Rock Island Auction Company has published the digital catalog of their upcoming September 2019 Premiere Firearms Auction and as always, it is full of rare, unique, historically significant and incredibly interesting lots. One of these lots is a cased and engraved presentation grade Mannlicher Model 1900 pistol which was presumably presented to the 34th Sultan of Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II.
Culture
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.
Silah Report Podcast Vol.1: Kalashnikov Heat Treatment in Darra, Egyptian Hand Grenades
Welcome to Silah Report’s inaugural podcast! Today we had Hrachya, Adham, Abdullah, Vladimir, and Miles discussing everything from barrel heat treatment in KPK to obscure Egyptian hand grenades.
The podcast can be listened to here on Soundcloud, but stay tuned here and follow along because we share a number of the images that are being discussed in this post.
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.
Book Review: Desert Sniper by Ed Nash
Desert Sniper follows British citizen turned YPG/SDF foreign fighter volunteer through his experiences fighting with the SDF in Syria during 2015-2016. Ed was motivated by his desire to go and fight an enemy that none of the world seemed to care too much about fighting, which at that was the so-called Islamic State. Once he got into northeastern land mass in Syria known as Rojava, he actually became a sniper for the SDF, supporting SDF infantrymen in such campaigns as Hasaka, Shidaddi, and finally in Minbij where he ended his service in Syria.
The Arms Smuggling Hub of Egypt: The South
The southern region of Egypt is known for its green pastures lying on both sides of the Nile River, Abu Simbel Temple which tourists from all over the world travel to see, Lake Nasser that was formed by the Aswan High Dam, Luxor’s Karnak Temple. Valley of the Kings and so many more. Yet, there aren’t many tourists who would venture out and try to deal with the local inhabitants, who have their own unique Egyptian Arabic dialects, own unique traditions, and culture, which separates them from the dwellers of Cairo, Alexandria, and Northern Egypt.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Small Arms Photo Essay
This post first appeared on The Firearm Blog as “Showcasing Peshawar”.
The Durrand Line has divided the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1893 when the British Empire created it with the king of Afghanistan. More for territorial reasons than ethnic, the line literally splits the Pashtun tribe in two, half of it’s people in Afghan provinces and the other half of them in Pakistani provinces.
Egyptian Female Volunteers in Suez Crisis and Their Armaments
Whenever you think of female warriors in the Middle East, the very first thing that crosses the Western mind is the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units), an all-female Kurdish militia that fights with other Kurdish militias such as the YPG (People’s Protection Units). Of course, with the war raging against ISIS, and the terrible atrocities committed against women, the global media fixated their spotlights on the female warriors who fought tooth and nail against a patriarchal, barbaric and medieval-minded opponent.
Within modern Arab history we have examples where women carried arms and fought as well.
Silah Report on Gun Freedom Radio
In September we were interviewed by Cheryl Todd of Gun Freedom Radio about what Silah Report and its mission. Cheryl runs a Podcast based in Arizona that focuses of issues within the gun debate in the United States, but took some time to take a look at what we are all about at SR!