- Tabuk Sniper Rifle
Infobox Weapon
name= Tabuk Sniper Rifle
caption= AnIraqi Army soldier assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Division, readies his 7.62 mm Tabuk assault rifle, during a raid conducted inSadr City .
origin=flagcountry|Iraq
type=Sniper rifle
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
service= 1963 - present
used_by=Iraq
wars= Persian Gulf War, 2003 Iraq War, 2003-Current Iraqi insurgency
designer=Zastava
design_date=
manufacturer= Al-Qadissiya Establishments
production_date=
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cartridge=7.62x39mm
caliber=
action=Gas operated
rate=
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feed= 5,10,20,30,40-round detachable box or 75,100-round drums magazine
sights=Telescopic sight andIron sight
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
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yield=The Tabuk Sniper Rifle is anIraq i designated marksman's rifle, made from a modified version of theRPK light machine gun . The Tabuk Sniper Rifle, like all theAK-47 andDragunov SVD derivatives made in Iraq, was manufactured at the Al-Qadissiya Establishments [ [http://www.gun-world.net/russain/kalash/foreign/iraq/iraq.htm 其他国家生产或仿制的AK.] Retrieved on February 3, 2008 cn icon] [http://www.tacticalgunfan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=280&Itemid=1 Iraqi Al Qadissiya Tabuk Designated Marksman.] Retrieved on August 26, 2008.] using machineries sold to Iraq, with the power at the time still firmly in the hands ofSaddam Hussein , byZastava ofYugoslavia during the years ofSlobodan Milošević [http://www.tacticalgunfan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=280&Itemid=1 Iraqi Al Qadissiya Tabuk Designated Marksman.] Retrieved on August 26, 2008.] .Background
Zastava 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 [ [http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jiw/jiw_0386.html Tabuk 7.62 mm sniper rifle (Iraq), SNIPER AND SPECIAL PURPOSE RIFLES.] Retrieved on August 26, 2008.] . 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 trunion. While this does add to weight, it has a positive effect on durability which is why the modification came about (for the Russian RPK). The Yugoslavian RPK or M72, is the long barreled member of the m70 family, and is the weapons upon which the Tabuk is based.The Tabuk, unlike the Yugoslavian RPK, has a 23.6" barrel - slightly shorter than a Soviet RPK, but much longer than a traditional AKM or the M70 (16.25"). The Tabuk, like the RPK has a provision for muzzle attachments in the typical Russian thread pattern of 14x1mm 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.
Recent Reports
After incidents in Baghdad in the Summer of 2005 initial media descriptions of the Tabuk Rifle were misspelled in many media reports as "Tobuk" or "Tobok". Tabook/
Tabouk (the latter two spellings are more correct transliterations of the Arabic تبوك ) is a common place name in the [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/mideastr.pdf Arab world] , as it was the site of an historically significant battle during the lifetime of theMuslim ProphetMohammed . The most common association is probably the capitol city of theSaudi province of the same name (Saudi Arabia maps [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/saudi_arabia_rel_2003.jpgcounty detail] [http://www.1001arabian.net/saudi-arabia/images/map.jpgprovinces] )In many of these reports, the Tabuk Rifle is described incorrectly as being based on the
SVD Dragunov . Unlike the Kalashnikov (AK-47 andAK-74 ) rifles, which fire7.62x39mm and5.45x39mm rounds respectively, the Dragunov and its variants chamber the older7.62x54mmR cartridge, adopted by the Russian Army in 1891 by way of theMosin-Nagant 1891 rifle that, in various forms, was used through the end of World War II and beyond.This would be an easy mistake to make, as the furniture of the Tabuk looks much like the Dragunov and has a longer barrel like that of the latter rifle's 620 mm/24.4 inches.
Design Details
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