Hakim
Factory 54 (Maadi Company for Engineering Industries) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1954
Also known as: Hakeem, Egyptian Ljungman
Overview
The Hakim is an Egyptian semi-automatic battle rifle adopted in the early 1950s, manufactured at Factory 54 in Maadi, Cairo on tooling and machinery purchased from Sweden. It is a license-built and re-chambered derivative of the Swedish AG-42 Ljungman, scaled up from the original 6.5x55mm Swedish to fire the more powerful 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge - a change that necessitated the addition of a prominent muzzle brake. The rifle uses a direct-impingement gas system (a precursor to that of the AR-15) with an adjustable gas valve, and is fed by a detachable 10-round box magazine that can be reloaded via stripper clips through the top.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4400 g (155.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1216 mm (47.87") |
| Barrel Length | 638 mm (25.12") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3700 J (2729 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 8x57mm IS, 7.92mm Mauser
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Muzzle Brake, Stripper Clip Loading, Adjustable Gas Valve, Tilting Bolt, Direct Impingement Gas System
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Egyptian Army · adopted 1954
Conflicts
- Suez Crisis (1956)
- Six-Day War (1967)
- Yom Kippur War (1973)
Production
Estimated total produced: 70,000 · Production years: 1954-1965
Built at Factory 54 (Maadi) on Swedish-supplied tooling; based on the Ljungman AG-42 design
Origin
Country of origin: Egypt
Designer: Erik Eklund
Discontinued: 1965
Notes
Approximately 70,000 Hakim rifles were produced through the 1950s and 1960s. Saw service in the Suez Crisis (1956) and the Six-Day War (1967) before being progressively replaced in Egyptian service by AKMs and Maadi rifles.
Background
When Sweden's neutrality policy made AG-42 export politically awkward in the early 1950s, Egypt simply bought the entire Swedish production line and shipped it to Cairo, where Factory 54 began turning out Ljungmans rebranded as 'Hakim' - Arabic for 'wise one' - in the more powerful 8mm Mauser cartridge favored by the Egyptian Army.