Hello defence lovers! In this article, we are going to discuss the all-new ASMI machine pistol developed by DRDO and Lt Col Prasad Bansod. Recently it was showcased in an exhibition.
What Is A Machine Pistol?
Before discussing the asmi machine pistol, let us first understand what are machine pistols actually in the first place. We will also discuss why and when they are used, how they were invented and how they are different from submachine gun.
A machine pistol is a type of firearm that fires pistol ammunition in automatic or burst modes. However modern machine pistols are also capable of firing in semi-automatic mode. Now, by the term pistol ammunition, we refer to the ammunition which is conventionally used in pistols or other side arms like revolvers. Some popular pistol ammunitions are the 9mm, .45 ACP, .22 long rifle, .32 ACP etc.
History
The concept of machine pistol evolved somewhere around the era of first world war. It is rightly said that necessity is the mother of all invention. During the first world war, the second line troops like the tank crew and the artillery crew realised that their standard sidearm which was the only authorised weapon they usually carried, was not sufficient to meet the requirements. So the concept of a pistol which could fire in automatic mode came across the minds of inventors. The Germans were the first to materialise this concept. The initial models were automatic versions of their regular military counterparts. Sometimes these pistols had even wooden buttstocks.
Machine pistols slowly evolved to the form that we see today. In its modern form, it’s very difficult to distinguish between a machine pistol and a compact submachine gun. Often the machine pistols are considered to be subset of the submachine gun family.
Ghatak commandos with Brugger and Thomet Mp9
machine pistols are most effective in close quarters. These are useful because of their spraying capability and high rate of fire. These are used as PWD, as a secondary weapon, as a police weapon, as a special force weapon. These are also used in counter-terror operation.
Some very popular examples are Uzi, Heckler and Koch MP7 and MP9, Brugger and Thomet Mp9, Steyr TMP etc.
The Asmi Pistol
Lt. Col. Bansod with ASMI
The Asmi pistol has been developed by Lt. Col prasad bansod with the help of DRDO. This weapon was developed and designed in record time of just 4 months!
We have many examples in the history of firearms where some of the most successful firearms were developed by the military personnel. For example the legendary AK 47 was developed by Michael Kalashnikov who was a soldier in the Soviet army. Another example is of Lt. Col Uziel Gal who designed the famous Uzi family of weapons, was a soldier in the Israeli army. Perhaps Lt col. Bansod is the next such example.
Asmi stands for “pride, self respect and hard work”. The 3D printing technology was extensively used for the production of the parts of this gun. It was first showcased in an exhibition recently.
The Asmi is chambered in 9×19mm parabellum, a cartridge which already in use with the Indian army and other security forces. It gives Asmi a major logistical advantage over the JVPC carbine, whose 5.56 rounds were purpose-built for the design.
Like the Uzi, the Asmi uses a straight blowback mechanism with a side-folding stock, a relatively low rate of fire, and a standard glock magazine loaded inside of the pistol grip.
The upper receiver is made up of aluminium, and the lower receiver is made if of carbon fiber. The upper receiver has a full length Picatinny rail, and there are M-LOK slots on the left and right side of the weapon.
Asmi weighs around 3 kg. It has a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute. It has an effective round of 100m and would easily accept Glock-17 33-round box magazines.
The unit cost of Asmi would be roughly between 40000 to 50000 Indian rupees which makes it a much cheaper and affordable yet world class. Similar weapons like the Heckler and Koch MP 5 and Bugger and Thomet MP9 which cost more than three times it’s expected cost. Thus it makes asmi perfect option for the replacement of British era Sterling and Sten submachine guns which are still in use with the security forces.
The comparatively low price of Asmi opens a huge market of export for it. It strengthens the Atmanirbhar Bharat and make in India initiative. It is a great inspiration for all future innovations and developments.
perfect side arm weapon ,this beauty should b side arm of indian security forces