[Sooth2222]

As bad as this order is, it should not affect the vast majority of surplus guns that are imported commercially. As I understand it, this only stops rifles that were sent by the US to its allies from coming back.

The US military rifle models available to the civilian market stopped with the Garand. The M14 and M16 can never be sold to civilians, even if converted to semi-automatic action. ("Once a machine gun, always a machine gun".) It specifically exempts the US gov't -- so those 87,000 Garands reported to be in storage in South Korea can still make their way back, eventually. The number of firearms effected fy this must be really, really, really small.

IMO, it's supposed to impress gun-grabbing liberals that he's actually doing something, which he is not. At worst, it's an attempt at "death by 1,000,000,000 paper cuts." (With 999,999,998 to go!)

Based on NICS numbers, Obama has been the best President for firearms sales in history. I think they're losing this one.

[Bikkuri]

I’ve always wanted an M14 (had a mini-14).. So, if I go back to the states, there is no way I can purchase one? :/

[Charles Martel]

It specifically exempts the US gov't -- so those 87,000 Garands reported to be in storage in South Korea can still make their way back, eventually. The number of firearms effected fy this must be really, really, really small.

If memory serves, that batch of M1 Garands was not being returned to the DOD warehouses; it was being sold to the highest commercial bidder. Rumor has it that Century Arms is the importer, but so far the entire thing has been fairly quiet with most news coming from a handful of gun-forum guys who can read the Korean websites and translate.

I'm not sure how many more Garands are out there, but this new policy does impact South Korea beyond the lot that has already been sold. They have something like 700,000 (!!) M1 Carbines mothballed. We'll be lucky to get any as spare parts.