The supply of Norinco’s on the open market hasn’t been plentiful for almost 20 years, so it’s surprising MSNBC is reporting on the tracing efforts, suggesting that the gun is a Norinco AK. Since it’s traced to a dealer that’s out of business, it obviously wasn’t smuggled in. Dealers are required to send their 4473 records and their A&D records to ATF when they go out of business, so the gun should be traceable, ultimately. But if it’s a Norinco, I’d say a strong possibility it’s a black market gun just based on how long ago it would have been sold. I doubt a Norinco in the hands of a collector is going to be let go of easily, since they are rare these days. They can still be had for 500-600 bucks on the legal market, but it’s been a while since I saw one at a gun show, or in a gun shop.
Picking on MSNBC a bit, it’s not true the federal assault weapons ban ever affected Norinco AKs. They were all imported before the ban went into effect, and were therefore grandfathered under the federal assault weapons ban. Norinco AKs were actually banned in 1993, rather than 1994. It is a mistake to suggest the federal AWB had anything to do with these rifles.
MSNBC couldn’t care less if their facts are wrong.
“Dealers are required to send their 4473 records and their A&D records to ATF when they go out of business, so the gun should be traceable, ultimately.”
Ah yes, but we don’t have any sort of gun registration at all, right?
Still it’s always good to pick on MSNBC.
There are plenty of old MAK 90’s floating around. I wouldn’t say they are rare or even all terribly collectible.
They’re collectible to an AK Collector, and I suppose such people must exist.
No AK-style-rifle collection is complete without a MAK 90 and an NHM 90, I suppose.
(Some Internet Sources think the MAK-90s are superior to a lot of the AKs on the market now, due to a double-hook trigger and thicker frame.
Other people think that doesn’t matter a lot.)
I have to second the notion that Norinco AKs are rather common. I often see them in pawn shops and gun shows (KY). Some years back I got a Norinco MAK90 for $400 via gun broker, and just last year I picked up a PolyTech MAK90 from a private party for $315. But I often see them with $6-700 price tags on them.
But at any rate … the implication is that the shooter’s gun was a “black market” gun. Could be, but the implication is a stretch. Again, we are talking about a sample size of ONE … anything could happen. Another media implication is that Chinese AKs are especially evil/dangerous because their importation was banned in 1992 (or whenever that was). As terraformer said, some media doesn’t care about facts.
The final implication I’ll point out is that this would have never happened under a comprehensive semi-auto ban. Bullcrap. Man could have caused as many injuries and deaths with a 12 gauge pheasant gun.
The MAK-90 is the postban Chinese AK (no bayonet lug, no flash hider, thumbhole stock) and is the bottom end of Chinese AKs. Chicom AKs are indeed sought after, since they’re generally better made than any of the Euro or domestic versions.
I have a MAK-90, it’s been de-banned (except for the bayo lug, too much trouble to fix) and drilled for an autosear. Lots of fun!