ASMI
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 203 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.00 kg
- Introduced
- 2021
About
What it is, and why it matters
The ASMI is an Indian 9x19mm submachine gun developed in 2020 by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with the Indian Army. It uses a simple blowback action firing from an open bolt and pairs a machined aluminium upper receiver with a carbon-fibre lower receiver to keep weight near 2 kg. Designed primarily for close-quarters battle and counter-insurgency, it feeds from Glock-compatible 33-round magazines, fires at roughly 600 rounds per minute, and is intended for vehicle and aircraft crews, commanders, support troops, police and VIP protection details.
ASMI was designed by Lt. Col. Prasad Bansod of the Indian Army's Infantry School at Mhow and prototyped in roughly four months using 3D printing, becoming one of India's first fully indigenous machine pistols/submachine guns.
Prototyped in about four months using 3D printing. Features a side-folding stock, full-length 12 o'clock Picatinny rail, M-LOK slots, an ambidextrous (swappable) charging handle, a threaded muzzle for suppressors, and a push-through safety/fire-selector offering safe, semi-automatic and fully automatic modes. A shorter 9-inch overall variant was later unveiled. ASMI means 'pride' or 'self-respect' in Sanskrit.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Armament Research and Development Establishment (DRDO)
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- India
- Status
- Limited production
- Produced
- 2021
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 203 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Select fire
- Capacity
- 33
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Carbon fiber
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side folding stock
Full length picatinny rail
M lok handguard
Ambidextrous charging handle
Threaded muzzle
Glock magazine compatible
Aluminium upper carbon fiber lower
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 2.00 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 203 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 33 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the ASMI
How much does the ASMI weigh?
The ASMI weighs 2.00 kg (4.41 lb) empty.
What caliber is the ASMI?
The ASMI is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the ASMI hold?
The ASMI holds 33 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the ASMI?
The ASMI has a 203 mm (7.99 in) barrel.
Who makes the ASMI?
The ASMI is made by Armament Research and Development Establishment (DRDO) (India). It was designed by Lt. Col. Prasad Bansod.
When was the ASMI introduced?
The ASMI was introduced in 2021.
How does the ASMI operate?
The ASMI uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Indian Army
- 2023
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/asmi' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "asmi", "name": "ASMI", "manufacturer": { "id": "armament-research-development-establishment", "name": "Armament Research and Development Establishment (DRDO)", "countryCode": "IN", "foundedYear": 1958, "website": "https://www.drdo.gov.in", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "84cb69232e422af96ca47a6ef4f6bf518255ad69b96b4c8571fd770bb7b553ee" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "IN", "year_introduced": 2021, "barrel_length_mm": 203, "weight_empty_g": 2000, "action_type": "blowback"}