Infantry Weapons

Hunting rifle

Hunting rifles are civilian shoulder-fired rifles, usually single-shot, bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, or semiautomatic long guns, that appear in the Boko Haram Insurgency through community security actors rather than as standard military issue. UNIDIR research documents CJTF/Yan Gora affiliates and hunter/charmer auxiliaries in northeast Nigeria carrying locally obtained or craft-produced hunting rifles for protection, local defense, and guide roles alongside Nigerian and regional counter-insurgency forces.

Boko Haram InsurgencyNigerian government and allied forces

Conflict side: Nigerian government and allied forces
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Various

Hunting rifle, Civilian shoulder-fired rifle, Infantry Weapons

Image source: Hunting rifle greyBG 02.jpg

Profile

Type: Civilian shoulder-fired rifle
Conflict side: Nigerian government and allied forces
Origin: Various commercial and craft-production sources
Service note: Commercial and craft-produced rifles documented in the post-2015 conflict environment

portable small armscounter-insurgency

Service History

In service: Civilian and auxiliary security use; not a standardized military service rifle
Used by: Civilian Joint Task Force and Yan Gora affiliates, Hunters and Charmers auxiliaries
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: Various
Designed: Varies by model
Built by: Various manufacturers
Built in: Various
Produced: Varies by model and local production source
Variants: Bolt-action hunting rifle, Single-shot rifle, Craft-produced hunting rifle

Specifications

Firearm class: Shoulder-fired rifle with a rifled barrel
Action types: Single-shot, bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, or semiautomatic designs are common rifle action types
Feed system: Single-shot, internal magazine, removable box magazine, rotary magazine, or tubular magazine depending on model
Caliber range: Varies widely by model; documented examples of hunting rifles range from small .22 caliber rifles to centerfire sporting calibers
Conflict sourcing limit: Boko Haram Insurgency sources document the weapon class, not a single standardized model, caliber, or manufacturer

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Local defense patrol and guide weaponreconnaissance
Civilian Joint Task Force, Yan Gora, and hunter/charmer auxiliaries used locally obtained or craft-produced hunting rifles for community defense, patrol, and guide roles against Boko Haram and ISWAP in northeast Nigeria.

Hunting rifle Images

Hunting rifle, Civilian shoulder-fired rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: Hunting rifle greyBG 02.jpg

Hunting rifle, Civilian shoulder-fired rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: Rifle (48708742216).jpg

Hunting rifle, Civilian shoulder-fired rifle, Infantry Weapons - view 3 — Source: Heym SR 30 Straight Pull Bolt Action.jpg

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Sources

Factors Driving Weapons Holding in the North East of NigeriaPublisher: UNIDIR | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct conflict use: hunting rifles used by CJTF/Yan Gora affiliates and hunter/charmer auxiliaries in northeast Nigeria. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Long or Shoulder FirearmsPublisher: National Institute of Justice | Note: Supports general rifle classification, rifled-barrel distinction, action types, magazine types, and examination factors. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Handmade and Deadly: Craft Production of Small Arms in NigeriaPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports background on Nigerian craft-produced weapons, hunting demand, local production, and insecurity-driven demand including the Boko Haram insurgency. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Hunting rifle greyBG 02.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Remington Model 700 hunting-rifle image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Rifle (48708742216).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the .22 caliber bolt-action hunting-rifle museum image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Heym SR 30 Straight Pull Bolt Action.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the straight-pull bolt-action hunting-rifle mechanism image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21