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Posted: 3/16/2009 2:14:26 PM EDT
| I'm sure this has been brought up I just can't find a sticky or any other info. A year or so ago I bought an wasp 10 from a gun store with a muzzle nut and not a flashider. From what I can figure out the whole compliance parts thing is just for people who build their own guns. So is it legal for me to remove the muzzle nut? (live in Ohio if that matters). What seems to be the best over flashider for reducing flash and recoil? Thanks. |
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Even though you didn't build your AK, you as the owner are still required to meet 922r requirements for US parts. You are limited to no more than 10 foreign manufactured parts
Paragraph (C) defines the following parts as "countable" under the law: (1) Frames, receivers, receiver castings, forgings or stampings * (2) Barrels * (3) Barrel extensions (4) Mounting blocks (trunions) * (5) Muzzle attachments * (6) Bolts * (7) Bolt carriers * (8) Operating rods (9) Gas pistons * (10) Trigger housings (11) Triggers * (12) Hammers * (13) Sears (14) Disconnectors * (15) Buttstocks * (16) Pistol grips * (17) Forearms, handguards * (18) Magazine bodies * (19) Followers * (20) Floorplates * These 20 items are referred to with the term "compliance parts". There are lots of other components that go into a weapon, but there are the only ones that count in terms of complying with the law. The 16 items marked with an asterisk are the parts that are generally found on a standard AK 47. The Saiga sporter rifle, as imported, does not have a muzzle device or pistol grip, so it has 14 countable parts. A Saiga shotgun has 13 countable parts (the trunnion is considered part of the receiver) - 14 if the barrel is threaded. I would personally stay away from counting the magazine as a compliance part as this is readily changed and depending on what you pop in you could be in a world of hurt. |
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If you replace it with a US made muzzle attachment then you are going to be at least even, and probably +1 for 922r compliance, so it's not something you need to worry about too much.
Not many muzzle attachment reduce both flash and recoil. Usually you get a compensator for recoil and a flash hider/supressor for flash. There are a few that do an OK job at both, but they tend to be much pricier than the standard options. |
| Ah finally I understand a little better. I have replaced my stock with a black solid plastic one from Tapco along with there handguard and SAW grip. I'm also thinking about putting their trigger on. So I think that would put me at more than enough compliance parts. As for the flashider it's self I should just get whatever one I think looks the best? |
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NIB WASRs that can accept double-stack mags leave Century in a 922r compliant configuration. As long as you are not replacing US made parts with foreign parts, or adding new countable foreign parts then you have nothing to worry about.
You are planning on replacing foreign parts with US parts, so you are going to be way ahead of the 922r game. |
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Quoted:
Even though you didn't build your AK, you as the owner are still required to meet 922r requirements for US parts. You are limited to no more than 10 foreign manufactured parts Paragraph (C) defines the following parts as "countable" under the law: (1) Frames, receivers, receiver castings, forgings or stampings * (2) Barrels * (3) Barrel extensions (4) Mounting blocks (trunions) * (5) Muzzle attachments * (6) Bolts * (7) Bolt carriers * (8) Operating rods (9) Gas pistons * (10) Trigger housings (11) Triggers * (12) Hammers * (13) Sears (14) Disconnectors * (15) Buttstocks * (16) Pistol grips * (17) Forearms, handguards * (18) Magazine bodies * (19) Followers * (20) Floorplates * These 20 items are referred to with the term "compliance parts". There are lots of other components that go into a weapon, but there are the only ones that count in terms of complying with the law. The 16 items marked with an asterisk are the parts that are generally found on a standard AK 47. The Saiga sporter rifle, as imported, does not have a muzzle device or pistol grip, so it has 14 countable parts. A Saiga shotgun has 13 countable parts (the trunnion is considered part of the receiver) - 14 if the barrel is threaded. I would personally stay away from counting the magazine as a compliance part as this is readily changed and depending on what you pop in you could be in a world of hurt. Thanks for posting this. It makes it very easy to plan compliance for a build or to check up on existing guns. I saved it as a document, print it off, mark it up for the appropriate gun and keep it in my gun information/photo notebook where I have a clear protector for each gun's documents. Check me on this; if the muzzle attachment is welded to the threaded barrel, neither the attachment nor the threads count as a foreign part. |
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Check me on this; if the muzzle attachment is welded to the threaded barrel, neither the attachment nor the threads count as a foreign part. You're almost correct. Barrel threads are not counted as a part. Barrels are counted, whether threaded or not. If the muzzle attachment is permanently attached it is considered to be part of the barrel and is NOT counted as a separate part. |
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Ah finally I understand a little better. I have replaced my stock with a black solid plastic one from Tapco along with there handguard and SAW grip. I'm also thinking about putting their trigger on. So I think that would put me at more than enough compliance parts. As for the flashider it's self I should just get whatever one I think looks the best? Many WASRs are equipped with a G2 trigger, Check before you buy one. What is more important to you: appearance, capability to reduce muzzle flash or a reduction in muzzle climb? |
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Quoted:I believe that the WASRs have US made barrels, so you're currently at 7 US parts as I see it:
Barrel Buttstock Pistol grip Muzzle device Trigger Hammer Disconnector -L WASRs do not have US made barrels. If the muzzle nut is welded on it's undoubtedly foreign. That's why it welded on. The OP's rifle had 5 US parts when it left Century. That's all it needed because it only had 15 countable parts. He's added a buttstock and handguard. |
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Check me on this; if the muzzle attachment is welded to the threaded barrel, neither the attachment nor the threads count as a foreign part. You're almost correct. Barrel threads are not counted as a part. Barrels are counted, whether threaded or not. If the muzzle attachment is permanently attached it is considered to be part of the barrel and is NOT counted as a separate part. Thanks. 922r compliance is not as bad as I thought it was. |
| Since the law says "muzzle attachment" and a muzzle nut is a muzzle attachment, I count a muzzle nut the same as a flash hider - it is either US or its not. There is some debate on this issue as the 94-2004 AW Ban said if it was permanently attached, it negated the threaded barrel. But 922 doesn't say "barrel threaded to accept muzzle device" as the AW ban did, so I think this argument is without merit. |
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You should be fine. I believe that the WASRs have US made barrels, so you're currently at 7 US parts as I see it: Barrel Buttstock Pistol grip Muzzle device Trigger Hammer Disconnector -L Nope, bbls are Romy. Rule is no more than 10 furrin parts (by atf def of part) no matter how many US parts you have. So just don't more furrin and you should be fine. Vortex or Phantom, be sure to pay attention to AK thread pattern 
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The law is clear to me. It makes no distinction between welded or not, nor the function of the attachment. Therefore it seems to me that if there is something on the end (nut or brake or flash and welded or not), it needs to be counted in 922 "no more than 10 imported parts". If there is nothing on the end, then it is not counted as one of the "no more than 10 imported parts"
I was just mentioning that I have heard it argued that a muzzle nut can be imported because it doesn't count as anything, but I just don't see where this is supported in the law. |
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You should be aware that Century installs 5 US parts if the muzzle attachment is welded. (The welded attachments are foreign from what I've seen.) They install 6 US parts if it is not welded. The sixth part is a US made muzzle attachment.
My money is on Century for being right. They import the rifles. They assemble the rifles. They sell the rifles. If they were breaking the law, they would be liable for prosecution. They have attorneys to advise them on how to avoid being prosecuted by complying with the law. |
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Good info. I'll play it safe and use a US nut and have it welded. f the only change in the rifle that you make is to remove the foreign made nut and replace it with a US made muzzle attachment of any kind, there's no need to have it welded to comply with federal law. |
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You don't need to weld it if your compliance parts are correct. The WASR should have had (but not always) a US FCG (3 parts), a US pistol grip (1) and a US gas piston (1) for 5 US parts. If you replaced the handguards and buttstock with US made Tapco parts you removed 2 foreign parts and added to US parts so your rifle would have 7 US parts which means you could thread the barrel (if it doesn't have threads) and put any muzzle device foreign or US and you would still have under the prohibitted number of foreign parts.
The welding of the muzzle device being considered just part of the barrel is common among many manufacturers. Welding of a barrel extension for the short AMD barrels to be legal length is one example of the part once welded not adding what is considered a part to the rifle. Say you have a short barrel on your AR which would be illegal to install on an unregistered/non-tax stamp licensed as a SBR lower. By welding a phantom flashhider of the correct length to the barrel to bring it up to correct length you are now legal because the flash hider which is now not readily removable is now considered part of the original barrel. If it wasn't part of the barrel length you would have an illegal SBR. |
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I understand the reasoning, that permanently attaching a muzzle device makes it part of the barrel and no longer a muzzle device. I am only pointing out that the ATF letter on welding muzzle devices was for compliance with the 1994-2004 ban and became moot in 2004. Neither the law, nor published ATF position papers state that welding a muzzle device makes it no longer a muzzle device. ATF has a history of contradictory policy letters. A US muzzle nut or slant brake runs around $10. Some may consider the entire exercise silly and don't care. Other firearm manufacturers like myself don't gamble on the whims of ATF. I make sure all the AKs I manufacture are 922 compliance no matter how one counts it.
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I make sure all the AKs I manufacture are 922 compliance no matter how one counts it. And I have tried to point that out for several years here Mark and get nothing but grief for it by some members. The difference in cost of parts is moot when it comes to the cost of a defense when the ATF becomes involved. |
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