MSMC
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 300 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.98 kg
- Introduced
- 2010
About
What it is, and why it matters
The MSMC (Modern Sub Machine Carbine) is an Indian select-fire submachine gun designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of the DRDO and produced by the Ordnance Factory Board. Chambered in the indigenous 5.56x30mm MINSAS cartridge, it is a compact, gas-operated weapon using a long-stroke piston and a Kalashnikov-derived rotating bolt, with its 30-round box magazine inserted through the pistol grip in a semi-bullpup feed layout that permits single-hand firing. Developed from the INSAS small-arms program as a replacement for the ageing 9mm Sterling submachine gun, the MSMC features a retractable buttstock, low recoil, multiple Picatinny rails and a cyclic rate of fire of around 800-900 rounds per minute. It was later renamed the Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC). Despite repeated successful trials between 2016 and 2021 and adoption clearances for several paramilitary and police forces, the weapon stalled short of broad frontline fielding.
Designed by DRDO's ARDE to retire India's Cold War-era Sterling submachine gun, the MSMC pairs an AK-style rotating bolt with a semi-bullpup, magazine-through-grip layout around the home-grown 5.56x30mm MINSAS round. It beat the competing OFB Amogh carbine in trials and gained worldwide pop-culture fame as the 'MSMC' in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
The MSMC and JVPC are the same weapon; 'MSMC' is the original development designation and 'JVPC' the post-2014 rename. Source figures for muzzle velocity range from 650 m/s (weapon, 300 mm barrel) to a higher theoretical cartridge ceiling near 900 m/s; 650 m/s is the figure for the weapon. The MSMC also achieved pop-culture recognition as a featured weapon in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Ordnance Factory Board
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- India
- Status
- Prototype
- Produced
- 2010
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 300 mm
- Overall length
- 745 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.98 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Select fire
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 650 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 550 J
- Effective range
- 200 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 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.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Select fire
Collapsing stock
Magazine through grip
Picatinny rails
Low recoil- Single hand firing
Iron sights
Optic compatible
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 282 submachine guns | 2.98 kg | 3.15 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 281 submachine guns | 745 mm | 737 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 282 submachine guns | 300 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 287 submachine guns | 30 | 32 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the MSMC
How much does the MSMC weigh?
The MSMC weighs 2.98 kg (6.57 lb) empty.
What caliber is the MSMC?
The MSMC is chambered in 5.56x30mm MINSAS.
How many rounds does the MSMC hold?
The MSMC holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the MSMC?
The MSMC is 745 mm (29.3 in) long overall, with a 300 mm (11.81 in) barrel.
Who makes the MSMC?
The MSMC is made by Ordnance Factory Board (India).
When was the MSMC introduced?
The MSMC was introduced in 2010.
How does the MSMC operate?
The MSMC uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is rotating 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
- Special Protection Group
- 2019
- Central Industrial Security Force
- India
Provenance
Confidence in this record
66%
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/india-msmc' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "india-msmc", "name": "MSMC", "manufacturer": { "id": "ofb", "name": "Ordnance Factory Board", "countryCode": "IN", "foundedYear": 1801, "website": "https://ddpdoo.gov.in", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "d58d313a90113a96514798866a97c2292f5297923579daab68ccc7924f6635b1" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "IN", "year_introduced": 2010, "barrel_length_mm": 300, "weight_empty_g": 2980, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}