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The Etched Out Importer Engraving


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Upon receiving my 7.62x39 Saiga half a year ago, I was disappointed to find the strange velcro like engraving. Upon researching it, it turned out to be RAA's importer engraving, etched out so Mercury Hermes would be the only importer info on the gun. It is ugly, big, and annoying. But recently, I have seen more and more people discuss potential value of the etched out engraving.

 

I myself think that it may potentially become a collectors item in a decade or two. Not to mention, they work perfectly as a nifty match lighter conveniently on the side of my gun :smoke:

 

So, to all of those with the etched out importer engraving, I have a few questions:

 

What do you think of it?

Do you plan on keeping it or sanding it off?

Do you think it could ever become a collectors item?

What is the other importer on YOUR rifle?

What year is your rifle?

Have you tried lighting a match on it yet :lolol: ?

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Upon receiving my 7.62x39 Saiga half a year ago, I was disappointed to find the strange velcro like engraving. Upon researching it, it turned out to be RAA's importer engraving, etched out so Mercury Hermes would be the only importer info on the gun. It is ugly, big, and annoying. But recently, I have seen more and more people discuss potential value of the etched out engraving.

 

I myself think that it may potentially become a collectors item in a decade or two. Not to mention, they work perfectly as a nifty match lighter conveniently on the side of my gun :smoke:

 

So, to all of those with the etched out importer engraving, I have a few questions:

 

What do you think of it?

Do you plan on keeping it or sanding it off?

Do you think it could ever become a collectors item?

What is the other importer on YOUR rifle?

What year is your rifle?

Have you tried lighting a match on it yet :lolol: ?

Not to offend but,

What do you think of it? Looks like crap

Do you plan on keeping it or sanding it off? I would get rid of it asap

Do you think it could ever become a collectors item? nope

What is the other importer on YOUR rifle? RAAC, ARSENAL

What year is your rifle? various rifles&years

Have you tried lighting a match on it yet :lolol: ? no but that would be a plus. kindof like the coffee grinder buttstock

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Well, my point is, if these end up only being a 2009-2011 (or 12) thing, then they may be rare later on. I won't try to tell you to sand it off, as the fewer out there, the better :lolol:

 

Plus, it is something that is special (relatively) about my rifle. A talking point if need be.

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  • 1 month later...

Mine is "velcro'ed out" too haha. It was RAAC, and the other side says TGI KNOX TN. I stripped and duracoated the whole gun and sanded every laser etch down smooth so no more lighting matches for me. But it did make it smooth to the touch and look nicer. And the other etchings (SAIGA 223, Serial number) became more clean and legible. Rifle was made 8/30/2009.

Edited by IKE
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The wife's S-.410 had an import stamp obliterated by O stamped all over it. It was also over painted and the obviously well used gun was imported as 'new'. This was some years ago. Got it from CDNN in '05, and she payed $169.99. The gun is a '95, and the acceptance paper shipped with it is dated '01.

 

This is what the wife thinks of 'collectibles'.

 

post-526-0-31799500-1312910255_thumb.jpg

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I would be very, very surprised if it ever became collectable. Just being rare or unusual isn't enough for something to become desired. It must add value in some way. A sporterized mil-surp rifle may well be one of a kind, but those who collect them will almost certainly mourn it and keep looking, or try to return it to original configuration. As for your little weapon, if it looks hideous (which it does) and doesn't add functionality (which it doesn't), and has no historical significance (which it doesn't), odds are it will almost certainly lack any level of collectability.

 

Which means if you don't like the look, change it. If you just can't bear the thought of 'ruining such and unusual and rare piece', see if you can cover it with something that can be removed later.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

I love the idea of it as a match striker! Huge selling point to a smoker. I can see the sale now...

 

Potential buyer, "What is this? It looks like someone crapped on the side of this gun?"

 

Seller, "Yup, I've gotta admit, it does it look like shit. BUT, it is function over fashion. This is a survival gun. You can light your matches in the side of it which might just save you life."

 

Potential buyer, "Hmmmm"

 

Seller, "Do you smoke?"

 

Potential buyer, "You know it!"

 

Seller, (Thinks to himself, fuck yeah!!!) "Well then, this is obviously the right gun for you. What will it take to get you into this gun today?

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  • 3 weeks later...

post-27774-0-67246000-1329796063.jpgpost-27774-0-67246000-1329796063.jpgpost-27774-0-67246000-1329796063.jpg

I love the idea of it as a match striker! Huge selling point to a smoker. I can see the sale now...

 

Potential buyer, "What is this? It looks like someone crapped on the side of this gun?"

 

Seller, "Yup, I've gotta admit, it does it look like shit. BUT, it is function over fashion. This is a survival gun. You can light your matches in the side of it which might just save you life."

 

Potential buyer, "Hmmmm"

 

Seller, "Do you smoke?"

 

Potential buyer, "You know it!"

 

Seller, (Thinks to himself, fuck yeah!!!) "Well then, this is obviously the right gun for you. What will it take to get you into this gun today?

get a box of these Edited by ak karl
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There was a batch of EAA guns that were etched out the same way, when RAA first started importing them.

 

I don't think they will be collectible, but you never know. I still have a chuckle when I think about RAA's first imports with the 17" SBS barrels on them. I was the guy that first tipped them off about it, and that was about two weeks after they had hit the streets. Kinda funny that nobody ever measured the barrel....talk about "what the fuck" when I put the tape measure to the first one.........

 

Tony

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The ATF and gun laws in general seem to never cease to make me go "What the Fuck?" and shake my head.

 

Another fine example right here.

 

I believe it was yourself or Bob Ash that said the gas systems on these shotguns can generally go down to 14 inches without going crazy drilling out the gas ports or moving the gas system back, but did these guns have any differences from the gas systems we generally see on current models?

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I don't like to go below 16.5" without moving the gas block back. The gas systems are still the same. They "generally" went away from four .073" gas port holes to three .086" holes. Bad call.

 

The biggest problem with the whole gas port issue and why some guns run and some don't, is because the Russians suck at holding the ID tolerance in the barrel when they make them. Some barrels have smaller internal diameters than others. That creates crazy differences in the gas port pressure through the gas block, from gun to gun. That is what fucks the whole gun up.

 

Tony

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silly ruskie's can't pick out a correct bit size. my only question is why is anything shorter than the 19" considered an sbs but we have 16" rifles? Are the laws different or is that just what atf mandates them to be? I just see ooo pretty gun go bang and leave the legality to the ambulance chasers.

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silly ruskie's can't pick out a correct bit size. my only question is why is anything shorter than the 19" considered an sbs but we have 16" rifles? Are the laws different or is that just what atf mandates them to be? I just see ooo pretty gun go bang and leave the legality to the ambulance chasers.

Yes Minimum shotgun barrel length is 18" from the closed bolt face to end of muzzle.

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Yea i did a lil diggin' on the ole atf interweb site. And i'll say they are picky picky bastards. I don't understand why the difference from rifles and shotguns. Just makes it more confusin' for goobers like me. If it goes click click bang make it simple for everybody. But then it again it is a govt entity so proposturous and senseless are the norm. Good read if you can't go to sleep. I was out like a light. Made me dream of exploading melons is that weird?

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