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NitroX,

I have some information in addition to what I posted on AR. The Curious House have some historical guns listed on their website including old muzzleloaders which would be of historical interest including some double rifles. Please let me know when you would be in Rajasthan and I shall introduce you to Gajendra Singh Parihar, the owner. Curious House manufacture their own bore caliber single and double muzzleloading rifles which I have heard very good reports on from some of the French and Belgian members at AR as well as from some friends in India. These guns are exclusively exported as they have very limited use in India and you may want to have a look at them if you would like a modern muzzleloader from India.

In Delhi, one of the biggest exporters of guns (I think he sells rifles to Westley Richards who seem to have a near permanent presence in India through Walter Clode) is Paramjit Singh Sodhi at M-2 Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016. I do not have his current phone numbers though I think Lynx has them and I would be grateful if he would post them here. He may not remember me though some years ago I had been in touch with him about shipping some guns for a friend who owns one of the world's largest private collections in Belgium.

In Mumbai there are several gun shops but Rusi Jijina's Bombay Gun House is the best stocked shop for the kinds of guns that you would be interested in. He has some very nice guns from what I hear including a few Purdey double rifles but his prices may be high because he has clients in the USA who go to India to buy from him. In any case, he is a very hospitable man and you would enjoy a chat with him. He has a good selection at most times. Please tell him Hi for me if you meet him. Other shops in Mumbai are small though they do turn our some nice guns once in a while.

Kanpur has the largest number of retailers, 150, I think, and many of them are owned by the Dwarka Arms and Ammunition Co in Bellary, Karnataka. G S Lakshman Yadav who owns Dwarka Arms can be reached on the phone at: +91-8392-73532 or 76279. His fax number is 56301. He is a friend of my family and one of my father's patients. Please feel free to refer my name when you call him from India. He is a close friend of Tarachand Mehta who is probably Westley Richards' biggest supplier of guns from India and could introduce you to people who would be able to help.

You can still find nice guns in India in good condition but you may not have the time to look on a holiday. The Belgian collector whom I told you about found a Borchardt pistol for a throwaway price because it was unusable in India. I have no idea what one in a mint condition would cost in the West today but it cost him the equivalent of INR 100,000 in 1998 or about $ 2100 at today's prices. You may have to haggle - in most business in India you are expected to - and please remember that other than 375 H&H no big bore ammunition is available in India. The rifles that may be on sale have value only to non Indians, not to Indians themselves. The same is true of large bore pistols if you would like to look at those though the recent removal of the ban on private ownership of military calibers has made Indian Ordnance Factory ammunition in 45 ACP etc available and extended the demand for a huge number of 1911 pistols that were sold by the army to retiring servicemen at INR 150 or the princely sum of $ 3.50 or so. But 476 and 577 cal revolvers are still available there and are unusable and if you would like to look at those, enjoy yourself!

Best wishes and I hope you have a great trip. I hope that you get to meet Rustam and Lynx in India when you are there. MHB is right about being cautious about drinking water but bottled water is available and it is safe especially if you buy good brands like Pondicherry or Bisleri. If you eat at good restaurants, you should have no problem whatsoever. One of the best things about visiting different parts of India is the variety of food available there and if you like being adventurous about food, you should not have any problem making food the best part of your trip.

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The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar