A week or two ago a fairly well connected little birdie told me that the Greeks are sitting on a pile of Garands that more likely will be sold off surplus rather than sent to the smelter. So the story goes this is going to happen sooner rather than later, with a deal possibly even in the works right now. Considering the Greek Government's on-going financial woes it makes for a good story, but how plausible is it? I'm wondering if anybody else has heard anything similar?
Surplus M1 Garands coming from Greece?
- Thread starter 2strklvr
- Start date
This topic comes up fairly regularly....Greece, Korea, ect.
Nobody has managed to successfully purchase or import any Garands from these sources yet.
I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon, but hopefully I'm wrong.
-Steve
Nobody has managed to successfully purchase or import any Garands from these sources yet.
I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon, but hopefully I'm wrong.
-Steve
U.S. Property marked firearms can't return to the United States.
Greece has sold WWII U.S. acquired surplus in the past, such as the hoard of WWII USMC ponchos that are always available on e-bay.
Regards,
-Steve
Mr. Dynamite
CGN Regular
- Location
- Northern Alberta
/\ which is so backwards and makes absolutely no sense! Seems to go against all the patriotic support Americans have for their military and military history!
If the deal goes down somebody keep me in the loop! I need one but can't justify or afford a mix-match of post war parts for $1800
Sorry, but this is yet another sh$thouse rumour with no basis in fact.
The Greek military received a large endowment of M1903 Springfields, M1 Garands and other US military small arms from the US in the 1940s and 1950s under the provisions of the Military Aid Program (MAP). This equipment was first intended to gear up the Greeks to supress the Greek communist elements in the Greek Civil War in the late 1940s and then to bolster Greek military capabilities as a member of NATO. The US had replaced the Brits as the primary military sponsor of the Greeks in the late 1940s after the Brits initially sent troops and equipment to Greece from Italy in 1944/1945 to stand off the Greek communist elements in the vacuum which was created by the Nazi withdrawal. The Greek military continued to use a hodge-podge of Brit and US weapons and equipment, most of which was provided gratis. Ownership of US equipment provided under the MAP programme was retained by the US who have the right of ultimate disposal. The Greeks never purchased or owned this equipment, so had no right to dispose of it by sale. Over the years there has been a trickle of Greek surplus weapons, ammo and related spares sold off, including some fine Long Branch No4s, excellent Greek made HXP .303 and .30-06 ammo, and quite a lot of spare parts and accessories for M1 Garands, No4 LEs and M1903 Springfields. A lot of this stuff is currently being sold by Greek surplus dealers on Ebay.
The US Army has repatriated a large quantity of MAP supplied surplus M1903 Springfields and M1 Garands from Greece over the past 10-12 yrs for subsequent sale through the US Govt sponsored Civilian Marksmanship Program(CMP) to qualified US citizens. Other than sales of related ammo and repair parts thru Greek surplus outlets, all US supplied Garands and M1903s have been disposed of in this manner. All of these Garands and M1903s were supplied to the Greeks on loan thru the MAP program, so Greece never had ownership of them and has no right to dispose of them by sale. By US law US made military surplus firearms cannot be imported into the US for sale to individuals , except thru the CMP.
Denmark was a different case as the Danes owned a mixture of US MAP supplied Garands as well as additional Garands which they purchased from both the US and Italy (the well known Breda and Beretta made Garands). In the case of Denmark their MAP supplied Garands were disposed of via the CMP, but the Danes did sell off a large quantity of US and Italian made Garands which they has purchased, and which were therefore free for disposal/sale as they wished. The Canadian market was once glutted by these rifles starting 20 yrs ago as they were disqualified from import into the US outside of the MAP import/CMP sale route. Many of these rifles were subsequently stripped down into parts kits, less receivers, for sale in the US. The inexpensive $50 Breda and Beretta Garand receivers which we see for sale these days are the residue of this parting out exercise. They are a great starter kit for a built up rifle as long as a person has the time and $1200-$1400 required to round up all of the other parts required to build a complete rifle on them.
There is still a large qty of US supplied small arms, incl M1 Carbines and Garands, in both Korea and the Phillipines. The ultimate disposition/disposal of these rifles has not yet been decided on, but there has been no decision to release these into the international surplus market. Most speculation is that they will ultimately be demilitarized/destroyed, although there is a possibility that some might be returned to the US for sale thru CMP channels.
The Greek military received a large endowment of M1903 Springfields, M1 Garands and other US military small arms from the US in the 1940s and 1950s under the provisions of the Military Aid Program (MAP). This equipment was first intended to gear up the Greeks to supress the Greek communist elements in the Greek Civil War in the late 1940s and then to bolster Greek military capabilities as a member of NATO. The US had replaced the Brits as the primary military sponsor of the Greeks in the late 1940s after the Brits initially sent troops and equipment to Greece from Italy in 1944/1945 to stand off the Greek communist elements in the vacuum which was created by the Nazi withdrawal. The Greek military continued to use a hodge-podge of Brit and US weapons and equipment, most of which was provided gratis. Ownership of US equipment provided under the MAP programme was retained by the US who have the right of ultimate disposal. The Greeks never purchased or owned this equipment, so had no right to dispose of it by sale. Over the years there has been a trickle of Greek surplus weapons, ammo and related spares sold off, including some fine Long Branch No4s, excellent Greek made HXP .303 and .30-06 ammo, and quite a lot of spare parts and accessories for M1 Garands, No4 LEs and M1903 Springfields. A lot of this stuff is currently being sold by Greek surplus dealers on Ebay.
The US Army has repatriated a large quantity of MAP supplied surplus M1903 Springfields and M1 Garands from Greece over the past 10-12 yrs for subsequent sale through the US Govt sponsored Civilian Marksmanship Program(CMP) to qualified US citizens. Other than sales of related ammo and repair parts thru Greek surplus outlets, all US supplied Garands and M1903s have been disposed of in this manner. All of these Garands and M1903s were supplied to the Greeks on loan thru the MAP program, so Greece never had ownership of them and has no right to dispose of them by sale. By US law US made military surplus firearms cannot be imported into the US for sale to individuals , except thru the CMP.
Denmark was a different case as the Danes owned a mixture of US MAP supplied Garands as well as additional Garands which they purchased from both the US and Italy (the well known Breda and Beretta made Garands). In the case of Denmark their MAP supplied Garands were disposed of via the CMP, but the Danes did sell off a large quantity of US and Italian made Garands which they has purchased, and which were therefore free for disposal/sale as they wished. The Canadian market was once glutted by these rifles starting 20 yrs ago as they were disqualified from import into the US outside of the MAP import/CMP sale route. Many of these rifles were subsequently stripped down into parts kits, less receivers, for sale in the US. The inexpensive $50 Breda and Beretta Garand receivers which we see for sale these days are the residue of this parting out exercise. They are a great starter kit for a built up rifle as long as a person has the time and $1200-$1400 required to round up all of the other parts required to build a complete rifle on them.
There is still a large qty of US supplied small arms, incl M1 Carbines and Garands, in both Korea and the Phillipines. The ultimate disposition/disposal of these rifles has not yet been decided on, but there has been no decision to release these into the international surplus market. Most speculation is that they will ultimately be demilitarized/destroyed, although there is a possibility that some might be returned to the US for sale thru CMP channels.
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U.S. Property marked firearms can't return to the United States unless they go in via the CMP. A U.S. government agency. I believe all the Greek M1's have already been sold via that agency.
U.S. Property marked firearms can't return to the United States by individuals or other regular importers like Century Arms. They haven't been able to since the GCA of 1968 was enacted. That was a knee jerk reaction to the Robert Kennedy and Marty King Jr. murders. No reimporting of Lend/Lease firearms was one of the anti-firearm ownership Democrat's add-ons that had nothing to do with anything other than as a gun control measure.
U.S. Property marked firearms can't return to the United States by individuals or other regular importers like Century Arms. They haven't been able to since the GCA of 1968 was enacted. That was a knee jerk reaction to the Robert Kennedy and Marty King Jr. murders. No reimporting of Lend/Lease firearms was one of the anti-firearm ownership Democrat's add-ons that had nothing to do with anything other than as a gun control measure.
Turkinator
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Onterrible
There was a dealer on here selling refurb garands for 1200 I believe, I can't remember which dealer though.
shoot_to_kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Luskville quebec
I want to buy a surplus garand, why can't the dealers purchase any like they have for mosin, sks, or rc k98?
Purple covered that in depth...
Some russian refurb ross rifles would be nice (hint hint)
shoot_to_kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Luskville quebec
My mistake, I overlooked that post. That is frustrating that there is still so much surplus equipment in Greece and Korea that is totally unavailable. Im sure we would all love to get our hands on that. 
So are there still large stockpiles of .303 british ammo in Greece, or has that stuff already been bought up or destroyed? Seems like a no-brainer situation, as least for the British surplus held in Greece...they need cash and the Brits likely have some vested interest in seeing them pay off their debts to the EU, and would likey just smelter anything returned to them anyways. Maybe this has already happened, but very little British surplus from Greece seems to make its way into Canadian markets.
Greece made their own ammo. It is headstamped HXP and is great ammo.
A lot of it was surplussed in the USA about 20 years ago.
At that time, it was OK for Canadians to buy ammo and stuff.
I got 800 rounds, and wish I got a lot more.
Short answer, NO MORE LEFT.
A lot of it was surplussed in the USA about 20 years ago.
At that time, it was OK for Canadians to buy ammo and stuff.
I got 800 rounds, and wish I got a lot more.
Short answer, NO MORE LEFT.
I just checked the ODCMP website and they are still selling the Greek HXP .30-06 ball ammo, but of course only to qualified buyers in the US. I haven't seen any of the Greek HXP .303 ball ammo for sale in Canada for a long time. I've shot a lot of the .303 ball and it is very good ammo. The cases are boxer primed and reloadable. The .303 brass is the heaviest that I've used, an important thing when reloading those for those stretchy Lee-Enfield chambers.
Too bad the sources for .303 surplus ammo have dried up. Over the past 20 yrs or so we had access to Belgian made ball, South African ball and the Greek HXP ball, all pretty good MILSPEC ammo. The first 2 makes had Berdan primed cases. Nowadays the best bet is to get into reloading for both the .30-06 and .303. If you ever see HXP stamped brass buy it.
Too bad the sources for .303 surplus ammo have dried up. Over the past 20 yrs or so we had access to Belgian made ball, South African ball and the Greek HXP ball, all pretty good MILSPEC ammo. The first 2 makes had Berdan primed cases. Nowadays the best bet is to get into reloading for both the .30-06 and .303. If you ever see HXP stamped brass buy it.
Eaglelord17
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Sault Ste. Marie
Those might have been bought up by the Canadian Government for the Ranger Program as I know a few years ago they bought a ton of parts off Italy when they surfaced.
