Went on an errand run for craft supplies at hobby lobby.... somehow got sucked into the overpriced big box store known as Gander Mountain....

Much to my surprise, there was a lonely MAK90 in great shape on the shelf (used) for $699..... Once I popped of the dust cover to verify it was a straight cut receiver, I said SOLD....  final price $762.... I would say it was meant to be.

What I know:
-MAK 90
-Straight cut with original thumbhole furniture
-Threaded with blued slant brake
-Norinco, imported through Pomona CA.


What I want to know:
-what year was this gun made/imported?
-mag does not look to be chinese.  any idea of original? I'm guessing romanian?
-safety overtravels when flicking to "safe", the small detent/bump on the safety lever hangs up on the top of the receiver.  Any ideas how to correct this?

Plans are to convert to full chinese standard stock and grip.... and thats it.    I did play around with some spare wasr furniture just for fun, may sand the romy stock to fit to hold me buy until I find the right chinese stock.

I thought mak90, ban era rifle, can be dated by serial number...94-123456 would be 1994. Take a look at the serial number.

I guess the magazine is east german...looks like some I have.

Good rifle you got there.

just did some digging. This is a "transitional" MAK.  i.e. an in port/in transit imported rifle from 1989, possibly 1990 manufacture.  I dont think there is any definitive way to know which year (89 or 90) it is, due to its nearly pre-ban status...
serial does NOT have 94, 93, 92, 91 date on it.  simply 6 digits.

That's a nice one. Just last week I was thinking about getting a Mak 90 and converting it to Type 56s configuration with all Ironwood repro furniture, a repro FSB, a folding bayonet, and a new FCG to meet 922 (r) compliance. All that with a Chinese sling, drop case, mags and mag carrier. Spendy project.

The Chinese FCGs have a reputation for being good.

The mag definitely looks euro to me. I've never seen a Chinese mag with spot welds on the spine like that. Check the follower and Google the difference between euro pattern and Chinese pattern followers. That's a good indicator.

thanks, yeah it is definitely euro, I just need to figure out what country from europe.  I will compare with some romy mags today, but it has way more spot welds than any of my romanian surplus mags do too.

I'm pretty stoked. I'll post with a range report later today once I test out this new chinese plinker.

My guess is East German on the mags. Nice rifle OP, I love my Mak

Range Report.

All I can say is WOW!  This gun shoots like a dream.  I ran 120 rounds of tula through it (quite fast, didnt have much time to play around or really test it out much).

Put up some wonderful groups at 50 yards.  Trigger is smooth with no slap.  No mag wobble even with some surplus romy mags.  The mag it came with operated fine as well.

I am VERY happy.   The thumbhole was honestly pretty comfortable, although I wish there was just another 1/4"-1/2" of material removed from the inside of the "thumbhole" to provide a slightly thinner grip, but I dont want to mess with the stock. I'll just replace it with a type 56 butt stock and grip.

Did that come with the "cleaning rod fang" hooded FSB and cleaning rod gas block?

yep, came as you see it.

Nice find. I picked one up like yours a year ago now. Brand new never fired. I was out the door for 500 bucks. Yours is now the 4th one ive seen online in this configuration. Yours likely came into the country right as the 89 ban hammer came down. In my case mine was on the ship when the ban happened. The original stock was replaced with the thumb hole stock and a muzzle nut was stuck on it. Some were tac welded some werent. Mine was not welded and i still have it. Some hate the thumb hole stock, i like you didnt like the feel of mine so i took my dremmel tool and sanded the square edges down till it felt comfortable. Otherwise i really like the cheek weld i get with it so i have left it alone except for a little bit of stain and tung oil. I also was not excited about having to swap out the original FCG if i was going to swap a pistol grip onto it to be legal. Someone may try to tell you that you need to make it 922r compliant as it sits but from my research that only applies to the person doing the modifying, but do your own research.

Mine has the original import stuff lined off and a new serial number put on it.  I cant quite make out who the original importer was. It also does not say norinco anywhere on it. From what iv read all 1990 and newer Maks had the muzzle turned down on a lathe so assuming its its got the original 14mm threads its an 89.

Iv put around 50 rounds through mine because lets face it only an idiot would buy a gun and not be sure it goes bang when you pull the trigger and where the bullet goes after you pull the trigger.  

Bought 2 right before the ban for 300 each. Didn't know they were going for that much now.

Wow, those front sights and gas block are not easy to find.

Another nice feature of these rifles is the barrel is not left with the machining marks as were  the later maks. They are extremely well made rifles.

I really like the history of these transitional chinese AKs. Back in 88 you could go to any gun shop and pick up a pistol grip ak, ar, uzi and what not, even in California and at a good price. In 89 is when that started to change. The president at the time "Bush" decided that guns with evil features where bad. This decision was made due to pressure from anti-gunners after the Stockton California school shooting. I find the repercussions of this shooting quite interesting. You dont hear much about this shooting. Crazy guy  with chinese type 56 pistol grip AK goes to  a grade school and shoots 34 children and 1 teacher. But only 5 children died. I was shocked when i first read that only 5 died. Why do more people die in mass shootings today? The reasons can be traced to this moment. The anti gunners actually caused the ammunition of today to be deadlier than that used in 1989 while simultaneously increasing the cost of those of us that like to go shoot cans at the local rock quarry. Really interesting stuff.

And somehow the AK is supposed to be safe when it has a thumb hole butt stock vs a pistol grip. Also this affected only imported gun, so similar guns made in the US are safer than those that are imported? Remember, the gov't is here to help us.  LOL.  GARY

anyone have a good source for a chinese stock and PG for this rifle?

I want to continue using the factory handguards, so i dont mind a dent or ding here or their in the rear furniture as well.

keep an eye on ebay for a good deal. I as of tonight i bid and won a polytech legend bayonet for mine. The first style or Type 1 bayonet which will work with these transitional Maks. The european type 1 will work with a bit of dremmel work. I wanted chinese and im pretty stoked that one is on  its way to me. If your patient and do your research you can get good deals on ebay as stuff is not always listed correctly with what exactly it is. You can also go to gunbroker but that is not the best place for a good deal but a great place to sell stuff.

I bought 5 Mak-90s in 1993 for $165.00/ea. plus tax.  Also got 6 - 1100 rd cases on stripper clips for $75/case.  Those were "the good old days".

ya i remember going to the gun show in portland OR in the early 2000s and looking at 500rds in a ammo can for 50 bucks and thinking that was not that great a deal. Brass cased south african ammo was few bucks more

Well my bayo came in and figured i would share. My next project is finding a bayonet friendly muzzle brake that actually helps with recoil that will work with this bayo.  I know thats going to be a tough project since it cannot be any longer than the slant brake or it has to be able to be screwed on after the bayo is installed. May have to do custom brake. I have no intention of changing out the stock,fcg, though i hate the spring retainer for trigger group pins but iv left that alone. I also picked up some 20 rounders for this rifle, really like the size of them.

http://imgur.com/fKobden

http://imgur.com/UPHvlLU

Thanks for the info on the type I bayo that fits these transition rifles. I have some and I call them line-outs  from the lines  through the original markings. Now I need to find one of those polytech bayos for mine.
Also, did you say there are other bayos that can be modded for this rifle and If so...What are they??

Thanks,..

And like your mak, mine have the original butthole stock or romy draganov stocks.

There is chinese bayonet on ebay right now http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chinese-47-Type-1-Bayonet-Polytech-Norinco-AK-Milled-Chu-wood-Legend-/121685524275?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c5505bf33


There is one day left as i post this. Its more than i paid for mine, i sniped it for 73 plus shipping, i would have paid a lot more. I had been searching for a chinese bayo on ebay for over a year when i got mine. I had seen one other bayo in good shape for starting bid 125 plus shipping and i was going to bid on it at the last second but the seller ended the action without selling it, at least through ebay that is. Ever since then iv checked 2 or more times a week so see if someone is selling one.

The europeans have a bayonet almost identical, though it has bakelite grips and doesnt have the snap closure for the sheath. All the european ones seem to have a serial number on them as well. From what i have heard some require a little bit of metal shaving to work. I had to do a small amount of filing on mine to make it work even though it was chinese going on a chinese so it may not be worth it for you to buy a chinese.

Found a second

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Bayonet-for-Chinese-Type-56-Rifle-Vietnam-War-Era-/391179478186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5b141d24aa

i still need to find a stock and PG to replace my thumbhole... i've been lazy and havent been looking to hard.

That is a GREAT find you have there OP...That rifle was getting off the boat just as the ink was drying on the ban. The hooded FSB with fangs means it will take the same bayonet as the Polytech Legend series.

I have one with 94 prefix but still has original muzzle threads and square back receiver. No provision for cleaning rod

Nice find. Definitely worth it.

There is a guy on ebay that sells the stocks.  My research indicated a lot of satisfied customers. I got mine from tickbitesupply.

Grip I got from a member here. He has some listed now.
http://www.ar15.com/member/member.html?id=144402