Posted on 03/19/2006 7:49:05 PM PST by hookman
I recently purchased a mak90 sporter. I don't really like the thumbhole stock and I am interested in replacing it with a folding/fixed stock w/ a pistol grip. Can anyone give me their take on how to legally do so? Would there be any problem with replacing the thumbhole stock w/ a US stock and pistol grip?
If you have a MAK90, a Maadi or a Romanian rifle with an uncomfortable thumbhole stock you cannot change to a pistol grip stock unless you install 5 to 6 US parts to comply with section 922(r). These parts will cost you $70-$90 plus the cost of the stock set. Because this thumbhole stock has the pistol grip in one piece there is no need to install additional parts. Mounts with standard AK hardware.
http://www.globaltrades.com/ak_stocks.html
Sorry left out URL.
Funny how a pistol grip makes some guns more dangerous.
Well I'll be damned, the restriction DID outlive the AW Ban Sunset
On an AK, there are 15 or 16 specific parts on the official list depending on whether your AK has a muzzle device - you are allowed to have no more than 10 imported parts on your AK to be legal. This means you must replace enough imported parts with domestically made copies to be compliant with the law. Sounds silly? It is. But the good news is that U.S. made replacement parts are usually far superior to the original imported part, so you have at least that consolation.
On my rifle, I will have a muzzle device, so I need to replace 6 parts of foreign origin with identical U.S. made copies. I have chosen to replace the following :
The receiver is a qualifying part. It is made by me, here in the U.S., so I need to replace 5 more
The Hammer is a qualifying part. It is part of the fire control group (FCG), I will use a Tapco G2 FCG, so I need to replace 4 more parts
The Trigger is a qualifying part. It is also part of the Tapco G2 FCG, so I need to replace 3 more parts
The Disconnector is a qualifying part. It is the final part of the fire control group (FCG), so I need to replace 2 more parts
The Pistol Grip is a qualifying part. I'll use a cheap US made copy, identical in all respects but marked "US" in small letters, so now I need just 1 more part
The Gas Piston is a qualifying part. I will use a U.S. replacement piston and that will be all I need to do!
Most people would choose to replace the upper and lower handguard (together they count as one part) and buttstock, since they are easy to do and not very expensive. Since I purchased an authentic Russian side folder, I will be using that. My handguards are also Russian and marked with Russian production numbers, and that is desirable to me, so I will keep them too. The only other parts you might consider replacing are the muzzle device (a US copy is available) and the magazine body, followers and floorplates. This is a snap on a 7.62x39 AKM, but there are no US followers and floorplates for AK-74 mags. The other named parts of the BATFE list are either not available as U.S.-made parts or are not easily made (barrels, trunions, etc)
For what its worth, the specific list of imported parts that are counted toward a Kalashnikov rifle are as follows:
Frames, receivers, receiver castings, forgings or stampings
Barrels
Mounting blocks (trunions)
Muzzle attachments
Bolts
Bolt carriers
Gas pistons
Triggers
Hammers
Disconnectors
Buttstocks
Pistol grips
Forearm handguards
Magazine body
Followers
Floorplates
There are other parts recognized by the ATF, but the Kalashnikov does not have those parts, so if you build an AK type rifle, replace enough parts off of that list to bring the total number of imported parts to 10 or less and you are legal.
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