What to do? Inherited AK

skidogg · January 16, 2005, 10:33 PM

What advice should be given to a young widow who has a AK-47, left to her
by a husband who passed away from a sudden heart attack? He received it
from his father who was a Vietnam era Marine.
The weapon has a triangle marking with a 66 in it. I believe it to be full auto after checking some website descriptions of the trigger assembly.
The breech has a spot weld that blocks a round from being loaded. Should it be hack sawed and buried? Does it have value and can she do something useful with it?

skidogg · January 17, 2005, 04:19 PM

How would she check anonymously to find out if it is registered and what would the registration look like if it is among his other papers and effects?
He was a Life Time member of the NRA. From reading other parts of the forum "parts aren't, just parts".

shaggy · January 17, 2005, 04:53 PM

Indeed, some parts aren’t “just parts”.

That AK could be worth quite a bit of money IF its registered. These days, registered AK47s will easily get $12,000-14,000 for a converted gun, but if its an original Vietnam bring-back that was properly registered in the ’68 amnesty, it could be worth several thousand more. If its not registered, no matter what type its only worth a felony.

You need to find a BATF Form 1 or Form 4. You can find the current example of both forms at www.titleii.com Please note, these are the currently used version. Since we are talking about paperwork that could be 30+ years old, the forms may be somewhat different.

You absolutely need to find one of those two forms with the name of either the husband or the son on it. There should also be a $200 stamp affixed to the form. If the forms have the name of the father on them, the widow will need to have the executor of the father’s estate complete a form 4 to the son’s widow. This should be a tax-free transfer. If the forms have the name of the son (husband of the widow), she will have to get the executor his the son/husband’s estate do the same paperwork to transfer it to her (again, a tax-free transfer). I cannot stress the importance of finding that paperwork if it exists. You need that paperwork. It is your only proof the weapon was properly registered. BATF is supposed to have a registry of NFA owners, but the registry is in bad shape and contains errors, thus that paper is your only solid proof if BATF’s records are in error.

If you cannot find the paperwork have the executors of both the father’s and the executor of the son’s estates serve a FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) upon the National Firearms Act Branch at BATF to see if any NFA weapons are/were registered in either of their names. If that turns up positive for either, you can use the info to have the executor of the estate of the registered owner complete a transfer of the weapon to the widow, her designee, or a beneficiary under the terms of the will or intestate succession.

Ignition · January 17, 2005, 11:14 PM

i would *never* take it out back and bury it until the day i need to use the phrase "moron labe"

if its not regisitered, how could you go about turning the covereted gun over to the atf without fear of facing felony charges. or would you have to destroy it yourself?

skidogg · January 17, 2005, 11:21 PM

Mr. Shaggy,

Thanks for giving a good starting point. Hopefully it was registered because it would be a shame to destroy a piece of history.

She was going to place an ad in the newspaper until she asked me about it. I do think she would have recieved the wrong kind of response to the ad.

This one can't be the only "family heirloom" out there.

Thanks again.

skidogg · January 17, 2005, 11:41 PM

I spent nearly 25 years in the Marine Corps and I don't trust civil servants as far as I could chuck them.

I would never recommend she turn it in. With my luck she would be charged and I would have orphan kids to look after for ten years.

As beautiful as it is I would "compost it".

I have other weapons. Sighted in on my own property! I would love to own it but it doesn't seem worth the trouble. I'm praying it is registered.

PMDW · January 18, 2005, 11:11 PM

Sounds like a Dewat. See if it has papers. It's worth a good amount if it does. If it doesn't, it's worth about a penny a pound.

January 16, 2005, 10:33 PM	#1
skidogg Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Posts: 4	What to do? Inherited AK What advice should be given to a young widow who has a AK-47, left to her by a husband who passed away from a sudden heart attack? He received it from his father who was a Vietnam era Marine. The weapon has a triangle marking with a 66 in it. I believe it to be full auto after checking some website descriptions of the trigger assembly. The breech has a spot weld that blocks a round from being loaded. Should it be hack sawed and buried? Does it have value and can she do something useful with it?

January 17, 2005, 04:19 PM	#2
skidogg Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Posts: 4	how to check if registered? How would she check anonymously to find out if it is registered and what would the registration look like if it is among his other papers and effects? He was a Life Time member of the NRA. From reading other parts of the forum "parts aren't, just parts".

January 17, 2005, 11:21 PM	#5
skidogg Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Posts: 4	FOIA thanks Mr. Shaggy, Thanks for giving a good starting point. Hopefully it was registered because it would be a shame to destroy a piece of history. She was going to place an ad in the newspaper until she asked me about it. I do think she would have recieved the wrong kind of response to the ad. This one can't be the only "family heirloom" out there. Thanks again.

January 17, 2005, 04:53 PM	#3
shaggy Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2004 Posts: 1,519	Indeed, some parts aren’t “just parts”. That AK could be worth quite a bit of money IF its registered. These days, registered AK47s will easily get $12,000-14,000 for a converted gun, but if its an original Vietnam bring-back that was properly registered in the ’68 amnesty, it could be worth several thousand more. If its not registered, no matter what type its only worth a felony. You need to find a BATF Form 1 or Form 4. You can find the current example of both forms at www.titleii.com Please note, these are the currently used version. Since we are talking about paperwork that could be 30+ years old, the forms may be somewhat different. You absolutely need to find one of those two forms with the name of either the husband or the son on it. There should also be a $200 stamp affixed to the form. If the forms have the name of the father on them, the widow will need to have the executor of the father’s estate complete a form 4 to the son’s widow. This should be a tax-free transfer. If the forms have the name of the son (husband of the widow), she will have to get the executor his the son/husband’s estate do the same paperwork to transfer it to her (again, a tax-free transfer). I cannot stress the importance of finding that paperwork if it exists. You need that paperwork. It is your only proof the weapon was properly registered. BATF is supposed to have a registry of NFA owners, but the registry is in bad shape and contains errors, thus that paper is your only solid proof if BATF’s records are in error. If you cannot find the paperwork have the executors of both the father’s and the executor of the son’s estates serve a FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) upon the National Firearms Act Branch at BATF to see if any NFA weapons are/were registered in either of their names. If that turns up positive for either, you can use the info to have the executor of the estate of the registered owner complete a transfer of the weapon to the widow, her designee, or a beneficiary under the terms of the will or intestate succession.

January 17, 2005, 11:41 PM	#6
skidogg Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Posts: 4	I spent nearly 25 years in the Marine Corps and I don't trust civil servants as far as I could chuck them. I would never recommend she turn it in. With my luck she would be charged and I would have orphan kids to look after for ten years. As beautiful as it is I would "compost it". I have other weapons. Sighted in on my own property! I would love to own it but it doesn't seem worth the trouble. I'm praying it is registered.

January 18, 2005, 11:11 PM	#7
PMDW Member Join Date: September 14, 2004 Posts: 39	Sounds like a Dewat. See if it has papers. It's worth a good amount if it does. If it doesn't, it's worth about a penny a pound.