They are "non-sporting" by definition.
That wouldn't really make sense, then, since nearly any "sporting" rifle has parts which could be used on non-sporting rifles (indeed, almost all the parts of a sporting rifle could be used on a non-sporting rifle). So unless one forbids importation of all rifles, or unless one allows importation of "sporting rifles" but not parts therefor, it would seem that importation of just about anything would be prohibited.
The only interpretation I can figure that would make logical sense would be to provide that parts imported after the cutoff date may only be used on sporting rifles, much the way that rifles imported after 1989 may only be outfitted in "sporting configurations". From a practical and enforcement standpoint, however, this would be ridiculous. There are many imported firearm components in this country for which no paperwork exists regarding their provenance, and there is no regulatory provision indicating that components imported after the new cutoff must be conspicuously marked to indicate such.
People may have squawked a lot about Clinton's "Assault Weapons Ban", but at least he had the constitutional decency to have Congress pass it. George Bush the Elder's 1989 restrictions were simply imposed by fiat, and now it looks as though the same will be true of George Bush the Younger.
We cannot just let this go..
Gotta be someone out there willing to make this a "talking point"..
Gonna ask my congress critter about it..