Until the early fifties of the last century, Egypt did not produce weapons on its own. Seeing the existing situation, the country's leadership made a fundamental decision to build new enterprises, which were to produce new weapons and military equipment. Lacking 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 Hakim self-loading rifle.
The history of the Hakim project dates back to the early forties. Back in 1941, Swedish gunsmith Eric Eklund, who worked for AB C. J. Ljungmans Verkstäder in Malmö, has developed a new version of the self-loading rifle chambered for 6, 5x55 mm. This weapon interested the Swedish army, 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 plant. By the end of the decade, several tens of thousands of rifles were produced by order of the Swedish and a number of foreign armies.
General view of the Hakim rifle. Photo Wikimedia Commons
In the early fifties, E. Eklund and his colleagues developed the Ag m / 42B project, which provided for the modernization of the base rifle by replacing some parts. This made it possible to get rid of a number of existing problems and increase the operational characteristics of the weapon. By the mid-fifties, all rifles available to Sweden were updated according to a new project.
It should be noted that all orders for the production of Ag m / 42 rifles were completed back in the forties, and therefore at the beginning of the next decade, a certain part of the equipment and equipment of the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori plant was idle. Perhaps it would soon be disposed of as unnecessary, but then it became possible to get rid of unnecessary material with maximum benefit.
In the early fifties, the Egyptian military department began negotiations with the Karl Gustav enterprise. The purpose of the negotiation process was to sign a number of mutually beneficial contracts. Egypt wanted to acquire a license for the production of some small arms, obtain the necessary documentation, as well as buy some of the equipment and tooling for production. Such a proposal suited the Swedish side, and soon technical documentation on several models of small arms, including the Ag m / 42B rifle, was sent to the Middle East.
Muzzle brake-compensator. Photo Smallarmsreview.com
Having received the necessary documents, the Egyptian specialists began to prepare for serial production. At the same time, they needed to make some changes to the original project. Rifles Automatgevär m / 42M, in general, suited the military, but did not fully meet the existing requirements. First of all, it was necessary to remake the weapon for the standard ammunition of the Egyptian army - cartridge 7, 92x57 mm "Mauser". In addition, some other improvements were proposed, affecting production technology, performance and ergonomics of the finished sample.
The redesigned Swedish rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army under the name "Hakim" - from the Arabic "Judge". However, it could also be about the use of a popular Arabic male name. It is curious that a similar ambiguity was present in the name of the carbine, which was later created on the basis of this rifle. Its designation "Rashid" could be perceived both as a toponym and as a human name.
The Hakim rifle was a self-loading weapon of a traditional layout with a gas engine, using magazine ammunition. At the same time, some original ideas were used in the design of the Egyptian rifle, as well as in the case of its Swedish prototype. In particular, the design of a gas engine and a store, uncharacteristic for that time, was used.
Gas regulator. Photo Gunsmagazine.com
Redesigned by Egyptian engineers, the weapon received a 7.92 mm rifled barrel with a length of 622 mm (78.5 caliber). A muzzle brake-compensator and a front sight mounting block were installed on the barrel. In the middle of the barrel there was a block for connecting to a gas pipe, equipped with a regulator.
All the main parts of the weapon were assembled into a single system using a receiver of the appropriate design. The box was a low-height unit that contained a magazine receiver and a firing mechanism. In this case, the main automation units were actually outside the receiver. So, the bolt group and its casing were fixed movably on the guides of the flat top of the box. In front of such guides, there was a large protruding block with mountings for the barrel and gas tube. Another protruding support was provided at the back, on which the fuse was attached.
E. Eklund developed automation based on a gas engine with a direct supply of powder gases to the bolt carrier. The use of a separate gas piston in communication with the bolt group was not envisaged. The gas tube was fixed above the barrel and reached the receiver. The rear end of the gas tube was fixed on the front block of the receiver, and the front end of the bolt carrier, which had a small recess, rested against it.
Shutter, right side view. Photo Smallarmsreview.com
Egyptian engineers have modified this design in accordance with the expected operating conditions. So, now the block connecting the tube to the barrel was equipped with a gas regulator. The small control knob of the latter was brought out through the hole in the wooden lining of the barrel and had eight positions. The first closed off the gas outlet, turning the rifle into a system with manual reloading. Seven others measured the pressure in the gas tube. The rifles were 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.
Rifles Ag m / 42 and "Hakim" had a similar design of the bolt and its movable casing. The bolt carrier was a metal block of complex polygonal cross-section, in which there was a rectangular lower and triangular upper elements. There was a large cavity inside the frame for the installation of a number of parts. A return spring with a guide rod was placed in the upper part of the frame. A shutter was placed below. Locking was carried out by swinging the shutter in the vertical plane. The front of the bolt remained in place, while the rear was raised or lowered, interacting with the lug of the receiver. A drummer was placed inside the shutter, which consisted of two parts. The front, which had a firing pin, was equipped with its own spring. The rear rod served as a pusher, transmitting impulse from the trigger.
Left view. Photo Smallarmsreview.com
Behind the shutter (in the neutral position of the mechanisms) there was a movable casing. With its shape, it repeated the contours of the bolt carrier, however, it was slightly larger in size. In the front, on top of the casing, there was a guide for installing clips with cartridges. In the Swedish project, the casing was equipped with a traditional cocking handle. The Egyptian military and engineers replaced it with a U-shaped bracket placed on the starboard side. At the rear of the casing, there were means for engaging this unit with the bolt 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 hammer was cocked when the bolt carrier moved backward, which pressed it inside the receiver. The shot was carried out with a traditional trigger, covered with a protective guard. The USM lacked its own fuse. To prevent accidental firing, a different system associated with the bolt group was used.
Behind the movable casing, on the dismantled raised support of the receiver, there was a lever swinging to the right and left. Turned to the right, the lever made it possible to block the bolt carrier in the extreme rear position, inside the casing. Moving the lever to the left ensured the correct operation of the mechanisms, leading to reloading and firing.
The front part of the bolt, the gas "piston" and the cup are visible. Photo Gunsmagazine.com
The Hakim rifle was equipped with a detachable box magazine for 10 rounds with a spring-loaded feeder. The store was placed in the receiver window and secured with a latch. The latter was distinguished by a rather complex design and rigidity. Such a latch prevented the magazine from accidentally falling out. An interesting feature of the Egyptian project was the fact that the store had to be removed only when servicing the weapon. It was proposed to equip it using standard clips through the upper window.
The weapon has changed its open sight. In the basic project, a movable vertical rear sight was used, adjusted in range with the help of a side drum. The Egyptian project used a more familiar rear sight on a swinging plate base. The sight was designed for shooting at distances up to 800 m. The front sight was located above the muzzle of the barrel and was raised using a relatively high support.
"Khakims" for the Egyptian army have retained the accessories traditional for rifles. A long stock was used with a stock that had a pistol protrusion. For most of its length, the barrel was covered with an upper plate. The rifle fittings and mechanisms were connected with screws, pins and clamps.
The sight of the "traditional" type, which replaced the original product. Photo Gunsmagazine.com
The length of the Hakim 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 hardly differed from other samples chambered for 7, 92x57 mm "Mauser".
E. Eklund's project proposed an original way of working with 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 bolt casing forward using the side handle-handle. In this case, the return spring was compressed with the simultaneous coupling of the casing and the bolt carrier. Further, it was proposed to move the casing with the shutter back, after which the top window of the magazine receiver was opened. With the help of a couple of clips it was possible to equip the store. After that, with the help of the rear lever, the mechanisms were unlocked, and the bolt, under the action of the return spring, went forward, 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 carrier and pushed it back. In this case, the shutter was unlocked, followed by a rollback of the frame back. Moving back, the bolt threw out an empty cartridge case. After the compression of the return spring, the bolt carrier went forward, carrying out the delivery of a new cartridge. The rifle was ready for another shot. During self-reloading of the weapon, the shutter cover remained in the rear position.
The first step in reloading is to slide the cover over the bolt. Photo Smallarmsreview.com
Equipment for the production of new rifles and documentation for the Ag m / 42B project was transferred to the new Egyptian plant Maadi Factories. In the shortest possible time, the specialists of the enterprise adjusted the necessary equipment and manufactured the first batch of Hakim rifles. The products were successfully tested, which made it possible to start full-scale serial production for the rearmament of the army.
Serial "Hakims" were produced in large quantities until the end of the sixties. During this time, the Maadi plant supplied the Egyptian army with about 70 thousand self-loading rifles. These weapons were supplied to various parts of the ground forces, where they replaced manual reloading rifles. New self-loading weapons in a certain way increased the firepower of rifle units.
Self-loading rifles "Hakim" appeared at a difficult time, and therefore 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-designed rifles showed mixed results. They were much better than the older manual reloading rifles, but they were noticeably inferior to modern models. Nevertheless, under the existing conditions, the Egyptian soldiers did not have to count on the best until a certain time.
Further, the casing and the shutter had to be moved back. Photo 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, 62x39 mm and some samples of weapons for it entered service with the Egyptian army. In particular, a number of SKS self-loading carbines were sold to Egypt. The Egyptian military had the opportunity to study and compare their weapons with foreign models. Based on the results of this comparison, certain conclusions were drawn.
The command decided that the army also needed a self-loading carbine for an intermediate cartridge. Instead of purchasing a ready-made sample, it was proposed to create your own weapon with the required characteristics. Soon the Rashid carbine appeared, based on the Hakim serial rifle. For some time, a rifle and a carbine based on it were produced and operated in parallel. At the same time, the sample for the intermediate cartridge was less numerous.
The insides of the receiver. Photo Smallarmsreview.com
The operation of the Hakim self-loading rifles continued until the seventies and eighties of the last century. By this time, Egypt had managed to adopt several new types of small arms that met the requirements of the time. Thanks to their appearance, the army was able to abandon outdated rifles and carbines. According to various sources, a small number of "Khakims" are still in service with the army and police units of Egypt, but the bulk of such weapons have long been decommissioned.
A significant number of rifles removed from service were disposed of as unnecessary and in connection with the development of a resource. However, a certain number of them escaped this fate, and were sold as civilian weapons. Some of the former army "Khakims" ended up abroad. Amateur shooters and collectors have shown a certain interest in Egyptian weapons.
The Hakim self-loading rifle was adopted by the Egyptian army in the early fifties - about 10 years after the appearance of its Swedish-developed prototype. By this time, the original project had managed to become outdated in a certain way and lost some of its potential. Nevertheless, the purchase of a license even for an obsolete rifle had a positive effect on the rearmament of the army. For all its disadvantages and limited capabilities, the Hakim rifle has become an important part of the modern history of the Egyptian army.
