Yesterday, the President signed an executive order that places Concern Kalashnikov (formerly Izhmash) on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. That means the importation of their products has been banned. It’s rare for these orders to be rescinded, even by later administrations, so it’s probably permanent.
Somebody’s going to scream “back door gun control,” but that isn’t the case. This is a sanction on the Russian government for their actions in Ukraine. While the SDN list blocks assets and generally forbids Americans from dealing with the entity in question, products that have already been imported and paid for are unaffected.
How does this affect the domestic market? Not much at all. If you owned one before the order was signed, you can keep it. You can also sell it if you like. Retailers with existing inventory can do so as well.
Does this mean there’s going to be a shortage of rifles marketed as “AK-47’s?” Continued...