India Made Firearms

[Rock Home Isle]

It looks like the people that own an India Made gun…are pleased with them, with a significant majority willing to buy another. Of those that own an India Made gun, none are unhappy with it.

Of the people that do not own an India Made gun, 1/2 are looking or considering buying their first gun….

Interesting data…..

 

[Adneg]

You do have a point about lack of manufactured spares, but...
An Italian main spring for a Bess is currently $82.50 plus shipping. An Italian Bess frizzen spring is $62.70, plus shipping, IF either of them are in stock.

LD

$20.00 at track of the wolf.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/527/1/LOCK-BESS-GRICE-1762-MS
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...Model+Brown+Bess+Musket+&+Italian+Made+Repro.
$43 at Dixie Gun Works.

Still a lot cheaper than paying someone to make a spring for me at $175

 

[user 49399]

It looks like the people that own an India Made gun…are pleased with them, with a significant majority willing to buy another. Of those that own an India Made gun, none are unhappy with it.

Of the people that do not own an India Made gun, 1/2 are looking or considering buying their first gun….

Interesting data…..

I have one, am happy with it and would buy another, but the results are surprising.

 

[Adneg]

I’d like to make a point about Indian Arms.

If they were made better with spare parts and made with better quality wood, I’d pay the premium for one, I’d pay the price of a pedersoli for an Indian made gun that was made with better quality.

I don’t care where they’re made, i mean my frozen peas and broccoli are apparently imported from Mexico and China so might as well buy Indian.

If they made them in kits id buy them too.

I do have a friend that has an Indian made musket that is much older, barrel is marked to indicate. I actually liked the musket a lot, it was heavy a barreled third model and the lock was nice looking.

 

[sturmkatze]

You do have a point about lack of manufactured spares, but...
An Italian main spring for a Bess is currently $82.50 plus shipping. An Italian Bess frizzen spring is $62.70, plus shipping, IF either of them are in stock.

LD

I got a couple mainsprings for my pedersoli bess from track. They were like $20. After the original shattered from evaporust, I got the others. My gunsmith fitted it for a good price and I have a spare. Still, other pedersoli posts are stupid priced.

 

[springfield art]

I have four from military heritage one Miroku and one pedersoli the poll needs to include....... I have India derangement syndrome

Wow, if you have 4 from MH, that's saying something; there must be a quality there you find OK. My older India-made Bess seems very high quality for that genre. It's .74 cal. barrel seems fine to me! I think it came from the Bi-Cen era. Thanks.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I picked up my 1st India Made gun about 25 or 30 years ago at a gun show…In my opinion, it was a hunk of junk, and the quality of manufacture was laughable.

10 years ago I bought 2 India Made guns…a pistol and a percussion, single barrel smoothbore. Pleasantly impressed…very happy with the purchase, and I’m looking at ordering several more.

I think the quality of manufacture has greatly improved to the point that I’m willing to spend my money on these products. They are perfectly good entry level firearms, that may or may not need minor issues to be corrected by the end user…not bad for the price.

 

[Surfinator58]

I know the India guns were all copied from original samples so Sarco gun parts Corporation Dixie and other generic internal parts will fit with a little bit of gunsmithing

 

[FlinterNick]

I know the India guns were all copied from original samples so Sarco gun parts Corporation Dixie and other generic internal parts will fit with a little bit of gunsmithing

I have my doubts that Indian made arms are copied from originals. There’s just too much variation in their patterns, especially in the other guns they produce like French and Prussian Muskets.

I think its more likely the muskets are hand made copies of visual aids and nothing more.

 

[FlinterNick]

I got a couple mainsprings for my pedersoli bess from track. They were like $20. After the original shattered from evaporust, I got the others. My gunsmith fitted it for a good price and I have a spare. Still, other pedersoli posts are stupid priced.

Pedersoli spare parts are not hard to find at reasonable prices. You should rarely need spare parts though, an occasional stripped screw or broken spring.

 

[FlinterNick]

It looks like the people that own an India Made gun…are pleased with them, with a significant majority willing to buy another. Of those that own an India Made gun, none are unhappy with it.

Of the people that do not own an India Made gun, 1/2 are looking or considering buying their first gun….

Interesting data…..

I’ve seen many Indian made arms over the years that look very good and some that are very bad. Eventually one day those shops will consolidate or merge and the quality control will increase.

 

[sturmkatze]

I’ve seen many Indian made arms over the years that look very good and some that are very bad. Eventually one day those shops will consolidate or merge and the quality control will increase.

I dunno, it's India -- they're not like that and the thing is, they do have some incredible craftsmen. The thing is, they don't get the concept that we're working at. That's the hard part.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I’ve seen many Indian made arms over the years that look very good and some that are very bad. Eventually one day those shops will consolidate or merge and the quality control will increase.

I doubt seriously that will ever happen, quality is expensive. I started shooting back in the 70's. At that time there were kits being sold for around $50, they didn't resemble any original ever made and quality was pretty much bottom of the barrel. Well the same things are still being made today. The names on the box has changed and the price has gone up around 10 times what it was but the quality isn't much better. As long as people keep buying these things thinking they are getting a bargain nothing will change. The old saying you get what you pay for is still very true even today

 

[sturmkatze]

As long as people keep buying these things thinking they are getting a bargain nothing will change. The old saying you get what you pay for is still very true even today

It's not that. Many folks cannot afford custom stuff. Affordable guns and kits got a lot of guys into the hobby.

 

[Surfinator58]

Somebody said at the beginning of the thread they fill a niche which they do and as long as they do that people will continue to buy them and be satisfied with the amount of money they spent and the function of the item others will save up thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars and get something of much higher quality and then belittle those of us who can't afford

 

[Sidney Smith]

Somebody said at the beginning of the thread they fill a niche which they do and as long as they do that people will continue to buy them and be satisfied with the amount of money they spent and the function of the item others will save up thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars and get something of much higher quality and then belittle those of us who can't afford

No one is belittling the person. It's the guns many of us dont like. I've said this before, I don't fault anyone's choice if that's all they can afford. That said, I still don't have to like the firearm they choose. In my opinion, if you can afford to buy an India made gun, then with a little more saving, you could probably afford a better quality gun.

Some people just cop out their poor choice in gun, with inability to afford a better one. It's all in how much and how long a person is willing to save up for something.

 

[NorthFork]

Overall Pedersoli's ain't that great, neither are Ardessa's (Traditions/Old Cva's). However they are light years ahead of most Indian guns I've seen. We all complain about excess wood and metal on Spanish and Italian guns but somehow the extreme excess wood and metal is A OK on Indian guns???

 

[Surfinator58]

I just saw a new advertisement for a custom-made Kentucky flintlock rifle $7,000 that's a used car or braces for our teenage sons and daughters if you're just doing reenacting part-time India guns are a viable option and should not be frowned upon just saying

 

[FlinterNick]

It's not that. Many folks cannot afford custom stuff. Affordable guns and kits got a lot of guys into the hobby.

This is true to an extent, however when you start collecting Indian made arms and own 3-5 patterns of brown Bess’s, that logic is kind of out the window.

If you’re going to be a serious collector or kit builder, custom made arms and kits are the way to go.

 

[FlinterNick]

I just saw a new advertisement for a custom-made Kentucky flintlock rifle $7,000 that's a used car or braces for our teenage sons and daughters if you're just doing reenacting part-time India guns are a viable option and should not be frowned upon just saying

Some Kentucky and Pennsylvania Rifles are works of art, seeing one sell for prices upwards near 5-7k is not a surprise to me, especailly if it was made by an original period gunsmith.