Unusual complaince part question:

[JK-47 33]

If I made a handgaurd for the Saiga out of an old Chinese SKS stock, would that be considered a foriegn part or would it be considered US made? Obviously the wood and a most of the shaping took place in China, but since I would be cutting it off of the SKS stock and reshaping the front end and adding a post to lock into the reciever, I imagine that would be enough change to consitute new manufacture in the US. It wouldn't fit or function on SKS's anymore, and I think thats part of the criteria for determining who's the manufacturer. If it were just raw block of wood from China, no problem, but because its a nearly complete forarm... I figure its not really different from an 80% reciever. It most of the way done, but not completely, when I finish it I am considered the manufacturer. Any thoughts?

[Juggernaut 11,054]

I believe it breaks down by country of origin. in your case "sadly" I believe it would be considered Chinese.

Not sure though.... I mean does Tapco get ALL their steel from Bethlehem PA for trigger parts?

[BobAsh 582]

It's technically a foreign part.

[Skull 0]

Unless the piece of wood says "Made in China" on it, I say it's American enough, and if anybody questions you on it, play dumb. Nobody worries where the steel for the TapCo plates comes from.

[BattleRifleG3 16]

I think that the criteria is that it serve the same purpose as the original part.

 

For example, if you made the front end of an SKS into a Saiga handguard, that would probably still count as foreign. But if you sectioned the buttstock and shaped a handguard out of the wood, that would probably count as US made.

 

Case in point - I've come upon a few reject Chinese thumbhole stocks. I could probably form some into regular AK stocks. Those woudl still count as foreign parts. The grip section would be worthless. I could then make matching handguards and p-grips out of the wood in the other buttstocks, treating them just like wood material. I believe those would count as US made since I'm not making a handguard into a handguard, I'm making a buttstock into a handguard.

[JK-47 33]

So a chinese stock is a chinese stock, no matter what manner of gun it might be attached to. Interesting, thank you all for your replies.

[csspecs 1,987]

Like others have said, if you are just modifying the part to use on the saiga then it would be imported. If you are using it as something different then it could be US made.

 

I made a stock for my saiga today using the front part of the stock (just the part that goes in the gun), I would have to say that the way I used it would make the whole stock US made but I am going to meet parts count calling it imported.

 

If I made a stock out of steel tube made in china, using welding rod made in china on a welder made in china (if a good one was made) and topping it off with a butt pad made in china. Where was the stock made? The way I see it, in the USA.

 

I think I understand what you want to do, I think I would call that a US made stock. You are treating the SKS stock like a stock blank not a finished part, quite a bit of work will go into cutting and reshaping to fit. Sounds like you are making the stock to me. Be sure to take the stock down past the finish and just treat it like a block of wood.

Edited April 24, 2007 by csspecs