The Vidhwansak (வித்வான்சாக், Sanskrit for The Destroyer) is an Indian bolt-action anti-materiel rifle.
History[]
The Vidhwansak was jointly designed by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli, better known as Ordnance Factory Trichy, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. It is currently used by India's Border Security Force, where at least 400 of these weapons can be found in their arsenal. While it was offered to the Indian Army for use, the Indian Army did not adopt the Vidhwansak as it failed to meet weight requirements.
Design Details[]
The Vidhwansak heavily resembles the Denel NTW 20; in fact, it is based on the NTW 20, and as such, has very similar ergonomics, such as a magazine well on the left side. The Vidhwansak is one of a few weapons that is able to chamber more than one caliber without the complete disassembly of the weapon; simply by replacing the barrel, bolt, and if needed, the scope, a soldier can quickly interchange the calibers of the weapon within a minute. Oddly enough, many images mistake the Denel NTW 20 for the Vidhwansak.