The Case for Best Guns in India

[Bespoke]

Best Guns

I have very often seen fellow members, local gunsmiths, gun dealers and shooters condemning the high prices of the best guns. What is a “best gun”? A best gun is a highest grade of weapon made by a leading gunmaker. The most common phrase is, “I’m not paying a premium just for a fancy name.” When we are paying for a best gun, we should remember that we are not paying just for a name but for the most highly skilled labour that it is possible to obtain in a particular line (e.g. barrel makers, actioners, stockers, finishers etc.) Labour is not reckoned by the time expended but only by the perfection of the results. Although the famous gun-maker P.V Nelson got a dressing down from his master action Ernest D. Lawrence as an apprentice at Purdey’s for being too slow at his work, the final outcome is that P.V Nelson is the most sought after gun-maker in world at the moment. We are also paying for satisfaction and a guarantee that the materials used are of the highest quality and will withstand the test of time. It is a known fact that over 60% of the actual selling price of a best gun is the cost of labour which is why the best gun-making business is not very lucrative for an entrepreneur unless he is skilled in gun-making yourself or running it as a side business.
Another argument put forward is, “We have modern steel, CNC machines and far better science, so best guns don’t make sense”
There are far better compositions of porcelain and other materials available today for making pottery than that available to artisans of the Ming Dynasty but are a Ming vase and a modern porcelain vase comparable? Best quality watch replicas are made from almost the same material as the original but are they valued?
CNC machines do play a part in the process of modern best gun-making to some extent but most of the work is done by hand and that is where perfection is achieved. For example, an off-the- shelf readymade suit from Saville Row made on a production line using auto-stitching machines starts from £300 while a top quality custom hand-stitched one can run from £3000 to £35000 or more .
The best guns take between 900 and 1200 hours of skilled labour before they are ready for the bench of an engraver and the best guns are works of art which can be used in the field. This makes them a class apart and hence they should not be compared to other guns.

Best Guns and India

India was the biggest market for best gun-makers during the latter part of the nineteenth century and and the first half of the twentieth century, with Indian princes ordering guns in absurd numbers, and British officials posted in India and the Indian elite ordering guns on a regular basis, since guns made a very regal gift for most occasions. However, after World War II things changed a great deal. Some of the top gun-makers died in the war and a lot of gun-making firms closed down for various reasons. Some of the best gun-makers survived that difficult period by buying back guns from India and most of these guns were new, indeed some had never even been removed from their cases.
To this day a good number of best guns are leaving the country at a steady rate thanks to some very hungry gun-dealers but I still rate India in the top ten list of countries with greatest number of best guns, which is led by U.S. However, India will not remain there if guns are exported at this rate.

Buying a Best Gun

The first thing you should do when buying a best gun is to check for the records and original specifications from the makers as most of the best gun-makers maintain proper records for their guns. Then you should compare these specifications to the gun in its present state to see whether any alterations have been made. After this all the necessary tests like checking for dents, cracks, pitting, erosion etc which are applicable to buying any second- hand gun should be carried out.
It should also be mentioned here that a lot of lower grade boxlocks have been produced by Westley Richards, E.J. Churchill etc. which poorly informed dealers and owners think are best guns and for which they ask sinfully expensive prices, so it is a good idea to check the estimated price for the gun with the original makers or someone competent before deciding to buy.

Refurbishing of a Best Gun

In general most of the best guns in India are not in very good condition and show some sort of wear as a result of poor storage or extensive use. Whatever might be the reason, if the wear is not too serious, I would recommend keeping the gun as it is, since there is no competent gunsmith that I am aware of in India who I consider capable of working on a best gun. If you have bought a best gun which is in dire need of refurbishing, I would recommend getting an export permit and sending it to the original makers or to a competent gunsmith overseas. If the gun is refurbished by the orginial makers or by an expert workman, it will appreciate in value.

Best Guns as an Investment in India

The best guns have stood the test of time. They retain their value and appreciate at a steady rate. Let’s take the present situation in India as an example. .357 Mag revolvers, which cost around $500 internationally, are selling for a hundred times that. Best guns are not selling for a huge premium but can justify their price and can be a solid investment. If, for example, we are allowed to import firearms into India in the near future, most mass produced weapons would lose 80% t- 90% of their value but the best guns will simply keep appreciating.

An Appeal to Fellow Members, Collectors and N.A.G.R.I.

As I have mentioned, India still remains in the top ranking with regard to ownership of the best guns. It is very unfair that there is an embargo on the importation of firearms while the process of exporting is open. This is depleting the stock of best guns in India and is a double-edged sword for enthusiasts. I think exportation cannot be justified if there is ban on imports.
I would like appeal to fellow members, shooters and collectors to buy best guns if you get a chance or can afford it and would ask you also to encourage people you know to buy them for the purpose of pleasure or investment. If you are the one selling a best gun, give preference to a collector over an exporter or dealer. And I would also like to appeal to N.A.G.R.I. to add to their agenda a prohibition on exports to save the rich shooting heritage of India until a we are allowed to import.

[prashantsingh]

Very well written Bespoke. I am quite sure you are a proud owner of some of these "Best Guns in India".
If yes. May I request you to put up some snaps.

[Katana]

with Prashant. You definitely have a case in point, Bespoke. In fact you name says it all!

[peterdk]

good write up Bespoke, sadly there are to many of your countrymen who dont know enough about fine arms and damage them either willfully or out of ignorance, yes we do see quite a few best guns from india, but i have two in my collection that used to be best guns, now they are at best "guns". the damage were done in india one by neglect the other by an individual who desided to renovate the gun, he should be flogged at the town square untill death for his misdeed,
if they dont know how to take care of these works of art, better to send them on to those who know and appriciate how to

best

peter

[hks2056]

Congrats Bespoke for such illuminating article.It is sad that the fine art of gun making which reached epitome in UK has died at the altar of commercialization.Old British guns and doubles rifles were were made with then best available materials.Apart from the best raw materials used their value eventually lay in the craftsmanship. They were made to watch like precision. In quest for quality the British gun makers did not shy away from importing steel from Boehler and Krupp in Germany despite their innate antipathy against the Germans. Gun making was considered an art. Each gun was made in parts by three separate specialized artisans. First was ACTION FILER whose specialized role was to fabricate the action. The second was BARREL BRAZIER who prepared the barrels.The third one was BUTT MAKER who carved the wooden portion of the weapon.There after the final assembly was made by Master gunsmith who many times engraved their initials on the weapon.It is sad that posterity knows the name of final assembler only when the fact was that the quality of the weapons was chiefly dependent on the quality of original work by the three component makers.They were mostly organized into guilds at Birmingham where strict unwritten caste hierarchy based on experience, accomplishment and competence was followed. Over the years this ensured that only the best survived in the trade as those who failed to achieve the guild standards were shown the door.After the second world war the world economy changed. In the new world order the fine art of gun making died and was replaced with mass production.That is why the fine arms made before second world war are most sought after and most expensive as well.

[prashantsingh]

After the second world war the world economy changed. In the new world order the fine art of gun making died and was replaced with mass production.That is why the fine arms made before second world war are most sought after and most expensive as well.

There was a time before the Great War that 30% -(almost One out of Three)- Rolls Royce were made for the Indian Market. Around the same time big names in "gun making" sent their employees to this market and made custom made guns for them.

[z375]

Nicely written, Bespoke.

[Bespoke]

Thank you for your encouragment folks.

Prashant,Katana you have a pm.

[SteveK]

Excellent article and synopsis Bespoke. Very well put.

[Vikram]

Good composition,Bespoke. I liked the need to preserve the part of our cultural history.


Best-
Vikram

[shooter]

good one.

Thank you for your encouragment folks.

Prashant,Katana you have a pm.

I want one too.

[Bespoke]

Sent!

[dr.jayakumar]

Bespoke..may i know what are the best guns in india being exported?can you name them?are you sure that our law allows export of firearms?i don't know..can you enlighten me.just inquisitive..

[Bespoke]

Thanks Steve and Vikram.

Drjayakumar,

The exported guns include all big names Boss,Purdey,Holland & Holland etc and some of the most exquisite guns too in great calibers ranging from .22 to .600NE in rifles not forget and all the shotguns and shot and ball guns in 4bore,8bore,10 bore,14 bore,20 bore,24 bore,28bore,32 bore ,.410 and .360 are being exported out.

According to Indian law all the guns of caliber for which ammunition is manufactured in India cannot be exported like 12 bore,16 bore,.30-06,.22 lr cannot be exported but greedy exporters always find their way around it.

In process of exportation there has to be an approval from a panel nominated by Archeological Survey of India which included most a retired army officials etc before the final export permit is granted. Its unfortunate indeed that most of the times that process is manipulated too.

You can check the following link http://www.infodriveindia.com/Exim/DGFT ... ereof.aspx

[dr.jayakumar]

it is an excim policy,which does not mean it is being imported.thanks for information bespoke.