Friday, October 04, 2013

What Pistol did Armed Citizen Abdul Haji use in Nairobi?

Abdul Haji is credited with saving numerous people during the Nairobi Terror attack on the Westgate mall.  According to the BBC:

Businessman Abdul Haji and a small group of plain-clothes policemen helped to rescue dozens of people from the Westgate mall. He had gone in search of his brother, armed only with a pistol..
The pistol is obviously mis-identified in an article in the Daily Nation as an "SSK heavy blaster":

He had packed an SSK heavy blaster pistol with 14 rounds of ammunition.  
We have one fair picture that shows the pistol in Abdul's hand in the mall, from Reuters:
 Abdul Haji in Nairobi's Westgate mall

picture is from BBC article, about half way down 

It is clearly a mid-sized semi-auto with exposed hammer.  Probably a DA/SA (double action/single action), from the position of the trigger. The overall conformation suggests a S&W model 59 or something similar, as 14 rounds were specified.

I hope that an observant readership will be able to identify a model, as it is clearly not an "SSK heavy blaster pistol".

Here are links to two more pictures that offer different aspects:

sundaytimes, reuters, 3/4 down the article, picture showing top of pistol

softkenya.com showing right side, fair profile

©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch


An observant reader on freerepublic.com  , MHGinTn, has made what appears to be a good identification:



   "Take a look at the Browning Hi Power Compact ... a close match:"

Another thinks it is a CZ-75 compact, which might fit the hammer spur outline better.

 From CZ-USA

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

EDUCATED GUESS: SIG SAUER P229 (Enhanced Elite): Chambered in 9mm = 15 rds

Anonymous said...

FYI, all guns & all ammo are illegal in Kenya unless you are military or a special police officer.

Carrying that weapon in Nairobi would normally land him in jail - unless he had powerful relatives.

Glad he had it, despite being illegal

Unknown said...

Judging from comments elsewhere, it is a CZ75 or CZ85.