50 BMG someday and this one is attractive since it would round out my growing Zastava collection, but if I had 9 grand right now in disposable income there’s a number of other rifles I’d put that money towards first.

[@vanja2565]

You can actually buy it for like 8k$ from zastava

[@TheKencoffee]

Another common modern use of AMRs is to detonate or disable emplaced explosive devices. The idea being if you can cause a detonation or damage the triggering components from a distance, you can deal with that threat more safely.

[@arnox4554]

A lot more safely actually. In fact, it's usually the preferred way of dispatching IEDs.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine I know that you could tell who was a veteran if you were watching Hurt Locker, when dude pulls on that starfish of arty shells. Any silent winces or quiet "oh, Fuck"s were veterans.

[@misko196]

I am from the Republic of Macedonia, one of the six countries that made up Yugoslavia. During the conflict in my country in 2001 I used the M93 but with Russian caliber 110 × 12.7 and we were very satisfied especially when we received ammunition with built-in explosives from Russia and ammunition that was made of titanium. We had a lot of success when the rebels hid in concrete houses, we successfully liquidated them with titanium ammunition at the top and in the villages that held them we disabled their delivery vehicles. I can say from experience that at 1500 meters with that caliber it was very accurate and successful rifle.

[@ravenouself4181]

Yugoslavia and France did cooperate closely in the late 80's and up until the Civil War. So, it's not unusual that some weird hybrids exist.

[@MaximusCLAVUS]

It was not civil war... check out real facts and timeline events.

[@strahinjastevic7480]

@@MaximusCLAVUS you should definetly trust a croat on that lol

[@kosovoisserbia8937]

@@MaximusCLAVUS Calling it Homeland war is pure stupidity. Btw you won agaisnt 17000 armed willagers and that's your biggest win in history.

[@MaximusCLAVUS]

@@kosovoisserbia8937 wtf is wrong with you? Still living in denial...for others I recomend: Check history and especialy Srebrenica in bosnia and Vukovar town in Croatia on events ect. I dont give fck what you say to yourself every day about those events, but i wish you to find peace in yourself and start living... as Croat im sorry for events in ww2. Same as Germans are sorry for their camps, horrible times with lesson that some people did not learned. But repeated in 1991 war.

[@MaximusCLAVUS]

@@strahinjastevic7480 I am Croat

[@robertsmith6124]

I have a zastava mini Mauser that Charles Daily imported. I love that thing and it shoots amazing

[@AtomicKing74]

I must be honest, when Ian said that this rifle was a copy of a French rifle, I was like come on, these two rifles look drastically different. By the time I saw the removable flip sight, I was convinced.

[@vincentkermorgant]

even the front handguard with the angled end was copied. They must have believed that the handguard shape had magical effects on accuracy

[@nikobellic1529]

Very nice my friend.

[@blusoldier8686]

Its good to see you, partner.

[@Cbrmkn98xs]

@@blusoldier8686 *INTRUDER ALERT, RED SPY IN THE BASE*

[@blusoldier8686]

@@Cbrmkn98xs A red spy is in the base!?!

[@blusoldier8686]

**HUT HUT HUT** WE NEED TO PROTECT THE BRIEFCASE!!

[@Cbrmkn98xs]

@@blusoldier8686 *yanking the doorknob like an idiot* yo a little help here?

[@TheRealFilipiano]

Interesting video. Since Zastava didn't admit the Black Arrow was based on the French gun, here's an interesting alternative hypothesis: the design of the Black Arrow was based on the Cobra Assault Canon from the movie Robocop, which came out a few years prior. Check out the final part of the barrel, crazy similarity.

[@TheNukebooster]

Ian: "A very small locking lug for holding sich a heavy magazine under such heavy recoil". Brandon Herrera: "Ah yes, i uhm... totally knew that too" (I love both channels please dont get angry)

[@zues2011]

In Far Cry 3 and 4 it’s known as the Z93, also had a variant with exploding bullets, glad to see the real deal get its own video

[@cyng6734]

The signature version is called AMR. Not an ideal choice for taking outposts due to it's loud gunshot. *To unlock it, you have to find 20 relics across the island.*

[@zues2011]

@@cyng6734 yup, short for Anti-Material Rifle if i recall right, and to the contrary, i’d say it was the perfect weapon to take on outposts and even fortresses, heavy’s were no issue with this

[@cyng6734]

@@zues2011 with a risk of getting spotted...unless you hide well in a vantage point. (eg cliffs, huge rocks and walls etc.)

[@zues2011]

@@cyng6734 i take them out either well from well afar, or dangerously upclose, if i wanted to remain undetected i would use the z93 suppressed. The AMR is much fun

[@terranempire2]

Why was I not surprised Ian had an FRF1 ready to go?

[@TheArklyte]

Almost makes you wish for cool helmet and trenchcoat...

[@bboystance514]

Fallout New Vegas reference?

[@shaggyrebel8737]

Note: The .50 in FNV is an Ultima Ratio Hecate II.

[@cursedcliff7562]

he made a video on the Hecate 2, the fnv anti materiel rifle

[@roger5555ful]

The M93 is in 2 far cry games

[@caim9986]

Why am I thinking about columbine 🤣🤣

[@kill6180]

i love how he uses any excuse he gets to talk about French guns

[@pro2a693]

Best sniper rifle of all time in far cry series

[@iDEATH]

Ubisoft seems to like it a lot. It's really good in Ghost Recon too. (Even if the Ghost Recon games themselves have gone downhill in that "interesting idea, poor execution" way that I think must have ol' Clancy rolling in his grave. That said, I have found that of I play 'em like a poor man's Metal Gear there's some fun to be had with the last couple entries.)

[@themasterofdisastr1226]

Not bad, but I liked the HTI better

[@arsenalgamingyt5890]

Was good in Far cry 3. It got beat by the Gepard Lynx (SA-50 in game) in later games due to high fire rate and better mobility.

[@pinnipes]

i wouldn't consider myself someone who is a firearm enthusiast, but the way you present and structure these videos is so well done and packed with interesting bits of information

[@datpieceofbread9570]

Nice to see this gun finally get covered. Fell in love with this gun when I saw it in a game called Farcry 3

[@thendnjedi1388]

One of my friends at a gun shop has one of these….that guy owns everything under the sun I tell you man

[@rockimartinez6424]

When Gun Jesus just casually pulls out an FRF1 to prove his point...

[@jarrettdooley9419]

And it looks like a toy compared to this thing

[@ar-ks4vi]

Our own personal Gun Jesus; someone to hear our gun prayers, someone who cares

[@elitedavidhorne8494]

Zastava: "Any similarities between our rifle an the FR F1 are purely coincidental."

[@71723]

Things might have been different if Bard had THIS Black Arrow.

[@tevildo9383]

His black arrow worked just fine, wdym?

[@hanswithhisflammenwerfer3282]

i remember use this when playing far cry 3 and 4 some years ago

[@aeddonmckaba9797]

I was going to say, I remember this from FC3

[@Bug_Bait]

Hans plz put down the flammenwerfer. You're scaring me.

[@M1911jln]

As you pulled that bolt out I was yelling "Mauser"! That ejector and the bolt release lever look just like on my Swedish Mauser, only much bigger.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Serbians make excellent weapons; they know a good idea when they see one.

[@lairdcummings9092]

And *OF COURSE* Ian has an FR-F1 ready to-hand for comparison.

[@southw1nd]

To be completely fair, weapons are degrading significantly quality wise after the 90's. You can look at the serbian channel DumDum, they talk about that a lot. And to be ultimately fair, most stuff are direct copies of already made products with no much innovation. M59/66 is a copy of Russian SKS. M70 is a copy of a Russian AKM, M84 is a copy of a Russian PKM, M57 is a copy of a TT33, M53 is a copy of MG42, M76 is some kind of a PSL copy, modern Zastava pistols are a copy, mostly SIG etc. etc. etc.

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@southw1nd even so, a good copy is a good weapon. Sorry to hear that quality is slipping.

[@Bojan_Kavedzic]

@@southw1nd M76 predates PSL. It was independently developed, stock/grip/inline config layout inspired by... FR-F1 again.

[@wpww3343]

@@southw1nd darko from DumDum appears to have a bias against anything made locally, and is in awe of anything foreign. Besides, he shills whatever product he gets paid to shill, so, in my opinion he is not a great indicator

[@michaelpee9471]

I am shocked that Ian is fascinated by a rifle based on a French firearm. Insert SHOCKED FACE here.

[@AuburnTigers111]

Well not *THAT* shocked

[@TheKravojed]

16:35 to answer your question, during the 60-70s some Serbian(Yugoslav) mechanical engineers were sent to study military weapon engineering in France, some were probably included in the design of the FR F1 during their study...

[@johnwhitley2898]

At last, M93 review! Very cool and reasonably simple Cal .50 turnbolt rifle. It's precise enough to hit a 12" to 14" diameter circle at 1000m. That kind of precision will mess up somebody's day, whether it's it's the person or their material........ Ian, I sure hope you wring this rifle out, plenty!

[@andrej13666]

There is actually a new version being developed called the m 12 black spear, apparently it's an improvement

[@gregdelagrange8573]

Great looking rifle!

[@LuminaryCursorem]

Zastava makes real good stuff that last and works well.

[@PyroTBag]

As a person from the Balkans, I can tell you that during the conflicts in the 90s and early 2000s it wasn't used as an anti-material rifle. Rather soldiers used it as an anti-personal weapons because they liked what it did to a human body.

[@snakevenom56]

I like how you're cited on the M93's wikipedia page now

[@SL_RivviN]

Thank god someone finally pronounced Zastava correctly cheers from Valjevo!

[@mattnw42]

I like that bolt design a lot

[@calvingreene90]

Cop: What do you this gun for? Me: Hunting. Cop: Hunting what? Me: Whatever. So I have to bark a deer.

[@recurvestickerdragon]

Bames Nond's having a stronk

[@charliegarrison9688]

A man of culture I see 😆

[@beachboy0505]

Very beautifully engineered. This will last a 100 years Excellent video 📹

[@ryateo1]

Its illegal to shoot a human with a 50cal. So remember, I was going for the radio.

[@stamfordly6463]

Nobody told Mladic's mob.

[@ryateo1]

@@stamfordly6463 a UN war crimes tribunal did.

[@stamfordly6463]

@@ryateo1 Bit late AFTER they've been practising on grannies doing their shopping, isn't it? Not that they'd have cared by all accounts.

[@notgraham.7215]

Huh. Somebody better tell the US, and Canada, because we use .50bmg snipers, and the longest range sniper kill was a Canadian with a MacMillan .50bmg

[@Angel9932]

@@notgraham.7215 His clothing is made of material, correct?

[@itsnevo8757]

That’s a cool gun. There is one for sale at a local gun shop near me and it’s crazy how heavy it is.

[@dragoljubzdravkovic1737]

My late cousin told me about that gun when I was a kid... As in two guys were needed to operate it, I always thought it was bigger.

[@DL101ca]

You needed two girly Slavs...or one real man.

[@earlyriser8998]

very nice to see the comparison between the 2 guns

[@Pienimusta]

*Certain accordion music plays in the background*

[@Massachamp08]

I remember this gun as the Z93 from Far Cry 3 and 4, never knew it had such an interesting history

[@ridezosmon2306]

Yugoslavia is still in everybody's heart still +20 years after

[@plaidtvofficial5743]

Hell nah

[@agustinperretta1043]

I'm really waiting for the shooting tomorrow, great vid Ian

[@edwalmsley1401]

Nobody copies the French ? Renault FT17 would like a word with you

[@Bushido1389]

Never thought i'd see this video, really cool. Cant wait for the M12 black spear.

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

We got one of these in Syria and were super excited to use it. But if was in .50 browning and we couldnt get the ammo anywhere! Bloody annoying. Got palmed off on another unit in exchange for couple of other rifles. Bet they were as annoyed as us when they had same issues 😁

[@shawnr771]

Glad to see Logistics and Supply are still working just fine in world's militaries. Generals who win wars understand Logistics.

[@paynekiller75]

Really? When I was in Syria fighting Daesh, we encountered a few of these (even used some) but they were ALL in 12.7x108mm. They did that so they could use their Dshka ammo

[@EdNashsMilitaryMatters]

@@paynekiller75 yep, no .50 browning available in...think it was early 2016. We stuck with Zags

[@kosovoisserbia8937]

What ? I didn't know nato has ground troups in Syria .

[@jic1]

@@kosovoisserbia8937 They didn't. Google his name and Syria.

[@shanestrains7179]

You kno, it touches the heart to see elements of mauser designs used so widely on so many differnt bolt action designs. Really speaks to the soundness and reliability of the mauser design.

[@thenergster]

Absolutely one of my favorite anti material rifles, shot one a year or two ago before this covid mess and I've been dying to do it again. But sadly, dosent seem zastava will be working with Ian again lol.

[@andersjjensen]

And Ian pretty much gave them a clean bill of health by saying it was a good rifle they copied.. they should just admit it.

[@justcarcrazy]

I'm not a fan of weapons, but damn! Ian's passion and knowledge are infectious.

[@adammanning8882]

No one copied the French? I guess poudre blanche has been forgotten

[@1111kila]

And the Chinese took a look at the FAMAS and thought that was a good idea

[@lutin_mi06]

@@1111kila and thus, the QBZ was born

[@jubuttib]

@@1111kila Eh, well... Kinda looks like the FAMAS, but isn't really anything like it mechanically.

[@1111kila]

@@jubuttib that's why I didn't say they copied it

[@philipejeuceoututkache]

@@1111kila And then, the Croatian at HSProdukt were like, "hey I like the FAMAS, might make a version 2.0". Goddamn as a baguette I wish HSP would make a civilian version of the VHS-D2 uh

[@bertroost1675]

When I saw the screen shot I thought it was going to be a review for a turntable tonearm off one of my audiophile channels. Then I noticed it's Forgotten Weapons!

[@CarlsonWDane]

How to drum up sales for a gun: Step 1, Send to Ian. Step 2, aquire currency.

[@Arkus-Duntov]

I just find it cool that we have Mauser designs and MAS designs in one rifle that also shoots .50 caliber. So cool.

[@nicholaspatton5590]

When Ian showed us the extractor I said in my best Toy Story voice “THE CLAW”

[@themythofthefacelessman2180]

I have tried to get this on ghost recon recently and now you made a video about it. This is amazing timing i guess. Could not find a lot of info myself and it is a sick gun so i am happy now. Thanks

[@mikeksp9177]

Cool im Serb, But isint it in 12.7x108mm Also i never thought Zastava USA would kick of, but i guess America has an apetite for guns

[@highmoonlookdownawe]

It is.

[@twunt2000]

But not this particular rifle, which is in .50 BMG. 01:59

[@kosovoisserbia8937]

12.7x108 Domestic version 12.7x99 export version.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Like Ian said, 12.7x108 is basically unobtainium here in the US, while .50bmg you can buy at Cabela's.

[@mikeksp9177]

@@ScottKenny1978 how, i literaly have an incindiary ap 12.7mm on my shelf and you cant even own proper AKs here

[@thesmallestminorityisthein4045]

Scene: T- Gewehr sitting at the bar, drinking a tall beer. Eyes an FR-F1 that stode up to the bar like she was about to own the place, orders a 75. T-Gewehr down the last of his stein, wipes away the drips of beer on his mouth with his sleeve, and approaches the FR-F1. One creative scene and a about 2 and a half decades later, we have an M93 finding the T-Gewehr at that same bar (his mother told me about it), sits next to the T-Gewehr, and orders a beer. "Youve got your mothers looks", the T-Gewehr says without looking over,"but your actions says you're my son, no doubt about that"

[@TheZinmo]

A RPG is also much more expensive than a .50 rifle round. Not every military has the budget of the US forces.

[@andersjjensen]

No to mention that having to lug 20 of them around gets old a whole lot faster than even that hunk of a rifle...

[@powderskier5547]

But the US has millions of homeless people living on the streets like a 3rd world country, but who cares, they have a strong military

[@TheBucketSkill]

@@powderskier5547 ??? Why do people get offended at objective fact

[@mis4vr877]

I held one of these when I was like 11 years old, we had something called Open Day when the army shows off weapons and vehicles for civilians and it's a heaven for kids

[@Strelo]

Actually had a chance to hold this one at a military parade. Gotta say, I wasn't expecting it to be that heavy. Not sure why, but the model I held had a naked barrel (and no iron sights, I believe), just a thing to hold the bipod. Certainly interesting to see it on the channel.

[@recurvestickerdragon]

That side latch is like an underbite: causes difficulty, and it's from one's ancestors

[@Justin_GFM]

Far Cry 3 and 4 introduced me to this

[@mooneyesplays7]

Beyond weight and accuracy, there's also the point that, an RPG makes it VERY obvious where the fire is coming from. A rifle, even one like the Barrrett or this, is far more concealable. Yes, you will obviously know from what direction the rounds came, but with a well-concealed position, you have about 90 degrees on the compass to consider, rather than, "they're sitting in that specific bush".

[@IgorP226]

Serbs and the French have a very long history of cooperation in the defense industry.

[@jeremypintsize7606]

True but between a Zastava M93 and an Hecate 2 I'll chose an Hecate 2 for accuracy... For firepower they use the same ammo.

[@sixstringedthing]

As a casual observer I usually try to focus on the history/engineering and effectiveness/practicality when "judging" various weapons, but may I just take a moment to say: Holy shit, that is one kickarse looking piece.

[@arnox4554]

No wonder why they put it into Far Cry 3's weapon lineup. I knew it looked familiar.

[@vanja2565]

Have you seen M12 Black Spear? That thing is legit taller than I am, and I'm 2 meters tall

[@WardenWolf]

That safety is also reminiscent of the SVT-40. It also used an effectively identical safety.

[@michaelmarks5012]

That muzzle brake is badass.