108,000 Garands being sold by South Korea.
- Thread starter drrwpennington
- Start date
Korea to Pick Wholesaler for M1 Rifle Sale 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end, the Korean government will select a final bidder, which will then choose its U.S. partner company to sell the outdated rifles to U.S. gun enthusiasts on- and offline, he said, declining to identify the candidate firms until the final announcement.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.
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 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.
It was my understanding than any US Wholesaler authorized to obtain US Rifles from the world market is given and opportunity to return them to the US ONLY thru the CMP program which is like a system similar to what we knew as a Crown Corporation....sort of a US version...you can play, you can make a bit of money but it's OUR Sandbox.
We also have to consider that the circumstances that saw Korea inherit these rifles was under an even stronger relationship than Lend Lease.....I believe that the US government and the Korean Government believe that the US really owns the rifles on paper and a deal has been brokered about any revenues from their disposition.
The other thing to consider is the condition of the Garands....any I have seen that came out of Korea were pretty tough.
Cheers Paul
We also have to consider that the circumstances that saw Korea inherit these rifles was under an even stronger relationship than Lend Lease.....I believe that the US government and the Korean Government believe that the US really owns the rifles on paper and a deal has been brokered about any revenues from their disposition.
The other thing to consider is the condition of the Garands....any I have seen that came out of Korea were pretty tough.
Cheers Paul
Wild_Thing
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- In the thick of it!
With Marstar's upcoming deal to bring in new manufacture M14s from Italy, I wonder if the same firm doing those may also be considering an M1 product as well?
There are some more pic's on the FAL Files site in their general discussion subforum.
falfiles (dot) com
Looks like it might even be the same kind of a warehouse -- maybe old 1960's -70's US style. I have no clue when the US starting using "White Bags " for long term storage.
falfiles (dot) com
Looks like it might even be the same kind of a warehouse -- maybe old 1960's -70's US style. I have no clue when the US starting using "White Bags " for long term storage.
I would so love to get a "new" Garand. All the ones out there are taken and the only ones that sell are either the freaky piss poor shooters, or the ones that are worn out. No one ever sells a nice garand at any price.
I would totally buy one of these for around $750 no matter how much #### I got from the wife.
I would totally buy one of these for around $750 no matter how much #### I got from the wife.
Ar180shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Ottawa, ON
Sure, you would win the bid, but you have to take them all at that price. This is not retail.Tell them I'll go double
