Police, armed forces evince interest in Kanpur-made pistol

A new machine pistol, developed by the Small Arms Factory (SAF), Kanpur—a weapon production unit of state-owned Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd—will soon become part of police forces in several states, said SAF officials aware of the development.

The 9×19 mm pistol has been specifically designed for use by the police and armed forces. Resembling a machine gun, it boasts a magazine capacity of 30 rounds, they added.

As per them, several state police forces, including those from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mumbai, have already placed orders for the weapon.

Besides, the Northern Command of the Indian Army, based in Udhampur, has also evinced interest in the pistol. Confirming it, Surendra Pati, general manager of SAF, said the machine pistol will be supplied to police forces across various states as well as the Northern Command.

“This weapon has been designed and manufactured with the operational needs of the forces in mind,” he added.

The said weapon has been rigorously tested, successfully operating in extreme temperatures, ranging from minus 20 to 45 degrees Celsius. Its performance was found to surpass that of many leading international competitors, Pati added.

Weighing just 2.38 kg, the pistol can be used in both single-shot and automatic modes. Under India’s Swadeshi policy, the SAF has developed a variety of weapons that are not only in demand within India but are also being sought after by foreign countries.

For instance, the company’s medium machine gun has secured an order for 3,000 units from a European country, to be delivered over the next three years.