No, that’s not a typo. The 5.56x30mm MINSAS is a round that was developed beginning in 2009 in India, and is currently produced there.

Images of the cartridge are difficult to come by, as most 5.56x30mm pictures are actually of a prototype Colt cartridge of the same name. However I was able to find a poster of the joint venture protective carbine (JVPC) which also shows off the rounds in the background.

The Amogh (sometimes simply labeled as “MINSAS” in pictures) is an off-shoot of the INSAS, which is India’s domestically designed and produced rifle. The INSAS rifle is much like an AK, with a long stroke piston operation and a similar overall profile, although it does incorporate aspects like a left side non-reciprocating charging handle that are found on FAL rifles.

The Amogh is largely the same in operation as the INSAS, but scaled down for the smaller cartridge. This page has an embedded video with it being handled.

The Amogh has been largely superseded by the JVPC as the preferred 5.56x30mm weapon. The Amogh was rejected by the Indian Army, but is used by the Navy, Coast Guard and Police.

Meanwhile the JVPC has become the de facto standard weapon going forward in 5.56x30mm.

The JVPC is an iteration on the older Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) design which appears alongside the Amogh in some older pictures. The MSMC was submitted for Indian Army trials in 2010 which revealed flaws with the weapons. It was redesigned and redesigned as the JVPC in 2013. Since then it has cleared trials for the Indian Army and police force and is being procured.

For some reason you can put a bayonet on the JVPC.

  • @FireTowerM
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    41 year ago

    Looked it up it’s made by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited a state owned defense company. That’d explain why we don’t hear about it much or see export models much out of India.