Afghan Gun Shop

[ORAC]

Michael Yon is now in Afghanistan, another indication that Iraq is really winding down, and is buying local clothes before going local.

He did take some photos in the local gun shop. Nothing ever thrown away comes to mind. Is that flintlock on the right, anyone recognise the makes/models?










p.s. Someone nicked 2 paras trousers when they weren't looking....



Living with British troops of 2 Para at FOB Gibraltar and watching them fight, I witnessed one of the great paradoxes of Afghanistan. The troops are fighting hard and killing the enemy. They are professional and extremely competent. Their morale is high. They are doing a great job. And we are losing the war.........

[jammydonut]

I bought a couple of flintlocks with the curved horse riding stock in Kabul they had a made in Birmingham UK marking

[Max Contingency]

anyone recognise the makes/models?

Yes, they are all functioning replica weapons made for the purpose of extracting dollars or euros from the gullible 'visiting' troops. There are a few web sites that you can check for more information. There are several ways to spot the fakes and they account for well over 99% of the weapons you will see for sale in the markets. However your biggest clue here would be that the Lee Enfield lever action has a Queen Victoria (V.R) crown and the year 1906 stamped on it (5 years after her death).

If you want to put some money into the Afghan economy then you can pick one up for about 200 dollars but be aware that it is a decorative souvenir and definitely should not be fired!!!!!

Bringing one back to the UK can be done quite easily but is also technically illegal. There is a provision to import antique weapons without having them decommissioned but if UK Customs bother to look and see that it is a REPLICA weapon then any antique status would be void.

[Truckkie]

Plenty of real ones to be had for $20 in early 2002

[GreenKnight121]

I may be mistaken, but the "flintlock" looks suspiciously like a percussion-cap type instead.



Yes, the "legendary Muhajadin single-shot rifles that drove out the Soviets"!

Much like the barrels of rusty "Japanese occupation Samurai swords" I saw in Pattaya, Thailand in 1987. I did buy some, but I knew what they were (untempered mild steel fakes), and bought them as costume props.

[Gnd]

Do they have re-heat or have I got the wrong forum!!

[CirrusF]

Has Afghan mechanical ingenuity for improvisation extended to producing weapons that are actually used against our troops?

I have quite a collection of photographs of home-made weapons from the Bosnia conflict and some of those were allegedly built by the "muj" who were in Bosnia at the time.

[MightyGem]

His series with the Paras is here:
Death in the Corn: Part I of III

[FakePilot]

A quick search on the internet reveals none of these rifles for sale, except for a few collectors items. So I'd find it hard to believe that Afghans would have them but not Internet gun dealers.

And I can't find a replica either, after seeing "Zulu" I've always wanted a shooting replica. I have a real soft spot for single shot lever action rifles.

[youngskywalker]

I'm pretty sure you can still buy genuine martini .45 rifles of the Zulu war era for around £1000GBP. I think if you check out the Rorkes Drift website they have links to sellers.

[tony draper]

Keep toot for a couple of Elk Horn Handle for a 1871 Colt SA Army,gi yer the muny forrem when yer get back.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Snider-Enfields

Genuine Snider-Enfields can be picked up from Afghanistan, but its worth doing a little research as there are plenty of fakes. Even the genuine rifles are usually cobbled together from several other rifles to make one good one. These are known by UK antique dealers as 'Afghan Specials'. You can barter as hard as you like, one in reasonable condition will set you back about $200.00

They are classified as antiques due to their 'obsolete calibre' status and are therefore exempt firearms laws. Although there is an additional paragraph that concerns re-enactors modifying them to fire blanks (in which case they would need a license)

In-theatre rules will require a certificate from an armourer to get it out of the country, (or take it on a Tristar as hand baggage)

Below are some examples. From the left:-
Enfields; Martini-Henrys; Snider-Enfield Carbines; Snider-Enfields





I bought four, sold two back in UK, broke even, pounds fer dollars, job done.





Very nicely made, and good souvenir.

If you google for snider enfield, you'll find a link to British Militaria forums with separate threads for all these rifles, and plenty of reports of Afghan purchases. Expert contributions from Canadians and Americans.