Croatian Manda .50 BMG Single Shot Bolt Action Anti-Materiel Rifle, 1991
SOLD FOR: $4,657.00
LSB#: WY250430XX012
Make: Department of Weapons, Special Equipment and Technical Protection, Ministry of the Interior, Croatia
Model: Manda
Serial Number: 061
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1991
Caliber: .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun
Action Type: Single Shot Bolt Action Rifle
Barrel Length: 38″, 41 1/2″ to the front of the muzzle brake.
Sights / Optics: There is no provision for iron sights. The top of the receiver has an integral rail with rings holding an unbranded 3-12x scope with a BDC reticle scope.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is a metal tube with a leather cover and steel plate with a ventilated black rubber CZ recoil pad. The grip is an M70 AK pistol grip. The barrel has a slotted shround with a collar for the bipod. The stocks show scattered wear with some oxidation on the stock tube, likely there will be more oxidation under the leather cover. The LOP measures 14 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the pad. The pad has light wear and remains fairly supple. Overall, the stocks are in Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original, numbered parts are matching. There is a Sarco import mark on the barrel.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 8+/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is scattered minor surface oxidation. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with the installed scope.
Our Assessment: When Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, they did not really have a military. Especially early in the war, much of the fighting was done by the Croatian police forces, and the Special Police requested an anti-materiel rifle. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior had engineer Petar Vucetic design a simple, easy to produce rifle chambered in .50 BMG, and he named it after his sister, Manda. The only .50 BMG barrels available were for Browming M2 heavy machine guns, so they simply turned these barrels down for use in the rifles. A whopping total of 84 rifles were produced, and they remained in service through 1995 when the war ended with Croatia achieving independence.
This example, number 61, shows wear consistent with its service, but given the particularly brutal fighting seen during the war, it’s in pretty good shape. The rifle’s muzzle brake is not indexed properly, but this should be a simple fix, and the original scope has been replaced with an unbranded 3-12x scope. This is a fascinating piece of history from the Yugoslav wars, and it should also prove to be a good shooter on the range. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
