According to The Korea Times, the Obama administration has blocked efforts by the South Korean government to sell over a hundred thousand surplus M1 Garand and Carbine rifles into the United States market. These self-loading were rifles introduced in 1926 and 1941.
As rifles, they are especially well-suited to community defense in an emergency, as in the cases of community defense following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Along with AR-15 type rifles, the M1 rifles are the quintessential firearms of responsible citizenship, precisely the type of firearms which civic responsibility organizations such as the Appleseed Project teach people how to use.
According to a South Korean official, “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.”
Regarding the second objection, any firearm lawfully imported into the United States would eventually be sold by a Federal Firearm Licensee who, pursuant to the background check system imposed by Congress (and endorsed by the NRA) would have to contact federal or state law enforcement to verify that the gun buyer is not prohibited from possessing firearms.
Accordingly, the risk that the South Korean surplus guns might fall into the hands of gangsters or other bad people is exactly the same as with the sale of any other retail firearm in the United States. Notably, neither the M1 Garand nor the M1 carbine are concealable, and the M1 Garand is long, heavy, and bulky. Accordingly, the criminal utility of such guns is relatively low.
The second Obama administration objection is accidents. But in fact, increasing gun density in the United States has been associated with steeply declining rates of gun accidents. In 1948 there were .36 guns per person. (That is, about one gun for every three Americans.) By 2004, there was nearly one gun for every American. In 1948, there were 1.6 fatal gun accidents per 100,000 persons. By 2004, the rate had fallen by 86%, so that there were .22 fatal accidents per 100,000 persons. (For underlying data, see Appendix B of my amicus brief in Heller.)
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.
President Obama was elected on the promise that he supported individual Second Amendment rights. His administration’s thwarting of the import of these American-made rifles is not consistent with that promise.
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mutfou
Like they say, every one of these anti gun protagonists has armed bodyguards.
You watch. Those high powered sligshots and air rifles will be banned. Get one now.
The blacks are armed to the teeth. Maybe when Obama goes after their guns it will ruin their high over him being elected, and they’ll realize he never was their friend after all.
Any REAL American could instantly recognize that the photos are not of the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles. Guess that leaves Obama out…remember his gaffe in the pronunciation of “corpsmen”?
Disgusting. It must feel nice for Barry to rule by decree. Kick the P.O.S out of office.
As a 40+ year Fortune 500 advertising executive, and lifetime weapon and NRA supporter, I am distressed to see AR-15/AR-10 rifles prominently pictured in an article dealing with TOTALLY DIFFERENT weapons. It leads those unaware of weaponology to the clear conclusion that ‘stereotypical _assault weapons_’ are the subject of Obama’s ‘rifle ban.’ They most assuredly are NOT. The classic, brilliantly designed M-1 Garand, chambered in 30.06 caliber and the M-1 carbine, chambered in .30 caliber. Both have the classic WWII ‘hunting look,’ that is big, bulky, ugly (to those who didn’t have their ass saved by one)– in that case they were gorgeous; and finally, they were absolutely devastating when put to their intended use. If the intent of the editor was to give an anti-gun, pro-Obama spin to the story, _that_ they certainly accomplished. “ASSAULT RIFLES BANNED FROM U.S. SHORES’ is the pro-leftist, anti-gun liberal message being beamed toward Obama’s dwindling acolytes. “The Boss Did Good,” would surely perk up the ears of some of the rats in various stages of ship abandonment. To those of us who are familiar with these weapons, and do not fear them, this is simply another shoddy, disingenuous and frankly scurrilous attempt to keep the rats inside the ship by convincing them that the B.O. ShipLines has everything under control out there in this big ole, scary, scary world.