Desert nomad weapons?

[John G]

What firearms and melee weapons did the desert nomads carry?

I'm interested in old-time middle eastern and North African desert tribes (Berbers, Bedouin, etc...) and need to find out what weapons they would carry. I know movies are probably the worst place to start, but I'm fascinated by the mixture of scimitars, lances and flintlocks depicted on film.

Early to mid 20th century, they'd probably add a few Mausers and Enfields, I suppose. Thanks for the input!

 

[JPL]

You'd have a ton of choices, ranging from matchlock and flintlock muskets and rifles to firearms of the Colonial powers.

Britain and France both had extensive holdings in Africa and the Middle East, so you'd expect to see a range of weapons from those nations.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Modern-day Bedouins (at least in Western Iraq) carry Kalashnivoks (AKs), single-shot break-action 12gauges (Baikal, NEF, and misc junk shotguns), and Mauser rifles.

I've seen pictures of Iraqi Bedouins with Enfield #1 mk3 rifles, but not seen personally.

 

[gbran]

American Rifleman

The Aug issue has a story of an old armory found near Nepal India. It was loaded with all manner of arms from the 1800's. Everything from muskets to Sharps. Most of the weapons were British.

 

[El Tejon]

NPR did a story on Friday about Arab nomads in The Sudan who raid Black villages on horseback (which are towed behind their camels in transport) armed with AK-47s.

 

[Sunray]

Everything from Miquelet locks to Mausers and Enfields with the most likely being . It's highly unlikely they carried matchlocks. Especially in the early to mid 20th century era. There were likely some nomads using 19th century and early 20th century French Foreign Legion, um, hand-me-downs. That'd be Lebels. It also depends on where and, specifically when, in North Africa you're thinking.

 

[Treylis]

I've read that there are a lot of old German Mauser K98Ks out there, complete with Nazi markings.