I'm a little confused here...

If I whittle a rear stock out of a T-hole stock that was on a NHM90 Norinco AK then sand and refinish, does this constitute a "US made" rear stock to be included in the US parts count?  

Also, were the thumbhole stocks fitted to the "NHM90 re-stamps" made in the US to begin with?  IIRC, these were held up in port and weren't allowed to be released until neutered... I believe I read on one of the informational web pages that these stocks were produced in the US but had the makers name on the buttplate. (Such as BOYDS)  My stock does not have a makers name on it so I don't know if I'm worrying over nothing or if the T-hole actually was imported does it make a difference. (It has a NATO L.O.P.)

Lastly, anyone know if the hand guards by chance were also US made?  Any way of magically transforming them into "domestic" by refinishing/recountouring them or are they "once imported, always imported"? TIA

Your wisdom "is" greatly appreciated friends.

Sly

I've wondered this myself at several times.  Seriously, if it's once imported and always imported, then is English Walnut from overseas, cut in the US, a foreign part?  If you take a foreign synthetic stock and recontour it through sanding/bondo, is it still foreign or US made?  If a K-var stock is made in the US from imported plastic, is it foreign or domestic?

I hear you Rook.

I tried Google but not much luck.

Sly

Thanks CB, that's the info I needed.

Sly

Hackberry........Huckleberry.........

The source of the raw material used to make a part is not included as part of the determination of where made. If the work to turn the raw material into a functional part is done outside of the U.S., the part, once in the U.S., is considered to be imported. If the work to turn the raw material into a functional part is done in the U.S., the part is considered to be U.S. made.
Reworking a functional imported part in the U.S. will not change the status of the part as to where it was made. In other words, any functional stock or handguard piece considered to be imported will not become a U.S. part with rework in the U.S.

Harlan
FAC

Well, that was definitive.  Thanks Harlan.

As a practical matter I think you could get away with a good refinish and three letter punches from the local hardware store, namely U, S, and A.  A story about how you found the stock for cheap at a gunshow wouldn't hurt either.

As an attorney, I would never recommend that anyone actually do this of course.