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Vidhwansak
Vidhwansak Anti Materiel Rifle (AMR)
Type	Anti-material rifle
Place of origin	India
Service history
In service	2007–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli
Designed	2005
Manufacturer	Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli
Produced	February 2007
Specifications (14.5mm variant)
Mass	29 kg (64 lb)
Length	2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Barrel length	1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Cartridge	12.7×108mm, 14.5×114mm, 20x82mm
Barrels	8 Grooved, 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) length, Quick Change type 8 Grooved, 1.22 m (4 ft 0 in) Length, Quick Change type Rifling: 1:390 mm (15 in), 1:420 mm (17 in), 1:560 mm (22 in)
Action	Bolt Action, recoiling barrel
Muzzle velocity	845 m/s (2,770 ft/s), 1,080 m/s (3,500 ft/s), 720 m/s (2,400 ft/s)
Effective firing range	1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Maximum firing range	2,300 m (7,500 ft)
Feed system	3-round detachable box magazine
Sights	8X42 Power Telescopic sight with Parallax adjustment

Vidhwansak (Sanskrit: "Destroyer") is an Indian multi-caliber anti-materiel rifle (AMR) or large-caliber sniper rifle manufactured by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli. It can be used in the anti-materiel role for destroying enemy bunkers, lightly armoured vehicles, radar systems, communication equipment, parked aircraft, fuel storage facilities, etc. It is also effective in long-range sniping, counter sniping, and ordnance disposal roles.

Development

The Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation developed an anti-materiel rifle Vidhwansak in November 2005. The Denel NTW-20 rifle was used as a starting point for the design. After all-terrain and all-weather trials, the user trials began in March 2006. Production began in February 2007.

After trials, the Border Security Force ordered 100 Vidhwansaks for use in the border areas. These were supplied by October 2008. The rifle has also been offered to the Indian Army and the National Security Guards. However, the Indian Army chose not to bring the Vidhwansak into use as it did not meet the weight requirements.

It is being sold at the cost of Rs 10 lakh (about $20,000) as compared to the Denel NTW-20 AMR, which costs Rs 23 lakhs (about $45,000) as of 2011. Due to indigenisation of this weapon, foreign exchange worth over 90 million USD would be saved.

Features

Vidhwansak is a manually operated, rotating bolt-action rifle. The barrel along with the receiver recoil inside the chassis frame against a damping system. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine that is inserted from the left side. The rifle can be quickly disassembled and can be carried in two man-portable packs, each weighing about 12 to 15 kg (26 to 33 lb). A muzzle brake is fitted on the end of the barrel which absorbs an estimated 50-60% of recoil. This is further supplemented by a buffered slide in the receiver.

The Vidhwansak is equipped with an 8X magnification, long-eye-relief telescopic sight with parallax adjustment. A 12X ballistic scope can also be attached.

The rifle has an effective range of 1,800 m (5,900 ft) (1,300 m (4,300 ft) for the 20 mm version), while shots can be achieved even up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The rifle is magazine fed and reloaded through manual bolt action.

Variants

The Vidhwansak can be easily converted between the three calibers: 12.7 mm, 14.5 mm, and 20 mm, this is done by replacing the barrel, bolt, and magazine, which takes about one minute in the field, without the need for any specialized tools.

Specifications

The following are current specifications of the Vidhwansak AMR:

Users

•  India:
  • Border Security Force (100) and Central Reserve Police Force. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is seeking to acquire 450 Vidhwansaks for high-altitude operations.

See also

• Denel NTW-20

References

1. ^ "OFT develops ultra-modern futuristic weapons". Oneindia.in. 2007-03-19. Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
2. "Fusil de Francotirador Vidhwansak". www.sniperselite.com.ar. Archived from the original on 2014-08-23. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
3. ^ "Vidhwansak AMR Anti-Materiel Rifle / Sniper Rifle - India". Archived from the original on 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
4. G. Prasad (2006-03-20). "Exhibiting the 'powers' that protect us". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
5. "Small Arms of the Indian State - A Century of Procurement and Production" (PDF). www.files.ethz.ch.
6. ^ "Vidhwansak AMR". Indian Military. Archived from the original on 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
7. Girja Shankar Kaura (2006-02-05). "Ordnance factories bag order for 30,000 carbines". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
8. "Anti-materiel rifle handed over to BSF". The Hindu. 2008-02-15. Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
9. "BSF IG satisfied of AMR produced at OFT". Oneindia.in. 2008-02-15. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
10. "Army starts process to purchase 1500 anti-materiel rifles". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22.
11. Ritu Sharma (2011-01-07). "Indian Army to purchase 1000 anti-materiel rifles". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
12. "New Anti-Materiel Rifle launched". The Hindu. 2020-08-14. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
13. "Indigenously Developed Anti-Material Sniper Rifle 'Vidhwansak' Eyes Wider Service Acceptance". 31 December 2022.
14. ^ "OFB - Vidhwansak". Ordnance Factory Board. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
15. "Anti-materiel rifle handed over to BSF". The Hindu. 2008-02-15. Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
16. "Anti-Material Sniper Rifle of India 'Vidhwansak' AMR". Indian Defence News. 31 December 2022.
17. "ITBP seeks 450 high-powered sniper rifles for use in high altitude areas". Tribune India. 2023-02-17.

External links

• Anti Material Rifle VIDHWANSAK at the Wayback Machine (archived December 15, 2018)
• 14.5/20mm AMR at the Wayback Machine (archived February 22, 2020)

• 12.7 mm sniper rifles
• 20 mm artillery
• 20mm sniper rifles
• Bolt-action rifles of India
• Sniper rifles of India
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
• Anti-materiel rifles