#ARE
Egyptian Hakim Service Rifle: Crushing Thumbs Since 1956
The Egyptian Hakim service rifle was a license-produced version of the Swedish 6.5mm Ljungman AG-42 semiautomatic gas impingement rifle. Egypt changed several features such as the grasping grooves, a removable muzzle brake, an adjustable gas system, and no cleaning rod. Some references will state that the Hakim was used in the 1956 Suez Crisis, however, upon review of available serial numbers on the current market, it appears that less than a few thousand Hakim rifles even existed in 1956. From observations of archival media from the war it appears that Egypt had a much great stock of Soviet SKS carbines and Czech Vz.52 rifles from the 1955 Czech Arms Deal which rippled across the Middle East as one of the largest arms deals in the region during that time period.