First US-imported Civilian AK47?

[greenr18]

What was the first AKM / AK47 / Kalashnikov-derivative put on the civilian market in the United States? I'm wondering because I saw a picture on Corbis of a native American with an AK47 in 1973, didn't think there were AKs in the US that early.

 

[CaptMac]

AK's

They didn't have imported AK's back in 1973 that guy was part of AIM that was a illegal Vietnam bring back.

The first civilian AK's imported in the US were from Egypt.

 

[greenr18]

So the first ones were Maadis? What were the second, Valmets in the early 80s?

 

[D Boone]

u gotta link? sounds like a neat picture

 

[HorseSoldier]

Google "AIM Wounded Knee Occupation" and it should pull it up, fairly famous picture.

 

[Hoppy590]

your going to have to be more specific.

if its this picture you mean then its not an AK at all, its an SKS

 

[greenr18]

just go to Corbis, google corbis, then in the search bar put native american ak47 and it comes up with 1 picture of it wait heres a link http://pro.corbis.com/images/BE022778.jpg?size=67&uid={bb30acc4-8414-4420-aaa0-5c94289732cf}

 

[B.D. Turner]

There were rumors that AIM was sponsored by outside countries who wished to link with american indians. You will also see pictures of AR-15 rifles at wounded knee.

 

[dfariswheel]

The AK's at Wounded Knee were illegal full-autos brought back from Vietnam by Indian vets.

"Probably" the first legal AK variant in the US was the Finnish Valmet M-62.

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

Valmets, then Maadis, then Chicoms, after that all the other East Block AK's came pretty much at similar times.