Very good points Kalibr.... this topic comes up quite a bit in AK circles especially...because of that trunion issue...
Also, it would be interesting to know who the burden of proof falls on as far as determining if the gun's serial number is an original or a re-do of the same number? What if the gun had been cut up and remanufacured? For a time, it was no longer a firearm, and not subject to
Title 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, Section 923(i) and
Title 26 U.S.C., Chapter 53, section 5842(a) and 27 CFR, section 179.102 shouldn't it now be able to be remanufactured by a SOT with whatever serial number the manufacture choses?
YEs, pointless and a lot of work, but it is an answer.... Of course all pre ban features would be lost and 922 (r) and (v) must be followed...OK, even more pointless. But basically, according to Mr. Owen's letter to Bardwell, as interpreted by some of the folks here, if your Chinese preban AK cracks a trunion (not unheard of BTW!) the gun is toast, and you mind as well throw it all away, because the trunion cannot be replaced without unlawfully removing the serial number in the process.... you surely couldn't send the gun back to the manufacture and ever expect to re-import it!!! I think Kalibr has it just right by saying to look at the intent of the regs...
If you are defacing serial numbers of complete functioning firearms for the intent of hiding traceablity, you are a felon. There is still plenty of ambiguity and interpretation left in those regs, whether or not you wish to challenge them is the real question. Personally I say do your best to be a good responsible person, and leave the can of worms
to rot. We already lost the ability to import very nice russian BB guns this year because of somebody publically broadcasting his homebuilt creation on the interenet.... The often uninformed and agenda orientated agencies will grab any opportunity to tighten the already taught noose around our hobby of firearms...usually for complete and utter unfounded reasons! I say, don't feed em any more rope! My 2.5 cents
-C