Just one day after ISIS in Sinai (also known as Sinai Province or “Wilayat Sinai”) had published its latest video, Silah Report recorded its 9th podcast and discussed the video’s content and analysed it. Miles, Hrachya, and Adham from Silah Report were joined by guests Calibre Obscura, Analyst Mick, Ataka, MENA Conflict, and KhyberAbdullah. ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones also made a special guest appearance.
If you missed last week’s podcast, check it out here.
Adham, Analyst Mick, Daniel Casingena, Vladimir, and Miles talk about Egyptian small arms in the NFC Pattern Room in Leeds, mind-boggling Kalashnikov stocks and even a North Korean Type 68 rifle for sale in Idlib.
This article was recently spurred to fruition by the submission of a reader’s photograph taken in the city of Ar-Raqqa, Syria. The subject of the photo features a prominent rear sight base of an AKMS-patterned rifle with Eastern Arabic numerical markings. Important to our discussion is the origin of this particular rifle because one would be led to the conclusion that from the photograph alone, it might be an Egyptian 7.62x39mm Maadi rifle from the rear sight markings. However, our source on the ground informs us (albeit without photographs) that the rifle is in fact of Polish origin with the “Circle 11” marked trunnion. This post will explore the difference in rear markings between Polish export KbK AKM-patterned rifles and Egyptian Maadi rifles, in addition to looking at some of the U.S. reproductions. The importance of comparing these rear sights is that these three varieties are some of the only major categories of Kalashnikov-patterned rifles with rear sight designations in Eastern Arabic numerals. Unlike Western Arabic numerical font stampings, the fluid curvature found in Arabic-based fonts across the world allows for a greater degree of variety and thus gives us easier clues for identification based on rear sight range designations.
Earlier on Silah Report we wrote about the so-called ‘Egyptian Thompson” from what little information that was gathered by Mr. Lawerence on his website devoted to submachine gun designs. Recently Mr. Lawerence contacted us regarding some updates on the “Egyptian Thompson” and has kindly provided us with some details on its fit, finish, and handling characteristics. In a separate note, while on a recent foray in Egypt, Silah Report staff learned about the possible presence of some “Egyptian Thompsons” still in the country. We’ll be looking more into them as time goes on.
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.
Since the terror attack that occurred on the 24th of November 2017, many Bedouins in Sinai rushed to join the Egyptian Armed Forces’ fight against Sinai Province (ISIS’ branch in Sinai) as a sanctioned militia. Although they do receive armament and supplies from the military, they are already well armed with smuggled weapons that came from Libya, Sudan, and even Israel as seen in this photo!
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.
In 1957, the Hungarian conglomerate “FEG” (Fegyver- és Gépgyár-Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company) received a contract from the Egyptian Armed Forces requesting 30,000 Tokarev handguns. The Tokarevs would be in 9mm Parabellum instead of the 7.62 Tokarev round, magazines would have finger supports, a one-piece plastic grip, and a safety catch on top of the left side of the receiver.
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.