Why is India still using 19th-century Lee-Enfield rifles?

The Indian Army, with 1.2 million troops in regular service and another 900,000 in reserve, is the world's second-largest, and a force to be reckoned with in South Asia and even Asia. It has been using mainly India's self-developed INSAS? assault rifles, with some Soviet-Russian AK series assault rifles.

But for a long time? INSAS? s update of equipment is too slow, and can not meet the needs of the Indian Army, earlier this year the U.S. Sig? Sauer Arms and the Indian Army signed a long-term agreement, in 10 years for the Indian Army to produce more than 72,400? Inzas? assault rifles. Even so, in some parts of India, there are still a large number of police and militia forces can not use the standard weapons, and even only be able to use the last century? Lee? Enfield? Mark III .303 caliber rifles.

According to surveys and statistics, at least 59,000 Lee Enfield .303-caliber rifles remain in the economically backward state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. Enfield .303 caliber rifles are still used by a large number of police officers, even though these old guns should have been replaced long ago. In fact, in India, the Lee-Enfield .303 caliber rifle was replaced in 1995 by the Lee-Enfield .303. Enfield rifles were declared obsolete by the then Indian Army in February 1995 and are no longer in use, although 48% of police officers in India still carry them. The Indian Ministry of Defense has now set a goal of replacing all the rifles still in use with Lee-Enfield rifles by 2022. Enfield rifles.

Why the delay in replacing these? antique guns? , and the Indians are telling the world in practical terms? that Indian-made guns can never be built well. INSAS? assault rifles were first designed from the 1980s, when the Indian Arms Research and Development Establishment planned to use the Soviet AKM and Israel? Galil? The Kargil War broke out between India and Pakistan in 1998, in which India wanted to show Pakistan how good its army was, and in the process show the Pakistanis how good they were. The new gun developed by itself, the Insas? Assault Rifle?

The Indian Army used the new ? Insas? Assault Rifle, but there are a lot of problems. But who would have thought that India's development of this weapon is not supporting the establishment of a corresponding 5.56 mm caliber bullet production line, before and no wartime, the main use of the AK series and its supporting 7.62 mm caliber bullets, and did not move the ? Insas? Assault rifle opportunities, the results of a reception of the enemy, India's Ministry of Defense senior a pat on the thigh? Bad, no bullets to fight what war?

So in order not to lose face, India can only? The Indian Defense Ministry has been working on this issue for a long time, and it has been a long time.

So in order not to lose face, India can only ? In addition this gun, there are often jammed, ruptured magazines and other serious problems, so in the ? Insas? s problems have not been completely resolved, the Indian military is still wary of purchasing new guns.

So the second-line troops and even the police continue to use last century's Lee Enfield, which seems to be working just fine. Enfield, it seems, is still in good hands. In India, there are still 19th century? Lee? Enfield? Rifles can be found in the streets of India. But it has to be said that the Lee-Enfield is a classic and a very good rifle. Enfield is indeed a very classic and well used rifle, and to this day, some countries in the Commonwealth and some African and Middle Eastern countries still have a certain number of numbers of equipment, and even Canada has only announced that it will stop using the Lee?Enfield in 2018. Enfield.

The Indian Army primarily used the Mark III rifle, which was officially introduced in 1907, and was further simplified and improved with a simplified rear-illuminated door, improved wood guards and magazines, and the use of the then-new Mk VII high muzzle velocity .303 ammunition. India and Australia have been equipped with the Lee-Enfield since World War II. Australia stopped using the Lee Enfield in 1950 and replaced it with the SLR, while India continues to use it to this day.