Taking a shot at recreational shooting with airguns

A sharp crack followed by a silence probably lasting just a picosecond and therefore going unregistered, and then the loud pop of a balloon bursting from a pellet shot. Those sounds, in that sequence, are heard every day at Marina and Bessie. And usually, to create that sequence of sounds ten times on the trot, with the hire of an air rifle and a balloon target screen, a beach-goer would have to part with Rs. 50. There are those who seek to make this one-time indulgence a regular habit not by visiting the beach every day, but by a one-time visit to a shop selling airguns.

Welcome to the hobby of recreational airgun shooting which can be practised in a controlled environment at one’s own private space. At Asian Air Guns on Perambur Barracks Road, Ashwin Kumar underlines that owning an airgun does not entail getting a license by meeting a fuscillade of requirements. That said, there are still requirements to be met. One, the buyer has to be at least 18 years of age and offer proof of identity by presenting a copy of their Aadhar card or driving license. “Aadhar card is preferred,” he emphasises. 

Balloon popping with airguns is a favourite pastime for many beachgoers.
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Special Arrangement

Another requirement, something that cannot be met by the presentation of a xeroxed document, is responsible behaviour. There is discretion to be followed while carrying an air rifle or air pistol. Brandish it in public, and you would find yourself on the wrong side of the law, the act being counted as a punishable offence. While being transported, the airgun has to be carried in a case, covered and hidden from the public eye, Ashwin explains. 

“When we sell an airgun, irrespective of the price at which it is sold, we take a short primer on how to use it, which includes how to use it responsibly. We cannot expect everyone to know the dos and donts of it and hence the time we spend educating them,” says Ashwin, adding that airgun literacy is indispensable given that target shooting enthusiasts are on the increase. A good number of them take up target shooting away from the glare of the sporting arena because of the quiet benefits it brings to the mind: focus and stress-busting rejuvenation. But an equally good number of them would be cutting their shooting tooth on airguns with the objective of eventually graduating to professional shooting, which involves getting a license. Ashwin likens it to learning to ride a basic scooter before entering a bike race, “If you want to become a bike racer you first learn to ride an Activa.”

Besides the logical learning process, there is also economy involved in taking it step by step. He elaborates: “Joining a shooting club and taking up advanced training would automatically lead someone to invest heavily in equipment. And what if someone discovers shooting is not their thing after making that investment? Airguns is a cost-effective way for someone to find out whether shooting is for them or not.” And even with an air pistol and air rifle, one could enter a competitive fray, nationally and internationally, as a category with 10m air rifle for men and women and air pistol for men and women exists. 

Ashwin brings this perspective to table as he has been on the other side of the counter as well, as a buyer of shooting equipment for his own use, being a licensed shooter and a member of Chennai Rifle Club. In fact, he shares a passion for shooting with his father S. Ramesh Balaji who established Asian Air Guns in 2005. Both father and son have made a comeback to the shooting range, the former after a 25-year hiatus and the latter, a 10-year break. But as for their business, they want to stick to selling just airguns

‘Selling airguns is the easier option’

Anna City Armoury also has a history etched with a father-son narrative. Located on Raja Muthiah Road in Periamet, the shop was started in 1993 by T. Selvamani, who had earlier worked with P. Orr & Sons. The “Armoury” in the enterprise’s name signifies continuity in Selvamani’s professional life. P. Orr & Sons had a link with the armoury business before being associated entirely with horology. The last embers of its identity as a manufacturer and seller of firearms were smouldering in 1967.

Anna City Armoury is run by Selvamani’s son, S. Sivabalan, 49, who joined his father while pursuing his degree, and would go on to take over the business entirely after his father’s demise in 2015. The shop deals in airguns as well as firearms that require license on the part of the buyer as well as the dealer. Sivabalan admits that the latter, that is selling airguns is the easier proposition. But that is not without its challenges either: one of them is that helped by technology, manufacturers sell directly to consumers with the result that the middle ground occupied by dealers has narrowed.