ASMI

The Asmi was designed as a replacement for the 1A Carbine, India's domestically produced copy of the Sterling submachine gun, which has been in service since the 1960s. As well as the 1A, India is also somewhat reliant on imported submachine guns, such as the Brügger & Thomet MP9, Heckler & Koch MP5 and Uzi.[2] The Asmi will serve as a cheaper alternative to imports, with an Asmi costing only a third as much as an MP5.[3]

Asmi, which means "pride, self respect and hard work", was first showcased in January 2021, and developed over the course of four months by Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Bansod,[4] who had previous experience reverse engineering an INSAS rifle to produce a bullpup carbine variant.[5] 3D printing was utilized to make parts of the gun.[6]

Unlike its predecessor, the Modern Sub Machine Carbine, the Asmi is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum,[6] a cartridge already in use in the Indian Army, giving it a major logistical advantage over the MSMC, whose round was purpose built for the design.

Similar to the Uzi, the Asmi is a straight blowback submachine gun with a side-folding stock, a relatively low rate of fire, and its magazine is loaded inside of the pistol grip. The Asmi has an eight inch (203 mm) barrel, and a weight of around 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) when unloaded, and 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) loaded.[7][8]

The upper receiver is made from aluminium, and the lower receiver is made from 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.

Designed in accordance with the Indian Army’s General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR),[9] and, typical for a submachine gun, its main application is for close-quarters combat, where it can be used by heavy weapon detachments, tanks and aircraft crews, drivers, and radio or radar operators.