Rasheed carbine

Rasheed carbine
Top to bottom: Swedish Ag m/42B rifle, Egyptian Hakim rifle, Egyptian Rasheed carbine
Type	Semi-automatic carbine
Place of origin	Egypt
Service history
In service	1960 – Present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Erik Eklund
Manufacturer	Ministry of Military Production, Factory 54
No. built	c. 8000
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	4.19 kg (9.2 lb) (unloaded)
Length	1,035 mm (40.7 in)
Barrel length	520 mm (20 in)
Cartridge	7.62×39mm
Action	direct impingement, gas-operated
Effective firing range	300 m (330 yd)
Feed system	10-round removable box magazine, with latching magazine release catch

The Rasheed (or sometimes known as the Rashid[1]) is a semi-automatic carbine, derived from the Hakim rifle and used by the Egyptian military. Only around 8,000 were made.[2]

The Rasheed was designed by the Swedish engineer Erik Eklund,[2] who based it on his previous Hakim rifle, which was itself a slightly modified version of the Swedish Ag m/42 rifle.[3][4]

Design

The carbine resembles the Soviet SKS carbine, particularly in the permanently attached pivoting-blade bayonet, which appears identical to its Russian counterpart. The 12-inch (305 mm) blade bayonet pivots from a mount under the barrel, back into a recessed groove in the forend stock.

The carbine features a rear ladder sight, with a "battle" position for short-range fire as well as increments of 100 to 1000 metres, although the latter distance greatly exceeds the 300-metre effective range of the weapon.

The semi-automatic mechanism is gas-operated through the direct impingement system.[2] The Egyptian training manual had users use stripper clips to reload. However, the hot gas would heat up the receiver and cause burns when fingers would touch the receiver.[5]

The Rasheed has a 10-round magazine capacity.[2]

Variants

Baghdad Rifle

The Baghdad is a variant of the Rasheed, made from the same machinery from 1969 to 1977.[6]

Users

•  Egypt[7]
•  Iraq: Used the Baghdad rifle.[6]

References

1. McCollum, Ian (2012-05-07). "Egyptian Rifle Overview". www.forgottenweapons.com. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
2. "Rasheed". World Guns. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
3. "TFBTV: Swedish Roots, Egyptian Steel: The Rasheed -". The Firearm Blog. 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
4. "The Egyptian carbine Rasheed caliber 7.62×39 – LAI Publications". Retrieved 2023-12-21.
5. Alex C. (18 March 2015). "Five Decent Rifles That Failed Commercially". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023.
6. "The Baghdad (Simonov-Iraqi): Iraq's First Mass-Produced Service Rifle?". silahreport.com. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
7. An Official Journal Of The NRA | Video: Rasheed Carbine, retrieved 2023-12-21