Ishapore Rifle 2A
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 635 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.19 kg
- Introduced
- 1963
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Ishapore Rifle 2A is an Indian-built, Lee-Enfield-pattern bolt-action rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Introduced in 1963 by Rifle Factory Ishapore after the 1962 Sino-Indian War exposed the need for a NATO-standard cartridge, it adapted the classic SMLE Mk III* layout with a strengthened nickel-steel receiver, a redesigned extractor for the rimless 7.62mm round, and a distinctive 10/12-round 'square' detachable box magazine. The original 2A carried over the SMLE's rear sight graduated to 2000 yards; this was quickly recognised as unrealistic for the 7.62mm cartridge and corrected on the succeeding 2A1 model to an 800m sight.
The Ishapore 2A was India's answer to the 1962 Sino-Indian War, when the army needed a NATO-caliber service rifle in a hurry: engineers at Rifle Factory Ishapore simply re-chambered and re-steeled the venerable Lee-Enfield SMLE for 7.62mm NATO, producing one of the very last bolt-action rifles ever adopted for front-line military service.
The 2A is distinguished from the later 2A1 chiefly by its rear sight, which retained the .303 SMLE graduation to 2000 yards. Indian-spec 7.62mm ammunition is loaded to lower pressure than commercial .308 Winchester because of the Enfield-pattern action; firing modern hot commercial loads is not recommended.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Ordnance Factory Board
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- India
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1963 to 1965
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 635 mm
- Overall length
- 1138 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.19 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 12
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 762 m/s
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
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.
- Smle mk iii pattern
Improved nickel steel receiver- Redesigned extractor for rimless
10 or 12 round square magazine
2000 yard rear sight
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 1,612 rifles | 4.19 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1138 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 635 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 12 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Ishapore Rifle 2A
How much does the Ishapore Rifle 2A weigh?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A weighs 4.19 kg (9.24 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Ishapore Rifle 2A?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Ishapore Rifle 2A hold?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A holds 12 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Ishapore Rifle 2A?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A is 1138 mm (44.8 in) long overall, with a 635 mm (25.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Ishapore Rifle 2A?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A is made by Ordnance Factory Board (India). It was designed by Rifle Factory Ishapore (based on James Paris Lee SMLE design).
When was the Ishapore Rifle 2A introduced?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A was introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 1965.
How does the Ishapore Rifle 2A operate?
The Ishapore Rifle 2A uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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
- 1963
- Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Liberation forces)
- 1971
- Indian state police and paramilitary forces
- India
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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/ishapore-2a' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ishapore-2a", "name": "Ishapore Rifle 2A", "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": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "IN", "year_introduced": 1963, "barrel_length_mm": 635, "weight_empty_g": 4190, "action_type": "bolt_action"}