Type Revolver Unit cost INR 122,360.00 | Place of origin India Produced January 6, 2014 | |
Manufacturer Ordnance Factories Board No. built 10 (sold as of January, 2014) | ||
Nirbheek (lit. "fearless") is a 6-shot cylinder revolver designed & manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Organization in Kanpur, India.
Contents
Description
The gun is black, lightweight and slim. It weighs 0.5 kg and it is said it could be carried in a purse or bag. The gun uses .32 caliber bullets with an effective fire range of 50 ft (15 m). It has a titanium-alloy body and wooden handle. It is priced at Rs 1,22,360.00 (about USD $2,000). The gun's simple mechanism is thought to have been based on earlier designs by Webley & Scott and Smith & Wesson. The gun would be illegal to carry in public in India without a permit. These permits are difficult or impossible for women to obtain.
The revolver is marketed as India's first gun for women and it is named after the name given to a 23-year-old woman who was gang raped in Delhi in December 16, 2012. That victim later died due to her injuries. Both words, victim alias Nirbhaya & revolver name Nirbheek, mean "fearless" in Hindi language.
Criticism
Nirbheek created widespread criticism by women's groups and gun control advocates. They said that the revolver for women would be an insult to the memory of Nirbhaya, the victim, and it could not be the solution to violence against women. One gun control advocacy group said that they saw the launch of this gun by a state owned factory as an admission of failure by the government. They said that women carrying guns are twelve times more likely to be shot by attackers compared to unarmed women.
The factory's general manager said that the gun would increase women's confidence and deter attackers. Critics answered that not many women could afford the gun to defend themselves since it costs more than the average Indian's annual salary—only high- and middle-class women would be able to afford it. Since high- and middle-class women are not the most vulnerable (most of them use their own vehicle and do not need public transport), their having guns would not solve the problem. Additionally, carrying guns in public places in most of India is prohibited.