Ishapore Rifle 2A
Ordnance Factories Board · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1963
Also known as: Rifle 7.62mm 2A, RFI 2A, Ishapore 7.62 Lee-Enfield
Overview
The Ishapore Rifle 2A (officially 'Rifle 7.62mm 2A') is an Indian-built, Lee-Enfield-pattern bolt-action rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Developed at Rifle Factory Ishapore in the wake of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, which exposed India's need for a NATO-standard cartridge, the 2A adapted the venerable SMLE Mk III* layout with a strengthened nickel-steel receiver to handle the higher-pressure round, a redesigned extractor for the rimless case, and a distinctive 12-round 'square' detachable box magazine. The original 2A retained the Enfield-pattern rear sight graduated to 2000 yards; in 1965 this was revised to a more realistic 800m sight, at which point the rifle was redesignated the 2A1.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4190 g (147.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1138 mm (44.80") |
| Barrel Length | 635 mm (25.00") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 12 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 762 m/s (2500 fps) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as 7.62 NATO, .308 Winchester (commercial equivalent)
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever
- Features: Smle Mk Iii Pattern, Strengthened Nickel Steel Receiver, Redesigned Extractor For Rimless, 12 Round Square Magazine, 2000 Yard Enfield Pattern Rear Sight, Stripper Clip Charger Loading
Variants
- Ishapore Rifle 2A1 - Successor
Service history
Operators
- Indian Army · adopted 1963 · as Rifle 7.62mm 2A
- Border Security Force
Conflicts
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 (1965)
- Sino-Indian conflicts (post-1962) (1963-present)
Production
Production years: 1963-1965
Produced at Rifle Factory Ishapore from roughly 1963 until 1965, when the corrected 800m rear sight prompted redesignation to the 2A1. The 2A and 2A1 together totaled several hundred thousand rifles.
Origin
Country of origin: India
Designer: Rifle Factory Ishapore (based on James Paris Lee SMLE design)
Discontinued: 1965
Notes
The 2A is distinguished from the later 2A1 by its optimistic 2000-yard rear sight leaf, carried over from the .303 SMLE Mk III*, versus the corrected 800m sight of the 2A1. Indian-spec 7.62mm ammunition is loaded to lower pressure than commercial .308 Winchester; firing hot modern commercial loads through the Enfield-pattern action is discouraged.
Background
When the 1962 Sino-Indian War caught India fielding aging .303 SMLEs against Chinese troops with intermediate-caliber arms, Rifle Factory Ishapore answered not with a new self-loader but by re-engineering the 60-year-old Lee-Enfield to fire 7.62mm NATO - producing what is often called the last bolt-action rifle designed for frontline military service.