Help! Are high cap mags legal in a post ban AK?

[Watch-Six]

I just bought a Maadi AK with a pistol grip, one of those Century Arms US parts kits guns. It came with a 5 round USA marked mag. Is is legal to use imported hi cap mags in this gun? I have heard that it is NOT ok, based on foreign parts count, without changing some magazine parts to US made parts. In frustration I called Century Arms about it. They were pleasant, but didn't really answer my question. They referred me to ATF. So I called the ATF in Salt Lake City, UT. The guy there was also pleasant and said that it is NOT legal to put any high capacity magazine in this gun no matter when or where it was manufactured. I made sure that he understood that this is a detachable magazine. He then went on to say the it is also NOT legal to use high cap magazines in post ban AR15s. I'm quite sure that he is incorrect on the last one. I now have a headache! Can anyone tell me if I can use imported high cap magazines in my new Maadi? This makes absolutely no sense. I think that I will go back to my preban AR15s where I don't even have to think about this B.S. Watch-Six

[This message has been edited by Watch-Six (edited August 03, 1999).]

[Bryant]

Who cares what mags you use, no one has ever got in trouble anyway. The last thing ATF is going to do is yell at you at a gun range surrounded by other Patriots and people with hi-cap mags. They don't like to be out gunned, that's why they show up at your house with 50 guys to kill you and your wife for meanial violations that never were Constitutionally vallid to begin with. Get all the hi caps you can the AK is much more reliable than any AR or M-16.

[Packrat]

In most of the conversions to "USA-made" weapons (which may have the pistol grip), some parts are put in the mag to get the number up to 10. If this was done, than for that gun to be legal, it must have that mag, or a mag with the same number of US-made) parts added to it. You would be better off with a kit that added enough parts without changing the magazine.

I don't understand your comment about post-ban AR's. They are completely US-made, and most of the hi-cap mags are US-made also. Unless you have an post-ban AR that was imported, you're clear. And even that would be legal with USGI mags, which are the only kind to use. I received a 30 rnd mag with my Bushmaster M17S (though it was advertised as being supplied with a 10 rnd mag). I have acquired several more USGI 20 and 30 rnd mags, all legal. Anyway, AR's don't have laws passed against them. When there was a pistol PROTOTYPE that used 7.62x39, ATF stopped all steel-core ammunition imports. There have been AR pistols since the early 70's that I know of, and true AP 5.56x45 still comes in. But this is for a good American rifle, not one of those Godless communist assault weapons.

------------------
Packrat

[JT]

This is not gospel and I am no profit. However, this whole thing was explained to me thusly. There are enough parts in the new Maadi to make it considered "American" as opposed to "Imported", some of those parts are in the Mag. For example, as I understand it the "follower", "baseplate" and "spring" are all "American" the outer shell has been left alone. Because of this, if you put an "imported" mag in it makes the gun illegal because there are not enough "American" parts. Understand?

So, the question is, what to do to get high cap mags? Right? Well, here is what they said to do. Buy some imported 30 round mags. Then buy some "American" conversion kits. They include the spring, follower and baseplate and those parts are an "American" rehab kit for used mags. Now you have all the parts you need to have an all "American" AK.

Once again though, this is only hearsay, I am no attorney or legal counselor and I am only repeating what I heard. I take no responsibility for being incorrect. It just made sense to em when they explained it to me so I am repeating it for all our benefit.