The Rifle 7.62mm 2A and its later 2A1 variant, known together as the Ishapore 2A/2A1, form a bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. Design work began at the Rifle Factory Ishapore of India's Ordnance Factories Board soon after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, and the Indian Armed Forces adopted the rifle as a reserve arm in 1963. It is a variant of the Lee-Enfield and looks almost identical to the .303 British Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III*, with the exceptions of a distinctive square 10 or 12 round magazine, a buttplate taken from the Indian version of the FN FAL, improved steel to handle the higher pressure of the 7.62mm round, and a redesigned extractor for the rimless cartridge. The first 2A carried rear sights graduated to 2000 yards, and the 2A1 fitted a more realistic 800 meter sight in 1965. Around 250,000 rifles were made before production ended in 1974. The Ishapore 2A/2A1 is noted as the last bolt-action rifle designed for a regular military force other than specialized sniper rifles. It is no longer in Indian military service, although Indian police forces used it until a phase-out began in 2020.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) Introduced Year Connections
Operated By
Source Ishapore 2A1 rifle (Wikipedia)
Used In
Source Ishapore 2A1 rifle (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Ishapore 2A1 rifle (Wikipedia)
Lead
is a 7.62×51mm NATO calibre bolt-action rifle adopted as a reserve arm
Lead [introduced-year]
adopted as a reserve arm by the Indian Armed Forces in 1963
Lead [service-status]
While it is no longer in service with the Indian military
Lead [caliber]
7.62×51mm NATO calibre bolt-action rifle
Operated By: Indian Army, History
The 2A was widely used by the Indian Army after the Sino-Indian War in 1962
Used In: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Users section, Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Formerly used in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
In Group: Bolt-Action, Lever-Action and Historic Rifles, Infobox: type
Bolt-action rifle
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