Posted by Scott on October 31, 1998 at 06:31:56:
QUESTION:
CAN YOU LEGALLY INSTALL THE VARIOUS BUTTSTOCKS, PISTOL GRIPS, MUZZLE
BRAKES, ETC. THAT AA-OK SELLS ON YOUR SEMI-AUTO AK OR HK TYPE RIFLE?
ANSWER: Federal Law (922r GCA) states in part that "it shall be unlawful for any person to
assemble from imported parts any semiautomatic rifle which is identical to any rifle prohibited
from importation under section 925(d)(3) as not being particularly suitable for or readily
adaptable to sporting purposes...".
The NRA Legal Staff & other Gun Lawyers tell us that this section means that ALL the parts in
the assembled rifle must be imported!
More Important, however, is the undisputed fact that neither congress or ATF has ever
established or published for the public a fixed legal definition of what Is "sporting purposes" - Nor
have they ever established or published for the public a fixed ascertainable standard as to what
configuration of a semi-automatic rifle Is legal or not legal to Import or assemble!
Thus It appears that the U.S. Citizen Is still legally and constitutionally free to "assemble" (e.g.
modify or customize) his Imported (and/or domestically manufactured) semiautomatic rifle Into
what ever "sporting" configuration he wants with whatever parts he wants - Imported or not!
So trash-can those THUMBHOLE STOCKS!
Also, the way we read the English language, pursuant to the Sept.'94 Brady Crime Bill the U.S.
Citizen may also 'assemble" his pre or post Crime Bill rifle into whatever semi-automatic 'sporting'
configuration he wants just so long as the rifle does not have a detachable magazine' and 2 or
more EACH of any of the following 5 features (ONE EACH of the 5 listed features is evidently
legal according to the wording of the '94 law):
1. a folding or telescoping stock.
2. pistol grip.
3. bayonet mount.
4. flash suppressor or threaded barrel** designed to accommodate a flash suppressor.
5. grenade launcher
* If the magazine is affixed to the weapon as not being "detachable" then the weapon may have
any number of the 5 listed features!
Also the Brady Crime Bill restrictions DO NOT apply to those semi-auto rifles with detachable
magazines that were already configured with the 5 listed features prior to the law being signed by
Clinton!
**A Threaded Front Sight Base (Russian/Bulgarian AK74 military style) Is NOT A THREADED
BARREL.