If those Korean rifles ever get into the United States, don't expect much. Back in the 1980s, most of the South Korean derived M1 Garand rifles were sandblasted, multiple re-parked low grade garbage. Unless somebody reliable from the tentative buyer's side has directly surveyed the rifles and documented the things, what the Korean businessmen say is usually unreliable. Just when you think that something is nailed down . . . it all changes.
Another factor is . . . trying to strike a high dollar deal like that with Koreans and have them live up to the terms is a pipe dream. They're known to be routinely unscrupulous!
Asked my brother-in-law who is a resident living in Seoul, South Korea to see if he could find some info on the M1 Garand rifles andsale to people in the United States. Aside from a couple of news stories not much else is generally known about this on that side. As it turned out, my wife's brother was highly reluctant to make any inquiries about surplus military firearms. He feared being arrested and put in jail just for asking! We forget over here that South Korea though an ally is in fact a polite dictatorship and police state. They are still in a state of war with North Korea.
As the next oldest male, though an American and married in, I am still considered as second head of the family in Korea. Will be going to Seoul this fall to a wedding and will prowl around to see what can be learned. If I'm not put into prison or executed, will try to let you know.
The State Dept. is the issue. Hillary is not letting any guns into the USA, fact is, she was largely responsible for the M14 inventory going to the Baltic States. Koreans want to buy a US made anti-missle defense system. The money is not going into any politicians pockets. Interesting story, for sure.
If this was fine art work they would let it in but as long as the leaders are anti gun they will never let it happen. Lets hope they still are around after 2012. As a side ,I know having more Garands on the market may lower the values of the ones we already have but I am one to save as many as I can in the short time I have left and pass this passion on to the next generation. Plus I'm sure the upper Collectors grade Garandswill suffer not as the Koreans are probably in fair shape at best? Just my 2cents (worth -3cents now)
If the past is any guide, the junk will get hurt by more M1s in the market, but nice stuff will hold and then increase. That's what happened when the Police Sales began back in the day. More guns attracts more people, some of whom become collectors and later want to upgrade. When CMP dropped the "one in a lifetime" rule, many collectors thought that would kill the value of their collections -- um, that didn't quite happen, did it?
I was thinking about the CMP's one a lifetime rule this morning when my new catalog showed up. Now dealers at shows can get a ton of 495.00 M1's and sell them for 800 or so at every show. Well the ones I have been to in NC have been that case.
I agree , I think the Korean M1's will be junk or "not very nice" so the nice collector M1's will hold the value but if you have a non correct shooter im sure it will hurt the price of it.
Actually these Korean Garands are what the Dr. ordered. They will need new barrels, new wood, and lots of tinkering. None are up and running and the parts guys will be delighted. They are not a problem for the CMP and I doubt the Orest is losing any sleep over these things.
The ones I saw at the show were junk for $800. HRA's with a 10 muzzle, no lie I dropped my CMP muzzle gauge in and then shook it around after it bottomed out. I was considering a enfield 303 but when the M1 gauged junk I figured the Enfield was junk as well. the gauge fell all the way on that one too. I could put one of my Garands in the local paper for $875 and in 1 hour it would be sold. I've seen only one advertised in the 25+ years I have lived here and it went like that and was nothing special if you know what I mean(SG) at best. Minus $50 for the add. Sell 3 and take the money and buy four more CMP. You see it just goes to support this affliction.........GARAND-ITTIS
The State Department is not the problem. I've worked with them getting retransfer authorizations in the past and they are courteous and fairly quick about it. They had already issued the retransfer authorization for both the Garands and Carbines with the stipulation that they be imported over time and not all at once which would dessimate the market, (some common sense IMHO). BATFE put a stop to it. I was at the FAIR trade group, (import watchdog organization), meeting at SHOT in January and the Deputy Director of the BATFE told us that they were worried about the Carbines winding up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. You know, evil magazine fed semi-automatic rifles. We all knew it was a load of crap since cartels most likely get real full-auto military weapons from Venezuela and Nicaragua but I suppose he had to tell us something. I hope Congress can straighten it all out but I won't hold my breath. To counter some of the comments here, (no offense), I had a 1944 M1 rifle that came in via Arlington Ordnance in the 1980's that was one of the most original rifles I've ever had. It was in nice shape too and the only thing it needed to make it complete and collector grade was a properly marked buttstock. There's always gold in these shipments so lets hope they do manage to come back home where they belong.
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