E-Paper
Bathinda military station firing: 5 points about 'missing' INSAS rifle
INSAS or Indian Small Arms System is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG).
Four jawans died of gun shot injuries in a firing incident at Bathinda Military Station in Punjab on Wednesday morning, the South Western Command of the Army said in a statement.
“All aspects including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back are being ascertained,” the army said in its statement.
What is the INSAS rifle?
INSAS or Indian Small Arms System is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). The rifle was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Board at its various factories. The rifle has been the standard infantry weapon of the Indian Armed Forces for almost three decades, according to government reports.
The INSAS is primarily based on the AKM but incorporates features from other rifles.
Here are some pertinent features of the INSAS rifle:
- It has a chrome-plated bore. The barrel has a six-groove rifling.
- The gas-operated rifle can fire in single shot and three round burst (TRB) for conservation of ammunition.
- It has three modes of fire – semiautomatic, three-round burst and full automatic modes. The cyclic rate averages at 650 rpm.
- The rifle also has a transparent magazine much like that of Steyr AUG and is made of polymer.
- Variants of INSAS include INSAS standard rifle, INSAS - excalibur, INSAS - amogh, INSAS - LMG among others.
