Obama Administration Forbids Sale of 850,000 Antique Rifles?

[LAGC]

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.

This is coming from FAUX News, so I'm tempted to take this whole story with a grain of salt, but does anyone know if there's any truth to this whatsoever? I don't remember anyone posting about it last March when the decision supposedly happened...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/01/obama-administration-reverses-course-forbids-sale-antique-m-rifles/

If so, it could certainly be a wedge issue to be used against Democrats in November, if the fears of "Obama is gonna get yer guns!" gains traction, as Obama's been pretty good leaving guns alone so far, despite all the hysteria on the right...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. M-1s? The antis are really gettting hysterical now

[benEzra]

18. H.R.1022 would have defined Garands as "assault weapons"...

and the M1 carbine was banned by name, had that bill passed.

[donco]

2. I would buy one. nt

[Arctic Dave]

3. I would but one just to use it for target practice.

My arms and shoulders ache just thinking about those pigs.

[oneshooter]

6. Weight or recoil? n/t

[chibajoe]

8. Both, they weigh about 10 pounds, and are chambered in

30-06. Recoil isn't as bad an a Nagant, though.

[Arctic Dave]

11. Weight. They are one step above cannon.

[oneshooter]

13. The weight helps hold down recoil.

Less recoil means faster target reacquisition. That means more lead on target.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Arctic Dave]

14. Yep. Makes for very sore arms at the end of the day after carrying it around.

[donco]

7. I represented the 1st Marine Div

in the western division matches with a modified version on one of them. Pretty accurate for a manufactured weapon and not have a bolt action.

[Arctic Dave]

12. I have no problem with their accuracy, its the damn weight.

They were built like a brick shit house and weighed about he same.

[oneshooter]

15. That is why they are still around after 72 years.

The weight also helped with the bayonet. And the balance of the rifle is why precision drill teams still use them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y90UPLLo6nY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2_5QhvlMtQ

However the Navy still uses the Springfield 1903a3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvPRNKIOIFA

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Arctic Dave]

17. After the Apocalypse roaches and M1s will be around.

[DonP]

32. ... and Keith Richards NT

[proteus_lives]

21. Impressive!

Those drill teams and men are like gears!

[SteveM]

31. Given the size and its auto-action, the kick is mild. nt

[SteveM]

30. Me, too. nt

[Euromutt]

4. An 8-round en bloc clip is a "high-capacity magazine" now?

Christ, Dennis Henigan is full of shit. Yes, the M1 carbine takes a detachable magazine, but it's hardly a combat weapon; it was designed to provide support personnel (truck drivers, radio operators, supply clerks, cooks) with a weapon for self-defense that had a bit more range than a pistol, and while it was popular during World War II for fighting in urban and jungle terrain due to its short length and light weight, in Korea it proved damn near useless for all but its original intended purpose. The .30 Carbine round is just about the weakest centerfire rifle round around; you might as well get worked up over "high-capacity" magazines for Ruger 10/22s.

[Callisto32]

33. You'd think they could get basic nomenclature right, huh.

Clips load magazines, magazines load weapons.

SIMPLE!

Beyond the average anti, it seems.

[X_Digger]

5. True, in this case..

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/08/205_71329.html

[Hangingon]

9. Bring those babies home and sell thru CMP

[ManiacJoe]

10. Part of the story is missing.

Other sites are noting that the guns may be the result of a lend-lease program. If that is the case, South Korea cannot sell them without USA permission.

[oneshooter]

16. But they could be bought by the CMP. n/t

[slackmaster]

19. I have a "Greek return" M1 Garand that was a lend-lease rifle, bought from CMP

It's extremely beautiful and has little wear.

[Hoopla Phil]

22. How did you get that???!!! I didn't think it was legal bring back

any lend lease item. Isn't that why the brits pushed off all the US supplied aircraft into the ocean after WWII?

On second thought, if he way you got that was not entirely legal do not respond.

Thank you, and your family.

edited to fix typo. Damn that neo typo!

[slackmaster]

24. I got it straight from the CMP, perfectly legal

Delivered to me by UPS.

[DonP]

25. CMP is the best deal around

I have two Garands from the CMP, one original 1941 Springfield Armory, with surprisingly matching numbers and a Danish return with the VAR Barrel (Very accurate).

I also have two M-1 Carbines from them as well, both Italian returns.

There is a site, accessible from the CMP site, that will let you track Garand serial numbers, not to the man, but to the unit originally issued the rifles. My SA went to the 1st Marine Division, my late uncle's unit. Every time I pick it up I wonder where that every scratch or ding in the stock came from. Was it a piece of coral from Entiewok? Some rock on Pelilieu or Guadalcanal?

It sure shoots better than I do at 200 yards in Hi Power events.

But it's history in your hands, via the FedEx or UPS truck and for about half to one third the price at a gun store or show.

Those Korean rifles would drop a lot of money in the CMP's purse and make a lot of shooters here happy.

[oneshooter]

27. Probably not from the 'Canal. 1st Marines were issued 1903a3 Springfield's then.

Till mid to late 43 the Army kept the available Garands. At the time the Marines were issued their small arms from the Army.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[DonP]

29. My uncle trained with an '03A3

Shipped with an '03A3 and then wound up being issued an Army Garand when they were still on board ship before their first landing in Amtracks.

I'll have to check with my Dad about what years/months he was there.

My uncle said most of the Marines picked up a Garand if they "found" one, but they made them turn them all in before they were allowed to board the ships for rotation. They liked the extra firepower the provided.

About 10 years ago I took my uncle and my Dad to a local range after I got my first Garand from CMP. He picked up the Garand and said "I haven't touched one of these since 1945".

After the first few shots he was popping clips in and shooting in the black like it was 1944.

He was actually kind of weepy about the rifle. He said "Damn these things are still good." An excellent memory for me.

[RamboLiberal]

39. Reading The Pacific the army complained on the Canal

That Garands had a habit of walking away with a Marine if Army soldier didn't keep a close eye on.

When the Marines were boarding their ships to leave the Canal the Army was there confiscating the Garands.

[RamboLiberal]

38. Reagan administration allowed 200,000 of these rifles

to be brought back from South Korea.

The South Korean government sold 200,000 M1 rifles to the U.S. in 1987 under the Reagan administration, but the Clinton administration blocked sales of M1s and other antiquated military weapons from the Philippines, Turkey and Pakistan.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/09/03/26/0301000000AEN20100903000200315F.HTML

[proteus_lives]

20. I'd buy one for my dad.

He's a vet and would get a kick having an M1 again.

[shadowrider]

23. You didn't see an article from March because it wasn't reported

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A politician, whether they have a D or an R after their name, will do anything PROVIDED no one is watching.

In this case, at the time, no one was watching, or, chose not to watch.

[Remmah2]

26. Think of it as the ultimate gun buy back program.

:)

[Katya Mullethov]

28. Might be a copyright issue with the "ping" right now

Swat I seen on the blogs

[Callisto32]

34. I'd love to see affordable M1's again.

Hell, sign me up for 2.

[enfield collector]

35. well haven't we already paid

for those guns via our taxes? they should bring them back here and raffle them off to anyone that's interested

[old mark]

36. I saw this elsewhere last week. I'd love to buy one if I could afford it,

and I would have loved to see Obama allow this to ease the anger at his percieved "antigun" stance by those he loves so well on the right. (I guess the Democratic Party does not understand that about half of all gun owners in the US are Democrats....)
The M1 is, by definition, not an assault rifle, but then neither is my Chinese SKS...

An M1 in first rate condition is now over $1000, which is more than I am willing to spend on one. It's a shame.

mark

[RamboLiberal]

37. Someone in the State Department is completely tone deaf on this one

Nice way to fuel the paranoia about how anti-gun Obama is.

As others have said - bring them back via the CMP program.

The South Korean government sold 200,000 M1 rifles to the U.S. in 1987 under the Reagan administration, but the Clinton administration blocked sales of M1s and other antiquated military weapons from the Philippines, Turkey and Pakistan.


http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/09/03/26/0301000000AEN20100903000200315F.HTML

This issue I'd like to see someone like Senator Jim Webb get involved in & get the administration to allow these M1's to come in to the country via the CMP.

BTW CMP website: http://www.odcmp.com/

[oneshooter]

40. That person is as tone deaf as his Boss lets him be. n/t