acetophenol
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The army cannot continue with the SLR. I won't be surprised if the SLR ammo was imported but army urgently needed a replacement. AK-47s were purchased from Romania but some buffoon in DRDO/OFB must have suggested an indigenous rifle and the INSAS took place. The army will need something to fight with so they HAD to place an order. Army ordered AKs because they needed a reliable weapon in addition to the joke that is INSAS.
The INSAS LMG is another joke from OFB. In 2014 India is using a magazine fed Light Machine Gun. For the love of God the last time a magagine fed machine was used it was by the Japanese in WW2. Or you can add the Bren by the British at the same era.
LMG are area weapons used to provide covering fire for home troops and suppressing fire against the enemy. The Indian Bren gun, though magazine fed atleast fires a 7.62 round. The INSAS LMG on the other hand fires a 5.56 round, is fed with a 30 round magazine instead of the 100 round chain-link ammo which is the world standard for LMG and has absolutely no room for any scopes. That weapon is practically useless at night. Weight of 7.62 mm Bren is 8.6 kg and weight of 5.56 mm INSAS LMG is 6.2 kg. The INSAS weapons are unnecessarily heavy which puts unwanted pressure on the soldiers manning them.
Army uses the Dragunov sniper rifle in marksman role. Who told you that a 5.56 mm INSAS is used in DM roles? LOL! A DM is an ad hoc sniper attached to an army platoon to take out targets at long range. Why would a squad carrying INSAS rifles use an INSAS rifle as a sniper weapon? Makes no sense at all. The Tavor has an effective range of 500 meters and the INSAS has a range of 400 meters.
Why would a weapon with less range be used to shoot targets at long range? The army knows better that's why all units in hot zones are equipped with Tavor/AK and the DM rifle is the Dragunov not the INSAS.
In counter insurgency you do not use semi automatic fire. Counter insurgency operations are ambush type warfare where engagements with the enemy are at very short-range. That's why compact weapons like MP5 are used for easy maneuvering. In CQC firepower means much more than accuracy. Semi automatic mode does not give you superior firepower, full auto mode does that.
The Carl seiss sight is an extremely expensive one and would be more expensive than the weapon itself. I doubt if every INSAS would be equipped with the Carl Seiss sight.
The ordinary jawan in the army deserves much better than the garbage known as INSAS rifle. It is heavy, bulky, lacks firepower, cannot carry enough ammo and is a comparatively weak round than 7.62. Tavor also fires 5.56 but it has a 30 round mag as standard, is lighter, compact, accurate and can go full auto in emergencies.
Indian Army learned the hardway,the shortcomings of SLR during Op Pawan. The result of Army's search for a replacement is what resulted in INSAS. Like any other weapon,INSAS was crafted acording to Army's requirement,which was taken into service after long trials.
The SLR ammo is produced in the country and is not imported.
Regarding the Mag fed INSAS LMG,again it was the Army's choice. IA has prefered Mag fed LMG for general use. This allowed the barrel to cool down, and allowed easier carrying of Magazines. OFB did make a box fed INSAS LMG which was shown in several Def Expos.
http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/guns.jpg
OFB has been making belt fed Machne guns for ages,yet army chose INSAS LMGs with Magazine feed. Not Just the Army,Navy also prefers Mag fed INSAS LMG.
And INSAS Rifles and LMGs with Telescopic and Night/Thermal sights are used by Army and BSF.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v66snxW1UxE/TbglCZ_9u5I/AAAAAAAACLI/tvcdkeZ90bY/s1600/garud+sniper+2.jpg
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/6727/po11y.jpg
OFB made FMJ 5.56X45MM rounds have a mass of 4.16 gm with steel core,suited for penetration of BPJs.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img547/2613/dsc02351m.jpg
INSAS is cheap,easy to use and maintain (an INSAS can be field stripped,cleaned and assembled into firing position in less than 50 sec,guys even do it blind folded),it is accurate and has less recoil and flash.
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