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The Rifle 7.62mm 2A/2A1 (also known as the Ishapore 2A/2A1) is a 7.62×51mm NATO calibre bolt-action rifle adopted as a reserve arm by the Indian Armed Forces in 1963. The design of the rifle - initially the Rifle 7.62mm 2A - began at the Ishapore Rifle Factory of the Ordnance Factories Board in India, soon after the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
The Ishapore 2A/2A1 has the distinction of being the last bolt-action rifle designed to be used by a regular military force other than specialized sniper rifles.
The Ishapore 2A was based upon (and is almost identical to) the .303 British calibre SMLE Mk III* rifle but reworked to use the 7.62x51 NATO round. Externally the rifle is very similar to the classic Mk III*, with the exception of the magazine- which is more "square" and usually carries twelve rounds instead of ten, although a number of 2A1s have been noted with 10 round magazines. Ishapore 2A/2A1 rifles are made with strengthened steel (to handle the increased pressures of the 7.62x51 round), and the extractor is redesigned to cope with the rimless round. From 1965-1975 (when production is believed to have been discontinued), the sights were changed from 2000 m to 800 m, and the rifle re-designated "Rifle 7.62mm 2A1".
There are no other differences between the Ishapore 2A and 2A1 rifles, but they are often incorrectly described as ".308 conversions". In fact, the 2A/2A1 rifles are not conversions of .303 calibre SMLE Mk III* rifles: they were designed and built right from the outset to fire 7.62x51 NATO ammunition. It should be noted that these weapons were not designed for use with commercial .308 Winchester ammunition - even though the rounds are physically interchangeable. Whilst some 2A/2A1 owners do shoot commercial .308 Winchester ammunition in their rifles without problems, it is a fact that some .308 Winchester cartridges generate significantly higher pressures than 7.62x51 NATO ammunition. For example, military 7.62 mm ammunition is loaded to a maximum average pressure of 50,000 PSI, whereas commercial .308 ammunition can have a SAAMI/ANSI maximum pressure of 62,000 PSI. This is a very significant difference. Whilst not every manufacturer loads .308 Winchester to this level, the chamber pressure of a particular batch of .308 ammunition can be difficult to determine. Therefore, anyone who insists on firing .308 Winchester ammunition through an Ishapore 2A/2A1 rifle is strongly advised to avoid the most powerful .308 Winchester loadings. Obviously, .308 Winchester ammunition which matches 7.62x51 NATO loadings should pose no problems. The simplest solution to this issue is to use 7.62x51 NATO ammunition exclusively.
The Ishapore 2A1 has the distinction of being the last military bolt action rifle ever designed and issued to an armed force (other than specialised sniper rifles), and they are becoming increasingly popular with civilian shooters and collectors in the US, UK, and Australia as the supplies of affordable .303 British ammunition fluctuate.
