GatorFarmer
Member
The South Koreans had unissued carbines and Garands? All the ones that came out of their years ago had seen forty odd years or so of conscript use since the S. Koreans rarely tossed anything. They were still using some old WW2 tank destroyers (in at least a limited capacity) at least as late as the turn of the century.
Anyway, the problems with reimport of the weapons in question had nothing to do with concerns that they might be used in crime. It was and is literally a political matter. The U.S. government gave (either free or subsidized) those weapons to the Korean government, and there's some issue with the Koreans now trying to sell them back to us at a profit.
The Garand I'd had from Korea circa 1994 had the finish worn off and was a mix of parts. The carbine, ex ROK, that I got later was interesting in that the bbl had been shot until it was almost smooth. I'd never seen that before. Even after much tinkering and having several people try to work on them, neither ever worked right.
Anyway....Carcanos. Most underappreciated former military guns out there. The Italians used them circa 1890 through to about 1982. Extremely strong actions, generally accurate and fairly quick firing. The 6.5mm versions still have ammo semi-readily available and actually makes a good game getter. The 7.35mm will require reloading, though my modified carbine is a wonderful shooter in that caliber.
Also overlooked are Krag sporters. These were sold commercially early in the 20th century and were a lot of gun for the money (at the time). Collectors tend to ignore them since they are no longer original, and some beat up old ones can be bought back to life nicely. Ammo is still to be had, albeit that it is a seasonal item, but it is an easy choice to reload for.
My true favorites to find? Sporterized Carcanos. Even nice ones generally sell for relatively little.
Anyway, the problems with reimport of the weapons in question had nothing to do with concerns that they might be used in crime. It was and is literally a political matter. The U.S. government gave (either free or subsidized) those weapons to the Korean government, and there's some issue with the Koreans now trying to sell them back to us at a profit.
The Garand I'd had from Korea circa 1994 had the finish worn off and was a mix of parts. The carbine, ex ROK, that I got later was interesting in that the bbl had been shot until it was almost smooth. I'd never seen that before. Even after much tinkering and having several people try to work on them, neither ever worked right.
Anyway....Carcanos. Most underappreciated former military guns out there. The Italians used them circa 1890 through to about 1982. Extremely strong actions, generally accurate and fairly quick firing. The 6.5mm versions still have ammo semi-readily available and actually makes a good game getter. The 7.35mm will require reloading, though my modified carbine is a wonderful shooter in that caliber.
Also overlooked are Krag sporters. These were sold commercially early in the 20th century and were a lot of gun for the money (at the time). Collectors tend to ignore them since they are no longer original, and some beat up old ones can be bought back to life nicely. Ammo is still to be had, albeit that it is a seasonal item, but it is an easy choice to reload for.
My true favorites to find? Sporterized Carcanos. Even nice ones generally sell for relatively little.
