The Gun Counter

Now, common citizens look for small arms
7 Dec 2008, 0000 hrs IST
Raja Awasthi & Shantanu Nandan Sharma, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: The gruesome images of gunmen roaming the streets of Mumbai with submachine guns and spraying bullets on innocent people have evoked the most basic instinct in the people of our cities — that of primal fear. Perhaps no wonder then that the doyen of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan is now sleeping with a gun under his pillow and created quite a stir at Mumbai airport yesterday when he tried to board a domestic flight with a gun in his hand baggage. And like Big B, many other urban dwellers in India, too, are either cleaning their guns and keeping them ready for use or trying to buy licensed revolvers after the terror trauma in Mumbai.

Private arms retailers, who are allowed to sell small arms, including revolvers and pistols to valid licence holders, have received many more enquiries from common citizens in the last few days. Indian citizens, of course, do not have the freedom to just go out and buy their dream guns such as the latest custom engraved Smith & Wesson Model 22 that is selling in the US for $7,500 or other popular models such as Alaska Backpacker, C2-75 or RugerSR9. In fact, there is no fresh supply of guns in the market because of the restrictive policy and ban on imports and private dealers mostly trade in second hand weapons.

More of this story..............

mekender wrote:im showing S&W Mod 22's for about $800... perhaps there is a resale market somewhere?