History and description
The last two digits of the serial number are stamped on the barrel trunnion, and indicate the year the original military riflewas made. The rifles have since been 'demilitartized' and rebuilt on US-made receivers sometime in the last few years by/for Century Arms International.
According to Century Arms, an American company which imports and modifies the WASR, they are semi-automatic only, single stack variants generally based on the Romanian Model 63, Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 (PM md. 63), and GP 75 AKM rifles Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy (AKM) series of Kalashnikov rifles originally manufactured in Russia. Century decided to import the WASR to meet U.S. demand for AK-style firearms. U.S. federal code 18 USC 922R stipulates that no more than ten major components of a firearm categorized by federal law as a 'semi-automatic assault weapon' could be manufactured outside the U.S.[2] The WASR-series rifles take their name from the 1996 Wassenaar Arrangement,[citation needed] a multilateral export control regime (MECR), the purpose of which is to monitor and limit the proliferation of certain conventional weapons and dual-use technologies.
The WASR-series rifles use a Romanian-made receiver, but lack the dimples to strengthen receiver above the magazine well seen in the other AK series of rifles. Instead WASRs use internally welded spacer plates to center the magazine. The arrangements of the rivets on the receiver and front and rear trunnions are also different from many other AK derivatives. There are no known clones of the WASR series rifles to date. The lack of dimple and rivet layout allows for positive ID in the many different stock configurations.[2][1]
Notes: The information in this database was provided by the National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled from the World War II Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File. Nearly nine million men and women are included in the database, which is comprised of materials from the War Department Adjutant General’s Office. For your AK-47, Saiga, WASR, ROMAK, MAK-90, SA-85M, and so on. 30-round steel Warsaw Pact mags. May have proof markings and or serial #'s stamped on the spine. Some have electropenciled serial numbers on them from original issue. Yugo AK-47 Mags with bolt-hold-open-when-empty followers. Excellent+ condition. Could someone guide me to information on when Chinese Norinco AK type 56S Sporters were made. (perhaps based on serial # sequencing). I am assuming it is an import preban with the #'s 66 inside a triangle. Gentlemen: I believe that I know the answer but I'll ask anyway my WASR 10 serial number begins with 1984 then several letters, am I correct in assuming it was manufactured in 84? Last edited: Sep 21, 2013.
The WASR-10 was used to kill 22 people in the 2019 El Paso shooting, and the Gilroy Garlic festival 9 days earlier Gilroy_Garlic_Festival_shooting .[3]
For those of you who are new to the world of AR 15s, let’s go back to basics. To start with, let’s clarify something so you don’t accidentally put your foot in your mouth when it comes to this rather notorious firearm: the “a” and “r” of AR 15 does not stand for assault rifle. It is actually shorthand for “Armalite rifle” after the small arms engineering company who initially developed this firearm style; the 15, as you may have guessed, designates the AR 15 as the 15th firearm design Armalite created. Now, since we’re talking about the very basics of the AR 15, we ought to clarify something else as well. Let’s talk serialization and legally selling AR 15 parts and accessories.
Lower Receiver
The AR 15 is divided into two parts, the upper receiver and the lower receiver. The AR is divided this way because only one portion is the actual firearm component. The lower receiver is the part of the AR 15 that contains the fire control group (the trigger, disconnector, hammer, and fire selector), so this is the only portion of the AR that must be marked with a serial number, manufacturer’s name, and so on. Because of this, the lower receiver is the only portion of the AR 15 that must be sold through a licensed firearm dealer.
Upper Receiver
The remaining portion of the AR 15, the upper receiver or upper assembly, is what most AR enthusiasts are referring to when they talk about the versatility and customizability of the AR 15. The upper assembly is modular in design so it is easier to swap out everything from the charging handle to the barrel and rail system. The modular design means any AR 15 owner can, after purchasing their lower receiver through a licensed seller, choose between purchasing a full upper receiver parts kit or shopping around for the best AR accessories and parts to create their own upper assembly.
The Benefits of the Modular Design
Because the AR 15 was created with two separate components, that opened the door for a great deal of freedom when it comes to choosing components and customizing the firearm in a myriad of ways – but it also allows for a lot more freedom of manufacturing. Since the lower receiver is the only component that needs to be serialized and purchased through a licensed dealer, any of the the upper assembly components can be designed, modified, and manufactured by anyone with the engineering skills and fabrication sources necessary.
Essentially, the AR 15 as a firearm design supports small businesses rather than requiring every piece to go through one of the big name firearms producers. A small business can focus on creating one (or a few) AR 15 components rather than everything, which brings about the rise of specialty shops. On top of that, upper receiver components can legally be sold online as well as in stores, so those small specialty shops don’t have to face all the start-up costs associated with opening a physical location – and that savings gets passed along to our customers!
Wasr Serial Numbers
If you’re looking for upper assembly components, from a complete upper receiver to an adjustable gas block, shop Bootleg, Inc. today!