Mistri Pritam Singh

When the people were still licking the wounds of the India-Pakistan partion of 1947, Mistri Sardar Pritam Singh a born mechanic thought of manufacturing a single barrel 12 bore gun. Without any assistance he learnt that technique with the help of a muzzle loading gun. After having known the technique to manufacture such guns, he applied to the Govt. of J&K state for the issue of a license to manufacture single barrel 12 bore guns. The request was favourably considered and the license issued made him the pioneer in the trade of gun manufacturing in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. His hand made gun was acclaimed as one of the best in the state.

As he did not feel satisfied with what he had achieved, he manufactured another gun named by him as Indicator Gun in 1954. Something amazing in that gun is that a small steel strip fitted at the top of the barrel automatically indicates whether the hammer is ready or not, and whether the gun is loaded or not and the like. In one of the industrial exhibitions held at the Parade Ground Jammu in the month of April 1954, Mistri Pritam Singh displayed this new Gun for which he was awarded the First Class Silver Medal in the art of Gun making.

After about six months Mistri Pritam Singh manufactured another Gun named by him the Pin Gun. The significance of the Gun is that as and when the Gun is loaded with a cartidge, a small needle like a pin emerges out of the barrel which signifies that the Gun is loaded.

The invention of two such notable guns made him very popular amongst the citizens in general and civil and Army Officers in particular.