Back in March, President Obama signed Executive Order 13661, “Blocking Property of Additional Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine”.
Yesterday, the Secretary of the Treasury expanded exactly what that means by adding additional interests to the list. It was bound to happen, and now Concern Kalashnikov is on that Office of Foreign Assets Control list.
KALASHNIKOV CONCERN (a.k.a. CONCERN KALASHNIKOV; a.k.a. IZHEVSKIY MASHINOSTROITEL’NYI ZAVOD OAO; f.k.a. IZHMASH R&D CENTER; f.k.a. JSC NPO IZHMASH; f.k.a. NPO IZHMASH OAO; a.k.a. OJSC CONCERN KALASHNIKOV; f.k.a. OJSC IZHMASH; f.k.a. SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION ASSOCIATION IZHMASH JOINT STOCK COMPANY), 3, Derjabin Pr., Izhevsk, Udmurt Republic 426006, Russia; Registration ID 1111832003018 [UKRAINE2].
There’s a whole slew of companies and individuals on the list so the Obama Administration didn’t single them out, but this will those involved in the AK enthusiast market.
This has been anticipated by that community. The guns in the country are the guns in the country. I’m sure panic buying will ensue. If you already own one, you can sell it, free and clear. But if Kalashnikov or another individual or company listed on the OFAC list has a stake in it, then you need to contact OFAC. This should only be a concern to importers who might be selling on consignment.
To be sure, a friend in the region, Ukraine, is struggling with a Russian-backed insurgency. In response, the President of the United States decided to use the economic element of national power as leverage against Russia to encourage them to lay off.
Consider the importation of guns from Russia into the US as collateral damage. A ban on the importation of Kalashnikovs from Russia would not have been possible without new laws, stemming from legislation in Congress. But a crisis such as the one in the Ukraine is a convenient opportunity that can’t be passed up by an Administration that likes to take unilateral, executive action to further its aims.
Tags: Izhmash, Kalashnikov
This is unrelated to gun control and entirely directed at punishing an invasive Russia, not American citizens.
Yeah, but call it “collateral damage”, or an added bonus for an administration that feels that “AK47s” and other “weapons of war don’t belong on our streets”…
exactly, like SSD said… never let a good crisis go to waste. If you look at this admin’s history, this is gun control without the messy legislative aspect of it.
It is two birds with one stone for them, they get to pretend to be tough on russia and squeeze gun owners and the gun industry…
I agree. Sure this isn’t aimed specifically at gun control but i bet when the sanctions are lifted the one for CK will conveniently stay in place.
yes and people need to STFU and stop their panic bullshit.
But panic encourages capitalism, look what it did for .22 ammo.
You mean “Rounds that now cost more than centerfire”rounds? (shakes head)
Before Newtown, a box of Federal “Blue Box” hollowpoints? $26… After? I saw people paying $50, and $60 dollars.
Wal-mart never increased their prices, but the dealers got a hold of those boxes, and marked them up.
Not complaining, but acknowledging… THE MARKET DICTATES THE PRICES! Anything otherwise? Fascism.
I don’t know; do “economic sanctions” actually do anything? Seems like they never really do much but hurt the little guy.
Never let a good crisis go to waste. Im sure that this administration and their cronies are frothing at the mouth over this one
Looks like a good business opportunity for an American firearms company to start producing the rifles.
But apparently we can never improve the AKM, only Russians can do that.
We build and improve on them daily and yes we are working on a completely US AK. Why because we know how to do it and we don’t give Fuck what Obama or his lackey admin thinks.
Stand by the US AK coming
Saw that coming from a mile way. Luckily got my Russian AK a few months back when the conflict kicked off for that exact reason. Too predictable.
AKMs were a common import during the Cold War?
Yes
They were imported directly from Soviet USSR?
Sounds extremely weird helping an enemy superpower economically.
It was a two-front process Reagan had put into play, “outspend them”, and then “make them dependent”.
The Soviets (not “Russians”) were hard up for cash, they eased their export restrictions, and Reagan jumped on it. Vodka, Firearms, and other assorted goodies trickled in, but they were desperate for hard currency.
Worked, didn’t it?
Egyptian, Mahdi. If you are going to comment on something to make your point, at least know what you are talking about. Otherwise, you look dumb.
I’m seeing this under google, Bush Senior enacting a similar law during his administration:
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/08/us/import-ban-on-assault-rifles-becomes-permanent.html
Oh, you mean Mr. New World Order ?
Obama apologists never fail to bring up the old “well, Bush or Reagan or [insert Republican here] did it too!” to excuse bad policy, illegal or unconstitutional actions, or other generally poor behavior as if somehow it makes it okay that Obama is a douchebag because previous Presidents also abused their Constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.
Instead of deflecting by telling us that Bush 41 did it too, how about defending Obama’s actions on their own merits?
As a third party supporter, i’ve watched both republicans and democrats do this. dems say it when a dem president is in office, repubs say it when a repub is in office. SSDD
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Exactly, republican or democrat…sooner or later, they all see private gun ownership as a limiter to their power.
Too true
It wasn’t right for him to do it either.
Buy American!!!
when it comes to AKS the russians make the best
Too damn expensive.
I’m assuming this is supposed to be lifted when “Russia” stops fighting ukraine’s civil war, or will this be permanent like the ban on Cuban cigars?
If I had any money, I’d bet a fair portion on the ban staying.
Actually, the Russians are fighting a Western-backed coup that has mobilized tens of thousands of neo-Nazis who’d like nothing better than to “liquidate” ethnic Russians living in eastern Ukraine. Not siding with Russia, which is a corrupt mafia state, but to gloss over the fascist movement that the West is sponsoring is irresponsible.
That is a bunch of RT nonsense.
Im not picking sides, but to suggest what you did? that is tin foil hat bullshit
Just to confirm, this only applies to russian AKs, bulgarians/romanians et all are still fair game for import?
This is indeed just another half baked effort by our illustrious dictator to push gun control. AK imports are number 50 on the list of russian imports that would actually have an impact on the russian economy.
You are correct
While there is going to be a panic buy of Russian made AKs, and ammo I think this is going to hurt the AK market. Bulgarian, parts kits, Hungarian, and other country parts and rifles are still be imported. Nevermind a lot of US companies are starting to produce the ammo, and parts for AKs in case this happens.
You don’t like economic sanctions? Would you prefer to join up and go to war in Ukraine to kick Putin’s goons’ teeth in? If your answer is “no” to the latter, stop reacting like children. Damn, the lack of perspective in the comments is breathtaking.
Face it people… we are GOING TO WAR……proxy or otherwise…….Otherwise all these CIA folks will get bored and think up some crazy idea ………like they they did w/JFK……………