Figure- Source- Ed Nash Collection.

V16: Sniper Rifles and Tactics Against IS in Syria, a SMLE in Afghanistan, and a Counterfeit Revolver in Iran

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Our guest speaker and main presenter in this week’s edition of the SR podcast is Ed Nash, author of Desert Sniper. Ed took part in the fighting against the so-called Islamic State when he travelled to Syria to fight with the Syrian Democratic Forces, ending up as a precision rifleman in the campaigns of Hasakah, Shadaddi, and eventually Minbij where he ended his tour. He covers everything from the odd tactics in use with the YPG, types of precision rifles employed, and some of the bits of kit that helped him through the fighting.

We also have presentations from regular guests Daniel Casingena and Analyst Mick who both have significant small arms they have come across in their research that they would like to share. Daniel discusses an early SMLE rifle captured from the Taliban in Helmand province, Afghanistan, complete with volley sights and pre-World War One round-nosed ammunition still in the stripper clips. Mick then shares a counterfeit revolver that has both Smith & Wesson and Colt markings on it, yet has features of neither!

If you’d like to have your questions answered by our panel please support Silah Report on Patreon and submit questions as often as you like!

If you missed the previous episode, you can find it here.

Check out the podcast here and listen along with the photographs!

https://soundcloud.com/silah-report/v16-sniper-rifles-and-tactics-against-is-in-syria-a-smle-in-afghanistan-and-a-counterfeit-revolver-in-iran

Credits
Introduction audio is taken from the movie Son of a Lion, with permission of the director Benjamin Gilmour. The conversation takes place in the Kyber Pakhtunkwa (KPK) region of Pakistan and is between a customer examining a “Krinkov”-patterned rifle that is for sale. Music is traditional Arabic Dabkha by the name of اغاني دبكة تي رش رش

Patreon Shoutout
If you would like to support our work on researching small arms and light weapons in the MENA and Central Asian regions, please consider joining our Patreon support network that allows us to get articles, videos, and podcasts such as these to an international audience. Check us out here! As a patron you are also entitled to ask questions for our podcast panel to discuss and answer.

Podcast Running Order:

Silah Report Announcements

Presentations:

Discussing Precision Marksmen with the YPG with Ed Nash

Daniel Casingena on an SMLE find in Helmand province

Mick on a counterfeit revolver from Iran

 

Desert Sniper Presentation

Ed Nash is a British civilian who went to fight against the so-called Islamic State at some of the height of the fighting in Syria. He volunteered with the SDF forces and found his way into a ‘sniper tabor’ or a sniper unit approximately the size of a platoon or squad within the SDF. He talked and answered a number of questions about his time in service. Ed Nash’s book, Desert Sniper is available on Amazon both in the United States and the United Kingdom.

His book has also been reviewed by Ian McCollum on Forgotten Weapons –

https://www.amazon.com/Testing-Re-issues/dp/0349143382/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=desert+sniper&qid=1577017186&sr=8-1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjw2xuXyOEg

Figure 1.1 A Sako TRG 42 rifle, he mentioned that these were extremely rare and used carefully. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.2. A collection of Zagros and Sheer rifles as part of the sniper Taboor. Note the two Sako TRG 42s at back, camouflaged with tape. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.3. A shooter from the unit looks through the scope of his Zagros rifle. Note the loose PKM belt to the right. Nash mentions the use of PKMs (BKC in Kurdish/Arabic), as precision weapons among Kurdish fighters. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.4. An example of an IS up-armored vehicle. This one appears to be more of a personnel carrier as opposed to a Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED). (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.5. As opposed to this up-armored vehicle which would be actually used as an SVBIED. Note that only the essential components of the truck have been covered with armor, allowing the bomber to be protected until the moment of attack, with the payload in the back. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.6. Ed’s rifles in service, a Draganov-derivative right, and a Polish KpK left. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.7. A shooter looks through a loophole with his Zagros rifle. Ed mentioned that the scopes were typically Chinese in origin, and couldn’t withstand the severe recoil of the 14.5mm and 12.7mm rounds in use with the anti-materiel barrels. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)
Figure 1.8. An enormous monster-truck like contraption that Ed Nash came across. (Source: Ed Nash Collection)

Daniel Casengia Presentation

Daniel discussed this photograph that Analyst Mick found through open sources of what appears to be an authentic SMLE rifle that was discovered in an opium smuggling bust by Afghan Commandos, in the province of Helmand. The phrase used to describe the rifle in Dari from the posted description is “ سلاح پنج تکه“/Silah-Panj-Taka which translates to “Weapon Five Shots”. In this case the SMLE of course has a capacity of ten rounds, but the local assumption is that this is a Mosin Nagant or Mauser design which is also prevalent in the region.

Figure 2.1. Note the volley sights on the left side of the handguard and what appears to be an improvised sling. (Source: Social Media/Afghan Commandos)
Figure 2.2. The rifle leaning against the 187 kilograms of seized heroin. (Source: Social Media/Afghan Commandos)
Figure 2.3. Note the round-nosed bullets that Daniel pointed out, although somewhat grainy. The .303 round-nosed rounds aren’t too popular in the region to be copied or reloaded and were replaced by spitzer rounds before the First World War in British Military service. (Source: Social Media/Afghan Commandos)
Figure 2.4. An example of a craft-produced volley sight from the KpK Region. Note that the graduated marks on the sight are all odd-numbers. (Source: Silah Report Reference Collection/ Ref Number-C20191224.029)

Analyst Mick Presentation

Mick presented this odd counterfeit revolver which was covered in mismatched markings and configurations. The cylinder release button was of a Colt-pattern but the pistol grip is more along the lines of a Smith & Wesson. Every marking on it was taken from another make as well. Although this image appeared in numerous open sources, one of the first appearances was on 1 November, 2018, with this inscription on Instagram –

رولور اسمیت ساخت آمریکا،کالیبر۳۸

Which translates to ‘American made revolver, caliber 38″

Figure 3.1. Note the ‘Cobra’ and the faux S&W markings along with a rearing Colt on the frame. (Source: Social Media via ARES CONMAT)
Figure 3.2. Right side of revolver. (Source: Social Media via ARES CONMAT)

 

 ۱۳۴۷       هدیه به دربار شاهنشاهی ایران
“Gift to the Imperial court of Iran 1968”
Thanks to Kobaz on Twitter for the Farsi translation! The date would be an Iranian Shamsi date of 1347 which would place it in 1967, 68, or 69 depending on the particular month that it took place in.
Figure 3.3. Details of the inscription. (Source: Social Media via ARES CONMAT)

 

If you support us on Patreon you can submit questions and topics for our panel to discuss on future editions of the podcast.

2 thoughts on “V16: Sniper Rifles and Tactics Against IS in Syria, a SMLE in Afghanistan, and a Counterfeit Revolver in Iran”

  1. The revolver seemed to be a copy of the Japanese Miroku Liberty Chief, a Colt-based .38 revolver with the styling of a S&W J frame.

  2. Good stuff I love listening to these and would like to hear what happened with the full auto ban in Pakistan

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