Craft-produced 7.62 mm revolver in Nigeria

ImproGuns

According to reports circulating on social media and Nigerian news sites, officers of the Nigerian Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) recovered craft-produced firearms from the bodies of two suspected robbers shot along a highway connecting Kano to Zaria state.

One of the weapons seized appears to be a fairly typical craft-produced open bolt sub-machine gun, cosmetically modeled after a Kalashnikov type self-loading rifle. At first glance, this item appears to be similar in form and function to improvised weapons seized in the Middle East and Latin America in recent years. However, much like the original AK, this weapon appears to make extensive use of stamped sheet steel, rather than the steel tubing more typically seen in craft-produced sub-machine guns. The bolt appears to be constructed in a similar manner to the AK bolt carrier, riding in the lower receiver with a slim recoil spring & guide rod assembly. This is also atypical for craft-produced sub-machine guns which usually follow a ‘STEN’ type configuration. The example seized is reportedly chambered in 9 mm, presumably the common 9 x 19 mm cartridge.

Also seized was a large craft-produced revolver, reportedly chambered for 7.62 mm calibre cartridges, an overpowered though not uncommon choice for improvised pistols and rifles in the region due to its widespread availability. More unusual is the weapons substantial capacity, carrying 15 rounds. For comparison, a typical revolver can generally hold five to six rounds. The relatively reliable revolver format, often manually-indexed, coupled with the high capacity, may have made this weapon particularly appealing to the criminal element. In both cases these firearms appear to show considerably improved workmanship and potential firepower than the majority of craft-made weapons seized in the region, which are typically restricted to crude single shot ‘pipe guns’ and even muzzle-loaders.

Remember, all arms and munitions are dangerous. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded, and all munitions as if they are live, until you have personally confirmed otherwise. If you do not have specialist knowledge, never assume that arms or munitions are safe to handle until they have been inspected by a subject matter specialist. You should not approach, handle, move, operate, or modify arms and munitions unless explicitly trained to do so. If you encounter any unexploded ordnance (UXO) or explosive remnants of war (ERW), always remember the ‘ARMS’ acronym: