Narrator: It can take at least three months
to build a shotgun by hand.
The Zaroo family has been building these bespoke firearms
here in Indian-controlled Kashmir since the 1950s.
There used to be dozens of gunsmiths like them
in the region's summer capital, Srinagar.
This neighborhood is even named after the historic industry.
But decades of political unrest
and tight restrictions on gun ownership
have shuttered all but two
of the family businesses in the capital.
India has some of the world's strictest gun laws.
And in Kashmir, government red tape
ensures that almost no one here can buy one.
Most Kashmiris, including the Zaroos, are Muslim.
But India is currently controlled
by a Hindu nationalist party.
It says limiting access to weapons in this region
will prevent an uprising.
So we went to Kashmir to see how one of the last
traditional gun factories is still standing.
Nazeer Ahmad Zaroo starts by creating the barrels.
He's worked here for over 40 years.
But the business, which he runs with his two brothers
and nephew, has recently suffered.
He takes a solid steel rod and drills through it
on a large boring machine.
Working a few inches at a time,
he presses through the metal,
retracts the drill bit,
clears away the shavings,
and goes back in again.
The machine spurts water into the hole
to keep both the steel and the drill bit from overheating.
About 50 people used to work at the factory,
but these days, it's only about six.
Narrator: One of those workers is Aman Kumar.
He takes the barrels and solders them together over a fire.
He works over an open flame to soften the metal
and uses borax to remove impurities from it
and ensure a clean join.
He submerges the barrels in a bucket of acid
to clear away any residue from the fire.
Then it's time to start assembling the gun's action,
the mechanism that handles how it fires.
They used to make all the parts of the action in-house,
but nowadays ...
Narrator: So they just assemble all the premade parts by hand.
They use rasps, hammers,
and there's a lot of fine-tuning to make sure
every piece fits together perfectly.
But some basic materials are hard to find,
and sometimes they even have to make their own screws.
Narrator: The way this type of shotgun works
is what's called a break action.
It's where the barrel hinges down
to load and unload ammunition.
The Zaroos don't keep shotgun cartridges around the factory
because they're only focused on making the guns,
not ammunition.
At this point, Indian law requires the company
to send the partially completed weapon
to a government lab for safety testing.
This is standard practice for almost
every gunmaker in the world, large or small.
But for the Zaroo gun factory ...
Narrator: They only send a gun to the lab
when they have a paying customer.
Narrator: This gun passed inspection.
Now it's time to add the hand-carved gun butt
that Kashmiri guns are known for.
Walnut wood from this region
is known for being high-quality,
durable, and good for carving.
Some customers request detailed designs,
but others go for a plain finish.
Narrator: These guns can cost anywhere from $270 to $470
depending on the level of customization.
Narrator: A Zaroo shotgun is a fully functional weapon,
but because ownership is restricted,
it's likely to remain on the shelf at a customer's home.
Narrator: So these days, most guns pile up in the workshop,
waiting for the day demand returns.
But to really understand the downfall of this industry,
we have to look at the region's past.
Both India and Pakistan have claimed territory in Kashmir
since the 1940s.
The disputed border is a ceasefire line
called the Line of Control,
that is guarded by each country's armed forces.
But over 90% of the younger generation
in the Muslim majority region want to end
India's military presence there, according to a 2019 study.
Violent clashes between Indian and Pakistani military forces
started in the '40s and continue to this day.
But since the 1990s, bloodshed has increased in the region
as civilians continue to take up arms
against Indian soldiers.
As a result, the Indian government banned gun production
and stopped issuing licenses in the region.
That ban was eventually repealed,
and the Zaroos did all they could
to keep up the business into the 21st century.
But sales haven't recovered.
The past few years have been especially bad.
In August 2019, India revoked Kashmir's autonomy.
The military enforced a security lockdown
and communications blackout, hurting local businesses
and bringing life to a standstill.
Narrator: And although owning a gun is legal,
Kashmiri citizens rarely obtain the official paperwork
on national security grounds.
Narrator: The family is trying to work with local authorities
to get the whole industry back on its feet.
Burhan suggests getting the local police force
to become a customer.
Narrator: Right now, things can't get much worse for the business.
Narrator: Even still, the Zaroos say they'd rather keep busy
at their 70-year-old shop then just sitting at home.
So they keep on building.
and that is what gives me joy.