Kanpur: India’s first long range revolver, ‘Prabal’, manufactured by state-owned company Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh will be launched on August 18.

This lightweight 32 bore revolver can meet its target up to 50 metres, more than double the range of the other revolvers being manufactured.

Besides, Prabal happens to be the first revolver being manufactured in India which has a side swing cylinder. The company claims that the fire range is the best among revolvers made in the country.

AWEIL director AK Maurya said, “The Prabal revolver is light in weight and equipped with a side swing cylinder. In the previous version of revolvers, one had to fold the firearm to insert the cartridges. Besides, the capacity of all the revolvers available in the market is only up to 20 metres, but Prabal’s range is up to 50 metres. It is only 700 grams (without cartridges) in weight and its barrel length is 76 mm, while its overall length is 177.6 mm. Its trigger pull is also quite easy. This makes it an easy choice for women who can also carry it easily in their handbags and use it for their safety.”

He added, “Booking of Prabal, whose features are akin to Webley Scott revolver, will open on August 18 and it could be purchased by civilians with licence.”

AWEIL is a state-owned company manufacturing defence products in Kanpur’s Armapur. It comprises eight factories of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and primarily manufactures small arms and artillery guns for the use of the Indian Armed Forces, foreign militaries and domestic civilian use.

The firm was established in 2021 as part of the restructuring and corporatisation of the OFB into seven different PSUs.

The firm has received an order to manufacture defence products worth Rs 6,000 crore this year. These include an order for 300 ‘Sarang’ cannons from the Indian Army and orders worth Rs 450 crore received from European countries.