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In light of the fact that the M-1 Carbine and the Garand can only be cleaned from the muzzle end (at least with GI cleaning rods) and the level of care our "allies" give to small arms, it is a safe bet that most of these guns will not be good shooters. Imagine a rifle that has been in the hands of second-line militia for decades, with the crown of the muzzle being hammered by 100 grit cleaning rods for countless hours by bored conscripts. Add the effects of occasional shooting, corrosive .30-06 ammo and the way those soft carbine barrels bend and you get the picture.

Here is a tip for browsing Garands and Carbines: Obtain a 150 to 200 grain .308 caliber bullet (bullet only, not the cartridge!) and ask for permission to drop the bullet nose end first down the barrel. Most of the time, on a surplus Garand or Carbine, the bullet will go down past the cannelure. Expect poor shooting , even if the barrel has been scrubbed bright.

The good news is that newly manufactured barrels are available, and even the cheap ones are at least the equal of the original wartime product. Most of these surplus rifles end up as wallhangers, but if you want a good shooter, you will probably have to get a new tube.

As is so often the case, the BATF is suffering from a case of rectal-cranial inversion here. The net effect of granting permission to sell these rifles will be to drop the price for the average consumer, who is after a little history. They have better things to worry about than surplus weapons.