gulfwarsubvet
Active Member
A lot of new shooters are buying/modding SKS rifles.
I figured I would put this out there to help prevent the uninformed from getting themselves in trouble at a later date.
No one has been convicted of this, to my knowledge, but it's a good CYA for all to abide by...especially in our current gun unfriendly environment.
Title 18 of the US Code (18 USC), Chapter 44 Section 922 is Federal Law and applies to both imported shotguns and rifles.
There is a list of 20 possible parts and the number of parts per firearm varies, according to model.
The law is if you change ONE part, then you have to change enough parts so that no more than TEN parts of the firearm are imported. The balance of the parts have to be US made, which again varies according to model.
Most SKS rifles in original form have 14 parts, see below.
The Yugo 59/66 has an extra one for a total of 15.
This means in order to be legal no more than 10 parts can be imported, if you change one part, you need to change enough parts to have no more than 10 parts that are imported.
This means that if you change one part, that you need to change at least 4 or 5 parts accordingly.
Adding a Tapco stock adds a pistol grip and adding a detachable magazine now adds a floorplate.
Most say...this is OK, because now I have 5 total US parts, buttstock, handguard, pistol grip, magazine and pistol grip.
Problem is that 2 of those 5 parts were not in the original configuration and now bring the total parts count to 16 or 17 of the Federally listed parts.
So in effect you only changed 3 of the original parts and added 2 to the overall total.
This means that you need a Tapco Stock set, a US made handguard, a US made magazine and still need a minimum of one extra US made part, of your choice, to be compliant.
If you only go to a monte carlo style stock, you still need at least 3 more parts to be legal...a handguard, a magazine and one more part of your choice.
SKS Parts per the Federal List in Normal Configuration
1. Receiver.
2. Barrel.
3. Muzzle attachment. Yugo M59/66A1 Only
4. Bolt.
5. Bolt carrier.
6. Gas piston.
7. Trigger housing.
8. Trigger.
9. Hammer.
10. Sear.
11. Disconnector.
12. Buttstock.
13. Forearm/handguard.
14. Magazine body.
15. Follower.
Total Parts in original configuration:
Yugo 59/66 = 15
All other models = 14
Tapco Stock and Handguard set added - Total Parts:(adds pistol grip)
Yugo 59/66 = 16
All other models = 15
Tapco Stock and Handguard set added with US made magazine - Total Parts:(adds pistol grip and floorplate)
Yugo 59/66 = 17
All other models = 16
It's very easy to be ignorant and in violation of this.
Like we have seen many times in the past, ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for non-compliance.
That's the reason they made it that way IMHO, a very forward-looking law, for possible use at a later date.
Know the law and make sure you are compliant.
Due to parts availability, it is VERY difficult to change any parts and be able to change enough parts to be both compliant with 922R AND retain status as an unregulated SKS in MD.
If you change to Monte Stock/handguard and keep the fixed mag, you still need 2 more US made parts, which can be difficult if you omit the magazine.
Removal of the bayonet does not count, as they thought ahead and it is not a counted part.
Some argue that all stocks have a pistol grip, but that is a gray area that is better not tread upon IMO.
They did their homework on this one, back in the day, mostly to make throwing a foreign parts kit together with a US made receiver alone illegal.
Other miscellaneous parts weren't as available, back the, as they are now.
Clear as mud????
I figured I would put this out there to help prevent the uninformed from getting themselves in trouble at a later date.
No one has been convicted of this, to my knowledge, but it's a good CYA for all to abide by...especially in our current gun unfriendly environment.
Title 18 of the US Code (18 USC), Chapter 44 Section 922 is Federal Law and applies to both imported shotguns and rifles.
There is a list of 20 possible parts and the number of parts per firearm varies, according to model.
The law is if you change ONE part, then you have to change enough parts so that no more than TEN parts of the firearm are imported. The balance of the parts have to be US made, which again varies according to model.
Most SKS rifles in original form have 14 parts, see below.
The Yugo 59/66 has an extra one for a total of 15.
This means in order to be legal no more than 10 parts can be imported, if you change one part, you need to change enough parts to have no more than 10 parts that are imported.
This means that if you change one part, that you need to change at least 4 or 5 parts accordingly.
Adding a Tapco stock adds a pistol grip and adding a detachable magazine now adds a floorplate.
Most say...this is OK, because now I have 5 total US parts, buttstock, handguard, pistol grip, magazine and pistol grip.
Problem is that 2 of those 5 parts were not in the original configuration and now bring the total parts count to 16 or 17 of the Federally listed parts.
So in effect you only changed 3 of the original parts and added 2 to the overall total.
This means that you need a Tapco Stock set, a US made handguard, a US made magazine and still need a minimum of one extra US made part, of your choice, to be compliant.
If you only go to a monte carlo style stock, you still need at least 3 more parts to be legal...a handguard, a magazine and one more part of your choice.
SKS Parts per the Federal List in Normal Configuration
1. Receiver.
2. Barrel.
3. Muzzle attachment. Yugo M59/66A1 Only
4. Bolt.
5. Bolt carrier.
6. Gas piston.
7. Trigger housing.
8. Trigger.
9. Hammer.
10. Sear.
11. Disconnector.
12. Buttstock.
13. Forearm/handguard.
14. Magazine body.
15. Follower.
Total Parts in original configuration:
Yugo 59/66 = 15
All other models = 14
Tapco Stock and Handguard set added - Total Parts:(adds pistol grip)
Yugo 59/66 = 16
All other models = 15
Tapco Stock and Handguard set added with US made magazine - Total Parts:(adds pistol grip and floorplate)
Yugo 59/66 = 17
All other models = 16
It's very easy to be ignorant and in violation of this.
Like we have seen many times in the past, ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for non-compliance.
That's the reason they made it that way IMHO, a very forward-looking law, for possible use at a later date.
Know the law and make sure you are compliant.
Due to parts availability, it is VERY difficult to change any parts and be able to change enough parts to be both compliant with 922R AND retain status as an unregulated SKS in MD.
If you change to Monte Stock/handguard and keep the fixed mag, you still need 2 more US made parts, which can be difficult if you omit the magazine.
Removal of the bayonet does not count, as they thought ahead and it is not a counted part.
Some argue that all stocks have a pistol grip, but that is a gray area that is better not tread upon IMO.
They did their homework on this one, back in the day, mostly to make throwing a foreign parts kit together with a US made receiver alone illegal.
Other miscellaneous parts weren't as available, back the, as they are now.
Clear as mud????