What is a “detachable large capacity magazine”?
With regard to the SKS Carbine, the short answer is: ‘Not what you might think.’ It includes any detachable magazine or any high-capacity fixed magazine holding more than ten rounds. Confused? You’re not alone—this has changed several times over the past 15 or so years. Here’s a little background: The original “restricted features” list from the 1989 study included detachable magazines as a possible restricted feature. However, the associated text said “that any of these military features, other than the ability to accept a detachable magazine, would make a semiautomatic assault rifle not importable”. Thus from 1989 onward, a rifle could still be imported if a detachable magazine was the only offending feature. (This can be seen from the fact that detachable magazine SKS‑M Carbines were imported in large numbers until the “1994 Chinese Ban” took effect.) However, in April 1998 ATF published a second study that concluded that semiautomatic rifles with the ability to accept so-called “La
