Unknown Rifle, ID help

[MK20]

I just picked this rifle up. It is serial number 24 and is made at Jangalak Arsenal in Afghanistan.
What is this? I have asked experts and they have no clue. I am inclined to believe that this is a prototype.

 

[MK20]

 

[MK20]

It takes a cartridge of unknown 8mm bore.

 

[roostercogburn98]

it looks like an old Steyr design to me

looks like a Dutch Mannlicher

 

[mountainman308]

It appears the date on the bridge is from 1331 in the Islamic calendar, which would be 1913-1914 in the Western calendar. The bridge marking and script indicate Kabul Arsenal (https://silahreport.com/tag/kabul-arsenal/). The serial number appears to be 941. If you can get a picture with better lighting or a wax rubbing of the barrel marks, and any surviving cartouches on the stock, it could tell us more. Definitely looks like a Styer type carbine. You should read The Emir’s New Rifle by Headstamp Publishing for more info.

 

[MarinePMI]

Looks like a Lee Speed knock off of some sort. They were the only rifles back then that had that distinctive bolt shroud/dust cover...

@sirhrmechanic may know, he's more into the arcane and unique/older rifles...

 

[fdkay]

When I saw the shroud, arisaka came to mind immediately

 

[MK20]

It is most definitely not a Steyr carbine. The bolt rides on completely different rails. See the first pic of the second post. It has a cartouche but it is in almost indistinguishable Dari. It is also not a Lee-Speed carbine. It uses a Mannlicher clip system.

 

[acudaowner]

what ever it is , It looks like a great project gun to me . good luck and much fun .

 

[1moaoff]

Alot of firearms were and are made by hand in that part of the world. I wonder if the barrels were procured or scavenged and the rest was just made?

 

[ebd10]

It looks like some locally produced variation of the Gewehr M1888. Lots of those made their way to the Middle East and Africa.

 

[MK20]

This rifle is definitely of factory production. Machining is done to European standards.

 

[bschneiderheinze]

If you find some brass I think I have some 8mm bullets you can have

 

[MK20]

thanks

 

[alfmoonspace]

So was that pumped out of Afghanistan? Crazy how old rifles have such a history.

 

[scatterbrains]

Gunboards.com is what you seek someone there has seen,shot, or owns 10 of those.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

This gun has some very distinct features. The way the bolt shroud rides on those rails, the very distinctive extractor and dust cover, the way the bolt head locks into the barrel, rather than a front portion of the receiver, all remind me very much of the Schlegemilch 1896.

It appears that the Afghan arsenal attempted, as a modification, to fit a Steyr type trigger guard and magazine to it. Or maybe adapted it to feed a rimmed cartridge.

The Schlegemilch 1896: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/schlegemilch-1896-closest-competition-to-the-mauser-98/