1968 Rasheed

[Phosphorus32]

Well, I looked at that one that RM pointed out a few weeks ago for about a week. Looked at GunBroker selling prices and decided to pull the trigger.  Just got it on Tuesday and I"m pleased.   I love getting a new weapon of a design I've never held or dismantled before.  I don't have it's father or grandfather, the Hakim and Ljungman, so this is brand new to me. 

People usually say 8000 were made, and about 1/4 were imported. The limited SN survey I found had one as high as ~8400 and mine is 8052, so getting near the end of the short (1966-68) production run. This Rasheed is matching, so that's a plus versus the minus of the sanded stock. All of the SNs are EP'd except on the receiver and buttplate. I don't know if that is normal, as issued, or a sign of a refurbished weapon. The evident sanding and refinish seems coarse in the Egyptian style, i.e., drips in the finish and bits of sand from the Sinai refurb facility  , so perhaps that was the result of an arsenal refurb as well    If not, Bubba was a bit sloppy.

The seller over on Gunboards showed pics of the chewed up gas adjustment nut, so I ordered a replacement the day I sent the MO for the carbine. That was the only issue. Fortunately, the threads were fine and it backed right out so I could screw in the replacement.



The chromed bore is in very good shape, and everything else cycles smoothly.  I can't wait to get it out to the range, dial in the gas, and see how Nasser's carbine runs.

I'm not quite sure how I became an Egyptian firearms collector...  



















The magazine, and the receiver, have the Pshent Crown, which symbolizes a unified Egypt.





Manufacture Year, ١٩٦٨ = 1968,  and Serial Numbers, ٨٠٥٢ = 8052











Dust Cover Back (normal)



Dust Cover Forward (and BCG Back) Exposing the Recoil Spring

[Loose}{Cannon]

OMG....  I so hate you right now!!!!   

[Greasemonkey]

Nice P32....don't worry I still like ya..   Ignore the jelli one above 

I wonder if the Hakim and this share the same gas adjuster....I have 2 Hakims, and dang, if that don't look like it. Is there also a spring like lock under the adjuster that catches in several notches to hold it?  There is also a tool you can get to adjust it easy, I bought one machined years ago for like 10-15 bucks.

That thing is one of the few places I put a small dab of never seize on a firearm... just in case

[Phosphorus32]

Nice P32....don't worry I still like ya..   Ignore the jelli one above 

Thanks GM!  LC, you really hurt my feelers    

I wonder if the Hakim and this share the same gas adjuster....I have 2 Hakims, and dang, if that don't look like it. Is there also a spring like lock under the adjuster that catches in several notches to hold it?  There is also a tool you can get to adjust it easy, I bought one machined years ago for like 10-15 bucks.

That thing is one of the few places I put a small dab of never seize on a firearm... just in case

I think it is the same gas adjustment screw but it doesn't have a spring underneath. It does however have significant drag, so I think it'll stay put.  I bought the tool too. Looking at the previous nut with teeth marks from a Vice-Grips, or an angry East German athlete on 'roids, convinced me it was a prudent investment   

[Greasemonkey]

Ok... so when you getting the dad or the grandfather....   

Time to haunt your street again I see, got some new sticky slicks mounted now   

[Dannyboy53]

Congratulations Phosphorus, looks like a very nice example. Are those bayonets the same as what is mounted on the SKSs, they certainly look the same?

[Loose}{Cannon]

Hey hey...  You know I'm kidding!!

Love it man...!..

[Phosphorus32]

Congratulations Phosphorus, looks like a very nice example. Are those bayonets the same as what is mounted on the SKSs, they certainly look the same?

Thanks!

The blade length and width are the same. Subtly different shape from the SKS-45 bayonet but obviously the design was taken directly from it.



The i.d. of the muzzle ring is 16.5mm vs. 14.0 mm to accommodate the larger o.d. of the muzzle on the Rasheed.

[Phosphorus32]

Hey hey...  You know I'm kidding!!

Love it man...!..

Ha-ha, I know LC. Me too    Thanks!

[Phosphorus32]

Gas System

The Ljungman design direct impingement gas system is interesting too!

The o.d. of the end of the gas tube that protrudes from the receiver is 8.7mm. The 14mm deep "cylinder" in the front of the bolt carrier has an i.d. of 9.0mm, so a rather tight 0.15mm gap between the two. The 6.0mm o.d. stainless steel gas tube running from the gas block to the front of the receiver has an i.d. of ~3mm, so a very stiff tube with 1.5mm wall thickness.

[Greasemonkey]

That thing is a like a half scale Hakim, with the cool muzzle brake swapped out for the pokey thing.  Pipe cleaners work great for cleaning the gas tube

The designer and first user of that gas system setup was the French, in 1900-01 the experimental French 1901 Rossignol B1 and later revisions used it, the first actual production rifle was the MAS 40 that used the direct gas system, all the way to the MAS 49/56.

Looking at the side shot of the gas adjuster, it has the same lip and groove for a locking spring, the spring then has arms that latch in to the grooves cut in the block to hold it in place. I know x39 usually doesn't have the variability like 8MM Mauser surplus where some is fairly weak like Persian or light ball Romanian or wimpy American made ammo, others nice and hot like Yugoslavian and some German(Turkish not recommended). I'm surprised they even incorporated an adjuster for it in the first place instead of just using a fixed size orifice like others.

This is the Hakim Gas block with adjuster and spring, the gas adjuster moves only tiny bit to adjust, just enough to change gas volume. It's shockingly sensitive when moved one notch and it wouldn't take much to knock it out of adjustment which is why it has a lock.

[Phosphorus32]

Cool stuff GM Looks like I may need another part yet.  I'll have to look for a Rasheed schematic...after I get back from Dave Matthews Band! 

[Dannyboy53]

Phosphorus I thank you for the explanation of the bayonet!