Vidhwansak
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 1100 mm
- Weight, empty
- 25.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1995
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Vidhwansak (meaning 'Destroyer' in Hindi) is an Indian anti-materiel rifle jointly developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and the Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT). One of the few multi-caliber anti-materiel systems in the world, the Vidhwansak can be converted between 20x82mm, 14.5x114mm, and 12.7mm calibers by swapping the barrel, bolt, and magazine, a process that takes approximately one minute in the field without specialized tools. In its primary 20mm configuration, the Vidhwansak is one of the most powerful man-portable weapons in Indian military service, designed to destroy light armored vehicles, bunkers, radar installations, and aircraft on the ground at ranges up to 1,300 meters.
The Vidhwansak, whose name translates to 'Destroyer' in Hindi, was India's answer to the need for an indigenous anti-materiel capability during a period of heightened border tensions. Its unique triple-caliber conversion system was driven by the practical reality of India's diverse ammunition supply chain, which includes both NATO-standard and Soviet-origin cartridges. The rifle reportedly saw its first operational deployment during the 1999 Kargil War, where it was used to engage fortified positions in the high-altitude battlefields of the Himalayas.
The Vidhwansak's muzzle brake absorbs an estimated 50-60% of recoil energy, making the massive 20mm cartridge manageable from a shoulder-fired platform. The rifle can be quickly disassembled into two man-portable packs, each weighing approximately 12-15 kg, for transport over difficult terrain. The side-mounted detachable magazine holds 3 rounds in the 20mm configuration. The multi-caliber conversion system provides tactical flexibility, allowing units to select ammunition based on the target type and available supply. Development began in the early 1990s under the DRDO umbrella, with the weapon entering limited service with the Indian Army.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT)
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- India
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1995
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1100 mm
- Overall length
- 1700 mm
- Weight, empty
- 25.00 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 26.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 30.0 N
- Capacity
- 3
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Chrome moly steel
- Stock
- Steel frame polymer furniture
- Finish
- Matte black parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 720 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 29808 J
- Effective range
- 1300 m
- Maximum range
- 5000 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.
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.
Muzzle brake
Integral bipod- Anti materiel design
Multi caliber conversion
Side mounted magazine- Recoil absorbing system
Quick disassembly- Man portable in two packs
Optical sight mount
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 430 sniper rifles | 25.00 kg | 5.40 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1700 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 1100 mm | 620 mm | Among the longest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 3 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Vidhwansak
How much does the Vidhwansak weigh?
The Vidhwansak weighs 25.00 kg (55.12 lb) empty and 26.50 kg (58.42 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Vidhwansak?
The Vidhwansak is chambered in 20x82mm, 12.7x108mm, and 14.5x114mm.
How many rounds does the Vidhwansak hold?
The Vidhwansak holds 3 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Vidhwansak?
The Vidhwansak is 1700 mm (66.9 in) long overall, with a 1100 mm (43.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Vidhwansak?
The Vidhwansak is made by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) (India).
When was the Vidhwansak introduced?
The Vidhwansak was introduced in 1995.
How does the Vidhwansak operate?
The Vidhwansak uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker 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
- 1995
- Indian Border Security Force
- 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/vidhwansak' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vidhwansak", "name": "Vidhwansak", "manufacturer": { "id": "ordnance-factory-tiruchirappalli", "name": "Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT)", "countryCode": "IN", "foundedYear": 1965, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "67bc3916602517c6e114cdfc7ddd56b518f3f19ba9a88fd64d9f38c7370a162b" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "IN", "year_introduced": 1995, "barrel_length_mm": 1100, "weight_empty_g": 25000, "action_type": "bolt_action"}