When was my poly underfolder made?
Just picked up a poly underfolder. It has "poly technologies" above the pistol grip with "Atlanta GA, made in China" underneath the receiver. Most of the ones I've seen has this on the side. Any info on why the differences? Thanks
Pics will help figure this out. Does it have Chinese wood handguards, black plastic, or other? Often times there is info under the handguards. What is stamped on the barrel, if anything? Does it have the numbers 386 in an oval on the left side of the reciever? Is it a stamped reciever? It sounds like a Kengs Firearms Specialties (KFS) import. Do you see KFS anywhere on it? Does it have a spiker bayo on it? If no spiker, does it have a bayo lug or has it been removed?
If it has "sp" stamped on the reciever on the left side by the model number, it is a KFS pre-ban that got caught up in customs during the ban and came in 7 years later in 1996 with Choate black plastic furniture and a tac welded muzzle nut and no bayo lug.
If it has a bayo lug it could be a pre-ban. With some pics and/or answers to my questions, we can figure this out...
Originally Posted By Dferg10:
Pics will help figure this out. Does it have Chinese wood handguards, black plastic, or other? Often times there is info under the handguards. What is stamped on the barrel, if anything? Does it have the numbers 386 in an oval on the left side of the reciever? Is it a stamped reciever? It sounds like a Kengs Firearms Specialties (KFS) import. Do you see KFS anywhere on it? Does it have a spiker bayo on it? If no spiker, does it have a bayo lug or has it been removed?
If it has "sp" stamped on the reciever on the left side by the model number, it is a KFS pre-ban that got caught up in customs during the ban and came in 7 years later in 1996 with Choate black plastic furniture and a tac welded muzzle nut and no bayo lug.
If it has a bayo lug it could be a pre-ban. With some pics and/or answers to my questions, we can figure this out...
It is a spiker, does have the 386. Imported by Keng's I believe. The "
POLY Technologies" stamp is kind of a fancy design on the left side of the receiver just above the grip, not the plain lettering that just says "Polytech". The "KFS Atlanta Made in China" is on the bottom of the receiver in front of the mag well. Just wondering why the change in design from the standard that I've seen on other guns. I would put up pics but Im gonna have to figure that out. The rifle isnt in my posession as of yet.
http://www.chicom47.com/Pics/PolyTech/PolyTech.htm
Looks just like the very 1st close up pic on this page.
Serial # reads CF-097##
Originally Posted By tac45:
http://www.chicom47.com/Pics/PolyTech/PolyTech.htm
Looks just like the very 1st close up pic on this page.
Serial # reads CF-097##
There should be a two digit number before the CF that will be the year it was made...
Originally Posted By Dferg10:
Originally Posted By tac45:
http://www.chicom47.com/Pics/PolyTech/PolyTech.htm
Looks just like the very 1st close up pic on this page.
Serial # reads CF-097##
There should be a two digit number before the CF that will be the year it was made...
No, it's just the circled 386.
I would say about 1989-91 range.
Snap a pic and post it.
Originally Posted By bigsnoz:
I would say about 1989-91 range.
There were no AKs imported after July 1989 with underfolding stocks that weren't welded or replaced with thumbhole wood stocks. In addition, the bayonets were removed.
If it was imported by Keng's then it would have been imported between 1987-89'
Taken from the book AK-47: THE GRIM REAPER
"Later Poly Technology "preban" AK rifles were imported exclusively by Keng's Firearms Specialties Inc. from 1987 until 1989 when the importation ban was enacted. These rifles had markings indicating that they were manufactured at Chinese State factory 386. Many of the rifles had underfolding bayonets and checkered wooden pistol grips. The serial numbers revealed basic information about the rifles, for example the serial number CW86-762-XXXXX. The letter C represented factory 386, the letter W meant the rifle was a full stock model, the two digits 86 indicated the year of manufacture, 762 was the caliber, and the remaining digits were the manufacturer's sequential serial numbers."
Originally Posted By Ago-Fidelis:
If it was imported by Keng's then it would have been imported between 1987-89'
Taken from the book AK-47: THE GRIM REAPER
"Later Poly Technology "preban" AK rifles were imported exclusively by Keng's Firearms Specialties Inc. from 1987 until 1989 when the importation ban was enacted. These rifles had markings indicating that they were manufactured at Chinese State factory 386. Many of the rifles had underfolding bayonets and checkered wooden pistol grips. The serial numbers revealed basic information about the rifles, for example the serial number CW86-762-XXXXX. The letter C represented factory 386, the letter W meant the rifle was a full stock model, the two digits 86 indicated the year of manufacture, 762 was the caliber, and the remaining digits were the manufacturer's sequential serial numbers."
Keng's definately brought in some MAK90's after 1989. I used to own one I bought new. Any gun marked MAK90 officially came in after 1989. Here is a link to an article that mentions Keng imported MAK90's... Actually a batch of them started out in 1989 as pre-bans and got caught by the ban in customs and Kengs had to sue to get them out. They were released in 1996 and marked SP.
Keng's MAK90 ref
"There was also a Poly Tech stamped receiver rifle imported that was stamped MAK-90 and imported by KBI. This blows the notion that only Kengs Firearms Specialties(KFS) imported Poly Tech rifles. It had a 16" barrel with the threads turned off the end and bayonet lug ground down. Notice the ground down spot that is re-stamped 'MAK-90 SPORTER'....
The "sp" rifles are pre ban rifles that were not released from customs before the 1989 ban went into effect. Kengs filed a law suit to have the rifles released from customs in 1989. It was in court and the rifles sat in customs for 7 years. In 1996 Kengs won the law suit to have the rifles released from customs. But part of the court order was that the rifles were now post ban and had to be modified to post ban specs to be released from customs. This confirmed the precedence that the import date of rifles is not when they come into this country but when released from customs. The bayonet lugs were ground down, muzzle nuts tack welded, and Choate thumbhole stock set applied."
My Poly spiker is PW85-762-09366 and does not have the fancy style Poly Technology stamp.
