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11-07-2005, 10:26 AM
American Rifleman, Apr 2004 by Poole, Eric R
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Marine Sergeant and NRA staffer Eric Poole was on the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. in the tradition of Roy Dunlap, W.H.B. Smith and Bill Shadel*, he recounts here the pistols encountered in the hands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians from Saddam Hussein's fallen regime.
As Americans witnessed the image of Saddam Hussein's statue being pulled down in Baghdad, Marines of E Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion were clearing Iraqi military compounds and discovering hoards of firearms, ammunition and explosives. Filling my billet as the company's armory chief, I took a special interest throughout the war in recording accurate information about the various small arms American troops came across and up against.
Once the possibility of going to war in Iraq became real, many troops, including me, sought information about Iraq's small arms. In researching various articles and publications, I discovered that assertions about Iraqi equipment were often inaccurate. As the war would reveal, the Iraqi military and its small arms were a jumble of inconsistencies that mirrored Saddam's regime and its disjointed Soviet influence. Following is a look at some of the handguns commonly-and uncommonly-encountered by U.S. troops in Iraq.
Makarov
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The 9×18 mm Makarov was one of the most common pistols issued to and carried by officers in the Iraqi army and remains one of the most frequently encountered handguns in Iraq today. Typical of the Soviet-made model, the Makarovs that I came into contact with usually had Soviet-issue dark red plastic grips, but a few Chinese copies I saw had black plastic grips. The Makarov is a Russian design thought to have been derived from the German Walther PP pistol and was a replacement for the obsolete Tokarev TT-33. The Soviet Union adopted the Makarov by 1951, while China accepted its version into service in 1959. A conventional blow-back-operated, double-action pistol, it has a long, heavy double-action trigger pull and is chambered for the 9×18 mm Makarov cartridge, which adheres to the former Soviet policy that its military ammunition should differ from that of the rest of the world. Copies of the Makarov pistol were also made in East Germany, Poland and Bulgaria.
Tariqs
There are actually two different Iraqi-made pistols that bear the "Tariq" name, and both are licensed copies of Beretta designs. The commonly encountered 9 mm Luger Tariq is based on the Beretta Model 951 single-action semi-automatic pistol design. Ironically, its slide and barrel assembly have a family resemblance to the U.S. M9 pistol currently issued to U.S. troops, as the Model 92-based M9s bear the same open-top slide and barrel arrangement as the Model 951. The second Tariq is an Iraqimade 7.65 mm (.32 ACP) singleaction semi-automatic based on the blowback-operated Beretta Model 70, but it is not as commonly encountered in Iraq as the 9 mm pistol.
The Model 951 was Beretta's first locked-breech military design, and it was developed at the request of the Italian government after World War II. It was initially adopted with a lightweight (25-oz.) "Ergal" aluminum alloy frame, but there were durability difficulties with aluminum-framed guns. Beretta then improved the pistol with a steel frame and production resumed in 1955.The Egyptian government purchased a large quantity of 951s starting in 1955; and, by the early 1960s, a license was obtained by the Maadi Company in Cairo to make the guns domestically. It remained in production as the Helwan pistol until 1995.
The Model 951 pistol proved popular with military and police forces in various other countries as well, including Iraq. Sometime after 1963, Iraq negotiated a contract with Beretta to produce Tariqs at its Al-Kasesiah plant outside Baghdad. Quantities of the two models manufactured are unknown. The grips of Iraqi copies are the most discernable feature in that they incorporate a portrait of the medieval Arabic warrior Tariq ibn-Ziyad-who invaded Spain in 711 A.D.-on a gold-tone medallion. The 9 mm is generally marked "TARIQ 9m/m - Licensed by BERETTA" on the slide's right, and those markings are repeated on the slide's left in Arabic. Similarly, the 7.65 mm pistol is marked "TARIQ 7.65m/m - Licensed by BERETTA" on the slide's right with the markings repeated in Arabic on the left. Beretta ceased production of the 951 in 1983, but Iraq continued to produce the 9 mm pistols for officers and elite forces until the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Browning Model 1935 Hi Power
In Iraq, the 9 mm Luger, semi-automatic, recoil-operated Browning Hi Power was often seen in Saddam Hussein's hands as he fired it into the air above a celebratory crowd. Just as officers adopted Hussein's trademark mustache and beret once he took power, they also coveted the Browning P35 Hi Power to place in their holsters. Typically, the Hi Powers I encountered in Iraq were adorned with exotic, garish grips and were, surprisingly, manufactured in Belgium. I never encountered a Canadian, Hungarian or Israeli copy, though doubtless some were and are in Iraq. These pistols were often seen carried by high-ranking officers and were usually pretty tired with evidence of holster wear. Hi Powers would command the highest prices as no other pistol in Iraq's arsenal could match the reliability, functionality and accuracy of this Browning design.
Astro Models 400 & 600
The Astra Model 400 blowback-operated pistol first saw service in Spain in 1921. Even though it was chambered for the 9 mm Largo cartridge, well-maintained specimens could fire 9 mm Luger, 9 mm Steyr, 9 mm Browning Long, .38 Colt Auto and .38 Super-although shooting 9 mm Luger in a Model 400 is not recommended. The Astra Model 1921 was commercially sold as the Astra 400. Its excellent accuracy and overall quality contributed to its remaining in the holsters of the Spanish armed forces for more than 20 years.
Throughout the late 1930s and 1940s, the 9 mm Luger cartridge gained popularity and, subsequently, Astra developed a slightly smaller version of the design-the Model 600-that would reliably chamber the 9 mm Luger cartridge.
Although not listed in the Department of Defense's Country Handbook (DOD-2630-IRQ-037-02) as a pistol to recognize in Iraq, the Astra Model 1921 was found commonly among the civilian population and a few prisoners of war. As the Iraqi government couldn't issue Tariq pistols to each officer in its disordered military, these pistols were found among low-level officers and a few enlisted men. all of the captured models wore black hard rubber grips, indicating that they were commercial products from Spain.
Tokarev TT-33
First produced in the Soviet Union in 1930 by Feodor Tokarev, the TT-33 incorporated the dropping barrel locking system as designed by John Browning. The Tokarev pistol, chambered in 7.62×25 mm, was commonly used by Soviet forces during World War II. As the Cold War began, the Soviet-made TT-33 was exported to many communist nations, and China, Egypt, Hungary, North Korea, Poland and Yugoslavia have produced their own copies of the Tokarev.
Due to its simplicity and durability, the Tokarev design was very popular in Iraq. Nearly all models found in Iraq are of Soviet origin, although a few Chinese Type 51 examples were recovered as well. As a consequence of the Soviet-Iraq relations during the late 1970s and 1980s, Iraq had purchased numerous Tokarev TT-33s and supplied them to its military. Even after the Persian Gulf War in 1991, when the Iraqi-manufactured Tariq was more highly favored by Iraqi officers, it was apparent, after this recent war, that many members of the Iraqi Army retained this venerable, reliable sidearm instead.
TOKAREV TT-33/TYPE 51
CALIBER: 762×25 mm
OPERATION: recoil-operated, single-action, semi-automatic center-fire pistol
OVERALL LENGTH: 7 11/16''
BARREL: 4 9/16''
RIFLING: four-groove, RH twist
WEIGHT: 30 ozs
SIGHTS: fixed blade front, drift adjustable for windage rear
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: seven rounds
SAFETY: none, half-**** notch on hammer
ORIGIN: TT-33, Soviet Union; Type 51, China
* Editor's Note: Roy Dunlap, an American Rifleman Contributing Editor for more than 30 years, was in Army Ordnance during World War II and wrote the landmark Ordnance Went Up Front, recounting his experiences in the war. Bill Shadel, an American Rifleman editor, served as war correspondent for the magazine in the ETO from 1943 until 1945. W.H.B. Smith, later the author of Small Arms of The World and many other books, contributed regular articles on military arms to American Rifleman during the World War II years, including "This Pistol Packin' War."
-MARK A. KEEFE, IV
Copyright National Rifle Association of America Apr 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. It's free! Save it.
Marine Sergeant and NRA staffer Eric Poole was on the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. in the tradition of Roy Dunlap, W.H.B. Smith and Bill Shadel*, he recounts here the pistols encountered in the hands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians from Saddam Hussein's fallen regime.
As Americans witnessed the image of Saddam Hussein's statue being pulled down in Baghdad, Marines of E Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion were clearing Iraqi military compounds and discovering hoards of firearms, ammunition and explosives. Filling my billet as the company's armory chief, I took a special interest throughout the war in recording accurate information about the various small arms American troops came across and up against.
Once the possibility of going to war in Iraq became real, many troops, including me, sought information about Iraq's small arms. In researching various articles and publications, I discovered that assertions about Iraqi equipment were often inaccurate. As the war would reveal, the Iraqi military and its small arms were a jumble of inconsistencies that mirrored Saddam's regime and its disjointed Soviet influence. Following is a look at some of the handguns commonly-and uncommonly-encountered by U.S. troops in Iraq.
Makarov
Continue article
Advertisement
The 9×18 mm Makarov was one of the most common pistols issued to and carried by officers in the Iraqi army and remains one of the most frequently encountered handguns in Iraq today. Typical of the Soviet-made model, the Makarovs that I came into contact with usually had Soviet-issue dark red plastic grips, but a few Chinese copies I saw had black plastic grips. The Makarov is a Russian design thought to have been derived from the German Walther PP pistol and was a replacement for the obsolete Tokarev TT-33. The Soviet Union adopted the Makarov by 1951, while China accepted its version into service in 1959. A conventional blow-back-operated, double-action pistol, it has a long, heavy double-action trigger pull and is chambered for the 9×18 mm Makarov cartridge, which adheres to the former Soviet policy that its military ammunition should differ from that of the rest of the world. Copies of the Makarov pistol were also made in East Germany, Poland and Bulgaria.
Tariqs
There are actually two different Iraqi-made pistols that bear the "Tariq" name, and both are licensed copies of Beretta designs. The commonly encountered 9 mm Luger Tariq is based on the Beretta Model 951 single-action semi-automatic pistol design. Ironically, its slide and barrel assembly have a family resemblance to the U.S. M9 pistol currently issued to U.S. troops, as the Model 92-based M9s bear the same open-top slide and barrel arrangement as the Model 951. The second Tariq is an Iraqimade 7.65 mm (.32 ACP) singleaction semi-automatic based on the blowback-operated Beretta Model 70, but it is not as commonly encountered in Iraq as the 9 mm pistol.
The Model 951 was Beretta's first locked-breech military design, and it was developed at the request of the Italian government after World War II. It was initially adopted with a lightweight (25-oz.) "Ergal" aluminum alloy frame, but there were durability difficulties with aluminum-framed guns. Beretta then improved the pistol with a steel frame and production resumed in 1955.The Egyptian government purchased a large quantity of 951s starting in 1955; and, by the early 1960s, a license was obtained by the Maadi Company in Cairo to make the guns domestically. It remained in production as the Helwan pistol until 1995.
The Model 951 pistol proved popular with military and police forces in various other countries as well, including Iraq. Sometime after 1963, Iraq negotiated a contract with Beretta to produce Tariqs at its Al-Kasesiah plant outside Baghdad. Quantities of the two models manufactured are unknown. The grips of Iraqi copies are the most discernable feature in that they incorporate a portrait of the medieval Arabic warrior Tariq ibn-Ziyad-who invaded Spain in 711 A.D.-on a gold-tone medallion. The 9 mm is generally marked "TARIQ 9m/m - Licensed by BERETTA" on the slide's right, and those markings are repeated on the slide's left in Arabic. Similarly, the 7.65 mm pistol is marked "TARIQ 7.65m/m - Licensed by BERETTA" on the slide's right with the markings repeated in Arabic on the left. Beretta ceased production of the 951 in 1983, but Iraq continued to produce the 9 mm pistols for officers and elite forces until the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Browning Model 1935 Hi Power
In Iraq, the 9 mm Luger, semi-automatic, recoil-operated Browning Hi Power was often seen in Saddam Hussein's hands as he fired it into the air above a celebratory crowd. Just as officers adopted Hussein's trademark mustache and beret once he took power, they also coveted the Browning P35 Hi Power to place in their holsters. Typically, the Hi Powers I encountered in Iraq were adorned with exotic, garish grips and were, surprisingly, manufactured in Belgium. I never encountered a Canadian, Hungarian or Israeli copy, though doubtless some were and are in Iraq. These pistols were often seen carried by high-ranking officers and were usually pretty tired with evidence of holster wear. Hi Powers would command the highest prices as no other pistol in Iraq's arsenal could match the reliability, functionality and accuracy of this Browning design.
Astro Models 400 & 600
The Astra Model 400 blowback-operated pistol first saw service in Spain in 1921. Even though it was chambered for the 9 mm Largo cartridge, well-maintained specimens could fire 9 mm Luger, 9 mm Steyr, 9 mm Browning Long, .38 Colt Auto and .38 Super-although shooting 9 mm Luger in a Model 400 is not recommended. The Astra Model 1921 was commercially sold as the Astra 400. Its excellent accuracy and overall quality contributed to its remaining in the holsters of the Spanish armed forces for more than 20 years.
Throughout the late 1930s and 1940s, the 9 mm Luger cartridge gained popularity and, subsequently, Astra developed a slightly smaller version of the design-the Model 600-that would reliably chamber the 9 mm Luger cartridge.
Although not listed in the Department of Defense's Country Handbook (DOD-2630-IRQ-037-02) as a pistol to recognize in Iraq, the Astra Model 1921 was found commonly among the civilian population and a few prisoners of war. As the Iraqi government couldn't issue Tariq pistols to each officer in its disordered military, these pistols were found among low-level officers and a few enlisted men. all of the captured models wore black hard rubber grips, indicating that they were commercial products from Spain.
Tokarev TT-33
First produced in the Soviet Union in 1930 by Feodor Tokarev, the TT-33 incorporated the dropping barrel locking system as designed by John Browning. The Tokarev pistol, chambered in 7.62×25 mm, was commonly used by Soviet forces during World War II. As the Cold War began, the Soviet-made TT-33 was exported to many communist nations, and China, Egypt, Hungary, North Korea, Poland and Yugoslavia have produced their own copies of the Tokarev.
Due to its simplicity and durability, the Tokarev design was very popular in Iraq. Nearly all models found in Iraq are of Soviet origin, although a few Chinese Type 51 examples were recovered as well. As a consequence of the Soviet-Iraq relations during the late 1970s and 1980s, Iraq had purchased numerous Tokarev TT-33s and supplied them to its military. Even after the Persian Gulf War in 1991, when the Iraqi-manufactured Tariq was more highly favored by Iraqi officers, it was apparent, after this recent war, that many members of the Iraqi Army retained this venerable, reliable sidearm instead.
TOKAREV TT-33/TYPE 51
CALIBER: 762×25 mm
OPERATION: recoil-operated, single-action, semi-automatic center-fire pistol
OVERALL LENGTH: 7 11/16''
BARREL: 4 9/16''
RIFLING: four-groove, RH twist
WEIGHT: 30 ozs
SIGHTS: fixed blade front, drift adjustable for windage rear
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: seven rounds
SAFETY: none, half-**** notch on hammer
ORIGIN: TT-33, Soviet Union; Type 51, China
* Editor's Note: Roy Dunlap, an American Rifleman Contributing Editor for more than 30 years, was in Army Ordnance during World War II and wrote the landmark Ordnance Went Up Front, recounting his experiences in the war. Bill Shadel, an American Rifleman editor, served as war correspondent for the magazine in the ETO from 1943 until 1945. W.H.B. Smith, later the author of Small Arms of The World and many other books, contributed regular articles on military arms to American Rifleman during the World War II years, including "This Pistol Packin' War."
-MARK A. KEEFE, IV
Copyright National Rifle Association of America Apr 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved