INSAS Assault Rifle and IOFB INSAS Assault Rifle India Production Technology

INSAS Assault Rifle and IOFB INSAS Assault Rifle

In a way, the INSAS Assault Rifle could almost be considered a "Frankenweapon;" the basic operation is very close to that of the AKM assault rifle and AK-74 assault rifle series, along with the stamped steel receiver. However, the INSAS Assault Rifle also uses a FAL-like manual gas regulator and gas cutoff for use with rifle grenades, the charging mechanism and charging handle of the Heckler & Koch G-3 and HK-33 (including its position on left side of the fore-end), and a folding carrying handle similar to that of the L-1A1. The stock may be made from wood or polymer, or be a folding metal stock. Standard magazines contain 20 rounds and are made from translucent polymer, but similar 30-round magazines (intended primarily for use in the INSAS LMG Assault Rifle) will also fit into the INSAS assault rifle. (These translucent polymer magazines are actually modified from those of the Steyr AUG.) 22-round light alloy magazines were used during the INSAS’s development, but not officially adopted; however, such a large quantity of these magazines were made that they are issued quite often.

 IOFB INSAS Assault Rifle

This is the new Indian assault rifle, based on the AK series and the Galil. Though 7000 of these weapons were due for delivery by 1994, service adoption was complicated by the lack of 5.56mm NATO ammunition in the country, and by 1998, the INSAS assault rifle had been issued only to special units such as special operations units and paratroopers. 50 million rounds of 5.56mm NATO ammunition were ordered from Israel in 1996 (with an option for 50 million more), but this order was cut by Israel (possibly due to political pressure from the US), before one-quarter of the initial batch actually delivered, and the remainder of the order was not delivered until recently. In the meantime, India was able to order a huge amount of AKMS and ammunition from Romania, and many of the units slated to receive the INSAS got AKMs instead. Indian troops that did receive the INSAS are reportedly pleased with it, finding it to very reliable and accurate, and by 2006, some 300,000 INSAS assault rifles were in service with the Indian Army.

INSAS Assault Rifle

Three production batches were built before 1998 Pakistani air strikes put the INSAS production lines out of
action; production stopped after a little over 18,000 rifles and did not start again until nearly 2020. Low-scale production of 5.56mm NATO rounds began in India in mid-1997, but production never kept up with demand, and even many special units went back to the AKM and FN-FAL.

Production and adoption of the INSAS was largely discontinued due to budgetary reasons in 1996; after this,
Indian troops were armed mostly with a combination of older Russian and Eastern European-made weapons.

INSAS Assault Rifle