Sir Nagarifle,
Your post reminded me of this, since while reading the aforementioned book (The Great Game, by Peter Hopkirk), I came across it and the book actually has a few pictures, this is not a picture clicked by me:
Apparently used in the late 1800s by the fearful Afghans (the books will always mention them like that, or war-like), the Jezails were most feared by the-then wandering British (looking to protect India from invaders, the irony), who got a better taste of it later when they were fighting there some years later. Described as home-made and improvised weapons in many texts, they were superior in range and accuracy, compared with the British-made muskets, and feared because nearly everyone had one, and for the low recoil system. And because the '-so-called-towelheads; (they were not called that then obviously, the Brits are never crude like the Americans) were so bloody good with it, no matter it was a hard weapon to maintain! Plus, it was apparently fired like a pistol! (weight/length notwithstanding, tucked UNDER the shoulder and fired from a horse!)
That brought a chuckle out of me, but that cannot be entirely untrue, I think. Those/these Afghans! (I knew a few in Delhi
)
Of course later wars equipped them for far better, but apparently they never got rid of these wonder weapons. I saw a few of these at an old-uncle-Henry type relative many years ago (wall-mounted and apparently very working condition. The overzealous very old uncle (my grandfather's age) would never let anyone near them; he got them from HIS father. Never got around THAT story, unfortunately. And so for such moments, I hate my kind.
But they were something which a select few of us interested lukkha cousins had a LOT to say about. He died many years ago, and the fate of them I do not claim to know (that was in Indore, the worst part of 80s and 90s too, I am 37), and of course I am not in touch, but I hope they were not sold to junk or worse. I really do. I would be really sad; those were really, really exquisite.
I had (now ex-colleagues, photojournalists), who were in Afghanistan during the first real war people my age were made aware of(early 80s-2000s), and they actually claimed to see some of these in action first-hand, in a by-the-way conversation. And then hauled away by Russians in TRUCKLOADS too. Just piled in a truck and taken away, never mind the history.
So I guess I will probably not get to fire one in my lifetime anymore. Unless I marry a Russian with a long, chequered history, and it is highly unlikely
Extremely sorry for the rant if I did, but the title brought a bit of memories. I realised I might have a lot to say in this forum after all
Much warm regards,
Shubir
