Posted on 01/18/2012 3:26:02 PM PST by dynachrome
Washington has agreed to allow the importation of M1 Garand rifles from Seoul, reversing its earlier decision to ban the shipping of the weapon used by South Korean and U.S. soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War, a senior defense official said Wednesday.
“The U.S. government approved the imports of some 86,000 of the rifles,” said Lee Sun-chul, deputy defense minister for force and resources management.
“The historic firearms are expected to be sold to American Korean War veterans and their families in time for the 62nd anniversary of the Korean War, which falls on June 25 this year.”
(Excerpt) Read more at koreatimes.co.kr ...
sign me up for one!
Woot...Woot. How long before CMP has them in inventory?
I have one made on 6-42 and with British proof marks. I could see myself acquiring another one. I bet they sell out quickly.
Wow! Any idea how they will be distributed or where they will be sold? My grandfather was in KMAG and I think it would be neat to have one of these Garands in his memory.
This is excellent news!
How are they going to know this?
My father won 2 Purple Hearts in Korea. I want one of these GREAT rifles. The greatest battle rifle in history.
Two years. IF the CMP is the importer. They could be imported by an independent importer.
Maybe the American Legion will have info or any national org, associated with the Korean War?
8 round clips...quickly changed and semi-auto.
30.06
Still effective.
Awesome! Would these be CMP bound guns? I picked up a late serial number Service Grade Special Garand from them last year. Collector grade SA metal with aftermarket wood. +1 on the muzzle Gauge. Sweet shooter. Got a ‘03-A3 to a few months ago from them. Definitely much more “used” then my M1 but glad to have it.
British proof marked Garands bring a premium. Can you still see the band of red paint to denote a non-British standard cartridge?
I would rather have a few of the 600,000 m1 carbines. Why arent the M1 carbines being sold?
Should read:
Obama Administration suddenly realizes that 2012 is an election year; promises gun control nuts that it will reverse all such decisions the morning after the general election.
"The historic firearms are expected to be sold to American Korean War veterans and their families in time for the 62nd anniversary of the Korean War, which falls on June 25 this year.”
Sold only to "Korean War veterans and their families"?
"They currently sell for around $220, according to another defense ministry official."
Where did they dig up a number like that
A field grade M1 at CMP is $525 up to $695.
Service grade is $625 to $950.
Correct grade is $1,150.
Retail sellers are even higher.
CMP link - http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/rifles.htm
Doesn’t make up for killing a pipeline, but at least someone finally made a decision that will at least mean they aren’t destroyed, or stored in Korea for centuries. Mine was an earlier Korean return, and the article should say RETURN of Rifles, as we manufactured them, we sent the to Korea, and we loaned them to the Korean government at the end of the war, that hasn’t yet ended.
we’re probably just the middleman...walkin over to Mexico
Me too if it's never been fired or removed from its original wrapper and cosmoline.
I wonder if they are also considering allowing the importation of the M1 Carbines as well? I would love to get one of those, too!
I thought that there were a lot more than 86,000 of these being offered - well above 100,000. Plus a similar number of M1 Carbines.
Not having had a family member in Korea (Grandfather was a Combat Engineer in the ETO during WWII), I’m out of the running for one of these. But I guess I could hope that the influx would serve to depress the Garand market just enough for a short period of time to put one within my financial reach.
Me too if it's never been fired or removed from its original wrapper and cosmoline.
One like that would go for $10,000 to $25,000 or more - if there was such a thing.
But the M1 Carbine sales are still being blocked as HCI and Obammy claim they are “Assault Weapons”!
This is the excuse due to their taking an actual magazine, which may hold more than ten rounds.
They also have the dreaded bayonet lug!
You could shoot your eye out. /sarc
Garands For Sale - 1959 Advert
1. They are looking at “legal” requirements for transferring the guns to a 3rd party. First, this is a great ploy for delay on reaching any decision especially until after the 2012 election, inventing a reason to reject and if they do approve, to steer the US distribution to a crony, not the CMP.
2. A Korean defense source said that there is a possibility the Obama administration may not approve the transfer. Apparently, this is probably some kind of informal understanding and not a formal agreement.
3. Korea also has 600,000 M1 Carbines they would like to give back to the US but that has been rejected since they have a multi-round magazine.
4. It mentioned that two congress peoples have a law drafted up that exempts these long guns from many or most Fed approvals by creating a military relic category, which is defined as a military weapon greater than 50 years old. Like Harry Reid would ever let this see the light of day in the Senate.
Oooh! I want one!!!
I have not noticed a red stripe. I have not looked that close though to see if there are any remnants. One thing about it is that it was used and did not sit in a warehouse somewhere.
The M1 Carbine is a very nice weapon. :) I want an M14 but an M1 will do.
Don't know but the last group of Korean M1's I saw were worn out.
If it was used, it was used once it was returned to the US. From what I have heard the rifles we sent over there were to be handed out to civilians if the Germans invaded.
I’ve a NM M1A, and so don’t feel the need for an M1. Besides, I fired a match with the M1, and I like my
M1A a lot more.
That said, I’ve also a pair of ARs, plus an AK47 clone,
but I really, really need an M1 carbine.
Finally...At a minimum, I can now increase my parts inventory. To an ancient jarhead like me, it’s almost like having old friends being returned from captivity...
I want one too. Spent years in Korea.
Yep me too however CMP is not cheap...but I have seen some of them go for crazy prices at gun shows.
The carbines are sweet! Mine is a General Motors manufactured (Inland). It’s my favorite coyote destroyer.
Last import I saw was in a pawn shop. It had the stupid Govt required import company stanp. They stamped the ever luvin crap out of the barrel between the forestock and the front sight. As deep as it was, I wouldn't be surprised if it distorted the roundness of the rifled bore...
Go to CMP and get a ‘Correct Grade’. I bought one 4 years ago and it is like new.
It is so pristine, I hate to fire it much.
I cut my teeth on the M14. Frankly, I can’t tell a lot of difference. I think the M1 is easier/faster to reload.
And, I’m not certain that an equal amount of ammo might not be lighter for the M1 when the weight of the steel mags is taken into account.
At first, I thought the import stamp was an awfull thing but over the years, I've gotten ok with it because it tells part of the guns story.
Based on the Korean imports I've seen, the potential for the import stamp to alter barrel roundness would be low on the list of my concerns. All the Korean imports I've seen have worn out barrels that need replacing.
“Korea also has 600,000 M1 Carbines they would like to give back to the US but that has been rejected since they have a multi-round magazine.”
They used to sell them at Sears, for crying out loud.
I thought most of them were the M1 Carbine, NOT the one chambered for the 30-06.
It is a great home and urban defense rifle and I would love to have one. But if its the M1 carbine its useless for the most part for hunting at long range.
And I suspect many people are not even awate what the difference is between the .30carbine and the 30-06 that the Garand used.
NOTE: that if you want a “new” M1 you can get an M1 carbine from Auto-Ordnance and if you need parts for your original they also have them
http://www.auto-ordnance.com/Parts/Auto-Ordnance-AOM130.asp
Be aware these AO ones exist as there are reports of people mistaking them for the original...they are that close.
Drat! As if the Garand was a single shot. The writer knows diddly.
Sold to 80 year old vets? Not a lot of gun collectors at the age of 80.
Add some red tape and very few will ever be in the hands of the buyers.
The day after election day and "the program" is scraped by 0bama? Just another election year promise from "the one"?
You read my mind. Lies from a liar.
I've never heard of such a thing.
Are you sure you're not thinking of the "P14 (.303)" vs. "M1917 (.30-'06)"?
No. In 1940 and ‘41 the British were afraid that they Germans were going to invade and they wanted to use the Garands to arm the populace. When the British got them, they proof stamped them and put a band of red paint on them to denote that they were a non-standard caliber. They were eventually returned to the US in the early 1950s completely unused.
Because they can hold too many rounds and silly peasents like you might do the government’s job of defending yourself with them.
Do I really need a sarc tag for that? For real, they have detachable magazines and they can hold a lot more then 8 rounds so big nanny doesn’t trust you with them.
I ran that through the inflation calculator. $97.50 in 1959 is $753.66 in 2011, so unless these were in unissued condition there really hasn’t been much change in the price.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
