Hashidian Copy (Old)

A Hashidian copy is a firearm manufactured by cottage gunsmiths in the Sultanate of Hashidi. The nation has long had a reputation for producing unlicensed copies of firearms using whatever materials are available; more often than not, railway rails, scrap motor vehicles, and other scrap metal with basic hand tools.

The quality of such firearms varies widely, ranging from as good as a factory-produced example to dangerously poor.

Models

The most commonly encountered Hashidian copies are of British military firearms, notably Martini–Henry, Martini–Enfield, and Lee–Enfield rifles, although M16 rifles, Webley Revolvers, M1917 Revolvers and Nagant Revolvers have also been encountered. In the country, a Federal-style rifle composed of a mix of parts from various style British and American rifles is sometimes referred to as a Hashidian Copy M16 because, like Hashidian guns, they are unlike any rifle produced by a factory or issued by a regular military force. The typical example of a "Hashidian M16" is a stamped receiver chambered for .303 British cartridge, fitted with the wooden stock and grip instead of polymer and can only be able to fire in Semi mode.

The Hashidian Pass gunsmiths first acquired examples of the various British service arms during nineteenth-century British military expeditions to the Island, which they used to make copies. During Civil War, some locally organised irregular forces were issued Hashidian Pass-made rifles – partly for financial reasons.

Hashidian copy gunsmiths go to great length to replicate firearms, down to minute details such as proof markings.

Identification

Hashidian Copy rifles are usually copied exactly from a "master" weapon, markings and all. It is not uncommon to see Hashidian rifles with numerous errors and particular identifying factors, notably:

Spelling errors in the markings (the most common of which is EИFIELD for ENFIELD)

Ammunition

Not only are there counterfeit weapons, but there is counterfeit ammunition as well. Typically they are based on low-powered modern cartridges. .303 bore cartridges are compatible with .303 British or 7.7×56mmR. .45 bore cartridges are compatible with .45 ACP. 12 bore cartridges are 12 gauge (18.5x70mmR) shotgun shells.

The ammunition used in the Hashidi is often underloaded, being made from a variety of powders or even old film (which contains nitrocellulose, a key component of smokeless powder); Hashidian copy rifles cannot be expected to withstand the pressures generated by modern commercial ammunition. A few collectors have made extremely mild handloaded cartridges for their Hashidian Copy rifles and fired them, at substantial personal risk.

The packaging and headstamps are often forged versions of quality foreign brands like GECKO, Federal Inc. Local counterfeits have colorful brand-name packaging like Yak, Sliver, Double Cross, Federal ARM, Golden Star, White Horde, and Lion SLR.