Ishapore Rifle Factory
Encyclopedia
The Ishapore Rifle Factory (also known as Ishapore Arsenal) is an Arms manufacturing plant located at Ishapore, in the Indian sub-division of Barrackpore
, outside Calcutta in West Bengal
.
The first Arms Manufacturing facility on the site was a gunpowder
factory, which was started in 1787 and began production in 1791, whilst a Gun & Carriage manufacturing facility was set up nearby in 1801.
In 1904, a Rifle Factory was established at Ishapore, and began production of the Lee-Enfield
rifle, which has continued- more or less- until the mid-1980s, and possibly the present. The factory also manufactured the Vickers-Berthier
(VB) light machine gun
, which was adopted in 1932 by the Indian Army
and still remains in reserve use.
Military rifles manufactured at Ishapore pre-1949 are stamped "GRI" on the buttsocket, referring to George Rex, Imperator (i.e. King George VI, last Emperor of India), whilst military rifles manufactured post-1948 are stamped "RFI", which stands for Rifle Factory, Ishapore.
The .303
calibre Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III
, the 7.62x51 NATO calibre Ishapore 2A1 rifle, and the 7.62x51 NATO L1A1 were manufactured at the Ishapore Rifle Factory, and the factory now manufactures the INSAS 5.56 mm
assault rifle for the Indian Army, as well as numerous other weapons for both the military and civilian markets.
The Ishapore Rifle Factory is controlled by the Ordnance Factories Organisation
of India. The organisation and the Ordnance Factory Board are notoriously secretive regarding production figures or specifications for military rifles, making the exact number of rifles produced at the arsenal almost impossible to determine.
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
, outside Calcutta in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
.
The first Arms Manufacturing facility on the site was a gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
factory, which was started in 1787 and began production in 1791, whilst a Gun & Carriage manufacturing facility was set up nearby in 1801.
In 1904, a Rifle Factory was established at Ishapore, and began production of the Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
rifle, which has continued- more or less- until the mid-1980s, and possibly the present. The factory also manufactured the Vickers-Berthier
Vickers-Berthier
The Vickers-Berthier light machine gun manufactured by Vickers-Armstrong was based on a French design of just before World War I. In 1925 Vickers in Britain purchased licence rights for production in their Crayford factory, and as a replacement for the Lewis Gun.-History:During the 1932 British...
(VB) light machine gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
, which was adopted in 1932 by the Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and still remains in reserve use.
Military rifles manufactured at Ishapore pre-1949 are stamped "GRI" on the buttsocket, referring to George Rex, Imperator (i.e. King George VI, last Emperor of India), whilst military rifles manufactured post-1948 are stamped "RFI", which stands for Rifle Factory, Ishapore.
The .303
.303
.303 may refer to:* .303 British, a rifle cartridge* .303 Savage, a rifle cartridge* Lee-Enfield rifle* .303 , a short film...
calibre Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
, the 7.62x51 NATO calibre Ishapore 2A1 rifle, and the 7.62x51 NATO L1A1 were manufactured at the Ishapore Rifle Factory, and the factory now manufactures the INSAS 5.56 mm
INSAS 5.56 mm
INSAS is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle, a light machine gun and a carbine. It is manufactured by the Indian State Ordnance Factory Board at its Ishapore factory...
assault rifle for the Indian Army, as well as numerous other weapons for both the military and civilian markets.
The Ishapore Rifle Factory is controlled by the Ordnance Factories Organisation
Ordnance Factories Organisation
The Indian Ordnance Factories Board is an industrial setup functioning under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. It is engaged in production of arms, ammunition, and equipment for civilian as well as military applications...
of India. The organisation and the Ordnance Factory Board are notoriously secretive regarding production figures or specifications for military rifles, making the exact number of rifles produced at the arsenal almost impossible to determine.