LUCKNOW: Giving more power to women to defend themselves and as a tribute to December 2012 ganrape victim Nirbhaya, the Indian Ordnance Factory, Kanpur, has manufactured Nirbheek, a .32 bore light weight revolver, India's first firearm designed for women. At 500 grams, it is also the first IOF handgun made of titanium alloy.
Priced at Rs 1,22,360, Nirbheek was launched on January 6 and has already received around 80 formal enquiries and over 20 bookings. "At least 80% bookings are from women licensees," says Abdul Hameed, general manager of IOF. Described by arms experts as an Indian hybrid of a Webley & Scott and Smith & Wesson, for its simple mechanism and light frame, it is the smallest revolver made in India — an ideal to fit a purse or a small hand bag.
In a state where government offers arms licences as incentive to achieve wheat procurement and immunization targets, it is not surprising that a total of 11,22,814 persons have licensed arms as per the state home department records. This is over four times the count of firearms available with the Uttar Pradesh Police (2.5 lakh). Hence a ready market already seems in place for Nirbheek.
But not all women believe carrying a handgun would help combat harassment on public transport daily. "There is nothing they can do to a woman with a gun that they cannot to one without," says Shalini Seth, a medical executive touring on most of the week days. "In rape, the threat is not so much to life and a weapon may not be helpful once a tormentor has prevailed on his prey," she says.
Senior IPS officer Arun Kumar, on the other hand, has a different point of view. "Once a target of rape whips out a handgun, the element of surprise is sure to scare the life out of most of the persons who attempt rape," he said. "In most of criminal cases in India, the perpetrator, irrespective of whether armed or not, neither expects nor faces any stiff resistance from the target. Women carrying small handguns will surely make a difference to the tendency," said Kumar, additional director general of police (ADG) heading Rules and Manuals wing of the UP Police.
The IOF Kanpur is confident the revolver will be the ideal weapon for women in India. "Expectedly, the weapon has received a very good response. More bookings are sure to follow once the Allahabad High Court lifts the ban on new licences," said Hameed. The court had put a ban on issuing new licences in October 2013 while hearing a petition on anomalies in the process through which arms licences are issued.
"The revolver is capable of firing six rounds loaded in a revolving chamber, hence any misfire of a round does not affect next shot, unlike in a pistol. Positive location of main spring eliminates malfunctioning as well," he said. Keeping in mind the target clientele, the IOF Kanpur has also ordered specially designed boxes lined with velvet to make it more attractive.
Priced at Rs 1,22,360, Nirbheek was launched on January 6 and has already received around 80 formal enquiries and over 20 bookings. "At least 80% bookings are from women licensees," says Abdul Hameed, general manager of IOF. Described by arms experts as an Indian hybrid of a Webley & Scott and Smith & Wesson, for its simple mechanism and light frame, it is the smallest revolver made in India — an ideal to fit a purse or a small hand bag.
In a state where government offers arms licences as incentive to achieve wheat procurement and immunization targets, it is not surprising that a total of 11,22,814 persons have licensed arms as per the state home department records. This is over four times the count of firearms available with the Uttar Pradesh Police (2.5 lakh). Hence a ready market already seems in place for Nirbheek.
But not all women believe carrying a handgun would help combat harassment on public transport daily. "There is nothing they can do to a woman with a gun that they cannot to one without," says Shalini Seth, a medical executive touring on most of the week days. "In rape, the threat is not so much to life and a weapon may not be helpful once a tormentor has prevailed on his prey," she says.
Senior IPS officer Arun Kumar, on the other hand, has a different point of view. "Once a target of rape whips out a handgun, the element of surprise is sure to scare the life out of most of the persons who attempt rape," he said. "In most of criminal cases in India, the perpetrator, irrespective of whether armed or not, neither expects nor faces any stiff resistance from the target. Women carrying small handguns will surely make a difference to the tendency," said Kumar, additional director general of police (ADG) heading Rules and Manuals wing of the UP Police.
The IOF Kanpur is confident the revolver will be the ideal weapon for women in India. "Expectedly, the weapon has received a very good response. More bookings are sure to follow once the Allahabad High Court lifts the ban on new licences," said Hameed. The court had put a ban on issuing new licences in October 2013 while hearing a petition on anomalies in the process through which arms licences are issued.
"The revolver is capable of firing six rounds loaded in a revolving chamber, hence any misfire of a round does not affect next shot, unlike in a pistol. Positive location of main spring eliminates malfunctioning as well," he said. Keeping in mind the target clientele, the IOF Kanpur has also ordered specially designed boxes lined with velvet to make it more attractive.
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