JBrady555
Member
My muzzle brake weld cracked on my amd 65. The gun is now too short and illegal. If I take the gun to a gunsmith too short like this am I going to get in trouble?
muzzle brake weld broke/illegal
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Z-Michigan
Member
Did it crack by accident or because you were trying to do something illegal? (Don't answer this if the latter is true!)
If it's from accident, corrosion or wear, you should be fine. This is an area where you technically have an illegal weapon, and a painfully strict reading of the law could make you a criminal, but practically speaking if you are repairing a previously legal weapon so that it is again in a legal condition, it will be a non-issue.
(This is not legal advice, you may want to consult a lawyer, etc.)
If it's from accident, corrosion or wear, you should be fine. This is an area where you technically have an illegal weapon, and a painfully strict reading of the law could make you a criminal, but practically speaking if you are repairing a previously legal weapon so that it is again in a legal condition, it will be a non-issue.
(This is not legal advice, you may want to consult a lawyer, etc.)
JBrady555
Member
thanks for the input. Im not sure when it cracked. The last time I shot it I don't remember it being cracked after cleaning the weapon. My guns were just transported with my wife to her fathers house while I have been out of town working, it must have been cracked somewhere during transport, although the guns weren't dropped or stepped on, etc.
I think your best bet would be to call a local gunsmitb or two and see what they have to say about. I personally Dont think it will be a problem, but I am NOT a lawyer. i wouldnt wait long either. at least, you getting it repaired quickly will show that you want to obide by the law. just my two cents...
ApacheCoTodd
member
Once you are aware that it has fallen afoul of the law either in performance or configuration you do have the ability and in fact responsibility to either return it to legal status, render it inoperable, turn it in to law enforcement or turn it over to a legally (relative to the potential violation) qualified repairperson.
In your case, if you are aware of the required weld you can do it yourself or have any trusted welder in whom you have confidence re-weld the extension.
In any case, having been through similar scenarios before to include testifying in a Federal case (expert defense witness) I would strip that rascal down, have magazines and ammunition no where near it and get it re-welded ASAP - like, tomorrow.
In your case, if you are aware of the required weld you can do it yourself or have any trusted welder in whom you have confidence re-weld the extension.
In any case, having been through similar scenarios before to include testifying in a Federal case (expert defense witness) I would strip that rascal down, have magazines and ammunition no where near it and get it re-welded ASAP - like, tomorrow.
jakk280rem
Member
The weld on my TGI AMD-65 broke. The brake was loose and flopped around on the barrel but was not removable. A bit of a legal grey area as I'm not sure if it qualifies as permanently attached or not. My recommendation is to return it to the manufacturer for repair. I, stupidly, took mine to a local smith to repair and he took to long and charged me too much. If you have a local smith that is not backlogged and backs his work go for it. but if the manufacturer screws something up it would be much easier to have it handled.
And as far as separating the upper half from the lower half i don't recommend you try that. its a bit difficult to do on a kalishnikov pattern rifle. just have it repaired promptly. note; promptly isn't come spring, or next summer. i mean before Halloween. oh, and don't take it out shooting or show it off to your friends. Just call the assembler or a local smith Monday.
And as far as separating the upper half from the lower half i don't recommend you try that. its a bit difficult to do on a kalishnikov pattern rifle. just have it repaired promptly. note; promptly isn't come spring, or next summer. i mean before Halloween. oh, and don't take it out shooting or show it off to your friends. Just call the assembler or a local smith Monday.
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JBrady555
Member
thats what happened to mine jakk, the weld is cracked all the way through on my tgi but the muzzle brake still won't pull off. I figured its only a matter of time till it does, thats why I posted that its already off. I'm a boilermaker/welder, I'd like to just weld over the cracked tack without taking the brake off but I don't have anything to make a nice small cosmetically nice tack. I'm not sure what the material is, the only thing I could do is put a 7018 3/32 stick rod to it and I don't think thats gonna look nice, I think I'd need a mig welder with some small diameter wire..which I don't have.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Shouldn't be a problem. A wire welder is as near as your phone.
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&output..._pw.r_qf.&fp=3266efb6d9a31251&biw=981&bih=482
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&output..._pw.r_qf.&fp=3266efb6d9a31251&biw=981&bih=482
MachIVshooter
Member
No. Just don't put it off.
There is latitude for firearms that suddenly become NFA type because they broke, such as a worn sear that causes the gun to go FA or something like yours. I suppose a really overzealous agent could attempt to prosecute it, but I've never heard of such a thing unless they were already after you and just couldn't pin anything else.
JustinJ
Member
I'd probably take it apart as much as i could as well. While this won't make it technically legal it at least shows that you don't intend to use it in an illegal configuration. I'd keep it that way until repaired.
MachIVshooter
Member
I wouldn't tear it down beyond field stripping. But yes, it wouldn't be a bad idea to transport the gun less handguards, gas tube, bolt/carrier/piston assy. and recoil spring.
Oops! Missed the part about the rifle being an AK. I had ARs on the brain. My apologies and thank you for the correction. Good advice, Jak
henschman
Member
I am a lawyer, but there is not really any complicated legal issue here -- it's pretty much common sense. Just get it fixed. What else can you do? It would help to know a good, reliably pro-liberty gunsmith. There are a few bootlicking old fudds out there that I could actually see narcing to the ATF... though I don't think anything would come of it even if they did. You know all the ATF's stated policies about requiring a weld on muzzle attachments to be legal is just their interpretation of the law. It could be that if they actually litigated a case like this, that a court would rule against them.
dprice3844444
member
find somebody with a heliarc machine.quick fix
M2
Member
JB Weld.
rjrivero
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JBrady555
Member
what if I just wanted to leave it off. What is the procedure that I would have to go through to be legal? I've heard about NFA registration and 200 dollar tax stamps but I have no idea where to start with that stuff.
GCMkc
Member
If you have a buddy with a welder or access to one yourself, just tack weld it back on. If you take it to the range with the break off, then you're asking for trouble. Don't get too stressed!
This seems to be a common problem for the amd-65's.
This seems to be a common problem for the amd-65's.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
I don't know what more useful advice can be given on this.
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