Vidhwansak AMR Anti-Materiel Rifle / Sniper Rifle (2007)
It is believed that the Indian Vidhwansak AMR is based on the South African Denel NTW-20.
The Indian Army was, at first, in talks with the South African defense firm of Denel to deliver different types of weapon systems as being requested. One of the procurement requirements was for an anti-material rifle that was to be the Denel NTW-20 series system. However, it was revealed that the Denel firm was responsible for unlawful payments to the Indian government in order to secure the lucrative defense contracts and the firm was promptly banned from service with the Indian military as a result.
This left the Indian Army with various military-oriented gaps to fill, chief among these still being the need for a proven anti-material weapon system. As such, local work on a solution began with the Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli (OFT) teaming with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of New Delhi to produce a suitable replacement of indigenous origin. The DRDO emerged in 1958 to manage the development of technology to be used by the Indian military.
Taking the South African NTW-20 as a starting point, development produced a working prototype by the end of 2005. Evaluation began in 2006 and completed with success, leading to the procurement contract for 100 Vidhwansak to be delivered to the Indian Border Security Force - India's border patrol agency. Production of the Vidhwansak series formally began in February of 2007 and the weapon was officially delivered in October of 2008. Despite the limited procurement as of now, the Indian Army and other government defense groups have shown interest in the rifle system.
Unique to the Vidhwansak is the ability for the base weapon system to accept three different calibers with a few limited changes to her major components - the barrel and bolt. Additionally, the operator can mount an applicable optics system for the preferred caliber and must also supply the correct caliber ammunition magazine. The rifle can be made to fire cartridges in the form of 12.7mm, 14,5mm and 20mm calibers which makes the Vidhwansak a very flexible tactical weapon system.
Like other heavy rifles of this class, the Vidhwansak is a manually-actuated bolt-action rifle at her core. Regardless of the selected caliber of ammunition, the weapon feeds from a detachable box magazine inserted into the left side of the receiver. The receiver contains a buffered slide to contend with the violent recoil inherent in such weapons. Additionally, a muzzle brake is added to the barrel end to compensate for about half of the presented recoil during the firing action. The barrel and the receiver both recoil inside of the receiver frame. Design is such that the Vidhwansak can be broken down into two major components for travel by two designated personnel. Weight of the Vidhwansak is listed at a manageable 55lbs with a length of 1,700mm and a barrel length of 1,100mm. The Vidhwansak is typically issued with a crew of two operators to help facilitate the weapon needs. An 8x42 Power adjustable telescopic sight is issued as standard. Muzzle velocity is rated at 3,411 feet per second. Effective range is out to 1,962 yards with a maximum range out to 2,180 yards.
The designation of Vidhwansak from the original Sanskrit translates to "The Destroyer". Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Vidhwansak AMR
Anti-Materiel Rifle / Sniper Rifle
Country of Origin: India
Manufacturer: Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli - India
Initial Year of Service: 2007
Overall Length: 1700mm (66.93in)
Barrel Length: 1,100.00mm (43.31in)
Weight (Empty): 55.12lbs (25.00kg)
Cartridge: 12.7x108mm / 14.5x114mm / 20x82mm
Action: Manual Bolt-Action
Feed: 3-round detachable box magazine
Muzzle Velocity: 3,411ft/sec (1,040m/sec)
Range: 6,561ft (2,000m; 2,187yds)
Sights: Telescopic Sight
Variants:
Vidhwansak AMR - Base Series Designation
Operators: India
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
