Chinese SKS Legality

[Blackcloud6]

I saw what I think is a pre-ban Chinese SKS at a show. (Same one I asked price info in another thread below)

It has the spike bayonet on it. I am wondering if this is legal as I thought the bayonets had to be removed form Chinese SKS's to make them legal under the 1994 ban. If there are Chinese ones that can legally have the bayonet, how would I know?

 

[El Tejon]

Which "ban" are you talking about? '89, '91, '94, '96, '98???

If you are talking about the VCCA of '94, then it is the number of features that controls. A CKC with only the frog poker is O.K. as long it complies with ATF's rule of the day on sport.

 

[Jim K]

The SKS bayonets were removed because otherwise BATF would not allow them to be imported as "sporting arms". But many were imported before that ruling was made, and are legal. What is not legal is to put a bayonet on one that was imported without it. BATF can, I think, provide the cut off serial numbers. I would feel safe in assuming it is legal if that is the only concern.

This is not involved with the "assault rifle" law, since the SKS (as originally configured) is not an assault rifle; it does not have a detachable magazine. A detachable magazine is not an "evil feature"; it and semi-auto are the two basic requirements for an "assault rifle". Then come the "evil features".

Jim

 

[DMK]

Unless you have some kind of date of import stamped on the rifle or have some kind of papers to prove that it was imported before 1989 and that you may use in your defense in court, the words "pre-ban" have absolutely no value to you and you will have to remove that bayonet unless you happen to like playing chicken with the BATF. I do not believe even the serial number will help. Some earlier numbered SKS's were imported after '89.

Here's a quote from Simonov.net:
http://www.simonov.net/ubervalues.htm

Pre-ban means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to you today. Don't let someone rob $50-$100 from you because the added a little tag with the word "PRE-BAN" scribbled on it. If it is truly pre-ban, they will be able to provide concrete proof such as old sales receipts with the serial number and date recorded on it, the notarized import record, the Department of Defense bring back paperwork, or show you the import date stamped into the barrel. Otherwise, how the hell would they even know? There are no public import records (that anyone will confess to) for pre-ban Simonovs, so how could they possibly know? Are they psychic? Do they have a magic wand they wave over a pile of firearms to make the pre-ban ones levitate out of the pile? Try this. Enjoy the stammering and "deer in the headlights" look you'll get if you ask them, "Suppose the BATF arrests me for owning this firearm and I need to prove to a judge this rifle is indeed pre-ban. How would I do it?" I challenge someone to come up with one benefit of owning a original condition pre-ban SKS, anyhow. The word "pre-ban" is meaningless. (Can you tell I feel strongly about this?)

BTW, the 1994 ban, banned all import of all non C&R SKS's(ie. Chinese) altogether. It was the '89 ban that forced the removal of the bayo(it banned import of any non C&R SKS with a Bayo or detachable magazine).