Help: Pistol purchasing dilemma

[JHenry]

Alright so there is a gun show tomorrow and i have been trying to hunt down a decent ak for awhile(over a year). Surprisingly in montgomery, AL its been a little more than difficult to find anything other than saigas(which are generally overpriced $450 is the sticker price so i imagine $400-425 would be the minimum and i dont really have the tools for the conversion), WASR(no interest in buying), and the occasional really nice arsenal imports(ranging from slr-95s to the SGL series, which are reasonably priced but break my budget). Ideally i would like to find a good mak-90 but they are generally not sold in montgomery(heard birmingham has a ton of them but i dont want to make the trek and risk coming back empty handed).

Well at the last gun show i started getting a little tired of searching and found some nice USPs which really felt amazing in my hand. Now my dilemma(more of a question) is that i am 19. Its my understanding that in a private sale anyone 18 years of age can purchase a handgun, in my state. My question is if a dealer(FFL holder) buys a table at a gunshow and is selling handguns, is it considered a private sale at a gunshow? It seems like it wouldnt be but gunshows always seem to be grey areas.

 

[sniperlongshot]

if someone has a ffl, it's a dealer sale, because it's in their books and you have to fill out the paper work to get it.

as an individual sale, you can't buy a handgun until your 21, you can inherit one, be given one buy mom, dad, and own one, even build one. you just can't buy one

 

[Baba Louie]

You are correct JHenry, No grey area at all. FFL will not sell to anyone under 21. Period. Laws and such. Handgun ammo as well.

As I understand things, a parent can buy from a FFL and gift to you. You can do private purchase (if state law allows, dunno), but there's the ammo purchase thing again when you want to feed it (unless you buy a .22lr which is of course a common rifle round).

Keep saving your money, or go the private sale or parental gift route for another 2 years.

 

[sniperlongshot]

here in texas, mac 90's and most ak's are 8-9 hundred, romanian are around 6-7 and going up everyday, i've got an ak for gp, but i do like my AR's

 

[JHenry]

yea i figured. I guess ill try to find an ak tomorrow if the stars allign lol. If not i guess i could shop around for handguns and have my dad run up to the gun show, afterall he is looking to get me something for my birthday.

 

[sniperlongshot]

the other problem you run into, it's like a stilleto, or a double dagger in Texas,
you can own them, and collect them, but if you get caught off private property without a recent sales receipt,,.....well, 10 years and 10,000

you can own a handgun, but if you get caught with one while transporting in, hope that the guy is having a good day

 

[JHenry]

what if its in a case with a gun lock in it. Pretty much the only thing id use it for would be target practice

 

[sniperlongshot]

in his state, is he required to inform the officer he has a weapon

is it technically legal or illegal for him to be in possession, even in a locked case seperated from ammo, outside the reach of the driver and passenger seat.

even if he beats the rap,.....can he beat the ride

 

[Davek1977]

The chances of finding a reasonably priced Mak-90 in today's market is pretty slim. Most people who have them know what they have and aren't willing to part with them easily. If you are thinking you're gonna find a good one for a whole lot less than an Arsenal or converted Saiga, you're sadly mistaken. Even a new WASR will run close to 5 bills at this point in time. For an entry level AK, theres NOTHING WRONG with the majority of WASR's. I too was scared of canted sights, poorly machined mag wells, etc etc etc.....but I ended up buying the 2nd WASR I ever handled as it exhibited none of the "warning signs" and after a good cleaning, it has yet to fail me in any way shape or form. If a WASR is what you can get....get it. I sincerely do not think you'll be disappointed. Remember, the same internet that tells you WASRs suck will also tell you that steel cased ammo will ruin your guns, and that the Glock is infallible in every way. Don't believe everything you read, as some of it is COMPLETE nonsense, and a good share of the other is totally overblown and out of proportion.

 

[sansone]

like dave said^^ if you see a WASR you like, buy it.. it's your first and you will enjoy it. You can always sell it someday. Too many buy this, don't buy that opinions.

 

[hso]

My question is if a dealer(FFL holder) buys a table at a gunshow and is selling handguns, is it considered a private sale at a gunshow? It seems like it wouldnt be but gunshows always seem to be grey areas.

There's nothing grey about it. Gotta quit letting Antis splash the "koolaid" on you.

An FFL dealer is bound by all the rules at all times when selling a firearm.

You can not purchase a handgun from an FFL dealer because of your age.

 

[dogtown tom]

sniperlongshot ...as an individual sale, you can't buy a handgun until your 21, you can inherit one, be given one buy mom, dad, and own one, even build one. you just can't buy one

Not true.
Federal law only prohibits someone under age 21 from acquiring a firearm other than a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer. An eighteen year old can legally acquire a handgun from a nonlicensee in their own state of residence as long as their state law does not prohibit such a sale.

sniperlongshot here in texas, mac 90's and most ak's are 8-9 hundred, romanian are around 6-7 and going up everyday,

Come to DFW.....every gunshow is chock full of $500 WASR's.

sniperlongshot .....you can own a handgun, but if you get caught with one while transporting in, hope that the guy is having a good day

Uh....nope.
Texas law clearly allows one to transport any firearm when in route to a lawful sporting activity.

Davek1977 The chances of finding a reasonably priced Mak-90 in today's market is pretty slim.

How about this one? Cost me $430 delivered http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=293779482





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[Anonomus]

I feel for you if you do live in one of the more repressive states. I moved here from the Chicago area and I know what it is like to be told that it doesn't matter that I am a 40+ year old, law abiding citizen that just happens to be 6th generation law enforcement, I could not even touch a gun in a gun store without permission from the Sheriff's office.

Here in my state however, anyone 18 or older can buy ammo at Walmart of any kind. anyone can, that can legally own a firearm, carry it loaded in there car where ever they like (loaded or unloaded) and with the exception of a handful of cities, that have passed city ordinances to the contrary, anyone can carry open holster as well. Getting a CCW here was relatively painless; if you don't mind hours of endless and boring talk about gun safety and regulations. I didn't mind because at the end of the class we got free range time.

As to your question about getting an AK. If it were me I would not limit myself to only buying in your own area. Check the web for private sellers further out and in other states. Buying a rifle at 18 from a private seller is not against any federal law. It is not against the law to buy one from an FFL either if you don't mind UNCLE knowing you bought it. State laws vary, but if you are buying it to take home with you very few states would give you any problems about it; even California would most likely thank you for taking it out of their state.

Within a days drive of you you have GA, LA, FL, SC, TN, etc; and if Birmingham has what you are looking for why not make the trip. The money you would save on the purchase would more than cover your gas.

BTW, what's wrong with WASR's? I used to have a WASR69 pistol which, once I changed the trigger group in it, fired like a dream. It was a lot of fun at the range too and got a lot of attention, but I traded it off for something and have regretted doing so for years. I got mine for like $150 back in the day and all told had about $200 in it but I have seen the same gun for sale around here recently for as little as $350 and as much as $950 so often it is just a matter of the sellers need of your cash and how many are available at the time. Never be afraid to ask for a cheaper price when you are buying a gun; the worse that can happen is the seller says no and more often than not they will come down. Buying a gun is like buying a car or a horse; everyone ask for more planning to either come down or find some poor sucker to pay too much so don't be the sucker.

Good luck. Oh, I agree with the other poster that you might be better off with an entry level AR. If you are having to pay that much for an AK why not get an older style A2 for about $500? Just a thought.

 

[Fleetwood_Captain]

Well I think the negativity around the WASR has to do with the WASR-10 model specifically. Many people view it as a "neutered" rifle as it's an AKM with a single-stack magazine. The overabundance of models with thumbhole stocks, viewed by some as tacky, kind of cheapens the experience for some people.

Otherwise, the rifles are fine.

What I love are the regulations surrounding are requirements for "pistol" ammo. This day and age, there are few rounds left that are only useable in pistols. Now we have rifles that accept pistol ammo, pistols that accept rifle ammo, and specialty rounds designed to be used in both rifles and pistols.

 

[Matthew Courtney]

Texas may have a law against an 18 year old buying a pistol, but the United States does not. It is illegal for an FFL to sell a Pistol to one under 21, but private sales are legal under the USC.

 

[Matthew Courtney]

the other problem you run into, it's like a stilleto, or a double dagger in Texas,
you can own them, and collect them, but if you get caught off private property without a recent sales receipt,,.....well, 10 years and 10,000

you can own a handgun, but if you get caught with one while transporting in, hope that the guy is having a good day

Can you cite any Texas statute to back uo your assertion?

 

[Matthew Courtney]

in his state, is he required to inform the officer he has a weapon

is it technically legal or illegal for him to be in possession, even in a locked case seperated from ammo, outside the reach of the driver and passenger seat.

even if he beats the rap,.....can he beat the ride

Again, cite the statute.

 

[JHenry]

Well to clear the air, i actually did find a milled mak-90 and fell in love with it. Got my dad to chip in on it since it was $950, but the rifling looks super clean, the finish is top notch, and someone already did me the favor of taking the thumbhole stock off and replacing it with some chocalate brown ironwood designs furniture. Surprisingly there was another milled mak-90 with the thumbole(750 but the guy wanted trade on it so i was SOL on that one), two Norinco hunters(one had been crudely converted, they didnt move the trigger guard up and just kinda bolted the pistol grip half way on the receiver halfway on the stock for $600 but it was shot to be hell, and the other was a plain jane import) and one NIB stamped mak-90 that was priced at $900.

All in all i dont see AKs getting any cheaper in the near future and i happened to find an all matching(minus 922r parts which is the stock set and trigger im assuming since the bolt carrier matchs) milled mak-90 in great condition for a reasonable price. Extras were a bit lacking though, only got one bulgarian steel mag and no sling but im not too worried about that.

here it is