What Would You Do? Full-auto SKS?

[Kramer Krazy]

I walked into a pawn shop, yesterday, and saw two SKS rifles on the wall. One was a Yugo 59/66, but the other one wasn't, so I was curious about what it was. Turned out to be a Norinco for $219. I know these go for a bit more, so I decide to look it over. Doing operations checks, I am alerted when the hammer drops when I take it off of safety. I play around with it some more and discover that not only does the safety not work, but the hammer will come down every time the bolt is returned to battery. This even happens when the trigger is NOT touched!

I tell the woman behind the counter that the gun is malfunctioning, is very unsafe, and is illegal in its current condition. I tell her that they need to get it repaired before they try to sell it......She puts it back up on the rack and seems to not care about what I just told her.

Missashot and I leave, but I can't get the idea out of my head that some unsuspecting, and unknowledgeable person, may buy it, take it home, load some ammo in it while sitting on the couch, let the bolt fly forward, and then take out a family member when it kicks into FA, so......I end up going back to the shop and talk to the older woman there.

I point the gun out, tell her what I told the first woman, tell her the above potential scenerio, and pretty much insist that they need to get it looked at. She leaves it on the rack and tells me that she'll tell her husband. I suggested that she take it off the rack and tag it as needing repair, as they don't want to sell it that way, and she leaves it on the rack, tells me that they don't have room for it in the back, and just tells me, again, that she'll let her husband know.

Now, even before going back and talking to the second woman, I was tempted on buying the gun and repairing it, as I have a strong feeling that they will not get it repaired. So, now, I'm wondering what I should do. What would you do?

 

[Third_Rail]

You tried to tell them of its unsafe condition.

I'd report it to the local law enforcement - NOT because it's an unregistered MG, but because it's completely unsafe.

 

[Nick1911]

Personally, I would report it.
While I'm not a huge fan of the ATF, I feel that this is one time that contacting them would be a good idea. If they aren't willing to take it off the shelves, it seems that if it were I, as a member of the gun community I would report it and want others to do likewise.

I wouldn't want to see a fellow gunny or his family get killed or hurt due to this stores negligence. Contact the ATF, or like Third_Rail said, the local authorities.

 

[rdbrowning]

You buying it to repair it sounds like a good idea, until there is a delay in getting the parts and you get caught with an illegal FA rifle. Trying not to be paranoid, but after some of the entrapment antics that the BATFE have pulled at gun shows, would it be possible for them to try planting a FA rifle in a pawn shop?

 

[SolaScriptura139]

I would report it. Someone could get killed because of the stupidity of the pawn shop people. You warned them, they had their chance to fix it, if they didn't, whatever trouble they get in was their own fault.

 

[Mizzle187]

Well if I was some kind of thug,criminal.etc... I would buy it in a second but Im no such thing so I would report it to a local authority for quicker response. It may take the ATF days to get there.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

You buying it to repair it sounds like a good idea, until there is a delay in getting the parts and you get caught with an illegal FA rifle.

I already thought about that......I figured I'd disassemble it partially while at the shop and maybe throw away a part or two so it would essentially be a parts-gun, then.

 

[Third_Rail]

Kramer Krazy - if I were you, I would not buy that gun in its present state - you'd be knowingly buying an unregistered FA weapon, and the BATFE looks down on that.

 

[Nickotym]

I'm not sure I understand why it is illegal? Was the gun modified to full auto or is it just broken? If it is just broken, I don't see how it is illegal.

So if the sear on my pistol breaks so it goes full auto is my pistol now illegal?

 

[Sistema1927]

I would have minded my own business in the first place, and wouldn't have made a big deal out of it, either there or here.

 

[ID_shooting]

That is just it, it isn't FA or an NFA weapon, it is malfunctioning. You can't charge it and fire in FA mode, it is a run-away gun, as soon as the bolt closes it will fire and keep firing until the mag is empty.

Now, it could be some yahoo tried to to a trigger job a hosed it, but still, it is not a maching gun

 

[cmidkiff]

I'd like to see the BATFE abolished. I believe that MG's are just as protected as any other form of firearm by the 2nd. Still... I'd turn this one in.

Just too much of a possibility of someone killing themselves or someone else with this malfunctioning rifle. You told them, and gave them a couple days to get it off the shelf. If it's still there, it needs to be dealt with by someone with the ability to force them to correct the problem. I wouldn't go back, let the BATFE go searching for it.

Nickotym: Yup. BATFE has considered malfunctioning weapons that are capable of firing more than one round with a single pull of the trigger as a machine gun, and prosecuted law abiding citizens, and confiscated their property, as a result. Google 'John Glover FAL' for one well documented example.

 

[jpIII]

Another option would be to ask to see it again. Ask if you can field strip it.
While field stripping, take the offending part out, (probably the trigger group). Reassemble the weapon minus the offending part(as best as you can). And offer to pay the price for the weapon in full, while telling them to keep the offending part.

Of course if it is the trigger group, then you'll pay half of what the rifle costs to get another one.

Good luck, and be cautious.

 

[woerm]

talk to shop owner,

strip the piece and see if the prob is the trigger or the bolt.

I fall into the trigger job gone awry here, as the trigger bar/sear can be made too thin/narrow to stop the hammer. You have to work at it but it is a possibility.

the other malfunction is if the firing pin is put back into the bolt upside down the gun will run away (don't ask how I know this one) . After reassembling a sks bolt alway make sure the firing pin moves freely, there isn't a firing pin spring.

But from the description the issue here is fixable with a new trigger group.

might get try to get a discount on the 'broken gun' and buy a new trigger at the next evil loophole gun show/weapons mart.

r

 

[WayneConrad]

Don't report it: The laws banning it are unconstitutional and should not be enforced.

Don't buy it: But neither do you want fed.gov on your case over a broken gun. It's also not terribly useful in its current condition. Why buy a fixer-upper when you can get one that ain't broke?

 

[cookekdjr]

Regardless of how you feel about how the 2nd Am applies to full autos, you should report this to the ATF. The person who modified this gun has probably done alot of other illegal stuff...and the ATF needs to know about him.

 

[M2 Carbine]

There's nothing that scares people more than a lawsuit.

What I would do is go back and ask to see the rifle again. If it is still on display I would copy down the serial number. When they ask you why you want the serial number, tell them that when someone buys this gun, is hurt, and ends up suing the shop owner that you intend being a witness to the fact that the shop owner knowingly sold a defective and illegal rifle.

Tell them that you normally don't get involved in other people's affairs but anyone that would sell such a dangerous gun just to make a few dollars profit deserves to lose everything they own and possibly go to jail.

Works every time.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

This is a question that hasn't got a good answer. You've come up with a stumper, here.

I think the above poster has the right idea, but maybe if you never want to go back to that gun shop ever again! Either it'll be shut down or they'll throw you out, and in any instance you probably won't be their bestest buddy if you cause anything to happen to them via the ATF.

Personally, I don't see much reason in giving the ATF any more reason to go around bullying people, but it's highly irresponsible for the shop to be selling a rifle in that condition unless, maybe, they're specifically selling it as an 'as-is' parts rifle, not meant to fire in its current condition.

Check up on your state laws and see what the deal is with full auto firearms. Could be that you could report it to the local yokels and A) get some brownie points with the local LEO's (never a bad plant), B) get that thing off the rack at the gun store so nobody gets hurt with it, C) probably not get the ATF involved (at least directly - lots of stuff can be taken care of on the state level because nobody, not even local cops, want the feds to get involved and complicate things unless they have to), and D) keep yourself the heck out of trouble!

 

[waterhouse]

As someone else mentioned, I'd report is not because it could be considered FA, but because it is unsafe and someone could get hurt. I voted for going back on Saturday . . .possibly when the owner of the store got back he was informed and he took the gun down, in which case there is no need to report anything.

I worry that if the ATF gets involved they might decided that the dealer is trying to sell a machine gun, which would pretty much ruin his livelihood, so I hope it doesn't come down to that.

This story is also a great reminder about why it is important to always follow the 4 rules. Guns can malfunction, but if they are pointed in a safe direction the outcome should just be a trip to the gunsmith, not a trip to the hospital.

 

[merk]

I would have minded my own business in the first place, and wouldn't have made a big deal out of it, either there or here.

That seems irresponsible to walk away from something you know for a fact can really hurt somebody, or end up getting someone in jail and not even knowing the reason. As a matter of fact, I wish there were more people like him pointing stuff out like that. America can use a little less lawsuits for no reaosn.

 

[WT]

Helping the BATFE is like helping the Nazis put people in gas chambers.

The gun owner is ultimately responsible for the safe operation of his firearm. It doesn't take much to have a used firearm checked over by a competent gunsmith.

 

[Chipperman]

I vote to go back Saturday then report it if still not fixed.

One thing nobody here has mentioned is that I can understand some of the skepticism from the ladies who work there.

How many ignorant SOBs go into that pawn shop on a daily basis and tell them completely false things about the guns they sell?
"You can't sell that AK47, that's illegal!"

How can they tell you from any of the knuckleheads that go in there?

Try to speak with the owner directly, and show him why the gun is unsafe. If he blows you off, then call ATF.

This situation goes beyond stupid laws and rogue federal tax agents. Someone could easily get hurt or killed by that gun. How would that come back to haunt all of us gun owners? The anti-gun crowd would have a field day with it. They need to close the "Pawn Shop Loophole", they are selling SKS assault machine guns to kill our children.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Pawn shop selling a gun KNOWING it is unsafe:
if they don't put a tag on the gun that it needs
repair before it is used, they should be liable
for damages, hopefully not a death or imjury.
And they should discount the price.

A responsible shop would have the gun repaired.
An irresponsible shop deserves being reported.

BTW, I would consider this a broken or malfunctionung
gun in need of repair. Some unwitting purchaser could
end up with illegal machinegun possession if the wrong
ATF enforcement agent finds out. ATF tech people
would say get the gun fixed before an enforcement
agent finds out, just as they advise buyers of police
auction riot guns with 17 7/8 inch barrels to have a
cutts compensator installed to lengthen the barrel,
when an enforcement agent would smell red meat,
yumyum.

 

[Missashot]

Kramer Krazy:
You are just looking for an excuse to buy ANOTHER gun!
I'm not falling for that one!
And no, I'm not going to let you load the thing up and point it in my direction!

 

[jesse485]

I say go back Sat. and buy it if it isn't repaired. It isn't like SKS's are hard or expensive to fix/ work on.