Gun law in India

Prior to the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, there were few gun control laws in India.[1] The Indian Arms Act, 1878 regulated the manufacture, sale, possession, and carriage of firearms. The act included the mandatory licensing to carry a weapon, but contained exclusions for some groups and persons, for instance "all persons of Kodava (Coorg) race".[2]

In the late 1890s, the British Empire was facing a series of internal insurrections in India (as well in Sudan), and the .450 calibre .577/450 Martini–Henry rifle was the most widely distributed firearm in the hands of the anti-British forces. In 1907 the British authorities banned civilians from possessing rifles chambered in a calibre corresponding to British military centerfire cartridges (e. g., .303, .450, and .577) to prevent them from being used against British troops and authorities, or even just bullets being pulled from military ammo and used to reload expended commercial cartridges.[3]

That led to the replacement of the .303 with 8×50mmR Mannlicher, locally known as .315 Indian, demise of .375/303 hunting cartridge, which had to be replaced with .318, as well as to a rush by British rifle and ammunition makers to develop substitutes for now-banned popular big-game hunting rounds (Holland & Holland created the .465, Joseph Lang the .470, an unidentified firm the .475 Nitro Express, Eley Brothers the .475 No 2 Nitro Express and Westley Richards the .476,[4] with the .470 NE becoming the most popular). .400 also gained some usage.

Right to bear arms also came into political space during Indian independence movement. Right to bear arms was admitted as a fundamental right into 1931 Karachi Resolution which was drafted by Gandhi.[5] There was also debate of admitting Right to bear arms into Indian constitution during Drafting of the constitution[6] But this was ultimately rejected by the constituent assembly .

In 1959 the Arms Act was passed with new strict rules. It has been amended many times since, most recently in 2019.

Indian law divides firearm licenses into two types:

• Prohibited Bore (PB) includes fully automatic, semi-automatic firearms and some other specified types which can only be issued by the central government for certain groups of people;
• Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) includes remaining types of firearms and may be issued by central and state governments for ordinary citizens.

In 2016, after the release of the Arms Rules, 2016, the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed all State Governments to further cast an overviewing role over all types of firearms. In addition to designating air guns as firearms, it directed the State Government to further direct all District Magistrates (DC/DM) of their States to enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The SoPs required all air gun owners to test their firearms and furnish details of purchase. It also instructed all DCs to delegate each of their Sub-Divisional Commissioners (SDC/SDO/SDM) in charge of the Arms Branch to coordinate and conduct tests of air guns. It was stipulated that an Armorer be requisitioned by the District Magistrate from the Superintendent of Police (SP) to assist in the testing. It stipulated that tested and verified license-free air guns be given an Arms License Not Required (ALNR) certificate after testing using a chronometer, after which jurisdiction-specific identification marks be stamped on the firearms. As such, in May 2023, the Government of Mizoram released an Office Memorandum stating that ALNR certificates were under the direct purview of the DM without the need for further administrative approval while Arms License Required (ALR) applications be sent to the Home Department for further administrative approval. The memorandum also reiterated the 2016 Ministry of Home Affairs instructions.

Such SoPs were aimed at further ensuring a strict divide between 'license required' and 'license not required' firearms in the country. [7]

Carrying firearms

"No Arms & Ammunition" sign found outside a restaurant in Chennai, India

Open carry of firearms is allowed in India, subject to various conditions. According to Arms Rules, 2016, no person shall carry a firearm in a public place unless the firearm is carried in a holder designed, manufactured or adapted for the carrying of a firearm. A firearm contemplated in this rule must be completely covered and the person carrying the firearm must be able to exercise effective control over such firearm. Even mere brandishing or discharge of firearms or blank-firing firearms in any public place or a firearm free zone is strictly prohibited.

Violation of this rule could lead to revocation of the license and seizure of the firearm in addition to the penalty specified under the Arms Act 1959. [10]

As of 2016, there are 3,369,444 firearm licenses active in India with 9,700,000 firearms registered to them. According to Small Arms Survey, there are 61,401,000 illegal firearms in India.

The following is a breakdown of firearm licenses by state:[12]

There are around 3.22[13] gun homicides per 100,000 people in India every year. Around 90% of them are committed using illegal guns.[14]

• Overview of gun laws by nation

• "Arms Act, 1959" (PDF). December 23, 1959. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2019.