Tabuk Sniper Rifle

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The Tabuk Sniper Rifle is made from a modified Yugoslav AK derivative; the Zastava M70 rifle adding a telescopic sight, a skeletonized rear stock with a cheek piece. Its barrel is longer than the standard (non-paratrooper) AK-47, whose nominal length is 415 mm / 16.3 inches. It uses the same magazines as the AK-47 as it is also chambered in 7.62x39, taking good advantage of cheap and plentiful ammunition. However, at best, its use of that 7.62x39mm ammo means the Tabuk cannot function as a sniper rifle due to the rapid drop and poor long-range trajectory of this round. It also means the Tabuk really cannot even compete with typical designated marksman rifles for the same reason.

[edit] Background

[edit] 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 Arab world, as it was the site of an historically significant battle during the lifetime of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed. The most common association is probably the capitol city of the Saudi province of the same name (Saudi Arabia maps county detail provinces)

In many of these reports, the Tabuk Rifle is described incorrectly as being based on the SVD Dragunov. Unlike the Kalashnikov (AK-47 and AK-74) rifles, which fire 7.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm rounds respectively, the Dragunov and its variants chamber the older 7.62 x 54 mm R cartridge, adopted by the Russian Army in 1891 by way of the Mosin-Nagant 1891 rifle that, in various forms, was used through the end of WWII 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.

[edit] Confusion

A much more important point to make is that in most of the world's armies this would not be called a Sniper rifle per se, but a designated marksman's weapon. Different countries and different branches of military service within those countries all have slightly differing terminology for these roles, and differing distances that are covered by them. In armies that use a relatively modern assault rifle (AR-15, AK-74, G3 et al) the average infantryman is trained for striking targets out to 200-300 meters. A sniper is typically trained to dispatch targets farther than 500-600 meters, and is generally not assigned typical infantry duties. This leaves a significant gap between the roles, which is filled by (what is called by the US and UK forces) the designated marksman. A designated marksman is generally part of a conventional infantry unit and fills the gap between a typical infantryman and the sniper.

It should be noted that the equipment and distances employed by the military designated marksman overlap that of the (civilian) police sniper. Other than target distance, the main differences between the military and civilian sniper/marksman/sharpshooter are that the civilian rifleman typically has less concern about concealment from persons other than the target(s); the second is the concern about over penetration dictates not only which chamberings are appropriate (e.g a police sniper would typically not use a 300 Winchester Magnum, and would have no use at all for a .338 Lapua Magnum) but even bullet selection. The civilian police marksman is typically less concerned about penetration of body armor, but more often concerned about round performance through glass, often tempered or automotive safety glass.

[edit] Trivia

• Juba, is the nickname for an alleged sniper or conglomeration of sniper activity, related to the shooting of American soldiers in Baghdad, he is rumored to use the Tabuk Sniper Rifle. The Release of a second Juba tape in October 2006 showed an interview with the commander of the Baghdad sniper brigade in which he reaffirmed that Juba is indeed using a Tabuk Sniper Rifle.