~ Korea to Pick U.S. Wholesaler for 100,000 M1 Rifle & Carbine Sale

[Capt Quahog]

F.Y.I.

re: Korea Times ~ Korea to Pick Wholesaler for M1 Rifle & Carbine Sale . .

This morning, the wife was checking on what's happening in the old country and came across this news story from Korea.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...205_52664.html


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From Korea Times ~

September 28, 2009

The M1 Garand rifle
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

The planned exports of aging U.S. combat rifles will begin this year when two successful wholesalers are selected by the governments of South Korea and the United States, an official at the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.

Last week, the ministry announced a plan to sell more than 100,000 M1 Garand and carbine rifles used during the Korean and Vietnam wars to American gun collectors as part of an effort to boost its defense budget.

The Seoul government has already selected six preferred bidders to export the rifles, while the U.S. government has picked four domestic bidders after it recently approved a proposal made by South Korea in 2006 to sell the weapons back to the United States, the official said.

By the year's end, the Korean government will select a final bidder, which will then choose its U.S. partner company to sell the outdated rifles to the U.S. gun enthusiasts on- and offline, he said, declining to identify the candidate firms until the final announcement.

Since the ministry revealed the sale of the rifles, most of which have been mothballed for about five decades in military warehouses, U.S. gun collectors have shown a keen interest in buying the classic rifles.

"I applaud this idea; destroying such historic firearms would be a shame. Whether you agree with recent U.S. policy or not, the M1 Garand played an important role in the last century. They are fine firearms," a U.S. gun enthusiast wrote in an e-mail to The Korea Times.

A total of 86,000 M1 rifles and another 22,000 carbines will be sold, according to the ministry, which estimates their expected sale price at $220 and more than $140, respectively.

South Korea earned more than $20 million from the first shipment.

M1s were made first in 1926 and used in World War II and the Vietnam War. The carbines were first produced in 1941 and used during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

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Are theses allowed to be re-imported back into the United States? Also, as recalled, the Korean M1 rifles and M1 Carbines imported via Blue Sky many years ago went from borderline dog crap to simply scrap condition.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

Got some of my best Garand parts off of S. Korean imports (not the Blue Sky ones though). I often will buy a rifle to get good parts.

[Calif-Steve]

Not that I want to start any international incidents BUT... The ability to pick the exporter and the importer sure adds the hint of bribery to the process. It would be a violation of US law, as I am sure all of us know.

[campperrykid]

Not that I want to start any international incidents BUT... The ability to pick the exporter and the importer sure adds the hint of bribery to the process. It would be a violation of US law, as I am sure all of us know.

In my limited and underpaid experience most ROK military leaders are stand up guys. Not particularly vunerable to bribes. Don't take my word for it , check some of the country studies.
FWIW & YMMV

Edit to add: So... how does " the ability to pick... (add) the hint of bribery" ?

During their long careers in the US Army , people like Dave Petraeus and Stan McChrystal have been entrusted with a lot of " the ability to pick"...
Does that mean they take dirty money like a couple of Victory Drive pimps?

[snapperm1c]

"Victory Drive pimps"

Now that brings back MEMORIES...

[AKA Hugh Uno]

200 X 100,000 = 20M

200 bucks each + shipping (10 bucks each) + duty (10%) 20 + domestic transportation 10 bucks + labor/clean/sort grade 50 = about 300 bucks each. Wholesale 449.00 for junk grade and up. RETAIL = 559.00 (junk grade).

I suspect GPI or Century will have "special grades" at 999.00 each which will be about the same as a CMP service grade.

Yawn..

[campperrykid]

"Victory Drive pimps"

Now that brings back MEMORIES...

Another alumni of Fort Benning , Ga ?

Veterans of other branches prolly have their own memories of very similar places -- usually close (but not too close ) to the main gate.
It seems to be a near universal kind of thing .

[AKA Hugh Uno]

Spring Lake NC is the equivalent sleaze pit for Fort Bragg! LOL

[campperrykid]

Some things are universal:

Spring Lake NC is the equivalent sleaze pit for Fort Bragg! LOL

Makes me wonder about the Ugly Stick Saloon in F-ville. I have never seen the place. Based on some stories it's kind of a Coyote Ugly place , sometimes a little loud but not sleazy.

[Bill Hollinger]

Big 5 will get them and charge $999.95 each.