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In 1962, Özbay’s well-heeled legacy gave birth to a bona fide family business at present managed by Mustafa Özbay, the grandson and taking the same name of his grandfather Mustafa Özbay treated as the first gunsmith of Üzümlü, Konya enveloped through mountains, valleys, and great natural landscapes where is the most gigantic firearms’ heart of Middle East Zone.
“The year was 1962, I was roughly 40-45 years old. I went to Beyşehir to master up gunsmithing. I knew I was gifted-hand. There was a craftsman having acquired how to build a gun when he was a lieutenant in World War 1, and he accepted to teach me. In the mornings, I buried myself in gunsmith at the workshop and stayed up all night there. I boosted my dexterity in 60 days by doing all sorts of things in that manufacturing place. After that, I got back to Üzümlü and built my own gunsmithing workplace,which meant I was the first person to bring the shotgun to Üzümlü. I faced up to myriad of difficulties while manufacturing guns. I was successful in doing a receiver but not welding the barrel. To make it happen, I exposed the barrel to the fire, piled coal, and cast welding paste. I used a blower, and a green gas came out of the barrel. When you saw a green mark, the welding was done perfectly.The first gun I made was a single break, and that was the first shotgun in Uzumlu. People seeing my hand-made single breaks wanted me to teach them, so I started work with nine apprentices. I had nine machine tools. I manufactured all parts of the shotgun from soup to nuts. I spent two days for the production of a barrel, and a whole day for the stock. The time I spent with the production of only a single break was ten days. The price for a single break was about $100 at that time. I sold those handicraft single breaks I manufactured, then I saved up money to buy materials. Then, my business got bigger and bigger day by day. I enjoyed very much producing gun more than the gainings I had when it sold. Then, I took part as the founding member of Cooperation of Üzümlü Firearms.” says my grandfather Mustafa Özbay, a veteran of Turkish Army.
“The year was 1962, I was roughly 40-45 years old. I went to Beyşehir to master up gunsmithing. I knew I was gifted-hand. There was a craftsman having acquired how to build a gun when he was a lieutenant in World War 1, and he accepted to teach me. In the mornings, I buried myself in gunsmith at the workshop and stayed up all night there. I boosted my dexterity in 60 days by doing all sorts of things in that manufacturing place. After that, I got back to Üzümlü and built my own gunsmithing workplace,which meant I was the first person to bring the shotgun to Üzümlü. I faced up to myriad of difficulties while manufacturing guns. I was successful in doing a receiver but not welding the barrel. To make it happen, I exposed the barrel to the fire, piled coal, and cast welding paste. I used a blower, and a green gas came out of the barrel. When you saw a green mark, the welding was done perfectly.The first gun I made was a single break, and that was the first shotgun in Uzumlu. People seeing my hand-made single breaks wanted me to teach them, so I started work with nine apprentices. I had nine machine tools. I manufactured all parts of the shotgun from soup to nuts. I spent two days for the production of a barrel, and a whole day for the stock. The time I spent with the production of only a single break was ten days. The price for a single break was about $100 at that time. I sold those handicraft single breaks I manufactured, then I saved up money to buy materials. Then, my business got bigger and bigger day by day. I enjoyed very much producing gun more than the gainings I had when it sold. Then, I took part as the founding member of Cooperation of Üzümlü Firearms.” says my grandfather Mustafa Özbay, a veteran of Turkish Army.
I am beholden to Özbay’s past and the legacy passed from grandfather to grandson commenced 58 years ago in Üzümlü/Konya. I feel justified pride in this heritage and am dedicated to revitalizing. Even now I can see my would-be grandson manufacture second-to-none guns and never cease the fire of the belief this heritage must thrive upon all around the World.
