List of equipment of the Biafran Army

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This is a list of equipment in service with the former Biafran Armed Forces.

A considerable number of Czechoslovakian weapons were reportedly purchased in 1967, though Czechoslovakia officially denied a sale of weapons to the Biafran Armed Forces.[citation needed]

Small arms[edit]

Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Submachine guns
CZ-23 and CZ-25 7.62×25mm Tokarev Submachine gun  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 300 bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.[citation needed]
CZ-247[citation needed] Submachine gun  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Lanchester Mk I 9×19mm Parabellum Submachine gun  United Kingdom Some used by mercenaries[2]
Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Rifles
Dane guns Rifle  Biafra Locally made muskets. In service with militias[3]
Lee-Enfield No.4 .303 British Bolt-action rifle  United Kingdom From ex-Nigerian Army stocks. 120 to 150 rifles in January 1967[4]
Beretta BM 59 7.62×51mm NATO Battle rifle  Italy Captured from Nigerian Army. [4]
Vz. 24 rifle 7.92×57mm Mauser Bolt-action rifle  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 1,860 bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.
Vz. 52 rifle 7.62×45mm Semi-automatic rifle  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 820 bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.
Vz. 58 rifle 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Czechoslovakia 732 bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.
MAS 36 7.5×54mm French Bolt-action rifle  France 300 from Haiti as a gift in 1968.[5] Gabon, Ivory Coast are also named as suppliers.[citation needed]
L1A1 SLR 7.62×51mm NATO Semi-automatic rifle  United Kingdom 930 delivered by Parker-Hale[citation needed] in 1967;[5]
FN FAL 7.62×51mm NATO Battle rifle  Belgium Some units captured from the Nigerian Army.[4]
CETME rifle Battle rifle  Spain Captured from the Nigerian Army.[2][6]
98-type Mausers 7.62×51mm NATO Bolt-action rifle  German Empire [7]
Type 56 assault rifle 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  China In service with militias[citation needed]
Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Machine guns
Vz. 26 machine gun Machine gun  Czechoslovakia 55 units of vz. 26, 30, 52 and 59 machine guns bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.
Vz. 30 machine gun Machine gun  Czechoslovakia
Vz. 52 machine gun Machine gun  Czechoslovakia
Vz. 59 machine gun Machine gun  Czechoslovakia
Vz. 37 heavy machine gun Machine gun  Czechoslovakia 20 bought at the beginning of 1967,[1] though Czechoslovakia denied direct purchase.
MG 34 7.92×57mm Mauser General-purpose machine gun  Nazi Germany [1]
Bren .303 British General-purpose machine gun  United Kingdom From ex-Nigerian Army stocks. ~12 guns in January 1967.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Jowett 2016, p. 22.
  2. ^ a b Jowett 2016, p. 46.
  3. ^ Jowett 2016, p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c d Jowett 2016, p. 21.
  5. ^ a b Jowett 2016, p. 23.
  6. ^ "¿Estos son Cetmes españoles?". Archived from the original on 2023-02-19. Retrieved 2022-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ Scarlata, Paul (October 2012). "The military rifle cartridges of Nigeria". Shotgun News.

Sources[edit]

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