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.
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Egypt’s Forgotten Weapon: The Riyadh – Egypt’s clone of the ZG-51
Egypt at one point produced clones of an incredibly rare rifle, the ZG-51, which is the older brother so to say for the better-known Czechoslovakian Vz54. The ZG-51 is a bolt action rifle that uses the 7.62×54mmR cartridge and is considered a variant of the Russian Mosin-Nagant 91/30. Indeed, the rifle is shrouded in enough obscurity that researching it online will yield very limited results, thus making the ZG-51 (and the ‘Riyadh’) one of the most mysterious firearms related to Egypt right after the crudely made “Egyptian Thompson” which we have examined in other articles. We will present here all the materials and information we managed to find on the ZG-51 and its connection to Egypt.