Obama administration bans over 100,000 rifles

The U.S. government opposed South Korea’s bid to sell hundreds of thousands of aging U.S. combat rifles to American gun collectors, a senior government official said Thursday.

The rifles in question are M1 Garands and carbines.

The U.S. administration put the brakes on the plan, citing “problems” that could be caused by the importation of the rifles.

The problems the U.S. government cited were somewhat ambiguous, said an official at the Ministry of National Defense on condition of anonymity.

The problems the administration cited were the same old tired excuses like terrorism and safety.

Korea Times

Korea can't sell us our guns back because of non-excuses and phantom threats of the old standby 'terra.'

“The U.S. insisted that imports of the aging rifles could cause problems such as firearm accidents. It was also worried the weapons could be smuggled to terrorists, gangs or other people with bad intentions,” the official told The Korea Times.

Legally, it is indisputable that the guns are importable. Being over 50 years old, the rifles are automatically “Curios and Relics” according to federal law. 27 CFR section 478.11. Accordingly, they are by statutory definition importable. 18 USC section 925 (e)(1). Notwithstanding the law, the Obama administration has the ability to pressure the South Korean government to block the sale of the guns. Source

Funny how 'royal decree' is all that's needed to ban guns from the people.

[edit on 19-8-2010 by thisguyrighthere]

The article states:

Critics say the ministry pushed to sell the firearms in a hasty manner without enough consultation with the U.S. beforehand, as calls were growing to increase defense expenditure.

“We’re still looking into the reason why the U.S. administration is objecting to the sale of the rifles and seeking ways to resolve the problems raised,” he said.

Not saying this info isn't a great find, it is. I'd just rather not be too hasty jumping aboard the 'Bash Obama Bandwagon' before knowing all the angles here.

I'll just wait for the rest of the story before making a judgment call.

peace

Edit to Add = source

[edit on 19-8-2010 by silo13]

reply to post by silo13


I understand. I just found something lese that may be related. From September 2009:

Thankfully, South Korea’s plan to return the Garands and Carbines to the United States has received a “green light” from American officials. “The US government recently approved our plan to sell old M1 and carbine rifles, which were given to our soldiers as part of a US aid programme,” a ministry spokesman declared.

Garands return home
2009 Korea Times article about the sale approval

I havent determined yet whether this batch from 2009 is a different batch or the same and if this was given approval then why not now?



[edit on 19-8-2010 by thisguyrighthere]

What more are they going to ban!!! Seriously!

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

I SO hope you're right!

I'd love to see these 'babies' come back home where they belong!

Maybe I'll contact my brother's gun dealer and see what he has to say? I'd love to add one of these to my collection!

peace

Yes...this is what we are short on...guns.

Please Korea...we need more guns...we hardly have any.

So it looks like the initial sale planned and approved in 2009 is identical to this sale canceled by the administration.

From the 2009 article:

About 86,000 M1 Garand rifles and 22,000 M1 carbine rifles will be sold to gun collectors in the United States, as the U.S. government has approved the sale. The rifles were originally given to South Korea as part of a U.S. aid program in the 1950s, according to officials. Source

From the article dated 8/12/2010:

A total of 86,000 M1 rifles and another 22,000 carbines were to be sold, as the weapons have been mothballed for about five decades in military warehouses. The per-unit price of the M1 rifle is about $220 and the carbine is more than $140, according to the ministry. Source

If these are the same sale that had been approved nearly a year ago then canceled this week how can they make the claim that the sale "pushed in a hasty manner?"

Maybe the administration simply doesn't like the importer? Another 100,000 would glut the market and send the value down of the M1 carbines and Garands already for sale in the US.
Perhaps this isn't so much a gun issue as a monetary one?

Still silly and high-handed of the administration to even get involved.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Perhaps.

Obama come in and fear of legislation drives demand sky high and prices along with it. Now an importation of 100K + rifles could potentially reduce those prices his presence had driven up.

Maybe Obama has the largest private gun collection in the country and doesnt want it's market value to be reduced.

Anything's possible.

This is only signs of things to come. If Obama is elected for a second term, guns and the 2nd Amendment is going to be at the top of his agenda and make no mistake about it, he will use some back-door technicality to do it.

Why will he wait until his second term? Easy, because he would never, ever even have a chance to get reelected if he did it before his term. In fact, I'm so sure of this, I'd be willing to place money on it, seriously.

This isn't just a ploy in some bias attempt to disuade votes from him in the 2012 elections either because frankly, if Obama loses the election to somebody else, I'm almost certain that they too will be just as bad, if not more so. For this reason, I could care less whether Obama wins the election or not.

Make no mistake about it, our weapons are on the chopping block and with them, our freedom, liberty and any chances to ever triumph against tyranny.

--airspoon

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Hey I need those rifles to complete my collection. They normaly never go for less than $1000, I welcome them flooding the market!

I do not think this has anything to do with banning guns or Obama. Seems to be more of an issue with the distributors. The Obama administration has the same record on gun control as Bush Jr. did, zero. At this point both parties seem to have zero interest in gun control. Of course no one wants someone pointing at them and saying "they gonna take our guns away". Americans always ones for sound bites and not facts will buy it hook line and sinker so it seems no one is going to bother with gun conrtrol issues for sometime. I expect once the issues with the South Korean guns sales are worked out they will be on the way with stronger focus by the distributors on selling the guns to collectors.

The government is afraid of thes rifles they were designed to destroy tyranny and opression.

The government is afraid of these rifles they were designed to destroy tyranny and opression.

[edit on 05/24/2010 by FrancoUn-American]

Well it looks like somebody got smart and say maybe tried to get a few goodies (USAS 12s ) under the radar. You know they (Blackwater/Xe who has been building AA12 to over match anyone trying to start a new American Revolution) will never let this happen. Think outside the box with Saiga 12s and 20s with exotics, or mabe autoloaders like remington 870, 930 mossbergs, benellis, with Xrails. That should do the trick. The revolution will not be televised!!!

who cares? there already is enough of these right here at home. Many other countries send their exported guns here to make up the difference. They will probably find another way to send them here if somebody is hard up for cash. As far as obama banning guns, he never did just a play on words. He has not tried to infringe any gun rights.
Its well known by the government that americans will not stand for any more gun control. In fact lots of laws are being reversed in favor of gun supporters.
Get ahold of local, state and federal polititions and express your comments - [regularly, monthly] - WITH THREATS AND MIGHT IF NEED BE -We gun owners are not going to keep our rights with wishy washy talk. Votes and action it takes

The sale of these rifles has now become "disposal."

The excuses given have turned from "safety of old firearms" to Clinton AWB. I thought that expired sometime ago?

Gun control advocates praised the Obama administration for taking security seriously.

"Guns that can take high-capacity magazines are a threat to public safety," said Dennis Henigan of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Even though they are old, these guns could deliver a great amount of firepower. So I think the Obama administration's concerns are well-taken."

The Brady bunch, who have lost and are bankrupt, are working through Hillary and Obama to institute AWB regulations without therre even being an AWB.

Source

Never mind the fact that these are C&R firearms anyway.

To the foundry for melting they will go.

Well let's face it.

I'd rather have a newer gun to rely upon than an old M1.
The condition of the guns is probably poor, too.
Seeing where they are coming from.
The money it would take to refurbish into new condition...
Might as well buy a Colt AR15.

I don't see the conspiracy.
They don't want to import guns from Korea. No big deal.
We have plenty of resources to buy as many guns as we need. Period.

If I want a high capacity firearm to keep in my gun safe, I'll get one.

Whether or not it comes from South Korea...
They aren't "taking our guns".

Until these people come knocking on my door, confiscating my guns...
I won't be worried.

Originally posted by havok
Well let's face it.

I'd rather have a newer gun to rely upon than an old M1.
The condition of the guns is probably poor, too.
Seeing where they are coming from.
The money it would take to refurbish into new condition...
Might as well buy a Colt AR15.

I don't see the conspiracy.
They don't want to import guns from Korea. No big deal.
We have plenty of resources to buy as many guns as we need. Period.

If I want a high capacity firearm to keep in my gun safe, I'll get one.

Whether or not it comes from South Korea...
They aren't "taking our guns".

Until these people come knocking on my door, confiscating my guns...
I won't be worried.

You go ahead and get that pissed off .22. I'll take an M-1 anytime. As far as condition is concerned, I am willing to bet that these weapons are anywhere from good to excellant in condition. If they weren't the South Koreans would scrap them out instead of selling them.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
So it looks like the initial sale planned and approved in 2009 is identical to this sale canceled by the administration.

From the 2009 article:

About 86,000 M1 Garand rifles and 22,000 M1 carbine rifles will be sold to gun collectors in the United States, as the U.S. government has approved the sale. The rifles were originally given to South Korea as part of a U.S. aid program in the 1950s, according to officials. Source

From the article dated 8/12/2010:

A total of 86,000 M1 rifles and another 22,000 carbines were to be sold, as the weapons have been mothballed for about five decades in military warehouses. The per-unit price of the M1 rifle is about $220 and the carbine is more than $140, according to the ministry. Source

If these are the same sale that had been approved nearly a year ago then canceled this week how can they make the claim that the sale "pushed in a hasty manner?"

The biggest thing is the M1 grand is a legacy weapon. It was used during ww2 and is probably the biggest collectors item in history when it comes to American firearms (not necessarily in value but if you are a collector you need at least one of these in there.).

This weapon was actually used to fight Tyranny and as such is a pure American legend.



[edit on 2-9-2010 by DaMod]