Inquiry: Regulations on AR-15 Rifles in India

[North Eastern Arms]

We're doing some research, ar AR-15 rifles legal in India? Do you currently have any being imported?

[spin_drift]

No, currently semi-auto and full-auto rifles are prohibited weapons in India also 5.56mm cal is prohibited (civilians can not, under normal circumstances own prohibited weapons)... and no they are not being imported by civilians and i am not sure if any government forces are using that or not.

[Hammerhead]

Where is you in Ontario btw or you are running online store - Haji

[mundaire]

No, currently semi-auto and full-auto rifles are prohibited weapons in India also 5.56mm cal is prohibited (civilians can not, under normal circumstances own prohibited weapons)... and no they are not being imported by civilians and i am not sure if any government forces are using that or not.

Not exactly.

Civilian ownership of Semi-auto long arms is severely restricted but possible (see the relevant sticky thread under "legal eagle section).

Civilian ownership of full auto firearms is prohibited.

While 7.62 NATO/ .308 calibre is a restricted calibre (license process same as that for a semi-auto), 5.56 NATO is not restricted for civilian ownership. That said, 5.56 ammo is not retailed in the civilian market, so the issue is kind of moot.

Import of firearms into India is severely restricted (to the extent of being pretty much impossible under most circumstances), so I doubt if it is worth exploring India as a potential export market. Unless of course you are planning to sell to the Government OR are willing to lobby for a change in laws/ regulations.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[North Eastern Arms]

Where is you in Ontario btw or you are running online store - Haji

We're north of Toronto, we have no walk-in location but we have over 30 dealers in more than a dozen countries. A very large number here in Canada obviously. But we do have a online webstore as well.

No, currently semi-auto and full-auto rifles are prohibited weapons in India also 5.56mm cal is prohibited (civilians can not, under normal circumstances own prohibited weapons)... and no they are not being imported by civilians and i am not sure if any government forces are using that or not.

Not exactly.

Civilian ownership of Semi-auto long arms is severely restricted but possible (see the relevant sticky thread under "legal eagle section).

Civilian ownership of full auto firearms is prohibited.

While 7.62 NATO/ .308 calibre is a restricted calibre (license process same as that for a semi-auto), 5.56 NATO is not restricted for civilian ownership. That said, 5.56 ammo is not retailed in the civilian market, so the issue is kind of moot.

Import of firearms into India is severely restricted (to the extent of being pretty much impossible under most circumstances), so I doubt if it is worth exploring India as a potential export market. Unless of course you are planning to sell to the Government OR are willing to lobby for a change in laws/ regulations.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

So if a AR was designed specifically for your market (caliber, etc) it would be legal? We serve many markets globally and have worked with several to design rifles that work with and around their particular legislations. We have also successfully lobbied to have our rifles accepted under some pretty tight regulations.

IE: we made a straight pull non-semi AR for the UK market, we have a New Zealand sporting variant that's legal there. We currently chamber our rifles in 5.56mm NATO, .223REM and .300BLK. We would not be against offering a specific sporting caliber suitable to the platform; such as the .222. We are very interested in exploring under serviced markets in the world and we would be remiss in ignoring a consumer base the size of India.

[boris]

A .22 AR would be allowed for Indian citizens but let me point one thing only the govt. Ordinance factory makes arms and ammo no private companies doing so even domestic ones.

If you guys come in believe me the OFB will do everything they can to send you back to Canada.If it were easy SIG,Glock would have set up small plants manufacturing .22,.32 guns for us but it hasnt happen and it never will.Our government does everything they can so that good quality arms at affordable rates never reach our hands.

Even the gun sellers wont be happy with this because these guys sell 40 year walther PPK's for around 20,000 USD.

We are here in the end screwed up gun nuts.

[thebrowningeffect]

A .22 AR would be allowed for Indian citizens but let me point one thing only the govt. Ordinance factory makes arms and ammo no private companies doing so even domestic ones.

If you guys come in believe me the OFB will do everything they can to send you back to Canada.If it were easy SIG,Glock would have set up small plants manufacturing .22,.32 guns for us but it hasnt happen and it never will.Our government does everything they can so that good quality arms at affordable rates never reach our hands.

Even the gun sellers wont be happy with this because these guys sell 40 year walther PPK's for around 20,000 USD.

We are here in the end screwed up gun nuts.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[North Eastern Arms]

Recommend me a good National gun company or distributer and we'll see what we can do about it.

[goodboy_mentor]

So if a AR was designed specifically for your market (caliber, etc) it would be legal?

AR 15 in its existing form is also legal provided the person is able to get license for "prohibited bore". Getting a license for prohibited bore is almost next to impossible for common citizens. "Prohibited bore" is a misnomer, it means that it is more restricted than non prohibited bore. The bores used by Central government have been designated as prohibited bores and rest all bores are non prohibited bores. The semi auto rifles and semi auto shotguns also fall in prohibited bores.

Yes if you make AR 15 in non prohibited bore like .22 lr, 7.62×35 mm, 7.62×40 mm, 7.92x57 mm, 30-06 etc. in bolt action or non semi auto, common citizens will be able to buy them because they will be able to get license for them.

We have also successfully lobbied to have our rifles accepted under some pretty tight regulations.

Many companies dealing with other products have successfully lobbied in India and got the policy of government changed. If you know the right people and pull the right strings, you may succeed. Indian Ordnance Factory and vested interests who want to keep the citizens unarmed will do their best to keep you out of the country.

We are very interested in exploring under serviced markets in the world and we would be remiss in ignoring a consumer base the size of India.

India is an extremely under serviced market of around 1.2 billion people and consumers are paying extortionate prices for arms of poor or variable quality. Though arms are fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of India under Articles 19 and 21, but the morass of bureaucracy and unconstitutional legislations have reduced this right to practically nothing.

Recommend me a good National gun company or distributer and we'll see what we can do about it.

There is only one company in this country that manufactures rifles and handguns. It is Indian Ordnance Factories run by Ordnance Factory Board. I doubt if OFB will be interested to have its monopoly smashed and get competition. Probably this is the reason why firearms have been put in restricted list of import policy. As far as importers of arms/ammunition is concerned there are some. One dealer in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh is said to be the largest importer. You can search in yellow pages of this website and contact them.

[North Eastern Arms]

Is there a list of non-prohibited bores somewhere? That seems like the most likely place to start. We can look at the best round to chamber the rifle in. Ideally a round that is in the same class size as a .223/5.56mm and is easily found in the country. Chambering a rifle to suit is no big deal, it just needs to fit in a standard magazine and function. we'll have to do some digging around and see what the popular calibers are.

We've dealt with the Indian military before supplying products and have made some items directly to their specification. Modifying a rifle to fit within the law is a easy issue for us. Finding someone willing to import them; we'll have to discuss. There are several people we have dealt with in the country before in the defense industry.

[goodboy_mentor]

Is there a list of non-prohibited bores somewhere?

Schedule I - categories I(b) and I(c) of Arms Rules 1962 lists Prohibited Bores. There is no list of non prohibited bores. As a thumb rule, any bore that is not prohibited bore(government service ammunition) is non prohibited bore(i.e. it cannot chamber and fire government service ammunition).

Ideally a round that is in the same class size as a .223/5.56mm and is easily found in the country.

As said earlier by mundaire that 5.56 NATO is not restricted for civilian ownership but ammo is not retailed in the civilian market. You may explore the option of pushing the ammunition along with the gun. The rifle ammunition that is manufactured and retailed by IOF in civilian market is .22 lr, .315, 30-06. They are listed here http://ofb.gov.in/index.php?wh=Sporting%20Arms&lang=en

Finding someone willing to import them; we'll have to discuss.

Is IOF willing to import arms and ammunition? Are arms dealers willing to import arms and ammunition? You may explore these options.

[spin_drift]

Recommend me a good National gun company or distributer and we'll see what we can do about it.

Apparently, there is a person who deals in Barrett firearms in India, you may want to get in touch with him... his contact details can be found here http://barrett.net/dealers/international (from the dropdown box select India).

Disclaimer
I don't know this person. i was looking around on Barrett's site and i found him..

[Hammerhead]

As said earlier by mundaire that 5.56 NATO is not restricted for civilian ownership but ammo is not retailed in the civilian market. You may explore the option of pushing the ammunition along with the gun. The rifle ammunition that is manufactured and retailed by IOF in civilian market is .22 lr, .315, 30-06. They are listed here

Daily , monthly , yearly quota to buy large sums of ammo to have a comparative company stay in business , a big problem . And supply of reloading and ammunition components are still on prohibited list . And many more other problems to general gun ownership .

Still I have hope that some day we could break Gov't monopoly - Haji

[nagarifle]

man since imports of commercial arms are not allowed, its a dead end. barrett is not supplying to civilian market.

[Vineet]

5.56 NATO is not restricted for civilian ownership.

5.56 NATO is government service ammunition as it is chambered in INSAS rifle. Doesn't that make it restricted for civilians ?