doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Vintage doubles in India?

Are there any?
Could they be exported to the states?
Curious!

Gary Hermann of Safari Outfitters got his start with a motherlode of British doubles he bought in England many years ago. They were a lot of 50+ a major Brit maker got in from a maharajahs estate in India. Not sure if there are many left as the political situation in India is not gun friendly.

I have a Walter Locke .410 hammer gun which was the gun of a maharajah or his son. Beautiful gun!

tim

When the Brits left India and the maharajahs were deposed a lot of high quality arms were sold off. Also,from what I know, the gun laws have become a lot stricter there. I suppose there's still some high quality doubles left in India and I wouldn't see any problem with importing them here but there would perhaps be a problem getting them out of India.
Jim

The answer would be yes and yes. But who would find them and check them for you? Some guns offered for sale in India are in horrendous condition Many older guns may be classified as National artifacts and that would be another hurdle to clear. If I knew of a unique gun in India that fit my collection with a willing seller and I had money for the gun and an additional pile to push thru the paperwork I would consider it. If you had a specific firearm in mind you might contact Simon Clode of Westley Richard for help, (for a fee) they have many contacts in the region.

Actually a friend in the UK recently told me that getting them out of the country (legally) has become almost impossible.

Destry

I Know That Nick Holt agressively bought big lots of guns in India. I have #3 of a Purdey trio that was acquired by The Maharajah Duleep Singh

Older Doc that is a beauty. I think Duleep Singh left India as a child to live in Britain and never went back home so your gun may have come from Britain via his estate at Elveden in Norfolk. You have a wonderful piece of firearms history there; treasure it. Lagopus.....

There are numerous fine English shotguns remaining in India, owned by the upper middle class. For instance one of my colleagues father was the barister(in London) for his district's Magarajah from the 1930 until the end of the Raj. His father purchased a H&H Royal in the 1940's and that Royal along with a lesser quality Churchill BLE are at the family residence in India. From what I can determine the Royal is pristine. Exporting such a gun from India, would not be all that difficult, as in that part of the world making things happen still relies upon "tiping" the appropriate underpaid civil servants.

On pages 284-5 of the book,"Experts on Guns and Shooting,"by G.T.Teasdale- Buckell, there is a list of Guns made by Joseph Manton,that were in the possession of, Manton and Sons of Calcutta,[Successors to Joseph Manton] circa 1900. All of the guns are described as to type and condition. In fact a treasure trove of Genuine Mantons! In the 1970,s I had a contact/friend at Westley Richards, sadly deceased, who I believe;though he would never confirm or deny the trip,went to Calcutta and purchased these guns on behalf of W.R. It is understood that the guns were found in the condition and location described in the above book! I wonder if Mr Clode,senior, would care to validate this extra ordinary initiative by W.R?