Reghunathan has arms dealer licence since ’94
Reghunathan with his array of arms. (Photo:DC)
kollam: The youth who won the National Cadet Corps award for best shooter in the 1970s is till passionate about guns. He repairs and provides guns for enthusiasts including shooters and various organizations across the State. K. Reghunathan,52, from Uliyakkovil in Kollam procured licence as an arms dealer in 1994 and has now been an authorised dealer and mender of arms used by the security service of the State Bank of Travancore for the last 18 years.
“I have around 5,000 customers. I also provide training to customers who come asking for guns including air guns and fire arms,” says Reghunathan who has won several awards. Reghunathan underwent technical training from the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, to repair guns. “The quality needed to be a good shooter is a right balance of our body and good vision. You need to have sound presence of mind and great power of observation”, he says.
Like their father, Deepa Lekshmi and Vijay Ramanujan, Reghunathan’s daughter and son too are shooters at the Kottayam Rifle Club. He also has conducted seminars on his favourite subject of arms in around 27 colleges across the State. He is also a member of the SPCA Elephant Squad in Kollam. “Most of the customers ask for air rifles that can be used without a licence. Air rifles vary in their range starting from 35 metres and more, with the price ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 65,000 according to the quality and range,” he says.
As Reghunathan moves back to his busy schedule, he says in all humility: “Guns should be used carefully and handled like a child. Otherwise, they will ruin and deceive us.”
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