BSF will replace Sterling Carbines with Beretta MX4 Storm Carbines

[Shaitan]

The Border Security Force personnel are all set to get Beretta guns imported from Italy which will replace their old 9mm carbines. The Union government has already imported 34,377 Beretta MX 4 storm carbines.

The BSF was formed in 1965 and since then the guns have been changed twice. Initially the BSF used to have 303 rifles. It was replaced by SLRs and 10 years ago, Insas rifles replaced SLRs. Today, BSF jawans are guarding the border with the latest 7.62mm Insas rifle.

According to BSF sources, many battalions of BSF in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Northeast area have got the new Beretta carbines.

IG, BSF, Rajasthan frontier, PC Meena confirmed that a few Beretta guns have been received but the proper supply is yet to come.

It is being said that a team of BSF had visited Siti Beretta factory at Brescia in Italy on August 2011 and inspected these carbines. Although some problems were found in carbines supplied at Gujarat and Northeast, the complaints were investigated and the company changed 550 carbines. Now the BSF is totally satisfied with Beretta carbine.

BSF to Replace all INSAS Rifles with Beretta MX 4 Storm Carbines.

 

[Rage]

The MX4 has had stellar reviews worldwide. The previous consignment of 34,377 was actually used to replace the MP5's. And it was also a pilot program to test usage of the carbine. Seems like the forces have given it the go-ahead.

Can't go wrong with the Storm. It's a great all-weather gun: picatinny rail, ambidextrous controls, changeable cocking handles et al. And I can think of several other factors why it might have been a good replacement: ease of maintenance, cost, same magazines for short and long barrel, etc.

Only one problem: it 's still got 9mm anemic pistol-caliber rounds!

 

[Victor Sierra]

Replacing Rifle with an SMG....
Sounds weird to me.

Also I have read that its fencing for Magazine release button is not good. Those who uses says that they have accidently ejected a loaded magazine by having the button hit a part of "kit" on or in a tactical vest.

BSF jawans also have 7.62mm Insas rifle.

Earlier BSF had: More Range & More Impact

Now BSF will have: Less Range & Less Impact

I don't think BSF will only engage in CQC, giving them a SMG with pistol-caliber round is weird.

They could have gone for TAR-21. Bit expensive but you are getting something good, which can easily replace INSAS as compared to MX4.

 

[sayareakd]

title is misleading they are going to replace the old SAF Carbine 1A, a copy of the British Sterling L2A1.

but the title of the thread made me think that they are going to replace it with INSAS rifle.

 

[Armand2REP]

title is misleading they are going to replace the old SAF Carbine 1A, a copy of the British Sterling L2A1.

but the title of the thread made me think that they are going to replace it with INSAS rifle.

How could you be fooled by the title when it says it will be replaced by it?

 

[Victor Sierra]

title is misleading they are going to replace the old SAF Carbine 1A, a copy of the British Sterling L2A1.

but the title of the thread made me think that they are going to replace it with INSAS rifle.

They are replacing the INSAS too.

Here is the link: Faulty weapons worth Rs 200 crore given to BSF jawans : North, News - India Today

Whereas TOI claims that they are replacing only 9mm carbine. Link: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-24/jaipur/34707432_1_bsf-jawans-rajasthan-frontier-border-security-force-personnel

 

[hit&run]

How could you be fooled by the title when it says it will be replaced by it?

I think he wants to say, its a wrong reporting.

 

[sob]

title is misleading they are going to replace the old SAF Carbine 1A, a copy of the British Sterling L2A1.

but the title of the thread made me think that they are going to replace it with INSAS rifle.

About time we got rid of these antiquated guns.

 

[Snuggy321]

What is a 7.62 INSAS rifle? I guess they are refering to the FALs of the BSF

 

[Blackwater]

Replacing so early .BSF should use stein gun for another 40 yrs

 

[commando elite]

better replace 9mm pistol and smg with .45 caliber smg and pistol

 

[Welcome]

BSF is replacing INSAS rifle or British Sterling L2A1?

I think Beretta MX4 Storm Carbine is not a substitute of INSAS rifle. Regular INSAS is a assault rifle n Beretta MX4 Storm is a carbine.

 

[p2prada]

Hmm, don't know what the BSF is thinking. But 9mm will cause a lot of damage.

Realistically it is a 100-200m weapon compared to the 300m INSAS.

Then again, it depends on the ground situation in their jurisdiction. If they think a SMG is better than an assault rifle, then it is their call as long as it doesn't bite them back in the arse.

INSAS is a 5.56mm rifle, not 7.62mm. Maybe it is just bad journalism as usual.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Media is bunch of uneducated chaps, Use your own brains, you will get better results..

BSF jawans also have 7.62mm Insas rifle.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

If this is true, then arms dealers are looting in open and no one dares to stop them tax payer money in drain as always..

Not only this, Such move replacing INSAS with 9mm sub-machine gun will handicap BSF and put there life in danger and security of this Country..

Last year, the BSF had awarded Beretta a contract of more than 30,000 sub-machine guns at an approximate cost of Rs.200 crore. The first consignment of 17,000 guns was received last September and distributed among BSF personnel on the border to replace INSAS and other rifles.

But documents accessed by Headlines Today suggest there was a major goof-up in the procurement of the consignment. The high- tech MX4 9mm Storm assault rifle failed the test, internal correspondence between the BSF's Gujarat frontier unit to the Delhi-based BSF Headquarters in January. It says that when the sample weapon was test fired, it bulged.

The test fire report suggests that the gun would not only be ineffective in neutralising the enemy, but there are also chances of the barrel of the weapon exploding and causing serious injuries. The document also noted other defects in the sample weapon.

Having discovered the shortcomings during test fire, the BSF's Gujarat frontier unit had sought advice from its headquarters on whether they should dump the weapons.When BSF Headquarters received this communication, senior officers summoned officials from Beretta.

The documents also suggest other serious problems with these guns. Corrosion was found on 113 guns. 164 guns had tool marks and nine guns had machining rings.

When BSF officers informed the arms firm, Beretta had sent a team of experts. BSF DIG Vikas Chandra said Beretta officials visited the test facility in Gujarat and examined the weapons in question. The experts noted what was suspected to be corrosion was lead residue. The officials, however, promised to replace the defective weapons.

Chandra said defects had been noted only from the Gujarat sector so far.

But the question that arises is how the BSF provisioning unit failed to spot the defects. Last year, a DIG- level officer along with his team had visited Italy to clear the consignment. The elite SPG force had also imported the same guns recently, but there were no shortcomings in their consignment.Chandra said it wasn't possible to check each weapon at the time of clearance and if defects are found even at a later stage, corrective steps will be taken.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dud-guns-border-security-force-jawans-replaced/1/173289.html

Here is the link: Faulty weapons worth Rs 200 crore given to BSF jawans : North, News - India Today

Whereas TOI claims that they are replacing only 9mm carbine. Link: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-24/jaipur/34707432_1_bsf-jawans-rajasthan-frontier-border-security-force-personnel

 

[agentperry]

anything and everything is given to indian forces except clear mandate. the forces should be given one duty and fix their ammunition and arms according to it.

 

[Victor Sierra]

If you see, Government is trying to eliminate INSAS from everywhere. They are heading to foreign weapons. No doubt, they are good but don't know Why I feel something cooking inside.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

We had FN-FALs before INSAS, If anyone use Indian SLR / FN-FAL would tell you when one fires it ( 90rnds ), he had to go through Oil bath coz the Rifle used to spill oil in eyes and hand and Smoke in eyes, Which was not at all with Foreign FN-FALs..

I hope what we will buy dont end up same as FN FAL aka SLR..

----------------
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Insas 1b1 produce no Oil spilling anywhere, It produce almost no smoke or flash in night, And its takes 20mins to clean whole Rifle..

 

[mikhail]

i think the reporter here have made a serious mistake by mixing SAF 1A 9mm carbine with INSAS!the BSF is only replacing the 1A carbines with the ultra modern Barretta MX4 storm smg as only a smg can replace our current inventory of sterling smg.on the other hand INSAS is an assault rifle having an effective range of about 400 meters and i don't think BSF will replace an assault rifle with a smg as the latter is only good in CQBs and in urban combat but they will need the former while patrolling the borders!

 

[commando elite]

Retarded journalist with retarded news