Zastava M76 The Zastava M76 is a military semi - automatic sniper rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms . History . The arms company Zastava released the M76 in the mid - 1970s . Since then it has become the standard issue sharpshooter rifle in the Serbian army and its predecessor the Yugoslav National Army ( JNA ) . It is designed to fulfill the same role as the Soviet Dragunov SVD , which is to provide a designated marksman capability to the infantry platoon . During the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s , it was used by several sides ; it saw action in Croatia , Bosnia and Kosovo . In Serbian service it is reportedly being replaced by the Zastava M91 . The Zastava M91 uses the 7 . 62x54mmR cartridge which is replacing the 8x57mm IS ( M - 49 ) cartridge in Serbian service . Design details . The M76 is similar in concept to the Russian Dragunov SVD sniper rifle ; a semi - automatic rifle using a full - power cartridge from a 10 - round magazine . However , the M76 is closer to the AK - 47 / RPK design than the Dragunov , similar to the Romanian PSL . Being derived from the AK design it is simple and reliable , and like other Zastava AK - derivatives it is of high - quality manufacture . Accuracy is typically around 1 . 5 MOA , which is good for a Kalashnikov design and entirely acceptable for the designated marksman role . Rather than being a Dragunov clone , it looks more like a lengthened AK - 47 with a heavier barrel , an impression strengthened by the separate stock and pistol grip rather than the Dragunov ' s thumbhole combination stock . Instead of the Dragunov ' s 7 , 62x54mmR chambering it uses the 7 . 92x57mm Mauser a . k . a . the 7 . 9mm or 8x57mm IS round . The Yugoslav National Army ( JNA ) adopted a 7 . 9mm Cartridge , Ball M49 variant , designated as M49 , as infantry ammunition at the end of the 1940s and later a 7 . 9mm Cartridge , Sniper , with Universal ball M75 , as sniper ammunition , designated as M75 . Instead of the Dragunov ' s separate gas piston , the M76 has an AK - type piston attached to the bolt carrier . The receiver is a milled forging like that of the original AK - 47 to give greater rigidity when firing a full - power round and it is longer to suit the 8x57mm IS chambering . The AK - type rotating bolt , bolt carrier , barrel and other parts are also longer and heavier to suit . Feeding is via a 10 - round steel box magazine , which has a follower that holds the bolt open after the last shot . Since there is no device in the weapon to hold the bolt to the rear , the bolt will move forward when the magazine is removed , which increases the difficulty of removing the magazine . Fire is semi - automatic only , so the AK - 47 - type safety on the right side of the receiver has only 2 settings - ' safe ' and ' fire ' . The barrel has a tapered profile with a Dragunov - type combination slotted flash suppressor and foresight housing . A standard AKM bayonet can be fitted to the bayonet lug below the foresight . Like the Dragunov , but unlike the AK - 47 , the M76 features an operator - adjustable gas regulator enabling more propellant gas to be vented to the piston in marginal operating conditions and even blocking the gas from pushing back the bolt , making the rifle a manual repeater . The furniture features a straight comb butt , which has a rubber pad similar to that found on the Zastava M70 series of weapons , and a well - shaped contoured pistol grip . The fore - end is also reminiscent of that found on the M70 series . There is no butt trap for cleaning kit storage in the wooden butt . In newer production models the wooden furniture is replaced with synthetic polymer material which offers some storage space for accessories like a cleaning kit and reduces the M76 overall weight by approximately 0 . 5 kg . With the exception of the gas regulator , disassembly and operation are similar to that of the AK - 47 / AKM family of weapons . Though the M76 fires its bullets at a relatively modest muzzle velocity , the 8x57mm IS cartridge loaded with aerodynamically efficient military sS ball bullets still offers a supersonic reach of ≈ under ICAO Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level ( air density ρ = 1 . 225 kg / m³ ) . To mount the optics , a side - rail is permanently attached to the left wall of the receiver which accepts an alloy sliding dovetail mount with a clamping lever to which can be attached various telescopic sight s and night optics . The mount is detachable from the receiver rail in seconds by swinging the locking lever open and sliding the scope and mount off the rail to the rear . It can be removed and reattached without loss of zero . The optic sight is normally removed during field stripping to give easy access to the receiver cover and bolt carrier . The rifle features mechanically adjustable backup AKM - type iron sights with a sliding tangent rear sight which can be adjusted from 100 m to 1 , 000 m . These sights can be used with or without the optic sight in place . The typical scope used is a ZRAK ON - M76 4x 5°10 ’ scope originally produced in the ZRAK factory in Sarajevo , Bosnia and Herzegovina . This optical sight is similar to the PSO - 1 4x24 sight used on the Russian SVD rifle and the Romanian I . O . R . LPS 4x6° TIP2 4x24 sight used on the PSL rifle . The ON - M76 elevation turret features bullet drop compensation ( BDC ) in 50 m increments for engaging point and area targets at ranges from 100 m up to 1 , 000 m . The BDC feature must be tuned at the factory for the particular ballistic trajectory of a particular combination of rifle and cartridge ( the 7 , 9 M75 sniper ammunition ) at a predefined air density . Inevitable BDC induced errors will occur if the environmental and meteorological circumstances deviate from the circumstances the BDC was calibrated for . Marksmen can be trained to compensate for these errors . Besides the BDC elevation or vertical adjustment control of the reticle , the windage or horizontal adjustment control of the reticle can also be easily dialed in by the user without having to remove turret caps etc . The reticle illumination of the ZRAK M - 76 4x 5°10 ’ is provided by ( radioactive ) tritium . The tritium light source has to be replaced every 8 – 12 years , since it gradually loses its brightness due to radioactive decay . The reticle features a PSO - 1 type range - finding reticle . Performance . The M76 is relatively accurate for a semi - automatic rifle . It can achieve 1 . 5 to 2 Minute of angle or MOA consistent accuracy with appropriate ammunition . Under normal conditions a maximum effective range of against man sized targets for an average sniper is achievable . The dispersion at is described as 50 x 50 cm ( 19 . 7 x 19 . 7 in ) , which is ≈ 1 . 9 MOA . Under optimal atmospheric and environmental conditions excellent marksmen might use the M76 up to . Recoil is described as being modest . It has the reputation of a reliable and capable weapon and has seen extensive combat service . As with all precision rifles , the user has to take care not to overheat the barrel . Variants . Zastava Arms currently offers a civilian variant in . 308 Winchester called the LKP M76 , which they designate as a semi - automatic sporting rifle . The only other variant is the Iraqi Tabuk sniper rifle , made under Zastava license , chambered for 7 . 62×39mm cartridges .