The Indian Ministry of Defense has reissued an RFI for 44,000 5.56x45mm rifles due by July 15th, and to be completed by this August. We say “reissued” because this is actually based on a previous tender for a similar amount of rifles that has [Read More…]
In an unprecedented turn of events, the Indian government has approved the building of a private sector small arms factory at Malanpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Previously, the Indian small arms industry has been entirely nationalized, with the Ministry of [Read More…]
The Indian Army has released an RFI that is requesting interested companies to submit a proposal for 1500 Anti-Material Rifles (AMR as per Indian Army). The rifles must be in a 12.7mm caliber (x108mm or .50 BMG wasn’t specified) and must weigh lighter than the [Read More…]
There is an interesting cultural element of worshipping weapons in India. It is called Shastra Puja or Ayudha Puja, which literally means weapon worship. It takes place during an Indian religious annual festival in September. The celebration is dedicated to the Goddess [Read More…]
Earlier on TFB we reported on the South Korean Military’s insistence on picking up every single brass cartridge fired while conducting live fire training. Soon after, we received an Indian reader that emailed us with these photographs showing the brass catching [Read More…]
Hot on the heels of requesting an RFI for 36,000 thermal optics for GPMGs, Indian Army Infantry Procurement officials are putting out another RFI solicitation, this time for 5,000 rifles in .338 Lapua, no mention of scopes or thermal optics. In fact, the solicitation is [Read More…]
The Indian Army has issued an RFI for 36,000 thermal optics to mount on the services Indian Ordnance Factory licensed production of 7.62x51mm NATO MAG 2A1 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG). Pictured is a MAG-58 6-1, lacking the picatinny rail top cover that the 2A1 [Read More…]
During the past couple of months, the Indian army had at least three casualties from sniper fire on the border. These incidents probably lead India to announce about their need for a new sniper rifle. They sent an information request to world’s major firearms [Read More…]
The frothing, boiling cauldron that is India’s collective rifle development and procurement entities has shifted again. Just two weeks ago, we reported to you that India had restarted its search for a 7.62x51mm foreign assault rifle to replace the INSAS. Now, we [Read More…]
It feels like déjà vu: India has once again issued a Request For Information (RFI) for a new rifle, this time in 7.62x51mm NATO caliber. The RFI was reportedly issued on the 27th of September, making it two and a half months between the nation’s government [Read More…]
Over the past few years a lot of companies have released their own version of a blast shield or diverter that attaches to a muzzle device. One of the early ones was the Ferfrans CQB Modular Muzzle Brake, then there was Gemtech’s Muzzle Shroud, Kineti-Tech’s [Read More…]
In the latest installment of the Indian next generation rifle procurement saga, the nation-subcontinent has decided to forgo their “Excalibur” rifle development program, which consisted of essentially a product-improved INSAS rifle, in favor of a new [Read More…]
Spurred by the threat of restricted arms imports, India’s Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has reverse-engineered the Heckler and Koch (H&K) MP5 for use within the country’s military and state police units. Named “Anamika”, which in Sanskrit [Read More…]
These aren’t the Indian Ishapore 7.62x51mm rifles that served the Indian armed forces and we have so many of in the U.S. These are 8x50R Mannlicher chambered Lee Enfields that are available to the public. The choice of cartridge, or otherwise known as .315 [Read More…]
Shaitan sent us this photo from Defense Forum Indian. He wrote “Indian MCIWS rifle in its latest avatar with a new type of stock .It is still being developed.” The Multi Caliber Individual Weapon System (MCIWS) has been a development since at least 2013. It [Read More…]
This is something different. We have posted some odd Israeli firearm training but this is almost comical. However I have to commend them for expertly performing these maneuvers in sync with each other. Cartwheeling to shoot a pistol should be in every training course. [Read More…]
Such an odd image. I am not sure if the commanding officer is messing with these guys or if this is legitimate training. The soldier on the far left is looking straight up at the sky. They are wielding these like pistols but the mag wells are empty and the magazines [Read More…]
The Indian Ministry of Defense is awaiting the results of trials to do with their Excalibur program, of which they are hoping will pass, and then plans to purchase over 600,000 rifles, at the price of 60,000 INR, or around $900 US dollars each. We’ve already [Read More…]
On the heels of the formal cancellation of the Indian rifle tender that would have selected a foreign arm to replace the problematic indigenous INSAS rifle, the Indian government has announced they will proceed with a newly announced home-grown development, the [Read More…]
The Indian military will have to live for a while longer with the troubled and increasingly dated INSAS, and antique hand-me-down AKM rifles, it seems. Daily Mail India reports: In a setback to the Indian soldier’s quest for a reliable assault rifle, the Army has [Read More…]
India’s rifle competition may be on the verge of cancellation. From Jane’s: India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is likely to scrap its 2011 tender for 66,000 multi-calibre assault rifles after four overseas vendors failed to meet the Indian [Read More…]
The troubled INSAS rifle has met yet another stumbling block. Calling the rifle “defective, the Delhi High Court questioned the Indian Ministry of Defense’s and the Home Ministry’s issuance of the rifles, late last month, Indian Express reports: The [Read More…]
Tim sent us some very interesting photos he took of Indian police earlier this year. Time writes … A series of images taken during the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 exposition in Ahmedabad, India, in January 2015. The Indian police (be they state, local, or federal) were [Read More…]
A number of factories raided by police near the Uttar Pradesh/Haryana boarder in India appear to have been producing copies of the Jaco Western pistol, a popular DIY design published in 1972 and sold via mail order in the USA. Many more Indian homemade pistols can be [Read More…]
Homemade firearms have long featured strongly in Indian criminology. Known locally as Kattas or tamanchas, these crude handmade pistols account for up to 30% of firearms related crime. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, their use is continuing an upward [Read More…]
According to Altair.com, India has begun its competition, announced in 2011, to replace the troubled INSAS rifle. Tellingly, the new rifle will not be Indian-made (much less designed). The competitors originally included the Colt Combat Rifle(sic) (probably the Colt [Read More…]
Rather than just post up just what I find most interesting, I am going to try something new with our readership: What do YOU want to see covered? Is there a specific product or company that you want TFB to go hands on with? Shout out in the comments below. As the [Read More…]
India’s Prototype MCIWS (Multi-Calibre Individual Weapon System) was on display at the DEFEXPO 2014 arms expo. The rifle has been designed to chamber 5.56mm, 6.8x43mm and 7.62x39mm. It appears to be based on the FNC design with some AR-15 features [Read More…]
Indian Ordnance Factories, a government owned arms manufacturer, is marketing a new revolver called The Nirbheek and named after a rape victim. The revolver is based on the Webley design (along with all IOF’s revolvers) and is chambered in .32 S&W. The [Read More…]
Leftfield Productions are casting for the second season of CMT’s Guntucky. Lindsay Goyette, the Associate Producer, sent us the following information … HIT TV SERIES IS CASTING GUN COLLECTORS & ENTHUSIASTS! A hit series for a major cable network is [Read More…]
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