I have noticed over the last few months there has been allot of discussion about Maadi-Ak47, he is some information I have compiled from print and online sources that may aid future buyers. Feel free to add or correct any inaccuracies.
Egyptian Maadi AK47’s
One of the only semi-automatic Kalashnikov imported into the United States, in almost every regard, an exact duplicate of the Russian AKM. During the 1950’s the Soviet Union, as part of its military aid program, established the production of Soviet-pattern small arms in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
AKM rifles were manufactured at the “Factory 54,” the Maadi Company for Engineering Industries in Cairo. Key Egyptian personnel were trained in the Soviet Union, and the plant was supervised by Russians prior to their abrupt expulsion from Egypt at the hands of Anwar Sadat in 1972. Designated as the “ARM” (Automatic Rifle Misr), a semiautomatic-only version of the Egyptian AKM was introduced to the American public in 1982 by the U.S. division of Steyr-Daimler-Punch in Steyr, Austria. For all intents and purposes this is as close as most of us will ever come to a Russian AKM.
The laminated wood handguards and buttstock are correct in every detail. The lower handguard has the proper hand swells, and the buttstock has been reinforced with steel pins in all the right places. All the wood furniture was imported from Finland but finished in Egypt. The plastic pistol grip was injection-molded to correct Soviet configuration.
The metal components are exactly those of the Russian AKM. Small recesses on each side of the receiver , directly over the magazine-well, serve as magazine guides and instantly distinguish this as an AKM. The four gas escapes holes found on each side of the Ak-47’s gas cylinder have been omitted, and there are two gas relief holes on each side of the gas block where it mates with the gas tube. The bayonet lug is directly under the gas block.
Rear sights are graduated to 1000 meters (with a 300-meter battle sight marked “p”) instead of the AK-47’s 800meter maximum. An AKM muzzle breake was installed. The sheet-metal receiver cover has transverse ribs and a rolled edge over the ejection port. Chambers and bores are hard chromed. All the exterior metal surfaces have been finished with a baked on black enamel over phosphate. Only the green web sling was of Egyptian design.
No doubt about it, expect for the selective fire option and the markings on the receiver , this is a soviet AKM. Yet no more than 2000 were brought in before the importation ceased. In 1986 about 50 semiautomatic only Egyptian ARM’s with a side folding buttstock, similar in appearance to that of the East German MPiKMS-72, entered the United States via a small importer (Interport St. George UT). (Adapted from Peter Kokalls)
Pre ban Maadi rifles were only imported by and stamped on the left side of the receiver 'STEYER SECAUCUS,N.J.' If not stamped this way the rifle is a post ban rifle. They are rare with about 2000 imported. They go for $1500-$2000 and are as close to an original Russian AKM as you can get. Some were converted to full auto and were the AKs used in the movie Red Dawn
Post ban rifles were imported by several importers.
PARS INTERNATIONAL CORP. Lousiville,KY imported Maadi rifles from 1993-1995.
Imported 2 models the ARM and RML both with thumbhole stocks. The model ARM had a 16.34' barrel length with a threaded barrel with a muzzle nut tack welded on. The model RML was imported with 16' and 20' barrrels with the threads turned off the end of the barrel.
ACC/INTRAC Knoxville,TN imported Maadi rifles from 1993-1995
Imported models the ARM and RPM both with thumbhole stocks. The model ARM had a 16.34' barrel length with the end theaded with a muzzle nut tack welded on. The model RPM had a 20' barrel with the end threaded with a muzzle nut tack welded on. The 1993 imported RPM rifles came with a bipod attached and later imported ones didn't.
Century Arms International or Century International Arms- Saint Albins,VT or Saint George,NH imported Maadi rifles from 1997-1999. They also assembled Maadi rifles from imported parts in 1996-1997.
Imported models were,
MISR with a 16' barrel with the threads turned off the end of the barrel with a thumbhole stock. It was imported in 1997 till this ruling by the Treasury Secretary. http://www.atf.gov/firearms/assault/treasrelease.htm
After the ruling the MISR-10 model rifle was imported that were the same as the MISR except it could only use 5 or 10 round magazines made just for it to comply with the Treasury ruling. Some MISR rifles will have ground-down bayonet lugs and a barrel end with a diameter too small to be threaded.
In 1999 the MISR S/A rifle was imported without triggers,sears,pistol grips,or hammers. US parts were added to comply with United States Code Title 18,Chapter 44,Section 922,Paragraph (r).
Maadi S/As were made on Russian equipment, they also have a chrome lined barrel. The MISR S/A rifle was imported without triggers,sears,pistol grips,or hammers. US parts were added to comply with United States Code Title 18,Chapter 44,Section 922,Paragraph (r). I would also rate it to be middle of the scale of AKs. They were all finished poorly, unlike their steyr imported predecessors. I have one, and really like it. I would honestly rate it more valuable than a WASR10, Gunbroker has been very generous to the Maadi S/A if you follow.
Assembled in the US rifles.
The model MISR-90 rifles were assembled by Century Arms from Maadi receivers and Chinese MAK-90 parts kits. They bought 1000's of MAK-90 rifles that were disassembled and had the receivers distroyed after the import of Chinese guns and ammo was banned in April,1994. They imported Maadi receivers that had both trunions,rails,trigger guard,and mag catch installed. The first ones due to the Maadi receivers having a AKM front trunion that has a opening for a barrel with a 23mm barrel shank required a sleeve to be added to the smaller 19mm barrel shank of the MAK-90 parts kit barrel. The later assembled MISR-90 rifles used the Chinese front trunion from the MAK-90 parts kits and a Maadi receiver imported without a front trunion installed. Besides the rivets being loacated in different places on the trunion/receiver the early MISR-90 rifles have the model stamped on the left side of the reciever where the later rifles have it stamped on the barrel.
When the treasury dept. banned the import of Chinese guns and ammo in April,1994 there were 1000's of MAK-90 rifles in bonded warehouses awaiting import approval from customs and 1000's more in transit to the US. The importers filed with the treasury dept. to release the rifles that were in customs as they were in the US when the ban was enacted. The treasury dept. ruled that the rifles while physically in the US they were not legally in the US as customs had not released them. But they did allow the rifles to be released from cutsoms to be sold as parts kits if the receivers were destroyed.
In 1995-1996 two importers advertised MAK-90 parts kits for sale in the Shotgun News. Sales were really slow as there were no receivers made in the US at the time. Sales were so bad that the prices went for $139 to $69 for one kit in a year’s time. The last ad I saw before Century started making the MISR-90 rifles was that 100 or more kits the price was $39 each. A friend that owned a gun shop bought 3 kits for $59 each in 1996 and none had any machine gun parts as the fire control parts were semi auto parts. In the late 1990's MAK-90 kits would show up at gun shows every now and then. All that I have seen were semi auto kits and I have never seen a machine gun kit. (taken from various internet posts)
I hope this all of this information helps out potential buyers, please feel free to correct me or add anything.
Mike