Today, I received this notice in the NRA’s September online newsletter.

The Obama administration reverses course and forbids the sale of 850,000 antique rifles.

The South Korean Govt., to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.

The Obama administration approved the sale last year. But it has reversed course and has now banned the sale in March—a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.

i have said it many times and i feel it i need to repeat it when it comes to gun issues our president is not a nice man!!!

South Korea should give back the rifles instead of selling them back to someone that gave them to them in the first place.

I'm a bit perturbed by them wanting to "sell" them.

There are a lot of things- beautiful things that aren't importable because of "public safety" ****...certain models of cars that are only available in Europe and England for instance...

Looks like we're trading freedom for safety...

I wouldn't have allowed them to be sold back though- give them to us!

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Lost it all in a boat accident

we arent ... our officials are

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it just needs more voltage

i also agree that they should give them back NOT SELL BUT GIVE Them back

those M1s are used in a lot of crimes, drive-by shootings, convenience-store stick-ups, etc. Ban 'em I say!!!

You are so right. There is nothing handier than a M1 Garand, with bayonet attached inside a car in a driveby. The fact that it has a bayonet on the end just turns it into terrifying weapon for 7-11 stick ups. People faint dead away at the sight of that bayonet.

As I understand it, S. Korea never paid for them and the State Dept. is trying to block the sale to whomever.

I did further research and found an article on FoxNews.

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."

Asked why the M1s pose a threat, the State Department spokesman referred questions to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to the ATF, it should be legal to import the M1s because they are more than 50 years old, meaning they qualify as "curios or relics." But because the guns were given to South Korea by the U.S. government, they fall under a special category that requires permission from the State Department before any sale.

Elections have consequences, as we are finding out.

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Sure you did

Let's jus imagine for second that these weapons (which, granted, have more than likely seen better days and maintenance) were imported back and released to the general public (all of us on this forum, for example).
What would you think the retail price would be for them?

With that large number, the price should be relatively inexpensive...any one else venture a guess on this?

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The Last Standing Knight

I think the CMP, if memory is correct, was pricing them around 4-500. They actually had them listed on their website for a period of time.

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Sure you did

Apparently, someone over in State must have seen Grand Torino, and decided if those M1 Garands fall into the hands of any Korean War vets, it may lead to the intimidation of gang-bangers in Detroit, and other metropolitan areas of the country.


Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

If they were allowed to "sell" them back to us they would most likely go to importers who would then put that ugly stamp on them. However, if the importers got them they would probably be cheaper because if the CMP got them they would sell them a few at a time to keep the price up to where it is now. The rare marked guns would be auctioned by either group. When going to the polls in November make sure you don't vote for any candidate who doesn't have a NRA membership and an "A" rating by same. The libtards chip away at our rights every chance they get.

As I understand it, the CMP was never involved in this because they get their firearms direct from the military and not from foreign governments. That said, these firearms were given to the ROK back in the 1950's to bolster their military. As Kelly Green and MattC have stated, they need the State Department to waive the lend lease provisions and allow them to sell them. If the ROK were to do the right thing and return the firearms to the Army, they would ultimately end up with CMP and be sold to qualified civilians here. As far as price is concerned, I read an article where a Korean general claimed they would be able to sell the Garands for $1,100 each and use the money to "modernize their army". Apparently he has been looking at Guns America.

I hope that helps,

FrankD

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sona si latine loqueris .

If I had the North Koreans (the gov't, not the peasantry) living next door to me, I would give serious thought to keeping the Garands and carbines.

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and what his trumpet saith

As I understand it....

Apparently SK bought some out right , and had some lend/lease.

They say they "lost the paper work", and own this batch.... and used up the lend/lease during the war.

(my uncle was an armorer in country during the war, and they were taking 4 rifles to make one shootable, all the while hearing rumors of store rooms filled with like new garand and carbines they couldn't touch cause the SK's owned them, not the USA.).

SK is obligated to return the lend/lease rifles to the Army, but can do what they want with what they own.


If they returned lend/lease to the Army, the Army then would donate them to the CMP.

CMP is not a rifle importer, and is only chartered to sell rifles it gets from the ARMY. (on occasion does sell commercial target rifles to support their .22 and air rifle events and operate under different rules for those sales).

A few years ago they were selling Danish returns.
Now it's rifles from the Greeks and they are just finishing up the bottom of the barrel on Greek and Austrian Carbines.
But have MANY Greek Garands they are still selling.
Some of the best looking ones they've had in years... so time to get one if you've been jonesing for one.

At this time the CMP is completely out of carbines and don't know if or when they will have any more.

CMP just sold out of the "boltless" and are now selling barreled receivers, and anything whole they come across is either hitting the stores or their auction site...
so still have some, or projects for carbines, just not offering them as they could when they had crates of 'em....

Lets hope that the US finds the paperwork and gets these rifles back what NK is sitting on, if stored well (as rumored to be), they'll be some great WWII carbines and garands hitting CMP in the years to come...

State department military aid programs are complicated. Basically, we don't want a country reselling guns that we either gave them or sold them at a discount. Whoever was quoted from State didn't know what they were talking about when they said the purpose behind banning the sale was a danger to the public.

Lots of parted out Izzy Gallils and ARs came in recently, Century builds them up as sporters. Lots of AKs come in too, via various means. No one really cares any more.

But the Koreans are essentially trying to sell us some of our own gear back, which is why the State Dept gets involved.

He's not a nice man any other time either!
Frank

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US RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE

What would happen to the current market value if nearly another million were dumped upon the market?

nothing......

CMP would grade and sell them at their present rates...


And if it's an importer, they would have to proce$$ them, then grade them, strike deal$ with distributor$ to sell 'em, who would have to adverti$e to sell them and $tock 'em and inve$t in inventory.....
And they'll $ell 'em for more than the CMP does....

Certain makers of both the garand and carbine, would fetch more than the normal SA or Inland, since people of been left wanting them, after the CMP ran out of 'em.

A gang-bang weapon for sure! Don't let them retired/active military, christian terrorists collect them.

The current administration doesn't want us "clinging" to these very dangerous weapons. The danger of drive by bayoneting is very high. They know much better than us and are much smarter than us so they will protect us from ourselves. The problem we have is these folks can quote volumns of **** out of a book (that one of them wrote) but they can't solve even the most simple problems that involves common sense.

If gang bangers get a hold of them, they will have to do a remake of Clint's film and call it "Lowered Honda civic"

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Thirty characters. Exactly...