Indians For Guns

I was recently offered an antique pistol that belonged to Ranjit Singh and later to his son Duleep Singh with papers that trace it's ownership but both my wife (a Sikh) and friends including Navdeep have advised me against buying it. The gun is being offered at a particularly attractive price and, because it is an antique, there are virtually no bars to it's importation into the USA. I shall go into the reasons for wanting to buy this gun later but would someone please enlighten me about the reason why I am being opposed so vehemently in my plans?

Thanks for allr esponses and good hunting!

Duleep Singh was in all probability not the son of Ranjit Singh and instead that of a Bishti.He is not held in high regard because of this and also because of his renouncing the faith of his community.

penpusher

Duleep singh lived in England. HE owned a shooting state in the country and was pretty active in the Edwardian Era social and shooting groups.

Had a fine collections of guns and rifles. His income was a privy purse granted by the British Govenrment, but later he fell out with them because he apparently returned to Lahore to seek indipendent status for Punjab with him as ruler of Punjab. The British did not favour this and thus the fallout.

There is some mention about him and his shooting estates in some books in my collection.

Mehul,
penpusher's right .That chap renounced his faith and the Queen was his God mother etc-went on to being a propah brit lad etc. as Shahid says.
Guess the Sikhs dont see him as belonging to the religion? hence the disapproval.
Best
Axx

Asif,

Victoria must have been an Oedipal godmother if, indeed, she was a godmother to Duleep Singh. Recent historical research reveals that he spent quite some time bollocking her until he finally rebelled against her.

My question was in the light of several Sikh people requesting that I don;t buy the gun in question because of some tradition against having anything to do with that family. I guess religion is the reason for this...

Thanks everyone and cheers!

Here is another related piece

Duleep Singh’s gun fetches £ 23,500

London, December 21
A sporting gun made for and used by a son of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last of the Sikh rulers, has been sold in a London auction for £ 23,500. The case in which it was kept was sold for £ 2,115.

The gun a .12-bore side-lock ejector gun, was built in 1895 by the famous London gunmaker, James Purdey and Sons, for Duleep Singh’s eldest son, Prince Frederick Duleep Singh.

When Punjab was annexed by the British in 1849, 12-year-old Duleep Singh was exiled to England with the status of a European prince and provided with pension.

The sale of Prince Frederick’s gun at Sotheby’s auction of sporting guns is a symbolic link with the 19th century Sikh dynasty. A vendor had acquired the gun about 30 years ago, knowing its history, but the purchaser, a private collector based in the UK, bought it because it matches another in his collection. The case was offered by a different owner and bought by a different purchaser. ANI

Navdeep,

The Purdey was a valuable gun by virtue of the name on it and DUleep SIngh's ownership has only made it considerably mroe so. But, if whoever bought the Purdey were to know what price I have been offered this particular pistol for, would he weep!

I should decide about it soon enough, SWMBO willing.

Cheers!

Best of luck

Mehul,

Buy it and don't get into any of that religious mumbo-jumbo.

Mack The Knife

Mehul,

Considering the fate that met Ranjit Singh's family,I would assume that things associated witht hem are supposed to bring bad luck.There is another popular belief surrounding the demise of Ranjit Singh's sons.Ask your wife about it.Personally I don't believe in this mumbo jumbo but would not destroy the peace in the house for some firearm.

I was getting a Winchester Pump Action shotgun in very good condition(by any standards and not just Indian) for 20,000/- .However my wife did not allow me to buy it as I told her that the shotgun it belonged,within 1 year of his death,his wife died,his two sons died and his son-in-law died. All the adult members of the house were widows.She considered it to be unlucky and did not want me to bring it into the house. Finally the dealer got the gun.

penpusher

"I was getting a Winchester Pump Action shotgun in very good condition(by any standards and not just Indian) for 20,000/-"

penpusher,
how on earth do you manage to strike such good deals,are there others pref SxS available,once my paper work with the Lic is done wrt the shotty am going to give you a shout.
Sanjay

It had been deposited with the dealer after the death of it's owner and the family did not want it back.In case you noticed,I did not buy it,the dealer did and made a hefty profit from it.

penpusher

Mehul,

In case you buy it and then pop your clogs, make sure your will mentions that I am to be the next owner.

I'd rather have your 8mm though....

Mack The Knife

Did not realise that the post was addressed to Mehul.

penpusher

Mack The Knife,

I do want to buy the gun but SWMBO has other ideas, unfortunately. I enjoy defying superstition and hence the desire to buy it even more. ANyway, now that she has come around and said that if someone else shared in the gun's ourchase whatever "curse" there was would be nullified, I have got a friend to contribute $ 100 as his share. From this point on, the going should be smoother.

Will keep everyone posted on this.

BTW, Mack The Knife, If you move to the US you can have the 8mm.

Cheers!