muzzle loader misuse.

[dr.jayakumar]

Friends,
recently i came to know that gunpowder for muzzle loaders(ML) is not available in whole of tamilnad except one armoury in madurai.
most poaching is done by muzzleloaders.where do they get this gunpowder?i see many indigenious community owning ML.
i feel all these ML should be converted to a sbbl or dbbl or cancel the license.
regards
dr.jk

[aadhaulya]

I have to disagree Dr. JK, we do not know if the poaching was done with a licensed or unlicensed ML. Also converting them to SBBL or DBBL would cost a lot of money as the barrels may have to be changed (this is as per my knowledge only and could be wrong, that ML have a weaker barrel).
Besides the cost of ammunition would be much higher.
Now mostly these guns are owned by the farmers for crop protection.
Therefore, they may not be in a position to incur the additional expenses.
Also consider that poaching is done by guns, and that is not a good enough reason to ban all guns.

Regards

[xl_target]

They probably make their own.
Jim Corbett talked about that in one of his books, i.e. indigenous tribes making gunpowder.
If you go on Youtube, there are a few videos on making your own black powder.

[wildhoghunter]

Friends,
recently i came to know that gunpowder for muzzle loaders(ML) is not available in whole of tamilnad except one armoury in madurai.
most poaching is done by muzzleloaders.where do they get this gunpowder?i see many indigenious community owning ML.
i feel all these ML should be converted to a sbbl or dbbl or cancel the license.
regards
dr.jk

Dear doctor
It is not fair.most muzzleloading guns are used by the poor farmers.they use it for threatening the monkeys and boars.it is cheaper to fire dummy shots.I bet that the biggest threat to the animals is from snaring. Snares are 100% effective against muzzle loaders. muzzle loading shot guns produced here, misfires or hang fires most of the times.their effective range being under 20 yards using our black powder.at the same time snares kill even after a year or two after putting them.i have seen a lot of deer, rabbits, boars, Barking deer, moose deer, foxes, wild cats,monkeys rotting in snares.even peacocks and jungle fowls are also caught in the snares.now what we are going to ban? Cables? Fishing lines? Ropes? Poisons? Traps? Jaw traps? Just a tip sir, try to watch the fencing of coffee estates, tea estates ; you will get the answer. I always carry a cutting plyer while on the rounds of ours and nibhour s coffee plantations.
Thank you sir. (Forgive me for my English)

[GNV]

Black Powder is pretty cheap and easily available to illegal ML Guns in many towns in Andhra Pradesh State and I had seen many people making their own gun powder in the district of Anantapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh. What is sad is the legal users/ License holders pay a lot for the Gun and its ammunition. But the illegal users can get PB weapons ( not just country made ) just for a fraction of what it would cost a license holder to buy a NP bore Revolver/Pistol. What a mess

[timmy]

Black powder can be made at home. During the American Civil War in the South, good Confederate ladies were all supposed to make up "nitre beds" from manure (human or otherwise) for making "saltpeter," or technically, potassium nitrate, KNO3. (You will usually find that nitrated compounds are found in explosives and "recreational drugs" -- an odd coincidence!)

The powder produced from this saltpeter may not be the best, and black powder is not as powerful as modern smokeless powder, but in certain circumstances, it can get the job done.

So, in effect, if you want to prevent a determined person from being able to make black powder, you will have to prevent him from pooping -- perhaps another regulation that is just around the corner.

[xl_target]

Black Powder is pretty cheap and easily available to illegal ML Guns in many towns in Andhra Pradesh State and I had seen many people making their own gun powder in the district of Anantapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh. What is sad is the legal users/ License holders pay a lot for the Gun and its ammunition. But the illegal users can get PB weapons ( not just country made ) just for a fraction of what it would cost a license holder to buy a NP bore Revolver/Pistol. What a mess

That is why many of us say that Gun Control is useless and doesn't work.
The politicians know that but they can assure votes for themselves, from gullible and mindless voters who continue to vote for them, by proposing more "common sense" gun regulations.
If you hear a politician mention the words "common sense"; run.... because he is planning to stick it to you.

[dr.jayakumar]

I have to disagree Dr. JK, we do not know if the poaching was done with a licensed or unlicensed ML. Also converting them to SBBL or DBBL would cost a lot of money as the barrels may have to be changed (this is as per my knowledge only and could be wrong, that ML have a weaker barrel).
Besides the cost of ammunition would be much higher.
Now mostly these guns are owned by the farmers for crop protection.
Therefore, they may not be in a position to incur the additional expenses.
Also consider that poaching is done by guns, and that is not a good enough reason to ban all guns.

Regards

Yes the cost is high.but making black powder is illegal isn't it?
i hear now and then how muzzle loaders are cost effective for poaching.
what can a farmer do with ML in dire situation?you have only a shot,you might as well use cracker.
regards
dr.jk

[goodboy_mentor]

I would request everyone to avoid the word "misuse" or ideas for suppressing or extinguishing something that is a right. Even legal rights, procedure of law and authority are being misused in unimaginable proportions by many including the State. Are we proposing that the law itself or procedure of law or government authority itself should be done away with since it is being misused?

As far as question of muzzle loaders and black powder is concerned, the matter has been discussed in the following thread http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15556

[aadhaulya]

Yes the cost is high.but making black powder is illegal isn't it?
i hear now and then how muzzle loaders are cost effective for poaching.
what can a farmer do with ML in dire situation?you have only a shot,you might as well use cracker.
regards
dr.jk

Dr. JK,
My experience with ML is limited to what some people from Uttarakhand say about it.
They are allowed one ML per family for crop protection. The ammunition (black powder and whatever) is easily available at government owned shops and at a very reasonable cost.
Also if a gun gets damaged one can deposit it in a police station and get permission to buy a new one.
When the crop is ready or maybe when it is most vulnerable one member of the family sleeps at the farm. They are reasonably protected themselves. The crop needs protection against wild animals. The most common and dangerous is the wild boar. The ML is effective enough for that purpose.

Regards