Tabuk

The Tabuk Sniper Rifle is an Iraqi semi-automatic designated marksman rifle, made from a modified version of the Zastava M70 assault rifle. The Tabuk Rifle was manufactured at the Al-Qadissiya Establishments in Iraq using machinery sold to Iraq by Zastava Arms of Yugoslavia when Saddam Hussein was president. Background Zastava Arms of Yugoslavia originally developed this rifle from its experience in making its M70 rifles (a variant of the AKM with some minor differences from the original), particularly the M76. All of the rifles in the M70 series share what is traditionally considered an RPK style receiver, that is the receiver is made with a thicker gauge of sheet metal formed over a larger and heavier trunnion. While this does add to weight, it has a positive effect on durability which is why the modification came about. The Yugoslavian version of the RPK, the Zastava M72, is a longer barreled member of the M70 family and is the weapon upon which the Tabuk is based. The barrel length of the Iraqi Tabuk rifle is 23.6 inches – slightly longer and thinner than a Yugoslavian M72 barrel, but much longer than a traditional AKM or the M70 (16.25 inches). The Tabuk, like the M72, has a provision for muzzle attachments in the typical Russian thread pattern of 14×1mm left hand thread, which means that it can accept several variations of Soviet flash hiders and muzzle brakes, as well as Soviet-designed sound suppression devices. Design details