News from the dusty Kingdom of Egypt

[ciders]

September 28th 1916 :

Port-Sudan :

Today, the new port of Port-Sudan was inaugurated in front of a big crowd of Sudanese and Egyptian people. Many authorities were present, to see the new harbour, who will allow to open up the Sudan to trade and Egyptian administration.

The observers also noticed the presence of Egyptian warships, in particular the Al Anouar, one of the five ex-French Fleurus-II class of the Egyptian Fleet, and the old flagship of the Red Sea Fleet, the armored cruiser Bardai.

[ciders]

October 4th 1916 :

Cairo, Royal Academy of Sciences :

The honourable members of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Cairo expressed their anxiety, on a public session yesterday. Several speakers evoked with hard terms the terrible lack of modern technologies the Egypt would suffer.

The minister of Sciences, sir Anouar Al Gheïdi, denied these accusations. He asserted that Egypt remained a major power in the Middle East, technologically advanced compared with manies countries of the area. According to him, Egypt " is neither late, nor early " and continues " to exercise the scientific leadership in the Middle East ". Certain number of observers called  these assertions into question.

[ciders]

October 9th 1916 :

Alexandria :

This day, the new Egyptian armored cruiser Campeon , formerly displayed in the Red Sea, sailed for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. For this event, King Zafir himself was on board. According to his counciliors, His Majesty was extremely satisfied with the ship, and congratulated the crew and the naval officers.

Sold by Gran Colombia in 1914, the Campeon was not renamed yet. He will established a major asset for the Egyptian Fleet. The cruiser should stay offshore still a good week.

[ciders]

October 19th 1916 :

Cairo :

The Egyptian army search a new standard model of rifles, to replace her old weapons. The calibre of the new rifle would be included between 7 and 9 mm. The weapon will have to equip 1895 baseline units.

All the infranty units will be equipped with it.  All the foreign companies can participate.

[Walter]

Hmm... With rifles I have got kind of a gap there between 6.5mm (Type 65 Rifle) and 0.44" (Type 20 Rifle)... and the 6.5mm is a 1905 weapon. :-\

[Korpen]

Buy a mauser! Also they come in all the wanted calibres, 7mm is used by the Dutch and Iberia, 7,5mm By Bavaria, and 8mm (7,92) by the ESC. Several other countries also use it and many build it under  licence (Such as FN-herstal makes the ones for the Netherlands forces) so there is a great number of suppliers.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Schmidt-Rubin can offer their full sized rifle, model 1889/96
The 1896 version offered a variety of improvements over the 1889 version. 
Further, experiments conducted at the time of the issuance of the 1911 version found the 1889 can be rebarreled to handle other cartridges

Barrel Length – 800mm
Overall Length – 1300mm
Weight – 4.5kg empty
Action - Schmidt-Rubin Straight Pull
Caliber - 7.5x53.5 Swiss (GP90 & GP 90/03)
              7.5x54.5 Swiss (GP90/23) 
Capacity - 12 round detachable box magazine
Sights - Quadrant sight graduated to 2000m

http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/

Waffenfabrik Mauser AG
can offer their tried and tested G98 and its variants in a variety of calibers other than the stock 7.92mm x 57. 

Barrel Length – 740mm
Overall Length – 1250mm
Weight – 4.09kg empty
Action – Mauser controlled feed bolt action
Caliber - 7.92 x 57 Mauser
Capacity – 5 round internal clip magazine
Sights – Lange Visier curved tangent sights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gewehr_98


Waffenfabrik Berne (W+F) only has their venerable 1881 Vetterli rifle and carbines.

Barrel Length – 843mm
Overall Length – 1325mm
Weight – 4.7kg
Action –bolt action
Caliber – 10.4mm
Capacity – 12 round tubular
Sights – Quadrantenvisier iron sights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetterli_rifle



All three manufacturers offer carbine versions as well. Storyline cost is in order likely highest-lowest.

[Walter]

The Gewehr 98 is a 1898 weapon thus >1895.

[Korpen]

The Gewehr 98 is a 1898 weapon thus >1895.

Not really, it depends on how one defines things. 1898 was the year that the German army adopted a version, but there was not really any significant difference to say a Spanish 1893 mauser or a Swedish 1896 (apart from the calibre that is).

[Kaiser Kirk]

There were 1893, 1894, and 1895 models as well.  The 1898 is indeed 3 years too "late" so if there are objections, the 1895 model can be kicked out, but I hardly see 1898 vs 1895 as a significant departure, so I'd rather offer the common model  thats been on the world market for 20 years.

[ciders]

Egypt needs a robust weapon, capable of resisting to the worst conditions of use ( notably in the desert ) and easy to use ( the soldiers of Egyptian army are mostly illiterate poor farmers ).

I think that three rifles are adequate : the Mosin-Nagant Model 1891, the Mauser Gewehr 1898 and the Mannlicher M1895.

[Sachmle]

I always worked under the understanding that the 'year' of the army tech was more about the tactics and strategy, just as much if not more so, then the 'level' of weapons. It's not so much WHAT gun you have, it's HOW MANY. Older 'year' army techs have old style TO&Es and old style tactics. Less repeating rifles, more muzzle loaders, ect.. as one progresses backwards. Less artillery, or less effective artillery as well.

[Borys]

Egypt needs a robust weapon, capable of resisting to the worst conditions of use ( notably in the desert ) and easy to use ( the soldiers of Egyptian army are mostly illiterate poor farmers ).

I think that three rifles are adequate : the Mosin-Nagant Model 1891, the Mauser Gewehr 1898 and the Mannlicher M1895.

Forget the Mannlicher then. It is a straight-pull weapon. It will NOT work in the dirt.
In Navalism the Habsburgs - after experience in the 1903 Spanish Civil War - abandoned the M95, and switched to the M06. A weapon using the turn-bolt action (like the Mauser, for instance), and the OTL 6.5/54 round (interchangeable with the Italian Carcano). In N-verse this is the 0.256 round ...

IMO go with the Mosin-Nagant or the Lee-Enfield. In either case go with the 7mm Mauser/0.276 round. Or the Swedish 6.5/58.

Borys

[ciders]

The Mosin is heavy than others rifles. But he's very robust. And little expensive. I think the Egyptian infantry is made for this new rifle.

But if you have any others suggestions...  ;)

[Sachmle]

Having personally fired a Mosin-Nagant I'd recommend it strongly, but with the following warning. When fired at night you can see the flame shoot out the barrel for like a foot and a half. VERY EASY to spot at night.