Adding an AK to a Milsurp Collection?

[TFLeader]

What military rifle collection is complete with out an AK-47, however:

- A real one is pretty much out of consideration
- A Mass compliant AK does not have an original flash hider or bayonet lug and has at least 10 non-AK parts.

Possible option: Buy an AK "parts kit" and reassemble with original components as a non-gun. Would be a fun project. Can this be done legally?

 

[terraformer]

Head to easton and check out ZHA. Ask them if they have a pre '86 AK 47. It's the closest thing to real you can get without it being FA. You will pay about $1000-$1200.

 

[SKS Ray]

Look for a Poly Tech legend series AK, open your wallet and enjoy everything the rifle was meant to be w/out the happy switch.

 

[richc]

Look for a Poly Tech legend series AK, open your wallet and enjoy everything the rifle was meant to be w/out the happy switch.

This... I own two and love'em. Milled receiver, built like a tank. It is the real deal. Version with the underfolder is badass. Preban drum mags are available. Most fun you can have without a MG!

 

[flintoid]

\- A real one is pretty much out of consideration
- A Mass compliant AK does not have an original flash hider or bayonet lug and has at least 10 non-AK parts.

Possible option: Buy an AK "parts kit" and reassemble with original components as a non-gun. Would be a fun project. Can this be done legally?

In my opinion, as close to a "real one" as you can get is buying a milled parts kit and then either sending it out to get rewelded or to do it yourself. It's got as much of the real receiver as the ATF allows, and you can keep some of the engravings from the factory. It's technically a "new" receiver, except it's either mostly russian/bulgarian/etc.

And as far as assembling parts kits goes, if you have any questions, ask them. I've done a few. And all of the rifles I've made have been pretty good to me.

and you're right on the parts count/MA legal crapola. It's not hard. Get a trigger group, do a gas piston, or do up your magazines right and you're fine (magazines are my route). And for MA, just make sure the bayonet lug doesn't accept a bayonet (I've welded most of mine) and that your muzzle devises are permanently attached (I use silver solder). It's all pretty simple. Just be prepared to cry a little when you molest your rifle...

 

[50 BMG]

Or get your class 3 and go for broke

 

[TFLeader]

Head to easton and check out ZHA. Ask them if they have a pre '86 AK 47. It's the closest thing to real you can get without it being FA. You will pay about $1000-$1200.

What is special about the 1986 date? I thought the AWB date was 1994?

 

[terraformer]

What is special about the 1986 date? I thought the AWB date was 1994?

Pre '86 means no 922 rule. You can put whatever parts on it you want. They don't have to be US made. It was the Reagan import ban. Yes, conservative god reagan pulled an executive order out of his ass and banned the importation of assault weapons from overseas. It was that import ban which was used as a model for the 1994 one. It remains in effect to this day and is why H&K and others don't import anything to the US.

 

[flintoid]

Pre '86 means no 922 rule. You can put whatever parts on it you want. They don't have to be US made. It was the Reagan import ban. Yes, conservative god reagan pulled an executive order out of his ass and banned the importation of assault weapons from overseas. It was that import ban which was used as a model for the 1994 one. It remains in effect to this day and is why H&K and others don't import anything to the US.

no 922r rule as long as it was assembled and imported before then.

If you ever have to replace a part, you then have to make it 922r compliant because maintenance or part replacement counts as assembly.

922r governs rifle assembly. Not ownership or existance. I recall reading somewhere that if you purchase a rifle that was assembled in a violation of 922r, you aren't technically liable. The builder is.

 

[terraformer]

no 922r rule as long as it was assembled and imported before then.

If you ever have to replace a part, you then have to make it 922r compliant because maintenance or part replacement counts as assembly.

922r governs rifle assembly. Not ownership or existance. I recall reading somewhere that if you purchase a rifle that was assembled in a violation of 922r, you aren't technically liable. The builder is.

If the ATF is interpreting 922r that way, they are more f'd up than I thought. That makes zero sense.

 

[flintoid]

sadly, there have been letters from them explaining it this way. I agree, it's rather ridiculous.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Pre '86 means no 922 rule. You can put whatever parts on it you want. They don't have to be US made. It was the Reagan import ban. Yes, conservative god reagan pulled an executive order out of his ass and banned the importation of assault weapons from overseas. It was that import ban which was used as a model for the 1994 one. It remains in effect to this day and is why H&K and others don't import anything to the US.

I think the ban happened in 1989 under Bush 1.

 

[terraformer]

I think the ban happened in 1989 under Bush 1.

You are right. I had the events reversed. It was 89 for the import ban and that was Bush 1. '86 was the FA debacle.

 

[vellnueve]

I think the ban happened in 1989 under Bush 1.

Yep.

 

[TFLeader]

Head to easton and check out ZHA. Ask them if they have a pre '86 AK 47. It's the closest thing to real you can get without it being FA. You will pay about $1000-$1200.

So I am looking for a pre '89 AK?

 

[flintoid]

So I am looking for a pre '89 AK?

If you are looking for an AK that has as many foreign parts on it as possible, yes. And it must be an AK that has never had any parts swapped off of it for repair or for Fudding it up. Because if it did get replacement parts, and the "builder" cared about 922r, it 'should' have been made compliant.

This kind of rifle will have a foreign receiver. It will also have foreign handguards/buttstocks and a foreign trigger group. American parts usually have a "US" stamp on them or look like f'ing crap on the rifle (think WASR buttstock/handguard). Check the barrel- does it have proofing stamps? Does the pistol grip have mold numbers or is it wood and match the foreign buttstock and handguard? Proofing marks and mold numbers are good signs it's foreign. Arsenal of the US has "fake" mold numbers for a bunch of their pistol grips, though. An exception to say the least.

This is not to say that you can find a more recent rifle that has foreign parts on it. Some people ignore(d) 922r when they built rifles. Homebuilders do this more often than big mfg names. But some companies ignored it, and got busted for it. TGI is one of those companies.

So if you find an AK with more foreign parts on it than it should, you should be able to buy it and not be in any trouble because you didn't make it.

But if you want an AK with a foreign receiver- go for the pre 1989 rifle. Or get a post '89 Saiga, SAR, Maadi, SLR, or Arsenal rifle- they all are built on foreign receivers. They just have other parts that are US in origin, like their stock sets, trigger groups, pistol grips, or gas pistons.

 

[BigBill]

Can you guys in mass. own the new russian saiga's? In the next state down south we can thats the only ak/akm we can buy right now in either 223/308/5,45x39 we can't own any other semi auto rifle in 7,62x39 but the sks. The laws are great here too.

I look all the time at large capacity mags and how many states are jumping in on that ban list one by one the list is growing
too.


Our goverment predicts we will be invaded in the southwest by the arabs/mexicans someday. I figure by then we'll have single shot sling shots to protect this country. The semi auto sling shots will be banned too.

 

[SKS Ray]

We can own Saigas and convert them to pistol grip configuration too. They just need to be MA legal which Saigas already are since there are no bayonet lugs and as long as any brake attached to the muzzle is permanent by silver solder or a tack weld.

 

[BigBill]

Then why not jump on the "brand new" russian izhmash saiga's????? Were not buying anybody's shabby rework its a brand new russian ak/akm.