Just as it chisels out from its willows cricket bats famous around the world, Kashmir had been turning raw iron and wood into gleaming guns until the start of the insurgency in the 1990s. Even now, an entire colony in the Rainwari area of Srinagar is called Bandook Khar Mohalla, or colony of the gunsmiths.
Now, just a few aged and ailing gunsmiths who know the trick of fashioning single- and double-barrel guns are left. “The art of gun-making cannot be learnt overnight. A gunsmith becomes a master of the art after moulding guns for decades. It requires skill and mental toughness,” says Manzoor Ahmad, 73, a gunsmith at Khanyar. “After learning the art for decades now, I see it dying with each passing day.”
Of the 20 gun-makers prior to the 1990s, only Subhana and Sons and Zaroo Gun Factory are still open. Nazeer Ahmad, owner of Zaroo, has hired the services of skilled labourers from outside the State to service the guns of clients. After a ban imposed in the 1990s, no gun has been issued to a civilian. “The only clientele left are ex-servicemen who have started private security companies. Our guns land up in the hands of ATM guards and registered bird hunters,” Mr. Ahmad says.
The Zaroo Gun Factory at Nowhatta in Srinagar still employs age-old technology to make barrels, locks and stocks. The iron still goes under the several file instruments for hours together to get the shine, barrels are shaped and smoothed using hammers, and mechanical drills help finalise the shape. “Once these owners die, the gun industry will die too. The only way to infuse a new lease of life into it is to increase the quota of guns and number of licences,” Mr. Ahmad says.
His gun quota is limited to 540 a year. Another factory has just 300. All guns are supposed to get clearance from the District Magistrates before being handed over to any client. Security clearance is a must.
Setting the target: A master craftsman working on the butt of a gun.
Workmanship: Checking the polish inside.
Finishing touches: The guns ready to leave the factory.
The Zaroo Gun Factory, one of the few remaining gun-makers in Kashmir.
Master touch: Nazeer Ahmed, owner of the factory, crafting the butt of a gun. The factory now supplies to security firms and registered bird hunters. Sale to civilians has been banned.
Precision craft: Joining a single barrel to the gun. It takes years to mould a gun craftsman.
Making them fit: The fine art of joining iron and wood.
In order: Staring down before fixing the double barrel.