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.
MENA
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 Riyadh Rifle in Egyptian Hands: Archival Footage and Popular Media
In this article, we will examine the documented Egyptian usage of the ‘Riyadh’ rifle, which was originally known as the Czechoslovakian-made 7.62×54mmR chambered ZG-51 91/30 bolt-action rifle, a Mosin-Nagant variant. We will examine appearances of the Riyadh in both archival photographs and footage as well as Egyptian popular media such as films.
Small Arms of Kurdish Movie: ‘The End Will Be Spectacular’ (Ji Bo Azadiyê)
In 2019, a movie called The End Will Be Spectacular (Kurdish: Ji Bo Azadiyê), directed by Ersin Çelik, was released. This film is the first full-length and professional production made in Rojava, in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Perhaps the most interesting and important detail about the film is that most of the actors are fighters with the Kurdish Resistance Movement who fought against ISIS and the weapons used in the film are real. One of the actors Cihan Sever (Rûbar Şervan), who plays a Kurdish commander named Çiyager in the film, died in the clash with the Turkish armed forces (TSK) on October 27, 2019.
V30: Israel’s Premier Attorney in Security Law – Perry Novotny
In Silah Report’s 30th and final podcast episode recorded in 2020, we interviewed an amazing guest from Israel, Perry Novotny. Perry is one of Israel’s premier security law attorneys, a former police instructor and a former member of the Israeli Defence Forces. In this episode, Perry enlightened us about the legal framework for firearms in Israel, gave us a deeper insight on the Israeli culture in relation to firearms in contrast to what is being seen on popular media and the selection of firearms in the security field (as well as his own taste in firearms).
Guns and Roses – The Bulgarian AK Connection
In the late 1940s and 1950s, the Cold War was well underway. The Western powers had sponsored the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and formed NATO. In response, the Soviets initiated several countermoves such as the creation of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the formation of the Warsaw Pact which bound the Soviet satellite states of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania into a mutual defense agreement.
Tactical Analysis: How Hamas Captured an IDF Tavor X95 From the Nahal Oz Pillbox
During Israeli military campaign against Gaza in 2014, Hamas and its military wing, the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam brigades, released a video showing a group of their fighters from the وحدة الأنفاق ‘Tunnel Unit’ raiding an Israeli Army’s pillbox in the Nahal Oz area east of the Gaza strip. Footage from the operation was broadcasted on Al-Aqsa TV (a Palestinian television broadcasting station), which was a smart propaganda move to contribute to the psychological war against the Israelis and raise the morale of the Palestinians. The entire operation was captured on video, although some segments were edited to hide operational techniques. Hamas fighters also displayed the Tavor X95 5.56x45mm rifle captured from an Israeli soldier – the topic of this article. We will examine the footage and analyse the tactics used by the fighters who carried out the raid and captured the rifle.
Forgotten Weapons Reviews Into Helmand with the Walking Dead
Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has reviewed, Silah Report’s editor-in-chief and co-founder, Miles Vining’s new book ‘Into Helmand With The Walking Dead‘. The book includes passages from Miles’ friend Kevin Schranz, another former Marine combat veteran who sadly took his own life in 2015. The book brings together their experiences in Helmand and after. Miles was also recently a guest on Ian’s channel and discussed Iraqi Tabuk AK-pattern rifles.
Improvised Small Arms of ISIS in the Sinai Campaign
Ever since Libya fell into the civil war of 2011 Egypt has had a massive problem with arms smuggling on its borders with Libya. Thousands upon thousands of firearms, tons of explosives, legacy anti-air MANPADs, as well as advanced weaponry like the Kornet ATGM. Egypt in 2011 was almost in a complete state of chaos due to a revolution that saw its then-president Hosni Mubarak removed from power after ruling the country for thirty years and replaced by the SCAF (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces). In this article we will examine some of the improvised munitions and weapons that have been spotted on the Sinai Peninsula.