Kalantak
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 330 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
- Introduced
- 2014
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Kalantak is an Indian compact carbine derived from the INSAS platform, developed by the Ordnance Factory Board for close-quarters battle and special forces use. Chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, it is gas-operated with a rotating bolt, fires from a 330 mm barrel at roughly 650-700 rounds per minute, and features a folding stock and accessory rails for optics and tactical attachments. Its shortened dimensions make it markedly more compact than the full-length INSAS rifle and the OFB Excalibur.
Named for the Sanskrit word evoking destruction, the Kalantak was pitched as India's home-grown answer to compact CQB carbines, trimming the INSAS rifle down to a folding-stock package short enough for vehicle crews and close protection details.
A mini/compact assault-carbine member of the INSAS family. Overall length is about 825 mm with the stock extended and roughly 612 mm folded.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Ordnance Factory Board
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- India
- Status
- Limited production
- Produced
- 2014
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 330 mm
- Overall length
- 825 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated rotating bolt
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 900 m/s
- Effective range
- 300 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 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.
Folding stock
Picatinny rail
Compact carbine
Tactical accessory rails
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 141 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 3.60 kg | 2.95 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 144 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 825 mm | 838 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 330 mm | 406 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Kalantak
How much does the Kalantak weigh?
The Kalantak weighs 3.60 kg (7.94 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Kalantak?
The Kalantak is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Kalantak hold?
The Kalantak holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Kalantak?
The Kalantak is 825 mm (32.5 in) long overall, with a 330 mm (13.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Kalantak?
The Kalantak is made by Ordnance Factory Board (India).
When was the Kalantak introduced?
The Kalantak was introduced in 2014.
How does the Kalantak operate?
The Kalantak uses a gas operated rotating 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 Armed Forces
- India
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
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/kalantak' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "kalantak", "name": "Kalantak", "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": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "IN", "year_introduced": 2014, "barrel_length_mm": 330, "weight_empty_g": 3600, "action_type": "gas_operated_rotating_bolt"}