DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
             BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
                      WASHINGTON, DC 20226

                           OCT 19 2000

                                                       903050:GKD
                                                       3311/O-697

Dear Mr. Bardwell:

This refers to your letter of June 29, 2000, asking if the
externally threaded front sight base of Romanian manufactured AK-74
rifles would be considered to be a "threaded barrel designed to
accommodate a flash suppressor."  You state in your letter that the
threading on the Romanian front sight base is unlike that of AK-74
rifles manufactured in other countries.  You further state that, to
the best of your knowledge, the Romanian producers did not
manufacture a flash suppressor for their AK-74 rifles.

If there are no flash suppressors manufactured having a threading
compatible with the Romanian AK-74 muzzle threading, then it
follows that the described rifle would not have a "threaded barrel
designed to accommodate a flash suppressor."  However, should a
flash suppressor become available in the future that has a
threading compatible with the Romanian front sight base threading,
then the rifle would be considered to have a threaded barrel
designed to accommodate a flash suppressor.

We trust that the foregoing has been responsive to your inquiry. 
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us.


                        Sincerely yours,


                            [signed]
                      Curtis H.A. Bartlett
            Acting Chief, Firearms Technology Branch