USC 922R: Rules to Build your own AK47:

Wow! - And I thought that we had weird, and nonsensical bits in our New Zealand Firearms Law.

Joe Green of National Police Headquarters - with an MSSA.

In America (only in?) shooters need to pay attention to Chapter 44 Section 922 of 'Title 18 United States Code'  - which seems to be generally referred-to as "922R" or 922(r) .

Until recently when I started to research deeper into AK47s I was wholly innocent of US Import Regulations  - but a little aware that their export rules sometimes restricted what I was allowed to buy from there.

Section 922 Paragraph R states:

It shall be unlawful for any person to assemble from imported parts any semiautomatic rifle or any  shotgun which is identical to any rifle or shotgun prohibited from importation under Section 925(d)(3) of this chapter not being particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes except that this subsection shall not apply to--

Then it lists exceptions of licensed manufacturers blah blah.

-Of course (Yawn)- this leads everybody into the meaning or definition of "Sporting Purposes" and rather - what are the naughty bits that make a gun "unsporting ?"

Chapter 27  Code of Federal Regulations Section 478.11 defines these SAWs - and this is where you "should sit-up-straight-and-pay-attention-class" - it lists some familiar 'no-no's   as HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES - PISTOL GRIP ATTACHMENTS - FOLDING BUTTSTOCK - MUZZLE DEVICE ATTACHMENT - BAYONET LUGS.

Any such feature or device means the firearm is no longer suitable for sporting purposes - Do I hear a "Aaaagh -that's where it comes from"  echo around the hills, alps, and shooting ranges of New Zealand?

Next the shooters of USA need to comply with Title 27 Chapter1 Section 178.39 that says you can't use more than TEN PARTS of a naughty banned gun and lists 20 parts that are countable under the law.

So, - what had happened is that the defiant importers of the banned guns got them cut-up into parts-kits and imported the bags of bits so that American shooters could still get an AK47 from a commie or ex-commie country.

AK47 KIT as imported.

You bought your wrecked rifle parts and then either a ready made US built receiver or a flat  which is a piece of steel cut and drilled to become a receiver when folded into shape on a press. You as the legal owner have to do this yourself and then rivet it all together but using enough American manufactured components such as trigger assy. - guards, grips, etc.  to comply with no more than ten component parts from "naughty-land".

U.S. RECEIVER FLAT

 

Then you built your very own AK

 

 

I (or you) would need a book to follow and plenty of help - but you'd end-up with a cheap rifle that you really knew your way around. One good starting-point book: 'Gun Digest Book of the AK & SKS' by Patrick Sweeney.

And you will have fitted lots of custom bling for show-and-tell with your mates. And the rifle, complete with a few crates of cheap 7.62x39mm ammunition would only cost loose change - so like many others - you might stack your garage or spare-room to the ceiling with crates and cartons of nearly AK47s in the chosen calibre and from the country of your preference. - Bulgerian sounds good to me!

I can hear Dire Straits singing MONEY FOR NOTHING ( - that's the way to do it !)

There do seem to be ways to circumvent stupidity if you can be bothered eh.

"Rock'N'Roll"

Marty K

Introducing Richard Feynman & Hugh Glass: Outstanding:

Hugh Glass, a trapper (1780-1833) was one of 'Ashleys Hundred' exploring the upper Missouri River.  - Why is he someone you should know a little about? - Well, while I must accept that he lived in a era "when men were men" - Hugh Glass did stuff that was way beyond the norm.

 He was robbed of his weapons and abandoned by two members of his party thinking that he was a gonner, - after he had been attacked and mauled by a female Grizzly bear with two cubs - and left barely conscious - so terribly injured that his survival was deemed hopeless. While he was fighting the bear with his knife - she was ripping flesh from his body and throwing it to her cubs!

 - Despite his fifteen major shocking wounds that included his back ribs being exposed and his throat ripped - he later regained consciousness - splinted his broken leg and crawled 200 miles alone through 'Indian country' to Fort Kiowa and help.

Hugh Glass.

He had survived the journey by eating rattle-snake, roots, berries and 'carrion'. - When later healed he set-out to find the two men who abandoned him to die and ..  He got his rifle back.

You should research the story for yourself online in Wikipedia and in 'Montanas Mountain Men' - Big Sky Words.

The younger of the two men who left Glass to die was Jim Bridger - who himself became a well-known mountain man.

___________________

 

The next 'hero' is much more modern and recent - and indeed - much of current scientific achievement is down to his clever thinking and pioneering  work:

 Richard Feynman.

 

 

Feynman (centre) & Oppenheimer (right) at the Los Alamos Manhatten Project

 

This man was a bloody genius - but he was also a guy with a great mischievous sense of  humour - but more than that - he proved to be a man of firm principle who was prepared to 'stand-up and be counted'.

 

Certainly a great starting point to learn of this man is again Wikipedia - but make sure that you have got time to savour the story - the section about his involvement in the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster - as a member of the Presidential Rogers Commission is key evidence of Feynmans strength of character.

Explosion of Challenger Space Shuttle 1986.

 

 I truly don't generally admit to honouring anyone for who they are (you know - football players or pop singers etc.) - but both of these men are examples of something that we might strive to be like if we could.

Thanks are due to John for telling me about both extraordinary men.

- I felt a similar wonderment again later - when watching Ray Mears using a pebble of iron-pyrites and a flint nodule (both found on a beach) to strike sparks into kindling to light a fire and cook a feed of beach gathered shellfish, - this excitement is of-course entirely the result of my total ignorance up till then!!

 

Marty K

SP-4 SILENT AMMUNITION:

I think that the concept of "silent" ammunition needs to be investigated and further developed.

Such a round might readily be developed - perhaps in 44 Magnum calibre - to effectively eliminate noise pollution at indoor firing ranges and anywhere else. The technology is already known and mass production machinery should be able to produce such ammunition for less than twice the price of conventional loads.

Russian SP4 (7.62x41mm) Captive Gas-Seal Piston

The SP4 round uses a 155gn mild steel projectile with a muzzle velocity of  650 feet per second. the forward end of the projectile is a brass driving band that engages with barrel rifling. The base of the slug has a conical dimple that centres it on a pip in the middle of the driving piston and stabilises both components as they leap forward on firing.

The steel alloy cartridge case is copper-zinc plated and the fired cases with the sealed-in gasses are know to remain under pressure for several weeks.

SP4 Round with 9mm NATO.

This containment of the propellant gases achieves three benefits - there is no muzzles flash, there is no unburnt powder driven forward to the ground surface, and of-course the round is quiet at around 122dB - similar to an air-rifle or silenced .22" R/F.

Marty K

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16618870

CENTENARY of First World War 1914-1918 & Browning M1910

On June 28th 1914 Gavrilo Princip, one of six Serbian assassins fired two shots from a Belgian made Browning Model 1910 .380ACP (9x17mm) six shot semi-auto pistol. Both shots found their mark at short range - killing the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife the Duchess Sophie.

A Model 1910 FN Browning.

 

The four Browning pistols used (or mostly not used) had serial numbers 19074, 19075, 19120, and 19126 and were supplied to the young revolutionaries - together with fused bombs - by Major Tankosic of the Serbian Military Intelligence with the full knowledge and approval of both the Russian ambassador to Belgrade and the Russian Military attache' there.

 

The stated aim of these members of a group called the Black Hand - later called 'Young Bosnia' was to wrest control of Austria-Hungary's South Slav provinces to form a state to be called Yugoslavia.

 

The Archduke, his wife Sophie and their three children.

 

The assassination which resulted in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Russia - thereby starting World War 1 - is notable for a series of mistakes and failures by the revolutionaries and by confusion and very poor responses to the assassins earlier bombing attempt on the cars that the Archdukes party were travelling in around Sarajevo. - Princip used Browning Model 1910 serial number 19074 at short-range when the open car carrying the Royal party stopped to back-up and change its route.

 

The key members of the clandestine group and the Serbian Military plotters were arrested and tried for the assassination - most of the facts about the affair come from court records of these trials.

 

Wikipedia has an excellent fact-filled page on this sad event one hundred year ago. - While there is no disputing that this Sarajevo assassination directly resulted in World War 1 - it should be said that the main Colonial Powers of that time were all itching for the fight and welcomed this excuse to join-in and extend their overseas colonies and to attempt to strengthen their grip on their chosen spheres of influence.

 

Even little New Zealand was determined at this time to extend their British supported Pacific island 'influence' northward - and rapidly invaded and held the German administered island of Samoa. - New Zealand was ambitious to gain direct control of other guano producing islands as that resource was highly valued as a chemical explosive feedstock and fertiliser.

 

Yugoslavia came into existence after the end of  WW1(1918) as The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and was recognised internationally on 13 July 1923 and renamed The Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. Regrettably this part of the world continues to this day to be haunted by old grievances, religious differences and territorial conflicts.

 

FN made Browning 1910 Disassembled.

 

The  FN Browning Model 1910 was distinguished by having a grip-safety, a magazine safety, and an external safety lever. It was a blow-back design with the recoil spring surrounding the barrel.

 

Production of variants of this successful striker fired model continued until 1983 -and the famous Walther PPK and the Makarov were influenced by its design.

 

PS: Rod says that the M1910 Brownings in .32 ACP were the standard pistol used in New Zealand by Armoured Freightways for cash escorts - and by Bank tellers - right up till they were disarmed about 1975. In earlier days the FN Brownings were popular pistols here in NZ with McCarthy's of Dunedin as factory agents.

 

Marty K

 

Steyr AUG A3- SF Varient - Upgrading Options?

Further to the replacement options being sought by the NZDF for their old Steyr AUGs purchased back in 1987 - which are said to be "underpowered and ineffective at ranges greater than 200 metres".

The latest model being produced is the Steyr A3-SF Varient that might address these issues.

Steyr A3-SF Varient.

There is also a NATO version:

Steyr A3 NATO-R

 

 

Steyr who are celebrating 150 years manufacturing have recently moved into a new facility in Austria - are also returning to the American market with a AUG A3-SA rifle and are not happy about American outfits selling 'clones' of the AUG by 'back-engineering' the Steyr products.

 

Here in New Zealand I have seen semi-auto 'sporting versions' of the AUG advertised for sale for upwards of NZ$6000.00. - You'd need to be keen to own one at that price. - And don't hold your breath waiting for the release of the old NZDF units at a lower listing as that is most unlikely and their condition would be "unknown - used".

 

NZDF AUG - 'used' and "ineffective".

 

- There does seem to be a variety of upgrade options that might be cost effective to apply to the current stock of NZ Defence Force rifles - in a similar manner to the Irish Armed Forces.

 

Marty K

 

 

NZ CUSTOMS & "Gun Parts" (SP101) related Import Permits:

I wrote earlier about a fellow rural Pistol Club member and his importation of a small bore  target pistol - his order included four x5 round magazines but when the parcel landed at Auckland - two of the magazines were impounded and refused entry due to incorrect paperwork ('Pardini ISSF'.. 14 April 2014).

- Since then I - and at least one other licensed / endorsed target pistol shooter - have come-up against similar problems. Basically I have ordered from - 'Brownells' USA  - an after-market 'Hogue Monogrip' and a "Spring-kit" (two tiny coil springs to tune the trigger action) for my Ruger SP101 .22"rim-fire revolver that is on its way across the sea and overdue to land.

Hogue Monogrip

While nobody denies that I am fully legally entitled to possess these items - they were "held" by Customs at the border - and the Police (National Headquarters Wellington) declined issue of a 'Permit to Import' as required by Customs to release them.. - This is despite the local Police Firearms Officer (Christchurch District Headquarters) recommending/ supporting that such 'Permit to Import' be granted - and that everyone I know (including the arms officers) maintaining that such "after-market" items as the rubber grips do not require an import permit !

I maintain that the 'spring-kit' should also not require an import permit on the same basis as the rubber grips ( that they are not original manufacturer parts and are not essential to the operation of a firearm). To erroneously claim that any item is "essential" to the function of a firearm and is therefore grounds to refuse entry is crap.

 - How about a piece of wood that could be used as a pistol-grip,- or a sack of Nylon 6/6 granules that can be used to mould a high capacity magazine, - or a length of spring steel wire that can be coiled into a hammer-spring, or a screw that might be used to fit a firing-pin to an action ? - How about if a manufacturer made some small coil-springs and sold them as "being similar to but lighter pressure than those that might look like those used by XXXX Corp?

- So - following several conversations, visits to District Headquarters, written applications, (Declined) and subsequent telephone discussions with both Customs and Police - and inter-departmental police exchanges - Auckland Customs released my Hogue Monogrips but held my two small springs - but have instead couriered to me nine pages of print including 'Notice of Seizure of goods under Customs and Excise Act 1996' , fact sheets and a form ' APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF SEIZURE' -  that I am given twenty days to complete and submit.

I will definitely be completing said "APPLICATION' - but must observe that all this is the result of National Police Headquarters refusing to issue a Permit to Import that they require to be issued - and if I have to re-order this spring-kit ex-USA they will then grant me such permit - because it is their 'policy' - at the request of  Customs  (to not retrospectively grant permits). - Customs who are acting in response to Police requirements that such a Permit be issued to allow importing!!

- Can you see a circular argument here? - I'll keep you up-dated on my progress as it develops

Life is Good,

Marty K

SILENT .44 MAGNUM? - QSPR Tunnel Revolver & Quiet spoken Russians:

The QSPR Quiet Special Purpose Revolver was evolved from US Army needs for a silenced multi-projectile hand-weapon for use by 'tunnel exploration personnel' - "Tunnel Rats" - operating against the tricky Vietnamese forces deployed underground in chambers dug by NVA and "VC".

There were at this time weapons of a similar concept used by Soviet Spetsnaz forces.

The US guns were based on S&W 44 Magnum revolvers but used a .410" (10mm approx.) smooth-bore loaded with six rounds of captive piston cartridges that each projected fifteen tungsten balls loaded in a plastic sabot at a muzzle velocity of 730 feet per second.

QSPR Revolver

The guns had no sights being meant for use at close contact in poor light conditions. They were reported as quiet to use as a silenced .22"L/R pistol at around 110Db. and lethal range was approx. 10 metres.

The captive-gas-seal-piston sealed-in the expanding gasses when it stopped in the cartridge mouth after driving-out the sabot charge - preventing the loud 'explosive' report of expanding muzzle gasses. There are reports that these QSPR revolvers saw action above ground and worked effectively.

- Only built in small quantities - the development program ended after three years in 1972 when the USA withdrew its forces from VietNam.

Soviet arms of similar capability were the MSP and S4M silent pistol which were double-barrelled covert-carry derringer types. - But here's a semi-auto that seems VERY quiet.

PSS Silent Pistol fires SP-4 Ammunition.

SP-4 Round compared to 9mm NATO.

The Russian OTS-38 Revolver is a five shot revolver firing from the bottom chamber - very quietly with no muzzle flash and the cylinder using full-moon clips pivots rather than swinging-out. The top "barrel" is an in-built laser and the effective range is said to be 50 metres.

A Quiet - but open Russian!

OTS-38

Russian SP-4 Silent Cartridge

Fired Clip for Russian Revolver.

 I can't find any video of the revolver - that may indicate that it's still 'current'.- I'm impressed !

 - and all this info comes from 'Googling' on the 'world-wide-wait'! - Magic.

Marty K

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16618870