The M3 and M3A1, famously also nicknamed the ‘Grease Gun’ due to their appearance, are a straight blowback submachine gun design, chambered in the U.S. military’s then standard issue pistol round – .45 ACP cartridge, and designed in the USA. The M3 was first adopted by the U.S. military in a limited capacity in early 1943, eventually supplanting the M1 and M1A1 Thompson submachine guns. Fascinatingly, a significant number have also been seen in the Pak-Afghan Region.
Abdullah K.
Iran Unveils New 7.62×51mm MASAF Series Rifle
The state Defence Industries Organisation (DIO) of Iran recently unveiled a new 7.62×51mm self-loading ‘battle rifle’. This is an addition to Iran’s MASAF series of rifles which first emerged in 2016. The first variant of the MASAF was chambered in the NATO 5.56×45mm cartridge. The new rifle was unveiled at the 13th Hazrat Ali Akbar Soldier Young Festival in Tehran, Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support, attended the unveiling of the weapons.
The Khyber Diaries: A Glimpse Into An ‘Antique’ Arms Shop
An often-nostalgic thing to do is reminisce of the arms shops in the days of old. Those well-stocked dealerships. They were once a lot like Aladdin’s cave with large arrays of plentiful, but now hard-to-find arms on display and for sale, at extremely affordable prices by today’s standard. Luckily, we can occasionally encounter some remnants of these days in Pakistan where an abundance of now-antiquated firearms are still to be found in the arms bazaars of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within places like the infamous town of Darra Adamkhel and to a lesser degree, in those within and close to Peshawar city.
Scarce Spanish STAR Submachine Gun In The Pak-Afghan Region
STAR, short for Star Bonifacio Echeverria, is a well known Spanish company which manufactured firearms for around 116 years, from about 1905 to 1997 when they closed up shop. The various firearm designs and platforms they manufactured, apart from some pistol designs, aren’t too common and don’t typically pop up in more out-of-the-way regions of the world. That being said, a small more unknown gem of theirs happened to end up in an arms dealership located in the infamous town of Darra Adam Khel in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, of all places.
The Beretta PX5 – Yes, You Heard Right
We’re all familiar with the somewhat intriguing Beretta PX4 9×19mm self-loading pistol but there is another Beretta on the market! Well, it may not actually be a genuine Beretta product or easily available at your local dealership but it certainly has the look and appeal of a Beretta firearm at the very least.
The Pak-Afghan Side-Folding AK Phenomena
Over the past few decades, a certain style of AK-pattern self-loading rifle or more specifically an AK variant feature has come out on top to be nicknamed the iconic ‘Khyber AK’ style by arms enthusiasts outside the Pak-Afghan region. This was destined to be so, especially after being seen in the hands of the infamous Usama Bin-Ladin, which helped propel this AK style into the limelight. Although it would be incorrect to assume one specific style to be the definitive Khyber modified or built AK type self-loading rifle ‘design’ due to the multitude of styles and variants manufactured in the Khyber region. The AKM or an AK-pattern rifle fitted with the iconic Russian skeleton triangle side-folding buttstock found on the AKS-74 and AKS-74U, has become that iconic piece. Not only that, but it truly is also one of the more popular choices for a folding buttstock within the Pak-Afghan region in general.
The Khyber Strikes Again: Unusual Modified SKS
A friend of ours in the Pak-Afghan border regions within Pakistan recently shared a couple of photos with us showcasing a somewhat unique firearm. This was a highly modified SKS-pattern 7.62×39mm self-loading rifle, likely of Russian origin, and probably a left in the region after the Soviet-Afghan War. By now we should all be very familiar with the some of the wackier work coming out of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region and this was an interesting piece to see. It is highly unusual configuration to see an SKS-pattern rifle in and the work done to the weapon makes it quite unique.
Khyber Market Finds: The Mauser M1916 – A WWI Rarity (Part 1)
On our many travels to the gun markets and arms manufacturing hubs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we’ve encountered many interesting firearms, some of which are the envy of collectors the world over. The latest example of one of these finds is one of the rarer and more valuable firearms we have come across. Several examples of World War One-vintage Mauser M1916 Selbstladekarabiner (self-loading carbine) have been found.
Origins: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Clear Frame Glock Pistols
The Glock line of rugged and reliable polymer-framed, self-loading pistols have become a staple of the firearms market and community – military and law-enforcement alike – worldwide. Still, features pop up that can’t be attributed to Glock and this is true for these mystery clear-frame Glock pistols which have become available on the Pakistani market in recent years. Who makes these clear frame Glock copies though? Where did they come from? What is the purpose? Do they even work? All these questions and more have been asked by people the world over. To understand why and how these came to be, we must first look deeper.
Origins: Darra’s PPSh-41 Franken-Builds
There have been a few images circulating on social media depicting several PPSh-41-patterned submachine guns modified with blasphemous ‘tacticool’ configurations. Locally, these submachine guns are called the ‘Papusha‘ and are chambered in the same 7.62×25mm pistol cartridge as the original guns. The 7.62×25mm round is locally known as .30 bore. Almost all of these images can be traced back to Pakistan, specifically Darra Adamkhel, where dealers have them displayed in their shopfronts and also on their social media pages.