Nirbheek (lit. "fearless")https://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/13/world/asia/india-women-gun/index.html is a 6-shot

cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...

double-action revolver designed and manufactured by the

Ordnance Factories Organization Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories, now known as Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services) was an organisation, under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Gove ...

in Kanpur, India. It was sold at INR 122,360 or $USD 2,000.

History

The Nirbheek is marketed as India's first gun for women and it is named after ''Nirbheek'', the alias given to a 23-year-old woman who was gang raped in Delhi on December 16, 2012, later dying of her injuries. The victim's alias ''Nirbhaya'' and the revolver's name, ''Nirbheek'', both mean "fearless" in Hindi. The gun is illegal to carry in public in India without a permit, but these are almost impossible to obtain. In 2014, it was reported that 100 women made bookings to purchase the revolver. In 2015, it was reported that men were the majority of buyers that purchased the Nirbheek. In 2016, buyers from Punjab lined up to purchase the Nirbheek.

Criticism

The weapon attracted widespread criticism from women's groups and gun control advocates. They said that the 'revolver for women' was an insult to the memory of

Nirbhaya The 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, commonly known as the Nirbhaya case, involved a rape and fatal assault that occurred on 16 December 2012 in Munirka, a neighbourhood in South West Delhi. The incident took place when Jyoti Singh, a 22-yea ...

, the victim, and it could not be the solution to

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often con ...

. One gun control advocacy group said that they saw the launch of this gun by a state-owned factory as an admission of failure by the government. They claimed that women carrying guns are twelve times more likely to be shot by attackers compared to unarmed women. The factory's general manager said that the gun would increase women's confidence and deter attackers. Critics say that not many women could afford the gun to defend themselves since it costs more than the average Indian's annual salary. Only high and middle-class women would be able to afford it but since these groups are not the most vulnerable (most of them use their own vehicle and do not need public transport), their having guns would not solve the problem. Carrying guns in public places in most parts of India are prohibited. In addition, Indian men are able to get a firearm license due to the bureaucracy of Indian firearm licensing system.

Design

The gun is black, slim and lightweight, with a titanium-alloy body and wooden grips. It weighs 0.5 kg and it is said it could be carried in a purse or bag. The simple mechanism is thought to have been based on earlier designs by

Webley & Scott Webley & Scott is an arms manufacturer founded in Birmingham, England. Webley produced handguns and long guns from 1834 to 1979, when the company ceased to manufacture firearms and instead turned its attention to producing air pistols and ai ...

and

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

. While the Nirbheek has a range of 10 meters, it's effective to be used at 15 meters.

References

{{Ordnance Factories Board Weapons of India Revolvers of India .32 S&W Long firearms

History

Criticism

Design

See also

References