The infamous 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser AK-type self-loading rifle from the Pak-Afghan region, known locally as the ‘8mm AK’ and G3 in Pakistan. A handful of images have been floating around for a number of years. I have been lucky enough to inspect a few examples on both the manufacturing side and in private hands over the past few years.
Central Asia
Darra AKM Rifles with AR-15 Features
Daniel Hughes is a Research Assistant with Armament Research Services. He has worked on several OSINT projects examining the use of arms and munitions in the Middle East and Central Asia.
The town of Darra Adam Khel in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been involved in the craft production of firearms for over a century. The craft production that takes place in Darra provides an important source of small arms and light weapons for many regional actors. Continued monitoring of open and closed source media in the region has yielded many interesting data. One such observation is the increasing popularity of AKM-pattern self-loading rifles which imitate the appearance—and some of the features—of the 5.56 × 45 mm AR-15 self-loading rifle. These Darra ‘AKM-15’ rifles are explored below.
V12 Silah Report Podcast: Patreon Questions and Large ISIS Arsenal Captured
In the 12th episode of Silah Report Podcast we were joined by Adham, Vlad, Daniel, Miles, Ataka, MENA, Analyst Mick, and Abdullah Khyber. We answered four questions submitted by Patreon supporters of Silah Report and discussed an ISIS weapons and munitions cache recently captured by Iraqi security forces.
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 last week’s episode, you can find it here.
Silah Report Joins Armament Research Services!
Silah Report is excited to announce that we have joined the Armament Research Services (ARES)
team! ARES is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a
range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field.
What this means for our readers is more content—with writing and editing of a higher
standard—supported by the experience and technical expertise of ARES personnel. Together, ARES
and Silah Report will continue to produce important research into topics that are often
misunderstood or overlooked. We remain committed to supporting emerging researchers,
historians, and analysts by providing an accessible platform, with mentorship and guidance.
Silah Report will continue to operate independently and non-commercially, and will continue providing
timely, first-look research into arms and munitions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
regions. ARES is providing core funding support and will help in raising the profile of Silah Report’s
research. All commercial engagement will be handled through ARES.
As a reader-funded outlet, providing freely and publicly available articles, we are still relying on our
readers to support our work and to help us to expand. We are deeply appreciative of the support we
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You can find ARES’ corresponding announcement here.
The Last Gunsmiths of The Khyber Pass
Fog clings to a never-ending row of low-rise buildings down the length of a dusty road, it’s early, around eight o’clock on a cool April morning. The fog clears and voices breakthrough and you see the first glimpses of the large bazaar, sounds of shutters slamming open, doors being unlocked and people greeting each other as their day starts. The occasional chatter of gunfire can be heard as firearms are test fired nearby.
Darra Adam Khel. This bustling town is situated in modern-day Pakistan, a stone’s throw from the Pak-Afghan border. What makes it so special? You may ask and the answer lies within the myriad of myths and legends put out over the years.
Firearms Seized in Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev’s House
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic has published a press release telling about the small arms found in the house of recently arrested former president Almazbek Atambayev. The police raid of Atambayev’s compound took place on August 9 in the village of Koy Tash. The police forces faced armed resistance by former president’s supporters but eventually, Atambayev was arrested.
SR Podcast Vol.2: Gun Sales in Darra Versus Iraq, Yemeni oddities
Silah Report’s second podcast is now online at SoundCloud, free feel to listen in! While you do, follow along in this post for all the photographs that we shared relating to the conversation on our Discord server.
Adham started the podcast off with some interesting SVU rifles that were for sale on the gun markets in Sanna. Ameer suggested that there might be a connection between the Syrian SAA and the Houthis as a way of entry.
The AK Milled Faux-Stamped Receiver Types of Darra & The Khyber Pass
An often-misunderstood topic in regards to Darra-E / ‘Khyber’ AK’s, is the type or variation of receivers that are produced in the Pak-Afghan, FATA, tribal region. Particularly noted are a variation of milled receiver that are machined and fashioned in such a sense, they imitate a standard stamped receiver so well that at a glance you would not be able tell if it was a genuine stamped receiver or not.
The AK M4geries of Darra & the Khyber Pass
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit some of my friends and colleagues in Darra, nestled in the mountains of the Pak-Afghan borders tribal territories during a visit in April and May of 2019. I was fortunate enough to handle, film and test-fire a few of the firearms I encountered (and they urged me try out as many as I wanted) on my trip so this is the first of a few that are to come. I am sure that a lot of you have glimpsed images of this outstanding bit of engineering and creativity previously but this video is a closer look with a little more detail and background information in an easier to digest package, of course in English.
K6-92 / Borz SMG Spotted in Turkmenistan
The Journal of Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan regularly publishes on their website images of defense events. One of their latest posts includes a number of images of what looks to be tactical exercises or maybe a demonstration of the armed forces capabilities. Among these images, you can spot an Armenian K6-92 (or its version made in Chechnya and called Borz) submachine gun.