Administration Blocks Importation of M-1s
Garands and Carbines, that is:
The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.
The Obama administration approved the sale of the American-made rifles last year. But it reversed course and banned the sale in March – a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but that is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.
A State Department spokesman said the administration’s decision was based on concerns that the guns could fall into the wrong hands.
“The transfer of such a large number of weapons—87,310 M1 Garands and 770,160 M1 Carbines—could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes,” the spokesman told FoxNews.com.
“We are working closely with our Korean allies and the U.S. Army in exploring alternative options to dispose of these firearms.”
Concerns that the guns could fall into the wrong hands? Like the roving bands of criminals who prefer a heavy-ass rifle that kicks like a small mule? Or criminals who go for the lighter carbine and it’s weak-ass, non-standard, expensive ammunition?
Why can’t they just be honest and say the real reason—“we don’t like guns”?
These guns are of great interest to collectors because they’re historic. It’ll be a shame when the administrations comes up with its inevitable solution and scraps ‘em.
Yeah because thugs and others looking for guns for the wrong reasons want guns from the stone ages to do their dirty work!
Right!
I can see the shoot outs on the streets now…. a guy with a M1 long gun against a guy with a Glock and a 15 round extended clip….
laughable!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0754 hrs
?The transfer of such a large number of weapons?87,310 M1 Garands and 770,160 M1 Carbines?could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes,?
If I were looking for a firearm for “illicit purposes” I guess I’d look for something that didn’t weight 10 pounds, and only hold 8 rounds of ammunition.
A mint condition Garand, depending on what company manufactured it, can be worth anywhere from $600 to $1,600 to a collector. I know of collectors who have 3 or 4 of these in their collections, none of which have been used for “illicit purposes,” unless you count the war(s) where they were used.
Maybe it’s just me, but lately every utterance that spews from the innards of these liberal aparatchiks makes me nauseous! Please God, let me awaken and find out it’s all been just a horrible nightmare.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0801 hrs
These fire arms will only be good as collectibles once the Liberal Progressives get the ammunition banned as a toxic element.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0901 hrs
I’m not entirely unhappy about this. That is, while the possibility that someone will use an M1 rifle to hold up a liquor store is remote, Korea does have a classic “beggar thy neighbor” trade policy—Korean companies have full access to U.S. markets, but, there are endless barriers if you want to export manufactured goods into Korea.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0905 hrs
Jed:
These guns are of great interest to collectors because they’re historic. It’ll be a shame when the administrations comes up with it’s inevitable solution and scraps ‘em.
Perhaps if we had an actual “representative” Government, and a less wimpy citizenry the destruction of these fire arms wouldn’t even be a consideration.
The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.
And why are the South Koreans even being allowed to sell something they don’t own? Couldn’t our military use that money too? They are, after all, still protecting then from invasion from the North are they not?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 0913 hrs
And why are the South Koreans even being allowed to sell something they don’t own?
I’ve seen conflicting information on the program used to send te weapons to Korea originally (Foreign Military Sales, Lend Lease, etc.), and that may determine how they have to proceed.
Posted by Jed on September 02, 2010 at 0936 hrs
And why are the South Koreans even being allowed to sell something they don’t own? Couldn’t our military use that money too? They are, after all, still protecting then from invasion from the North are they not?
Ownership of the Garands and Carbines was transfered to South Korea between 1964 and 1974 as the M1s were retired from American armories. I can’t answer how much the US got for the rifles.
Posted by steveegg on September 02, 2010 at 0939 hrs
If I were a collector who owned either of the aforementioned weapons, I’d be pretty happy. These guns are expensive in good condition, and these korean ones would surely dilute the inventory a bit…
I wouldn’t mind owning one of each, but, eh, I’d rather spend the money on neat stuff for my AR-15! Or a nice Kimber 1911!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 1005 hrs
I killed my first deer with an M-1 Carbine (my father’s). It’s a fun little gun, yes, underpowered, but as a collectors piece, it has a lot of history.
Posted by Patrick Dorwin on September 02, 2010 at 1015 hrs
Patrick - so did I! My dad and uncle took me hunting, all of us using M-1 carbines with military issue ball ammo. Due to the effectiveness of the ammo, we needed all of the 15-round magazines and then some.
The first deer I ever shot, my dad went to take the safety off, accidently pressed the magazine release and dropped the magazine instead. He got one shot, and I got the deer with another 10 or 15.
That was in the “old days” when I didn’t mind cold feet at dawn.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 1051 hrs
Fall into “wrong hands”, B.S. Sell them through the Civilian Marksmanship Program which is quasi-government run and checks out the buyers as far as citizenship and participation in a recognized shooting club. The M1 rifles and carbines are of great interest to collectors and military reenactors.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 1110 hrs
Why can’t they just be honest and say the real reason—“we don’t like guns”?
Because that’s not quite it. It’s not so much that they don’t like guns, it’s that they don’t like the people who do like guns.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 1129 hrs
In my early days these firearms would have been made available through the NRA or Klines in Chicago. Oswald got his gun through Klines( if my memory serves me). So much for Klines. In high school (circa 1960) I purchased a 1917 U.S. Enfield from them and sporterized it- my first hunting rifle. It cost $29. A year later and lots of work I had $140 in it which included hand milling the rear sight ears off and profiling the rear of the receiver to match the front, installing scope mounts, stripping and polishing and hot bluing,and fitting and hand finishing a custom Bishop walnut stock. So much for the mail order days.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 1700 hrs
Because that’s not quite it. It’s not so much that they don’t like guns, it’s that they don’t like the people who do like guns.
Another way to say that is fine and dandy for the police to have guns, but heaven forbid us peasants from having the same privilege. We might get uppity and that would not do.
Posted by Brian Dunbar on September 03, 2010 at 1102 hrs
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