INSAS 1A
Ordnance Factory Board · Assault Rifle · In Service · 1998
Also known as: Rifle 5.56mm INSAS 1A, INSAS Fixed Butt, Indian Small Arms System 1A
Overview
The INSAS 1A is a fixed-buttstock variant of India's INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifle, developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board. Representing the standard early-production infantry rifle of the family, the 1A is fitted with a solid polymer buttstock (as opposed to the side-folding metal stock of the 1B) and combines a Kalashnikov-derived long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt with Western features including an FN FAL-style manual gas regulator for launching rifle grenades and a left-side charging handle. The rifle fires from a 464mm chrome-lined barrel, feeds from translucent 20- or 30-round polymer magazines, and offers selective fire limited to semi-automatic and three-round burst (no full-automatic in the rifle configuration). It served as a mainstay of the Indian Army before being progressively supplanted by the improved 1B1 and later platforms such as the AK-203 and SIG716i.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4250 g (149.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4730 g (166.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 960 mm (37.80") |
| Barrel Length | 464 mm (18.27") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 900 m/s (2953 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1730 J (1276 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 700 m (766 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Stamped Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as 5.56x45mm, 5.56 NATO, SS109, M855
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Burst 3
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Hammer Notch
- Features: Chrome Lined Barrel, Chrome Lined Chamber, Rotating Bolt, Select Fire, Manual Gas Regulator, Gas Cutoff For Grenades, Fixed Buttstock, Left Side Charging Handle, Bayonet Lug, Three Round Burst, Translucent Polymer Magazine, Iron Sights
Variants
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Indian Armed Forces · adopted 1998 · as Rifle 5.56mm INSAS 1A
- Central Reserve Police Force · as INSAS
- Nepalese Army · adopted 2001 · as INSAS
Conflicts
- Kargil War (1999-1999)
- Indian Counter-Insurgency Operations (1998-present)
Production
Production years: 1990s-present
Part of overall INSAS production (roughly 300,000 rifles across variants); 1A-specific totals not separately published.
Origin
Country of origin: India
Designer: Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE)
Notes
The 1A designation identifies the fixed-butt rifle within the INSAS subvariant series (1A, 1A1, 1B, 1B1, 1C). Like the wider family it drew criticism for cold-weather reliability problems and cracked polymer magazines during high-altitude operations, which drove the later 1B1 improvements. Magazine capacity is commonly 20 rounds, with 30-round magazines also issued.
Background
The INSAS fielded two buttstock configurations from the outset: the fixed-butt 1A for standard infantry and a side-folding-butt 1B for mechanised and airborne troops. The same hybrid design that mixed an AK-style gas system with FN-derived controls would later earn the family a reputation for jamming and magazine cracking in Himalayan cold during the 1999 Kargil War.