Special Forces of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) are fielding a unique and unusual type of assault rifle, an Israeli-made double barrel rifle.
The rifle, a Gilboa DBR Snake was displayed by one of the TPDF commando during a parade on 12 January to mark the anniversary of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.
A local television video shows at least fifty special troopers carrying an unusual assault rifle. The Gilboa DBR Snake double-barrel assault rifle was built by the Israeli company Silver Shadow.
The Gilboa DBR Snake is two 5.56 mm AR-15-type rifles and magazines coupled into one weapon. It uses AR parts and fires the 5.56-millimeter AR round from two separate barrels, two magazines, and two ejection ports.
The rifle weighs 5.15 kg without magazines.
In the military version, both sides fire when the single trigger is pulled, while civilian models sold in the United States have two triggers. The two triggers are to make the DBR Snake legal for civilian use in the United States.
Most military customers are highly unlikely to field this unusual weapon.
The TPDF operates several Israeli weapons, including the IWI Galil ACE and Tavor TAR-21 assault rifles.
Two barrels don’t guarantee improved accuracy or better lethality, however, the enemy will likely not know the difference from a standard, single-barrel AR.
Also, ammunition adds weight, and the double barrel rifle fires twice the ammunition thereby increasing costs.