How Good Are Indian Made Shotguns?

The DBBL( Double barrelled) gun is a versatile weapon and excellent for bird and duck shooting. It is however not a weapon for self defense or as an instrument for the soldier. The Indian ordinance factories started manufacturing the 12 bore double barrel shot gun just after independence. The IOF have now been manufacturing the weapon for many decades and one can say that over a period of time the quality of the weapon has considerably improved.

In addition there are private gun manufacturers who have been licensed by the Indian Government to manufacture guns. They have been making guns for nearly a hundred years. The gun manufacturers are mostly in Jammu in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and also in Monghyr (Bihar). In all there are about 30 manufacturers in Jammu and a similar number in Bihar. Some manufacturers are also in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

The guns manufactured in Jammu are of reasonable good quality as the manufacturers have individually installed machines in their own premises. On the other hand the manufacturers of Monghyr have been allotted space inside an old jail and the access is controlled by the government. They thus do not have enough space and sometimes sell unfinished products to other manufacturers.. The quality of guns also is not uniform.

A gun is made up of three major assemblies which can be dismantled easily and include a) the body) barrel and c) the hand guard The Body and the hand guard parts are made from mild steel. Barrels are mostly made from Mild Steel with a few using EN-9 or EN-19 steel. One manufacturer uses High Carbon Chromium Steel and is located in Mandi( Himachal Pradesh)

For the stock generally Indian manufacturers including IOF make use of wood only. Generally Walnut wood, Assam Teak and Shesham are preferred for making the stock. Manufacturers in Jammu prefer walnut wood as it is easily available there, while those in Monghyr make use of Assam teak The IOF uses mostly Shesham for its guns. Indian made shot guns are well made and if properly cared can last a lifetime.

The Indian made guns have a ready market in India and the quality is not bad. The guns do not misfire much and are good for small game hunting and for scaring away robbers. Over a period of time we expect the Indian made shot guns to also find a market overseas.

Some of the people have owned Indian made shot guns for over 30 years and the weapons have stood the test of time.