I have a ban SAR-1 that I would like to bring out of ban configuration. I was going to install the barrel/trunnion from a Polish kit I have lying around on the SAR-1, however I noticed that it looks like the SN was stamped on the trunnion of the SAR-1. Since the receiver is the “gun” why is the SN on the trunnion.

Does this mean a SAR-1 cannot ever be rebarreled?

If I was to seperate the two would I be making a "new" firearm and have to (re)serialize the receiver?



Here is a picture of how it looks I found on gunsnet.

But receivers are the "gun" why would the SN be on the trunnion. I understood from reading on the ATF site that the SN had to be on the receiver of a longgun or the frame of a handgun.

If the SN was on the trunnion then all of my AKs would have two SNs, the original one on the trunnion and the one on the receiver.

I dont get this!

Somethings are just hard to understand.   Like why is the lower receiver of an AR the registered part.  But the lower reciever of a FAL isn't?  Hell, I don't know exactly why, but that's the way it is.  

Legally, your SAR-1 front trunnion and receiver have to stay together as one unit if the gun is assembled.  You can put any barrel in it that pleases you, i.e. Polish barrel.  

I hope this helps a little.

vato

Somehow they got around having to serialize the receivers on the SARs.  My SAR-1 only had the receiver on the trunnion and not on the receiver.  So like has already been said, you may want to leave the trunnion and receiver attached to each other.  And the trunnion that is riveted to the receiver will work with the Polish barrel anyway.

I understand what you guys are saying, if there is not a SN on the receiver then the SN on other parts becomes the “legal” SN.

Just to play the devils advocate what would happen if I demilled the SAR-1 receiver (not that I would do this) doing the torch cuts and all and then rebuilt the gun on say a Armory USA receiver, the trunnion SN would no longer be the “legal” SN right?

That is correct.  

If you demilled the Romanian and used the SAR-1 front trunion on the Global Trades receiver it would just be a part.  The global trades receiver would then have the "legal"' serial no. of the gun.

Ok, I just took some thinking to get my mind around this since I am accustom to using the receiver SN and ignoring the trunnion SN on my other AKs.

This topic has come up before and has caused a lot of headaches, particularly for owners of NFA registered Chinese receiver guns wanting to change to Euro patterns (Krink, etc.).  The serial number of a rifle is supposed to be on the receiver.  The trunion is technically NOT the receiver, but it is "attached" to the receiver in a semi-permanent (riveted) manner.  This is where the original AK manufacturers have always marked the SN.  Even the milled AK is marked in the same location on its receiver.  From the beginning of semi-auto AK importation back in the mid 1980's, the practice of marking the trunnion has been allowed, and (fortunately) it has remained so.  This is one of those questions that will hopefully never become an issue, or be "fixed" by Da Fedz.

Quoted: This topic has come up before and has caused a lot of headaches, particularly for owners of NFA registered Chinese receiver guns wanting to change to Euro patterns (Krink, etc.).  The serial number of a rifle is supposed to be on the receiver.  The trunion is technically NOT the receiver, but it is "attached" to the receiver in a semi-permanent (riveted) manner.  This is where the original AK manufacturers have always marked the SN.  Even the milled AK is marked in the same location on its receiver.  From the beginning of semi-auto AK importation back in the mid 1980's, the practice of marking the trunnion has been allowed, and (fortunately) it has remained so.  This is one of those questions that will hopefully never become an issue, or be "fixed" by Da Fedz.

Thats because in the AK design, the trunnion is considered an integral part of the receiver. They would not even think of seperating the two......

Last time this came up someone pointed it out in a way that made sense, at least as far as the law is concerned. If the receiver doesnt have a serial number, then the trunnion is considered to be part of the receiver. SARs, MAKs, etc, all have the serial on the trunnion, which is then basically part of the receiver as far as the ATF is concerned. Once the receiver is destroyed, the trunnion is an unregulated part, because there is no receiver anymore.