AK date help

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ChevyGuy91

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I have a "gun shop guy told me so" question. I was looking at an AK on a rack, and when the guy handed it to me he said, "this is a pre-ban too, you can do what ever you want to it, it has the date stamped in the serial number."

Now I am not usually one to believe anything like that without doing the research myself. So I came home and tried to google all kinds of "ak serial number date" variations and have not come up with anything as of yet. I would think if it were a legit pre-ban AK it would have been quite a bit more expensive. The first 4 digits of what he pointed out as the serial number were 1968.

Is this in fact a pre-ban at a lower then normal price? Or is this a piece of bad advice from misinformation?

Thanks for your help,
Ed
 
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It was on a rack amongst other "new" AK's all at the same price range I have seen WASR's, but I don't actually remember the importer/manufacturer. I know I should have taken more info with me when I walked out, but I was still a little foggy from a welcome home party the night before.
 
Who made it? AKs come from too many places to make any generic statement on whether or not the date is in the s/n. If it's been neutered (no muzzle device, bayonet lug, etc), then it's almost certainly a post-ban.

Far be it for me to critique the wisdom of "that guy in the gun store". We all know he's the expert, because he's told us so everytime we walk in the door. [rolleyes]

55_grain
 
My thoughts are that it is post ban, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I wouldn't go off anyone's word with out being able to verify for myself.
 
is it the same price as the post ban ones? If so alarm bells should be going off, assuming you are in MA and not a free state.

Pre Bans in MA seem to bring huge money
 
That is why I didn't fork over the money when he told me that. I told the guy I would do some research and get back to him.
 
Which shop? Someone here may know them very well and be able to tell you if they speak truth....or not.
 
I'd rather not spew hatred toward a shop, I was just looking to solidify my gut feeling that I should not buy this rifle under the pretense of it being pre-ban.

FWIW, I think there is already ill feelings toward this particular shop.
 
It's been a while since I read the law on this and I'll try to find it again, but if remember correctly its not the manufacture date, but rather the IMPORT DATE that matters here. The import date has to be pre-ban.
A gun could have set in a crate in Romania since 1970 but if it came into the states in 2008 then its a post-ban by my understanding.
 
From the information you have provided so far:

Most likely not preban.

Romanians among others (seems like most E European ) put the date of manufacture on the trunion along with the Serial #. But this is not the date of manufacture/assembly of THAT rifle.

There is actually a guy on GB listing a WASR 10/63 as such. Someone from another forum actually called him on it. Quoted out of his listing:

"HERE IS A MINT IN THE ORIGINAL BOX "UNFIRED" VINTAGE 1971 MILITARY ISSUED & PACKAGED AK-47!"

"THIS AK-47 IS A VERY "RARE & SCARCE PIECE FROM 1971 & ALL MATCHING SERIAL NUMBERS # 1971CC3005 "WOW"!!!"

"THIS 1971 MILITARY ISSUED PACKAGED AK-47 IS ABSOLUTELY "100% ALL ORIGINAL" & A VERY VINTAGE AND RARE PIECE TO HAVE ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION!"

Disingenuous is putting it nicely.

In short, my guess is the rifle is not preban.


Also, as far as I know, there are/were no Romanian preban imports.
 
edmorseiii said:
I'd rather not spew hatred toward a shop, I was just looking to solidify my gut feeling that I should not buy this rifle under the pretense of it being pre-ban.

FWIW, I think there is already ill feelings toward this particular shop.
Click to expand...

Yeah....I figured as much. You did the right thing by walking away from it. If it doesn't feel right (i.e.: your BS alarm goes off even just a little bit), then don't plunk down your hard earned $$. I remember once an owner of a shop telling me that the presses I use were designed exclusively for Winchester primers which he just happened to carry. If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't.
 
Mass General Law: Chapter 140, Section 131M. No person shall sell, offer for sale, transfer or possess an assault weapon or a large capacity feeding device that was not otherwise lawfully possessed on September 13, 1994.
So I'm pretty sure "lawfully possessed" means by someone in the US.
 
IRAQ31B said:
It's been a while since I read the law on this and I'll try to find it again, but if remember correctly its not the manufacture date, but rather the IMPORT DATE that matters here. The import date has to be pre-ban.
A gun could have set in a crate in Romania since 1970 but if it came into the states in 2008 then its a post-ban by my understanding.
Click to expand...

If it sat stored in a crate since 1970, I'm 99.9% sure it would be full auto.

But you are also correct on date of import being pretty much THE factor for an imported complete rifle determination of post/pre ban
 
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JD09 said:
If it sat stored in a crate since 1970, I'm 99.9% sure it would be full auto.
Click to expand...

I agree, just wanted a good time period to make a point.

Also, perhaps were talking about a 1970 SKS...still needs to be a pre-ban to modify the mag and the grip, right?[rules] And it's not a full auto.[smile]

Anyways...back to the topic of pre/non pre ban AK...[rockon]
 
Does it presently have any pre-ban features?

Folding stock...

Threaded (non-pinned), muzzle...

Bayonet lug (pistol grip is a given).

you can do what ever you want to it
Click to expand...

Pretty much means the only thing you can realistically do to it that would be worth the effort and expense is add a folding stock to it and/or a flash suppressor.
 
After reading all this, I am sure that it is not a pre-ban rifle. It had standard furniture and what looked like a cap on the barrel threads.

It was a local store to me, I am sure given my info you can figure it out. I am not saying they knowingly gave me false info, but maybe didn't know better. I can see how that assumption could be made, still wouldn't do me any good in court though.

I supposed I will just have to save my money and buy the under folder I want from Zero Hour, I at least trust those guys to know what they are talking about.

Thanks for all the info guys.
Ed
 
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