The gun markets of Pakistan

That was neat. It's too bad that we can't travel safely through those parts of the world anymore. I sure would like to see that area and experience the culture and history firsthand.
 
Too bad the guy in the video wasn't a gun nut. He had no appreciation for what the hell he was seeing and had a lot of his facts wrong. All those guns there and he fires the AK? I'd have begged for a big burst outta that lewis! :D
 
There was a documentary film made by French network TV5 about tribal areas arms industry. I saw it in the 90s, they showed some quite modern milling machines. It was about small gun maker. What he did infront of French TV crew was super. He made from scratch sort of 1911 clone, but far more modern then 1911, double action ect. Far more better looking two. But one thing that struck me was that the gun fired no 9mm luger or 45 it fired 9mm long mauser pistol round it is a perent case for 7.63x25 mauser and a relative of 7.62x25 Tokaryev
 
armorman said:
That was neat. It's too bad that we can't travel safely through those parts of the world anymore. I sure would like to see that area and experience the culture and history firsthand.
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Too bad parts of that culture now include scaring off Westerners, intimidating local families and killing off elders who challenge them.
 
The west and Russia has since before 1837 competed to control that parts of the world. First the british who, against advice from a british diplomat who knew better, went through the Khyber Pass in 1837 with 16000 soldiers and camp followers. Only one british soldier returned alive.

In 1837, the "home made" guns of these tribal people, the "jazail" was superior to the british soldiers gun, because it was not only more accurate, but due to its smaller caliber, it could also shoot accurate from a longer distance the the british guns. Many captured british guns, were converted to"jazails". (also spelled "jezail")

Can you blame these tribal people of being sick, or hating foreigners, and making guns as if there was no tomorrow ?

Also watch "Youtube", "persian hunter shoots goat with jezail-like musket" :)
 
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I have a Martini Enfield in 303Brit that was made by these craftsmen. At first glance, fit and finish are as good as any British built rifle. It's only when you start to look at the small details that you can really see the differences. Mine has a perfect .311 diameter bore and shoots as well as any British built/issue Martini.

I've seen several other "Khyber Pass" rifles and hand guns. Some are extremely crude, some are so good that if it weren't for the poor stampings, it would be virtually impossible to tell the difference from a factory made firearm.

The parts may not interchange with any other rifle/pistol and if one breaks, it may need to be custom built but that doesn't mean the firearm won't operate effectively.

Just because a lathe is foot pedal powered, doesn't mean it won't turn out good work. The same goes for barrel making machines and presses for duplicating magazines. If labor is cheap and plentiful then there really isn't that much to it. It isn't rocket science by any means. These are smart people, they have access to modern tools and steels as well as after market stocks and parts. If they can't buy them, they can and will make them. Another thing to consider, many of the components used in firearms today are made in Pakistan and India. They have the knowledge and the tech to make this stuff up.

There are plenty of guys and gals on this site that could easily replicate any firearm made, with tools in their home workshops. I can remember a couple of books that may still be in circulation that showed an interested person how to make a pistol and a sub machine gun, including the magazines. To save time, they suggested using power tools, at least a hand drill. But it was easy to see that all of the work could be done with hand tools. One thing that was quite interesting in the books was where to find the materials without having to go to a supply store. Another was how to heat treat without instrumentation. This sounds dangerous but was common procedure right into the 1930s and later in some countries.

Pakistan isn't the only area of the world that this goes on. The US and Viet Cong found numerous hand made firearms that were made under harsher conditions than those shown. They worked and did the job.
 
Your post make me think of John (Moses) Browning, who had 144 firearm patents to his name, most of them created using his fathers, man powered lathe from around the 1830. In the later years, Browning did plug in some power to his dad's old lathe from a steam engine.

Brownings single shoots rifles, all the Winchester lever action rifles, including model 1894, model 1900 pistol, the famed "model 1911" Colt 45 ACP pistol, the "potato digger" Colt machine gun as well as most of his inventions and patents, were eventually first churned out, using his fathers old and simple lathe.

If you have a chance, you can view this lathe, his various prototype guns, including the first "Model 1911", still in the "white", at the John Browning museum in Ogden, Utah.
 
I was comparing to what we have become accustomed to, in order to get our firearms to a reasonable price and quality, we expect to buy CNC produced firearms ? However, in this particular part of the world, due to local demand and very low hourly/daily wages, it is still cheaper to produce firearms, entirely from scratch, using skilled as well as unskilled labor.

I was also reading up on John M. Browning again, and noticed that he made his first firearm at 15, from a piece of scrap metal. If you put your mind to it, I do not think it is to difficult to make firearm.

I have seen an african "shotgun", made from a pellet gun, in which a "shotgun barrel" are somehow attach to the end of the fully functional pellets gun barrel, in which the pellet from the airgun act as a "firing pin", which will, when the pellet gun is fired, hit and detonate the shotgun shells primer, and "bang", you have a single shot shotgun :)
 
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czechitout said:
CNC machinery is good for mass production but is no more accurate than conventional machinery.

The best quality shot guns are hand made, they are also the most expensive because they are the best, same goes for hand made shoes etc etc.
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With CNC, even a change in temperature in the room will vary the diameters being machined. (Unless your HVAC maintains a constant temp year round).
 
Pakistan used to purchase 1000's of Lee Infields from the tribal areas just to keep the peace. President past Zia.I have an article showing them with hand lathes and rifling machines as well as pulled up railroad rails for scrap steel.The towers neighbours built were to keep an eye on each other.During longstanding feuds people would spend months in one waiting for a shot at the neighbor.It was in an old Outdoor Life.......Harold
 
Interesting to see CNN take an interest in VBS tv.

I always liked VBS's choice of music for their articles, this one included.
 
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