Travel to India. Safety, guns, nonfiring weapons...

[leadcounsel]

This covers a variety of gun, non-firing weapons, legal and travel safety and strategy. Mods please move where-ever it best fits.

I may have an opportunity in the future to travel to India (the country). I'd like insights on a variety of topics from anyone with knowledge, insights, or experience. This will be a tightly organized group trip with at least one native Indian in our group.

I expect the trip to be safe, educational and fun.

1. Safety. I've traveled internationally as a civilian and Soldier and have been well-briefed on OPSEC and travel safety. I'll look at the State Dept website, and plan accordingly. But anything I need to know specifically about India. Anything I can carry legally that will be obscure enough to not raise alarms? Thinking a nice hardwood cane. Any insights on self-defense laws? Relative safety of the urban areas from anyone with actual experience?

2. Are there any gun markets where I might find and be able to buy and bring home a pre 1898 curio and relic, and does anyone have any experience in such a thing getting it through customs? I have a C&R but have never looked into this. Do they even have gun markets or shops? It would be cool if it were simple and affordable, but I'm not interested in a significant amount of time or money investment. I used to have a .308 Indian Enfield, but sold it a few years ago.

3. Are there any really cool non-firing weapons native to India, culturally significant, items I might purchase. Or other hand-made gun gear? I suspect there may be awesome and cheap magazine rigs for the FAL or other things, as one might find on Ebay. Can one expect to see these things in the markets? Maybe some quality hand made camoflage fatigues?

4. Any other cultural advice is appreciated.

 

[wally]

I think you are totally out of luck regards item #2. Guns are highly restricted over there. My wife's co-worker is from India and when his brother and sister-in-law visited, they said the high point of their trip to the US was when we took them shooting and they got to shoot a bunch of stuff they'd only seen in the movies. We went through about 1600 rounds in about a dozen different guns.

You can't bring any guns in or out (or Itar regulated items) without State Department approval -- used to be routine for "hunting" guns and destinations, but I've heard of hassles recently.

 

[hso]

You need to break this up into about 3 threads scattered here, S&T, and NFW and address those relevant questions in those subforums.

As pointed out, #2 is a no go. India isn't Afghanistan or Pakistan.

#3 should be directed to NFW.

#1 should go to S&T.