Gents, I’d like to hear your opinions on the YHM Black Diamond Specter Carbine.http://yankeehillmachine.com/store/product437.html
From what I hear some may be available for sale here in South Africa shortly and I’d like to know if it would be a good buy, or something I should rather pass on.
Are you not happy with the R4 or R5?
I saw a YHM upper recently at a shooting class, it may have been part of a complete YHM rifle but I don’t remember who made the lower.
Shooter was having problems with a Magpul BAD Lever, turns out the Bolt release paddle was too loose. Possibly due to being out of spec. Once the shooter removed the BAD the rifle started working fine.
Same BAD placed on another shooter’s rifle worked fine after that as well.
No other experience with them.
Pass. YHM isn’t known for quality.
I think YHM’s newer product line is improving, but what are your other options?
I left South Africa 12 years ago and unless there have been MAJOR changes in their firearm laws, options/availability is typically extremely limited.
I am actually surprised to see that an AR-type rifle ‘might’ become available for commercial purchase and private ownership.
I am really interested to hear from OP on how things have changed and if private individuals are now allowed to own semi-auto, high capacity rifles. Legally, that is. Obviously, all the gang-bangers, car-jackers et al have free reign on AK-47’s
It’s not that I’m unhappy with the LM4/5’s, which are civilian versions of the military R4/5 rifles, but they’re not really the best option if you’re wanting to add accessories such as optics, lights etc onto them as your options are pretty limited in comparison to an AR. The same comparisons that could be drawn between an AK and an AR could be applied to the LM’s we have here.
Littleton Engineering Works, who manufactured the rifles, has closed down and as far as I know sold off all of their spare parts to a private company that is supplying the sport shooting community.
I’ve also heard that the SAPS are looking around for another rifle and AR-15’s and Sig’s have apparently been tested by the Task Force.
As far as rifles go the most numerous (and popular) are the LM4/5/6’s though, as I said above, they’re no longer in production and parts may become an issue in the future.
Otherwise there’s an assortment of Mini-14’s, Colt SP-1’s and FN-FAL/R1’s out there. All are pretty long in the tooth though as the government has practically killed the gun trade here with their new legislation and no new firearms, other than the Dashprod (http://www.gunsite.co.za/dashprod_sar_m14_rifle.html), have been brought into the country for quite a while. I’m actually surprised that these YHM rifles are being allowed in.
This scarcity is also driving up the price of the rifles that are available.
You’re right when you say there were MAJOR changes to the legislation. In an attempt to “reduce crime” (at least that’s what they claim - but that’s a whole other conversation) the government has just made the whole process more onerous for the legal firearm owners and done nothing to effect the illegal firearms out there at all. It will take you about three years to get a licence now but a recent news article reported that they’d been able to swap an AK for a loaf of bread on the Mozambican border.
It is possible for civilians to licence semi-autos as long as they can motivate it in their licence application. The act provides for “dedicated sports shooters” and “dedicated collectors” who must belong to an accredited association. You’d need to comply with these requirements otherwise there is no way you’d be granted a licence for a semi-auto rifle or shotgun.
If you’re an average firearm owner you’re restricted to four licences (handguns, bolt-action rifles or pump-action shotguns) for “occasional sports shooting/hunting” and can’t be in possession of more than 200 rounds of ammunition for each firearm.
You can also licence a handgun for “personal protection” if you can motivate it, but this is probably the hardest category to licence a firearm under.