Are Bayonets Legal?

[xxr_91]

I have noticed that several magazines that sell SKS parts offer bayonets, but add that THESE ARE ILLEGAL TO INSTALL. I have a bayonet on my gun, and I noticed that several postings on this board mention SKS rifles with bayonets. Whats the deal?

[KYGunz]

From what I know and have saw, the SKS bayonet thing is as confusing as any other of these sucky gun laws. When they banned these features they cut a lot of the bayonet lugs off of guns. I don't know if they were still importing them at that time or not, but if so then all SKSs without bayonet lugs were imported after that ban. I have saw recently in pawn shops SKSs that still have bayonets on them. It's my opinion that these are the so called grandfathered SKSs maybe and they are legal. All Russians are legal with them as well as Romanians because of their age. I personally have a Chinese SKS that's preban and I say that due to the fact that I bought it and added features to it in 90 or 91 way before the ban on that stuff. You can still find SKSs with bayonet lugs on them. If one doesn't have a bayonet on it , I wouldn't put one on, but if you buy it that way then leave it on. Just my 2 cents.

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Never "too many" guns, always "not enough", KYGunz

[TinMan99]

The law states that any foreign-manufactured rifle imported after the ban may have one 'assault' feature and still be legal. With the SKS, so long as it has not been modified, may possess a bayonet. It cannot possess a bayonet and have a threaded muzzle, flash-hider, removable magazine, pistol-grip, or folding stock. US-made rifles may have two of these features, that's why you still see M1A1's coming from Springfield Armory with removable mags and permanent flash-hiders.

TinMan99

[KYGunz]

What I like so much about my SKS is that it's all preban aftermarket stuff assmbled long before the ban on these features. I figure it'd bring a little more because of that. Got a folder, muzzle brake bayonet and 30 round clip. It is sweet.

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Never "too many" guns, always "not enough", KYGunz

[Jimbob]

I have a 64 Chinese SKS that came with a spike bayonet and seems preban. Saw a thread a while back that said spike bayos were illegal but blades werent? I am not sure though. Also I heard that these romanian guns are all coming in with bayonets as curios? Very confusing overall.

[TinMan99]

Provided the rifle is not modified to have removable magazines or isn't a Chinese SKS that uses AK mags, then it's perfectly legal to have a bayonet on your SKS. Why? Because it's the only 'assault weapon' feature the rifle possesses and foreign-made rifles may have one assault weapon feature. That means no folding stock, no threaded barrel, no flash hider, no removable mags, no pistol grip...

TinMan99

[Mak]

Only SKS rifles imported from China before 1990 are legal to have a bayonet on them. Also, Russian and Romanian SKS rifles may have a blade bayonet on them because they are classified as "Curios and Relics" by
the BATF. You can't take a Chinese SKS
now and put a spike or blade bayonet on it because then you are creating a rifle that would be banned from importation. Imported rifles are not allowed even one "assault" feature on them. The only imported rifles coming into the country with even one "assault" feature are the AK-22 and M-16 .22LR rifles coming in from the Phillipines because BATF made an exception for them in 1989. In 1989, G. Bush banned guns from coming in the country that had just one evil feature (pistol grip, threaded barrel, bayonet lug, flash hider, etc). They could still have a high-capacity magazine until Klinton banned that in 1997 and now all we have coming into the country are semi-autos with 10 round or less magazines and no "assault" features.

So, the general rule is that you can have a pre-1990 Chinese SKS with a bayonet on it or a Russian and Romanian SKS with a bayonet.

[This message has been edited by Mak (edited 11-03-1999).]

[TinMan99]

Man, the laws suck. But anyway, that being the case, why are rifles like the Romak 991 and 992 coming in with removable mags? Yes, I know they can't take high-caps, but it's still a removable mag, which is classified as an assault feature. The thumbhole stock ak's that could take high-caps, where the removable mag was the only assault feature, again the rifle's one and only assault feature. The law on this is genuinely confusing, no? Feh...

TinMan99

[Mak]

Yes. The laws are stupid. Especially considering that there are not too many drive by stabbings with bayonets. The detachable magazine as an "assault" feature only applies to domestically made weapons. If a rifle has a detachable magazine, it can only have one "assault" feature like a pistol grip. The detachable magazine by itself isn't an assault feature, it just qualifies a weapon further so that it can only have one bad feature. As for imported weapons, only high capacity magazines are a feature for keeping it out of the country in post Nov. 1997 America. Not that anti-gun people are patriotic but there has always been a double standard in things related to American made versus foreign made firearms. Chalk that up to companies like Remington and Winchester who in 1968 got the "sporting purposes" language added to the 1968 Gun Control Act. They didn't want their market threatened by cheap imports. You can't really blame them in the business sense. I'd love to buy only American made weapons myself but they just don't make the cool Uzis and AKs like foreign companies.

I plan on buying a Romanian SKS soon because I don't think we'll see prices low like this again anytime soon.

[sKiTjacKsOn]

MAK---

If you dont mind purchasing rifles over the phone without seeing them, try Centruy Arms. They have romainian SKS's for $179.00. I saw the C-Arms SKS's at a Turners Outdoorsman Shop and were in VG condition. They list there for $199.00 for a limited time. I called Century Arms and verified that I have my 03-FFL filed in their system and they gve me $20.00 off. Should get here on Mon.

[Mak]

I applied for my C&R License just over a month ago with the specific purpose of getting an SKS from Classic Arms. I bought a rifle from them through an 01 dealer ealier this year and was happy. Good to hear that you got one in VG condition. Did it come with any accessories from Century?

[jaydee]

I got a Century imported Romanian sks when they 1st hit the market. Very nice gun miiled reciver and trigger group, although trigger it self looks stamped. Bolt and carrier is Stainless steel. Except for markings it looks just like the '54 tula russian I had. Came with leather sling, Plastic oiler, and 120 round "rain cammo" ammo pouch. mine was packed with cosmiline, be sure to get it real clean before firing. Be especially carefull to make sure firing pin is freely moving in the bolt to avoid a slamfire. I feel these romanians are almost as good as a Russian at half the price.

[This message has been edited by JayDee (edited 11-14-1999).]