Weapons with the Infantry unit of the Indian armed forces

Hello aspirant,

We all know the importance of infantry unit in armed forces as they are the one in the frontier of the battle formation and must be equipped with the best arms and ammunition.

This post will focus on some of the necessary weapons like pistol, rifles and machine guns with the foot soldier, i.e. infantry unit.

First, lets us look at some of the essential pistols

1. The Pistol Auto 9mm 1A
   

• This is a semi-automatic pistol currently manufactured by Rifle Factory Ishapore, one of 41 production facilities of Ordnance Factories Board of the Indian Ministry of Defence.
• The first specimen was manufactured in 1977, while large-scale manufacturing began in 1981.

Specification

• Calibre: 9 mm
• Weight: With magazine empty: 0.935 kg, with magazine loaded: 1.075 kg
• Length overall: 205 mm
• Barrel length: 120 mm
• Magazine Capacity: 13 rounds
• Ammunition used: Cartridge SA Ball 9 mm MK.2z(Parabellum)
• Rifling: 6 grooves, one turn in 254 mm, R.H.
• Muzzle Velocity: 396.23 m/s.
• Range: 50 m

2. The Glock17
   

• This is a series of polymer-framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H.
• This gun in the initial stage was termed as “plastic gun”, but lately it proved them wrong and earned a huge profit for the company.

Specification

• Cartridge: 9mm
• Muzzle velocity: 375 m/s
• Effective firing range: 50 m
• Ammunition: 10, 15, 17 or 33- extended round Detachable box magazine

Now, we will see some of the machine guns used

3. The Uzi
   

• This is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are often considered to be machine pistols.
• The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter arm.
• Special forces of the country use this gun.

Specifications

• Weight:3.5 kg
• Length:445 mm
• Barrel length:260 mm
• Cartridge:9mm Parabellum
• The rate of fire:600 rounds/min
• Muzzle velocity: 400 m/s
• Effective firing range: 200 m
• Feed system: 10-round box magazine (.22 and .41 AE), 16-round box (.45 ACP)

4. MP-5
   

• The MP5 is a submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar.
• There are over 100 variants of the MP5, including some semi-automatic versions.
• This is used by the National Security Guard( NSG) in India.

Specification

• Weight 5 kg (5.5 lb)
• Length:680mm
• Barrel length: 225mm
• Cartridge: 9×19mm Parabellum
• The rate of fire:800 rounds/min
• Muzzle velocity: 400 m/s
• Effective firing range:200 m
• Feed system:15, 30 or 40 round detachable box magazine

Some of the rifles that are used by the Infantry unit

5. The AKM
   

• AKM is a 62mmassault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
• It is a common modernised variant of the AK-47 rifle developed in the 1940s.
• The army uses this assault rifle including PARA SF, Garud, Ghatak, BSF and NSG.

Specifications

• Weight AKM: 3.8 kg with a full magazine(6H4 bayonet: 0.32 kg)
• Length: 880 mm
• Barrel length 415 mm
• Cartridge 62×39mm M43
• Calibre 62x39mm
• The rate of fire: 600 rds/min
• Muzzle velocity 715 m/s
• Effective firing range:350 m
• Feed system: 10, 20, or 30 round detachable box magazines.

6. The M4A1 carbine
   

• This is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle.
• The M4 is a 56×45mm NATO, air-cooled, direct impingement gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine. It has a 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel and a telescoping stock.
• It is used by special forces, including PARA SF and Ghatak SF and MARCOS.

Specifications

• Weight: 40 kg with 30 rounds
• Length: 33 in (stock extended)
• Barrel length: 370 mm
• Cartridge:5.56×45mm
• Caliber: 56 mm (.223 in)
• The rate of fire:700–950 round/min
• Muzzle velocity: 910 m/s
• Effective firing range:500 m
• Feed system:30-round box magazine

Let us look at a few heavy machine gun

7. The NSV
   

• NSV is a 12.7mm calibre heavy machine gun of Soviet origin.
• The NSV has been manufactured in Bulgaria, India, Poland and Yugoslavia under license.
• Used as a secondary weapon on T-72 and T-90 tanks.

Specifications

• Weight: 25 kg (55.12 lb) (gun only)
• Length: 1,560 mm (61.4 in)
• Cartridge:12.7×108mm
• Calibre: 7 mm
• The rate of fire: 700–800 rounds/min
• Muzzle velocity 845 m/s
• Effective firing range 5 km( air), 2 km (ground targets)
• Feed system:50-round belt

8. The PKM
   

• This is a 62×54mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia.
• The original PKM machine gun was introduced in 1961 and then the improved PKM in 1969 to replace the SGM and RP-46 machine guns in Soviet service.
• It remains in use as a front-line infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon with Indian forces.
• PK machine guns used as co-axial weapons in Russian produced T-90S Bhishma, T-72M Ajeya and BMP-2S Sarath and used as a general purpose machine gun. They are also used by Special Forces as section LMG.

Specifications

• Weight PK: 9 kg (gun + integral bipod) + 7.7 kg  (tripod).
• Length: 1,203 mm (47.4 in)
• PKM: 1,192 mm
• Barrel length: 605 mm (23.8 in) (without muzzle device)
• Cartridge:7.62×54mmR
• The rate of fire: 650 rounds/min
• Muzzle velocity: 825 m/s
• Effective firing range: 1,000 m (100–1,500 m sight adjustments)
• Maximum firing range: 3,800 m
• Feed system: Non-disintegrating metal 50 round belts in 100 and 200/250 round ammunition boxes

These were some of the important arms equipped with the infantry unit.

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Jai Hind