Modification to a MAK-90

[riverpirate]

So , Ive been thining about doing a little bit of modifications to my MAK-90. All I want to do is cut the thumbhole out a little bigger to fit my hand and hollow out the stock for storage. With these little modifications would I need to do the other stuff to make it compliant? Just wondering.

[RoyJackson]

Boy, that's a really good question! And, I'll wager it's not covered in 922r.
You're not replacing the stock...just modifying the one currently on the rifle.
It'll be quite interesting to see what kind of responses you get.

[riverpirate]

no its original out of the box. I dont even think its been fired.

[mojo]

As long as you don't "sever" the wood strip that makes it a thumbhole, your fine. If you cut the original stock so that it's a stock and PG, then you have to worry about 922(r).

Sounds like you just want to make the hole bigger, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[riverpirate]

No i dont want to make it a pistol grip. I kinda like the ugly thumbhole, lol. The problem is my big hands, the thumbhole is slightly to small to be comfortable.
I was thinking about making the hole bigger, hollow out the stock to store maybe a cleaning kit or extra ammo and then sanding it all down and refinishing it a dark color . Black or a dark brown. I like the draganuv stock but that requires 922 compliance and I dont want it that bad.

[Belasarius]

As long as you don't "sever" the wood strip that makes it a thumbhole, your fine. If you cut the original stock so that it's a stock and PG, then you have to worry about 922(r).

Sounds like you just want to make the hole bigger, so I wouldn't worry about it.

You are making me nervous. I'm an immigrant from VA. What is the exact law above?

[kunsunoke]

(SNIP)I like the draganuv stock but that requires 922 compliance and I dont want it that bad.

Huh?

Since that was not one of the "evil" pistol grip modifications and it's a one-piece unit I'd always thought that 922r compliance wasn't an issue for the Dragunov-equipped MAK-90. In fact my own MAK-90 had the Dragunov stock (ATI or Choate, not sure which) as standard equipment from the importer.

Maybe it's a good thing I decided to have it converted, then...

[riverpirate]

Huh?

Since that was not one of the "evil" pistol grip modifications and it's a one-piece unit I'd always thought that 922r compliance wasn't an issue for the Dragunov-equipped MAK-90. In fact my own MAK-90 had the Dragunov stock (ATI or Choate, not sure which) as standard equipment from the importer.

Maybe it's a good thing I decided to have it converted, then...

i read it needed 922 compliance on another forum , now i cant find it . I bet Jay would know when he reads this.

[JayBell]

922(r) only comes into play when you want to return the MAK-90 rifle to a form thats banned from importation.... namely a pistolgrip configuration.

replacing one thumbhole buttstock with another does not trigger the 922(r) imported parts rule.

its perfectly fine to put an ATI or whatever thumb hole dragunov style stock on, no other parts needed... modify to another form and 922r shows its head.
(or in the case of post 1997 imported rifles, when Clinton disapproved the further importation of thumbhole stocked semiautos)

on 922(r)...

Section 922(r) makes it illegal to manufacture a weapon from all imported parts, in a form thats currently banned from importation.

semiautomatic versions of automatic military firearms cannot be imported with any of the following features:
pistolgrip
bayonet lug
flash hider or threaded barrel
folding or collapsing stock
grenade launcher
night sights

if you wish tom manufacture(aka modify) something like a thumbhole stocked MAK90 to pistolgripconfiguration, you must reduce the foreign parts count to 10 foreign parts or less... and these are SPECIFIC parts...
the most common "compliance" parts are:
pistolgrip
butt stock
handguards (upper and lower together count as 1 part)
hammer
trigger
disconnector
gas piston
magazine followers
magazine baseplates
magazine bodies

on most AKs... 5 parts replacement is common, to use ALL FOREIGN PART MAGAZINES.... 6 parts if you wish to have a muzzle device.not just screws and bolts...

my AKs generally have:
pistolgrip
hammer/trigger/disconnector
gas piston
buttstock

[riverpirate]

Thanks Jay