So had some time to check this ak out. It was torch cut in side rail ,barrel chamber welded( plugged) mag ears cut off. No papers or stamps. Looks like it had a hard previous life. The markings have been defaced, does that make a difference?
Only if it is still registered as a firearm.
Otherwise, you have an ugly paperweight that will only get you in to trouble if you do something stupid with it, like waving it around in public, or threatening someone. At which time you go to jail.
It's not a gun any more.
Let's reiterate. There is a set of GUIDELINES for current dewatting. While they are not LAWS nor are they based on any LAW, the folks that decide whether to let you no longer need a registration certificate on a registered gun, have decided that they will not do so, unless you follow their arbitrary GUIDELINES.
None of this applies, to dewats done before the current system was put in place, because there was never a Legal definition of what needed to be done. Folks did what they felt was reasonable, and it was legal. It is still legal to own a dewat that was done the old way, provided it was done then.
Once it is dewatted, it is not subject to any paperwork, nor are you likely to get any without getting it re-done to meet the current GUIDELINES which are not LAWS, but get treated like they are anyway.
Why would you do that?
The only time paperwork comes in to play under our current system, is if you Dewatted a gun that had been registered, so that you could sell it to someone that for some reason wanted a paperweight that looked like a gun. If the gun was never registered, and it is Dewatted, and you figure it was done before the current system was put in place, it can be bought and sold as if it were what it is, which is not a gun, it's a lump of metal that is shaped like one. Unless the welds are sill warm, how would you be able to tell when it was done?
I was personally involved in #### and Click Dewatts of several AK-47's that were bought in Central America in the late 80's. We made a right mess of the innards, there wasn't any reasonable chance that a fella could make them shoot again with less work than making a new one. They were brought home to Canada, declared at the border, and were allowed in. They are still out there somewhere, and there was never any paperwork for them.
Under the new system, if you wish to import one, you need to import it through someone that has a license for that particular class of firearm, and it gets registered and treated as if it were still a live firearm, by the system, until you get someone willing to sign for it being in compliance with the Guidlines,then they will write you a letter saying you are free and clear. This only applies to importing a dewat.
I have seen a couple old dewats that a grade school kid with a nail file could likely reactivate. A couple tack welds here and there to stick some of the parts together, sort of work. Barely adequate, but legal at the time. But as long as they don't, they are still legal dewats.
Cheers
Trev
