My Yugo AK-47 is it legal?

gunsafe

Hi to all
I am new member to this forum and I have some concerning questions on my Yugo Mak-90 Ak-47 rifle. I bought this rifle in 1996 with the certifacate of authenticidy that was part of that exclusive lot of the 1989 to 1994 crime bill. The rifle has a pistol grip, fixed sock, night sights, flash supresser and the bayonet lug ground off. It was brought to my attention that this rifle to be legal has to have a thumbhole stock and no flash supresser for a Mak-90 configuration to be legal. This I read on recently on your forum that was two years old. My question is did the gun dealer where I bought it from sell me an elegal gun. It's all rather confusing to me. I need some hard facts concerning this issue. Thanks Garrett Viscosi

rufe-snow

To be 922r compliant, it has to have the required number of U.S. made parts. I don't believe this certificate of authenticity means squat unless you can prove that it's been refitted with the required number of U.S. made parts.

nmyers

Well, since you want "hard facts", I went to the best source for those of us who don't have access to the Code of Federal Regulations: Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide (ATF P5300.4) page 45, section 478.39:

"Assembly of semiautomatic rifles or shotguns.
(a) No person shall assemble a semi-automatic rifle or any shotgun using more than 10 of the imported parts listed in the paragraph (c) of this section if the assembled firearm is prohibited from importation under section 925(d)(3) as not particularly suited for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes."

It goes on to list parts & certain other actions. And, that's all it says.

For all we know, your rifle may have been legally imported in it's present configuration. But, I'm not a lawyer or an ATF agent, so my opinion doesn't mean much. If you want anything "harder", you will need to request a determination letter from ATF.

Neal

4sd911

If it's marked M-90 then to be legal it would need at least 6 US made parts from the 20 parts list per gov code 922r. Many of these were converted back to original without the proper US parts to be legal. Some parts you can use would be the trigger, hammer, disconnector from tapco or K-var and wood stock, forearm and grip from ironwood designs. Also the gas piston and muzzle attachment can be used. The certificate that came with the rifle just more or less tells the story of this batch of rifles that were caught in customs after the ban on imported firearms was enacted in which a very cheap plastic thumbhole stock was fitted along with the removal of the bayonet lug, night sights and the pinning of the muzzle attachment.

neatguns

I had on of those AK a few years ago. I doubt it is marked "MAK-90" That name was used by Norinco. It is probably a M90. Made by Zatvasta in Yugoslavia. If your gun was imported by Mitchell Arms it is probably legal. They had a shipment in customs when the 1989 import ban was imposed. After a year or so they were released after removal of the dangerous bayonet lug and welding the muzzle cap in place. Mine had a letter stuck on the inside flap of the box stating it was legal. These were the last true "pre ban" configuration AK's to come in.

AZEX

(sigh)

IF the mods were made to the rifle, as it sat in a warehouse, "in the float" as it's called, to comply with a 1989 import restriction, then the rifle is LEGAL as it was imported.

922(r) didn't take effect until 11/90. Soooooo, US parts counts would not apply UNLESS AND UNTIL you, or someone who owned it before you, made changes to the weapon like replaceing the thumbhole with a standard stock and pistol grip.

The 922(r) says "shall not assemble" NOT "shall not posses" which is the reason there have been ZERO prosecutions for violations of 922(r). That and the fact that there's no legal requirment to MARK the US parts as "US made".

That having been said, if it were my rifle, would I swap out the slant comp, h/t/s, piston and a magazine component to comply with 922(r) anyway? Yes. I would.

D.