Keng's Firearms Specialty, Incorporated
Keng's Firearms Specialty, Inc. (now in Atlanta, GA) was established in 1985. The company has imported firearms and firearm accessories for commercial sale in the United States. Specifically, Keng’s Firearms Specialty imported Poly Technologies M14type rifles in 1988 and 1989.
Keng’s Firearms was the only company that imported Chinese M14 type rifles (Poly Technologies M14/S models) into the United States before the March 14, 1989 ban on importing military-lookalike semi-automatic rifles. This event is commonly referred to as the “1989 import ban.” The Chinese M14 (Poly Technologies M14/S) rifles first appeared in the United States as part of the Keng’s Firearms Specialty exhibit at the January 1988 SHOT Show.
The first print advertisement for the Poly Technologies M14/S appeared in the July 1988 issue of Guns & Ammo. Poly Technologies M14/S serial number 0043X with a hinged butt plate and bayonet lug was imported by Keng’s Firearms before March 14, 1989.
Tim LaFrance noted that he had a concern with the Chinese bolts after examining the Poly Technologies rifles at the 1988 SHOT Show. He suggested to Keng’s Firearms Specialty that these rifles be evaluated because of his concern with the bolts. Consequently, Poly Technologies representatives from the People’s Republic of China contacted Smith Enterprise, Inc. shortly thereafter to discuss the manufacturing of M14 rifles.
Representatives from Poly Technologies met for five days with Smith Enterprise personnel, with David Keng of Keng’s Firearms Specialty acting as translator. The Poly Technologies representatives were supplied with a set of USGI drawings for the M14 and five stripped semi-automatic Smith Enterprise, Inc. M-14 receivers. After this first meeting, Poly Technologies sent raw forgings and assembled M14 rifles (Poly Technologies serial numbers 000001 through 000005) to Smith Enterprise, Inc. for evaluation and testing.
Ron Smith personally test fired these first five Poly Technologies M14 type rifles. Smith Enterprise thoroughly examined and tested the Poly Technologies receivers and rifles. Chinese receivers tested after these first batch of five were found through spectrum analysis to be made of the Chinese equivalent of AISI 8620 alloy steel, the proper material for M14 receivers. The first Poly Technologies M14 rifles imported into the United States had a varying number of digits, three to six, in the serial number of each rifle. Very quickly though, no later than serial number 00061, there would only be five digits making up the serial number on each Poly Technologies M14 rifle imported into the United States. Receiver heels were marked using Kuhlmann GmbH pantographs.
Karl Maunz was living in Atlanta, GA when Keng’s Firearms Specialty imported Poly Technologies M14/S rifles. Keng’s Firearms Specialty supplied him with two Poly Technologies M14/S rifles for testing and evaluation. He found the receiver to be made of equivalent AISI 8620 alloy steel. The receiver material testing conducted by Smith Enterprise and Karl Maunz was done independently of each other. The Chinese bolts, however, were not made of the USGI drawing specified alloy steel.
The Smith Enterprise testing included hardness testing of the Poly Technologies receiver core by cutting it apart. One Poly Technologies receiver was tested to destruction by loading ammunition to create excessively high chamber pressure. The reader MUST NOT exceed powder charges as listed in reputable reloading manuals if hand loaded ammunition is used. Personal injury or death may occur if done so.
The very first Poly Technologies receivers were very hard, harder than a file, which left them without the toughness provided by the relatively soft core of receivers made according to USGI specifications. The Chinese arsenal quickly corrected this by strictly adhering to the receiver heat treatment procedure. After Smith Enterprise completed the evaluation, a second meeting of the parties involved was held.
Even after this second meeting, Poly Technologies did not correct all the concerns of Smith Enterprise and Keng’s Firearms Specialty had regarding the Chinese bolt. Specifically, 1) the bolt locking lugs were too narrow and 2) the carburizing and hardness remained unsatisfactory because State Arsenal 356 did not change the material to equivalent AISI 8620 steel but continued to use steel equivalent to AISI 4135. This was in spite of the fact that Keng’s Firearms Specialty offered to supply USGI M14 bolts until Poly Technologies could manufacture its own bolts according to USGI specifications. Poly Technologies refused this offer from Keng’s Firearms Specialty. The Chinese never changed the bolt material for M14 type rifles exported to the United States.
Century Arms International
Century Arms International has imported and exported firearms and accessories for more than forty years. Century Arms International was located at 5 Federal Street St. Albans, VT 05478 in the mid-to-late 1980s. By 1990, the company’s address was listed as 48 Lower Newton Street St. Albans, VT 05478. The firm moved its headquarters to Boca Raton, FL in 1997 and then again to Delray Beach, FL in 2004. Phyllis Sucher cofounded Century Arms International Inc. in St. Albans, VT in 1961.
In August 1984, the company was sold to new owners but she remained on board as one of the company directors until at least April 2004. Regrettably, she passed away on May 14, 2007.
Century Arms International imported Chinese M14 rifles from 1990 until at least late 1993. It imported both completed Poly Technologies rifles and Norinco M14 type rifles and receivers before May 26, 1994. Chinese M14 rifles imported by Century Arms International after March 14, 1989 and before November 30, 1990 were assembled with military style features, i.e., hinged butt plate and flash suppressor with bayonet lug, after arrival in the United States.
Norinco rifles imported by Century Arms International had the least aesthetic appeal of all the Chinese M14 type rifles imported into the United States. Typically, the chu wood stocks are serviceable but not pleasing to the eye. The Poly Technologies rifles had better looking chu wood stocks and finish.
Poly Technologies M14S and some Norinco M14 Sporter rifles imported by Century Arms International have serial numbers with a letter C prefix followed by a hyphen and four digits or it is denoted as the letter C immediately followed by five digits. Location of the serial number on the receiver varies too. Some of the serial numbers were stamped with roll dies while others were applied by electropencil. Century Arms imported the Poly Technologies rifles before the Norinco marked models.
From November 29, 1990 until importation ceased in May 1994, Century Arms International renamed the Norinco rifle, M14 Sporter or M14 S/A Sporter in some instances. Century Arms International established a facility in Montreal, Quebec by no later than 1988. The firm modified the imported Chinese M14 type rifles at this facility to comply with the March 14, 1989 import “assault rifle” and November 29, 1990 “assault rifle” parts ban in the United States. Century Arms International removed the military style features previously allowed from each rifle by cutting the flash suppressor just forward of the front sight, replacing the hinged butt plate with a rubber recoil pad and not
supplying a magazine.
A few Norinco M14 Sporter rifles without serial numbers were imported by Century Arms International about 1991 or 1992. When the BATF began to investigate this oversight, it was ordered by the U. S. Department of State to not pursue the matter.
