Hakim semi-automatic rifle (Egypt)
Until the early fifties of the last century, Egypt did not produce weapon on their own. Seeing the current situation, the country's leadership made a principled decision to build new enterprises that were to produce new weapons and military equipment. Without having its own design school, Egypt was forced to seek help from foreign countries and acquire a license to produce several samples. One of the first types of weapons produced by the Egyptian industry under license was the Khakim self-loading rifle.
History The Hakim project dates back to the beginning of the forties. Back in 1941, the Swedish gunsmith Eric Eklund, who worked at AB CJ Ljungmans Verkstäder in Malmö, developed a new version of a self-loading rifle chambered for 6,5x55 mm. This weapon interested the army of Sweden, and in 1942, it was put into service under the designation Automatgevär m / 42 or Ag m / 42 Ljungman. Serial production of new rifles was launched at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori factory. By the end of the decade, several tens of thousands of rifles were manufactured by the order of the Swedish and a number of foreign armies.
General view of the Hakim rifle. Photo of Wikimedia Commons
At the beginning of the 1950s, E. Eklund and his colleagues developed the Ag m / 42B project, which included upgrading the base rifle by replacing some parts. This made it possible to get rid of a number of existing problems and improve the operational characteristics of the weapon. By the mid-fifties, all the rifles in Sweden had been updated on a new project.
It should be noted that all orders for the production of Ag m / 42 rifles were fulfilled in the 1940s, and therefore at the beginning of the next decade a certain part of the equipment and accessories of the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori factory was idle. Perhaps he would soon be disposed of as unnecessary, but then there was an opportunity to get rid of unnecessary materiel with maximum benefit.
In the early fifties, the Egyptian military began negotiations with the company "Karl Gustav". The purpose of the negotiation process was the signing of a number of mutually beneficial contracts. Egypt wanted to acquire a license for the production of certain types of small arms, to obtain the necessary documentation, and also to buy a part of equipment and accessories for production. Such a proposal suited the Swedish side, and soon technical documentation on several samples of small arms, including an Ag m / 42B rifle, went to the Middle East.
Muzzle brake compensator. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Having received the necessary documents, Egyptian experts began to prepare the serial production. In doing so, they needed to make some changes to the original project. Rifles Automatgevär m / 42M, in general, arranged the military, but did not fully meet the existing requirements. First of all, it was necessary to remake the weapon under the standard ammunition of the Egyptian army - cartridge 7,92x57 mm "Mauser". In addition, some other improvements were proposed that affected production technologies, performance characteristics and the ergonomics of the finished sample.
Redesigned Swedish rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army under the name "Hakim" - from the Arab "Judge". However, we could talk about the use of a popular Arab male name. It is curious that such ambiguity was present in the name of the carbine, later created on the basis of this rifle. His designation "Rashid" could be perceived as a toponym, and as a human name.
The Hakim rifle was a self-loading weapon of traditional gas-engine layout using store ammunition. In this case, the design of the Egyptian rifle, as well as in the case of its Swedish prototype, used some original ideas. In particular, the gas engine and magazine designs, which were not typical for that time, were used.
Gas regulator. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
Egyptian engineers reworked weapons got a rifled barrel caliber 7,92 mm long 622 mm (78,5 caliber). A muzzle brake compensator and a fly mount assembly were mounted on the barrel. In the middle of the trunk there was a block for connecting with a gas tube, equipped with a regulator.
All the main parts of the weapon were assembled into a single system using a receiver of the corresponding design. The box was a small-height unit that contained a store receiver and a trigger mechanism. At the same time, the main units of automation were actually located outside the receiver. Thus, the bolt group and its housing were fixed movably on the guides of the flat upper part of the box. Before such guides there was a large protruding block with fixtures for the barrel and gas tube. Behind there was another protruding support, on which the fuse was attached.
E. Eklund developed an automation based on a gas engine with a direct supply of powder gases to the slide frame. The use of a separate gas piston, having a connection with the bolt group, was not envisaged. The gas pipe was fixed above the barrel and reached the receiver. The rear end of the gas tube was fixed on the front receiver unit, and the front end of the slide frame rested against it, which had a small recess.
Shutter, right side view. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Egyptian engineers refined this design in accordance with the expected operating conditions. So, now the unit connecting the tube with the barrel, equipped with a gas regulator. The small control knob of the latter emerged through the hole in the wooden lining of the trunk and had eight positions. The first blocked the discharge of gases, turning the rifle into a system with manual reloading. Seven others determined the pressure in the gas tube. Rifles had to be operated in areas with a lot of sand and dust. The gas regulator made it possible to reduce the negative impact of pollutants on the operation of mechanisms.
Ag m / 42 and Hakim rifles had a similar design of the bolt and its movable casing. The bolt carrier was a metal block of complex polygonal section, in which there was a rectangular lower and triangular upper elements. Inside the frame there was a large cavity, designed to install a number of parts. In the upper part of the frame was placed return spring with a guide rod. Lower shutter placed. Locking was done by swinging the shutter in a vertical plane. The front part of the bolt remained in place, while the rear rose or fell, interacting with the combat support of the receiver. Inside the gate placed drummer, which consisted of two parts. The front, which had a hammer, was equipped with its own spring. The rear rod served as a pusher, transmitting impulse from the trigger.
Left view. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Behind the shutter (with the mechanisms in a neutral position) there was a movable casing. By its form, it repeated the contours of the bolt, however, it differed slightly larger. There was a guide on the front of the casing for mounting the clips with cartridges. In the Swedish project, the casing was equipped with a traditional-style cocking handle. Egyptian military and engineers replaced it with a U-shaped brace placed on the starboard. In the back of the casing there were means for coupling this unit with the shutter in the rear position. They were used as a kind of fuse.
Under the casing, inside the receiver, there was a trigger-type firing mechanism. The trigger was cocked when the bolt was moved backward, which pressed it into the receiver. The shot was carried out by a traditional trigger, covered with a protective bracket. As part of the trigger was missing its own fuse. To prevent accidental firing, a different system connected with the bolt group was used.
Behind the movable casing, on the dismountable raised support of the receiver, there was a lever swinging to the right and left. Being rotated to the right, the lever made it possible to block the bolt carrier in the rearmost position, inside the casing. The left lever translation ensured proper operation of the mechanisms, resulting in reloading and firing.
The front part of the bolt, visible gas "piston" and the cup. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
The Hakim rifle was completed with a detachable box magazine on 10 cartridges with a spring-loaded feeder. The store was placed in the window of the receiver and was fixed with a latch. The latter differed in rather complicated construction and rigidity. Such a latch prevented accidental loss of the store. An interesting feature of the Egyptian project was the fact that the store had to be removed only when servicing weapons. It was proposed to equip it with standard clips through the upper window.
Weapon replaced open sight. In the basic design, a movable vertical rear sight was used, adjusted in range by means of a side drum. In the Egyptian project, a more familiar pillar was used on a swinging plate base. The sight was designed for shooting at distances to 800 m. Fly was above the muzzle of the barrel and was raised with the help of relatively high support.
"Hakim" for the Egyptian army retained the traditional accessories for rifles. Used a long box with a butt, which had a pistol protrusion. For most of its length, the trunk was covered with a top pad. Fittings and mechanisms of the rifle were connected with screws, pins and clamps.
The sight of the "traditional" type, replaced the original product. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
The length of the Khakim self-loading rifle was 1215 mm. Weight without cartridges - 4,7 kg. From the point of view of the main combat characteristics, the Swedish-Egyptian rifle almost did not differ from other models under the XuNXXXNNXX mm Mauser cartridge.
Project E. Eklunda proposed an original way of working weapons, and the rifle for Egypt in this regard has not changed. To prepare the weapon for a shot, it was necessary to move the movable casing of the bolt forward using the side grip bracket. When this occurred, the compression of the return spring with simultaneous coupling of the casing and the bolt carrier. Then it was proposed to move the casing with the bolt back, after which the upper window of the store's receiver would open. With the help of a pair of clips it was possible to equip the store. After that, with the help of the rear lever, the mechanisms were unblocked, and the bolt went forward under the action of the return spring, sending the cartridge into the chamber. At the extreme forward position of the bolt, its shank went down and rested on the combat stop.
Pressing the trigger led to a turn of the trigger and a shot. Powder gases from the barrel fell into the gas tube, reached the front end of the bolt and pushed it back. At the same time, the bolt was unlocked and the frame was rolled back. Moving back, the shutter threw an empty sleeve. After compression of the recoil spring, the slide frame went forward, carrying out the new rounding. The rifle was ready for a new shot. During the self-reloading of weapons, the casing of the bolt remained in the rear position.
The first reloading step: push the casing over the shutter. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Equipment for the production of new rifles and documentation for the Ag m / 42B project was transferred to the new Egyptian factory Maadi Factories. In the shortest possible time, the specialists of the enterprise adjusted the necessary equipment and manufactured the first batch of Hakim rifles. Products successfully passed the tests, which allowed to begin full-scale mass production for the re-equipment of the army.
Serial "Hakim" produced in large quantities until the end of the sixties. During this time, the plant "Maadi" put the Egyptian army about 70 thousand self-loading rifles. These weapons were supplied to various parts of the ground forces, where they replaced rifles with manual reloading. New self-loading weapons in a certain way increased the firepower of rifle subunits.
Self-loading rifles "Hakim" appeared in difficult times, and because they quickly had to go to war. This weapon was actively used in a number of Arab-Israeli wars. As far as we know, Swedish rifles showed mixed results. They were much better than older rifles with manual reloading, but noticeably inferior to modern models. However, in the existing conditions, Egyptian soldiers did not have to rely on the best until a certain time.
Next, the casing and the shutter had to be moved back. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
By the end of the fifties, Egypt had established relations with the Soviet Union, one of the results of which was close cooperation in the military-technical sphere. Soon, the Soviet intermediate cartridge 7,62х39 mm and some weapons were put into service with the Egyptian army. In particular, a number of SKS self-loading carbines were sold to Egypt. Egyptian military had the opportunity to study and compare their weapons with foreign models. According to the results of this comparison, certain conclusions were made.
The command decided that the army also needed a self-loading carbine for an intermediate cartridge. Instead of purchasing a finished sample, it was proposed to create your own weapon with the required characteristics. Soon the Rashid carbine appeared, the basis for which was the Khakim series rifle. For some time, a rifle and a carbine at its base were manufactured and operated in parallel. In this case, the sample under the intermediate cartridge was less numerous.
The insides of the receiver. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
The operation of the Khakim self-loading rifles continued until the seventies and eighties of the last century. By this time, Egypt managed to adopt several new models of small arms that met the requirements of the time. Thanks to their appearance, the army was able to abandon obsolete rifles and carbines. According to various sources, a small number of Khakimovs still remain in service with the army and police units of Egypt, but the bulk of such weapons have long been written off.
A significant number of decommissioned rifles were disposed of as unnecessary and in connection with the development of the resource. However, a certain number of them avoided this fate, and were sold as civilian weapons. Some of the former army "Khakimov" was abroad. Amateur shooters and collectors show a certain interest in Egyptian weapons.
The Khakim self-loading rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army in the early fifties, approximately 10 years after the appearance of its prototype of the Swedish design. By this time, the original project had in some way become outdated and lose some of its potential. Nevertheless, the purchase of a license even for an aging rifle had a positive effect on the rearmament of the army. With all its drawbacks and limitations, the Hakim rifle has become an important part of the modern history of the Egyptian army.
On the materials of the sites:
http://modernfirearms.net/
http://smallarmsreview.com/
https://militaryfactory.com/
https://gunsmagazine.com/
https://forgottenweapons.com/
History The Hakim project dates back to the beginning of the forties. Back in 1941, the Swedish gunsmith Eric Eklund, who worked at AB CJ Ljungmans Verkstäder in Malmö, developed a new version of a self-loading rifle chambered for 6,5x55 mm. This weapon interested the army of Sweden, and in 1942, it was put into service under the designation Automatgevär m / 42 or Ag m / 42 Ljungman. Serial production of new rifles was launched at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori factory. By the end of the decade, several tens of thousands of rifles were manufactured by the order of the Swedish and a number of foreign armies.
General view of the Hakim rifle. Photo of Wikimedia Commons
At the beginning of the 1950s, E. Eklund and his colleagues developed the Ag m / 42B project, which included upgrading the base rifle by replacing some parts. This made it possible to get rid of a number of existing problems and improve the operational characteristics of the weapon. By the mid-fifties, all the rifles in Sweden had been updated on a new project.
It should be noted that all orders for the production of Ag m / 42 rifles were fulfilled in the 1940s, and therefore at the beginning of the next decade a certain part of the equipment and accessories of the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori factory was idle. Perhaps he would soon be disposed of as unnecessary, but then there was an opportunity to get rid of unnecessary materiel with maximum benefit.
In the early fifties, the Egyptian military began negotiations with the company "Karl Gustav". The purpose of the negotiation process was the signing of a number of mutually beneficial contracts. Egypt wanted to acquire a license for the production of certain types of small arms, to obtain the necessary documentation, and also to buy a part of equipment and accessories for production. Such a proposal suited the Swedish side, and soon technical documentation on several samples of small arms, including an Ag m / 42B rifle, went to the Middle East.
Muzzle brake compensator. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Having received the necessary documents, Egyptian experts began to prepare the serial production. In doing so, they needed to make some changes to the original project. Rifles Automatgevär m / 42M, in general, arranged the military, but did not fully meet the existing requirements. First of all, it was necessary to remake the weapon under the standard ammunition of the Egyptian army - cartridge 7,92x57 mm "Mauser". In addition, some other improvements were proposed that affected production technologies, performance characteristics and the ergonomics of the finished sample.
Redesigned Swedish rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army under the name "Hakim" - from the Arab "Judge". However, we could talk about the use of a popular Arab male name. It is curious that such ambiguity was present in the name of the carbine, later created on the basis of this rifle. His designation "Rashid" could be perceived as a toponym, and as a human name.
The Hakim rifle was a self-loading weapon of traditional gas-engine layout using store ammunition. In this case, the design of the Egyptian rifle, as well as in the case of its Swedish prototype, used some original ideas. In particular, the gas engine and magazine designs, which were not typical for that time, were used.
Gas regulator. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
Egyptian engineers reworked weapons got a rifled barrel caliber 7,92 mm long 622 mm (78,5 caliber). A muzzle brake compensator and a fly mount assembly were mounted on the barrel. In the middle of the trunk there was a block for connecting with a gas tube, equipped with a regulator.
All the main parts of the weapon were assembled into a single system using a receiver of the corresponding design. The box was a small-height unit that contained a store receiver and a trigger mechanism. At the same time, the main units of automation were actually located outside the receiver. Thus, the bolt group and its housing were fixed movably on the guides of the flat upper part of the box. Before such guides there was a large protruding block with fixtures for the barrel and gas tube. Behind there was another protruding support, on which the fuse was attached.
E. Eklund developed an automation based on a gas engine with a direct supply of powder gases to the slide frame. The use of a separate gas piston, having a connection with the bolt group, was not envisaged. The gas pipe was fixed above the barrel and reached the receiver. The rear end of the gas tube was fixed on the front receiver unit, and the front end of the slide frame rested against it, which had a small recess.
Shutter, right side view. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Egyptian engineers refined this design in accordance with the expected operating conditions. So, now the unit connecting the tube with the barrel, equipped with a gas regulator. The small control knob of the latter emerged through the hole in the wooden lining of the trunk and had eight positions. The first blocked the discharge of gases, turning the rifle into a system with manual reloading. Seven others determined the pressure in the gas tube. Rifles had to be operated in areas with a lot of sand and dust. The gas regulator made it possible to reduce the negative impact of pollutants on the operation of mechanisms.
Ag m / 42 and Hakim rifles had a similar design of the bolt and its movable casing. The bolt carrier was a metal block of complex polygonal section, in which there was a rectangular lower and triangular upper elements. Inside the frame there was a large cavity, designed to install a number of parts. In the upper part of the frame was placed return spring with a guide rod. Lower shutter placed. Locking was done by swinging the shutter in a vertical plane. The front part of the bolt remained in place, while the rear rose or fell, interacting with the combat support of the receiver. Inside the gate placed drummer, which consisted of two parts. The front, which had a hammer, was equipped with its own spring. The rear rod served as a pusher, transmitting impulse from the trigger.
Left view. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Behind the shutter (with the mechanisms in a neutral position) there was a movable casing. By its form, it repeated the contours of the bolt, however, it differed slightly larger. There was a guide on the front of the casing for mounting the clips with cartridges. In the Swedish project, the casing was equipped with a traditional-style cocking handle. Egyptian military and engineers replaced it with a U-shaped brace placed on the starboard. In the back of the casing there were means for coupling this unit with the shutter in the rear position. They were used as a kind of fuse.
Under the casing, inside the receiver, there was a trigger-type firing mechanism. The trigger was cocked when the bolt was moved backward, which pressed it into the receiver. The shot was carried out by a traditional trigger, covered with a protective bracket. As part of the trigger was missing its own fuse. To prevent accidental firing, a different system connected with the bolt group was used.
Behind the movable casing, on the dismountable raised support of the receiver, there was a lever swinging to the right and left. Being rotated to the right, the lever made it possible to block the bolt carrier in the rearmost position, inside the casing. The left lever translation ensured proper operation of the mechanisms, resulting in reloading and firing.
The front part of the bolt, visible gas "piston" and the cup. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
The Hakim rifle was completed with a detachable box magazine on 10 cartridges with a spring-loaded feeder. The store was placed in the window of the receiver and was fixed with a latch. The latter differed in rather complicated construction and rigidity. Such a latch prevented accidental loss of the store. An interesting feature of the Egyptian project was the fact that the store had to be removed only when servicing weapons. It was proposed to equip it with standard clips through the upper window.
Weapon replaced open sight. In the basic design, a movable vertical rear sight was used, adjusted in range by means of a side drum. In the Egyptian project, a more familiar pillar was used on a swinging plate base. The sight was designed for shooting at distances to 800 m. Fly was above the muzzle of the barrel and was raised with the help of relatively high support.
"Hakim" for the Egyptian army retained the traditional accessories for rifles. Used a long box with a butt, which had a pistol protrusion. For most of its length, the trunk was covered with a top pad. Fittings and mechanisms of the rifle were connected with screws, pins and clamps.
The sight of the "traditional" type, replaced the original product. Photo of Gunsmagazine.com
The length of the Khakim self-loading rifle was 1215 mm. Weight without cartridges - 4,7 kg. From the point of view of the main combat characteristics, the Swedish-Egyptian rifle almost did not differ from other models under the XuNXXXNNXX mm Mauser cartridge.
Project E. Eklunda proposed an original way of working weapons, and the rifle for Egypt in this regard has not changed. To prepare the weapon for a shot, it was necessary to move the movable casing of the bolt forward using the side grip bracket. When this occurred, the compression of the return spring with simultaneous coupling of the casing and the bolt carrier. Then it was proposed to move the casing with the bolt back, after which the upper window of the store's receiver would open. With the help of a pair of clips it was possible to equip the store. After that, with the help of the rear lever, the mechanisms were unblocked, and the bolt went forward under the action of the return spring, sending the cartridge into the chamber. At the extreme forward position of the bolt, its shank went down and rested on the combat stop.
Pressing the trigger led to a turn of the trigger and a shot. Powder gases from the barrel fell into the gas tube, reached the front end of the bolt and pushed it back. At the same time, the bolt was unlocked and the frame was rolled back. Moving back, the shutter threw an empty sleeve. After compression of the recoil spring, the slide frame went forward, carrying out the new rounding. The rifle was ready for a new shot. During the self-reloading of weapons, the casing of the bolt remained in the rear position.
The first reloading step: push the casing over the shutter. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
Equipment for the production of new rifles and documentation for the Ag m / 42B project was transferred to the new Egyptian factory Maadi Factories. In the shortest possible time, the specialists of the enterprise adjusted the necessary equipment and manufactured the first batch of Hakim rifles. Products successfully passed the tests, which allowed to begin full-scale mass production for the re-equipment of the army.
Serial "Hakim" produced in large quantities until the end of the sixties. During this time, the plant "Maadi" put the Egyptian army about 70 thousand self-loading rifles. These weapons were supplied to various parts of the ground forces, where they replaced rifles with manual reloading. New self-loading weapons in a certain way increased the firepower of rifle subunits.
Self-loading rifles "Hakim" appeared in difficult times, and because they quickly had to go to war. This weapon was actively used in a number of Arab-Israeli wars. As far as we know, Swedish rifles showed mixed results. They were much better than older rifles with manual reloading, but noticeably inferior to modern models. However, in the existing conditions, Egyptian soldiers did not have to rely on the best until a certain time.
Next, the casing and the shutter had to be moved back. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
By the end of the fifties, Egypt had established relations with the Soviet Union, one of the results of which was close cooperation in the military-technical sphere. Soon, the Soviet intermediate cartridge 7,62х39 mm and some weapons were put into service with the Egyptian army. In particular, a number of SKS self-loading carbines were sold to Egypt. Egyptian military had the opportunity to study and compare their weapons with foreign models. According to the results of this comparison, certain conclusions were made.
The command decided that the army also needed a self-loading carbine for an intermediate cartridge. Instead of purchasing a finished sample, it was proposed to create your own weapon with the required characteristics. Soon the Rashid carbine appeared, the basis for which was the Khakim series rifle. For some time, a rifle and a carbine at its base were manufactured and operated in parallel. In this case, the sample under the intermediate cartridge was less numerous.
The insides of the receiver. Photo by Smallarmsreview.com
The operation of the Khakim self-loading rifles continued until the seventies and eighties of the last century. By this time, Egypt managed to adopt several new models of small arms that met the requirements of the time. Thanks to their appearance, the army was able to abandon obsolete rifles and carbines. According to various sources, a small number of Khakimovs still remain in service with the army and police units of Egypt, but the bulk of such weapons have long been written off.
A significant number of decommissioned rifles were disposed of as unnecessary and in connection with the development of the resource. However, a certain number of them avoided this fate, and were sold as civilian weapons. Some of the former army "Khakimov" was abroad. Amateur shooters and collectors show a certain interest in Egyptian weapons.
The Khakim self-loading rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army in the early fifties, approximately 10 years after the appearance of its prototype of the Swedish design. By this time, the original project had in some way become outdated and lose some of its potential. Nevertheless, the purchase of a license even for an aging rifle had a positive effect on the rearmament of the army. With all its drawbacks and limitations, the Hakim rifle has become an important part of the modern history of the Egyptian army.
On the materials of the sites:
http://modernfirearms.net/
http://smallarmsreview.com/
https://militaryfactory.com/
https://gunsmagazine.com/
https://forgottenweapons.com/
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