Taking Action to Allow Import of 100,000 M-1 Rifles from Korea

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I'm sure many of you have heard about the large number of M-1 Garands and M-1 Carbine rifles that the South Korean government is attempting to sell to a US importer.

Little detailed information available about this issue, but here's what we know so far:

Korean Times: US opposes Seoul’s bid to sell old rifles

Fox News: Obama Administration Reverses Course, Forbids Sale of 850,000 Antique Rifles


It appears that the import ban is politically motivated. According to the Fox News article, the Obama Administration approved the import of the rifles, then quietly reversed their decision in March of this year.

That said, let's get a letter-writing campaign going to gather factual information as to why the import was denied and to demand pressure be applied to allow the rifles to be imported in compliance with current regulations. Here's a letter I sent to my two Senators and my Representative. Please feel free to excerpt or steal the whole letter for your purposes.

Please report back any concrete information you receive from your congresscritter so we can determine the next steps that should be taken.

Contact Info for Representatives
Contact Info for Senators

My letter:


EDIT: Adjusted letter to include better information which has come to light since the first draft.
It's all in the original post quoted:
 
http://billingsgazette.com/news/sta...cle_7712aa98-cc44-11df-b395-001cc4c03286.html
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CHEYENNE — U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis is seeking to stop the federal government from interfering with the legal importation of surplus collectable U.S.-made firearms from South Korea. The Wyoming Republican has joined with Indiana Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly in introducing a bill called the Collectable Firearms Protection Act.
...
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Domineaux, great info. Let's get behind this new bill by re-writing our letters specifically asking our congresspeople to support the Collectible Firearms Protection Act.
 
I received the following back from John Culberson:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Obama Administration's refusal to purchase nearly 850,000 antique rifles from the South Korean government. I have contacted officials at the Department of State on your behalf and asked them to carefully consider the serious issues raised in your letter. When I receive more information, I will contact you again.

Thank you for entrusting me to represent you in the United States Congress. Please visit my website at www.culberson.house.gov
 
Obama Administration's refusal to purchase nearly 850,000 antique rifles from the South Korean government

That wasn't the issue. A private importer wanted to purchase these firearms for resale, presumably in this country.
 
In no way is this an endorsement for the guy, but this is the response I got from Harry Reid.

I took note of your concern regarding the transfer of approximately eight hundred thousand MI Carbine and Garand rifles from the South Korean government. I, too, am concerned with the circumstances surrounding the importation of these antique rifles. As a result, I have contacted the State Department and asked that they review your letter and respond to both of us in writing.

I also got a response back from Dina Titus, but it was just a form letter that basically said,
I fully support your rights to own guns, except when I am trying to take them away from you.

I will make sure to post a response if I actually receive one from the state department.
 
"Senator’s legislation would allow American-made firearms abroad to be re-sold to U.S. collectors"
http://tester.senate.gov/Newsroom/pr_093010_guns.cfm

Includes link to a PDF of the letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton containing:

“Rejecting the responsible sale of legal firearms over hypothetical concerns that they could be used for ‘illicit purposes’ sets a dangerous precedent and it is contrary to the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
 
Nice! This is one of the Montana Senators I sent an email to about this issue...not claiming I had any effect as this guy is pro 2A but it still makes a body feel good!

Paul
 
Another letter written by Senators to Sec of State Hillary Clinton asking to reverse their decision to prohibit the M1 and M1 carbines from being sold to Americans.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/o...oning-state-department-gun-ban-104438483.html

last paragraph:
To this end, we request an explanation of your reasons for blocking the importation and sale of American-made rifles from South Korea, and we strongly urge you to reverse your decision in the interest of protecting Americans’ Second Amendment rights. Furthermore, we encourage you to consider utilizing the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) as a means for the sale of these rifles.
 
I wrote my Senator and this was his response:

Thank you for getting in touch with me regarding the potential sale of M1 Garands and M1 Carbines rifles from the South Korean government to American citizens.

The South Korean government is looking to raise money for its military by selling nearly a million M1 rifles used by U.S. soldiers during the Korean War. The State Department stopped the sale of these rifles due to concerns about the scale of the sale and the potential it could be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes.

I do not support an outright ban on guns nor restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens to possess guns. However, the biggest threat to Second Amendment and privacy rights is gun-related crime. In the absence of stronger safeguards that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and distinguish between lawful and unlawful use of firearms, concerns regarding personal safety could fuel greater support for an outright ban on gun ownership.

I will continue to monitor this situation. Should any relevant legislation come before the Senate, please be assured that I will keep your views in mind.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
 
Domineaux said:
joined with Indiana Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly
It worked! I asked my state rep and he responded positively. Kudos to you Domineaux. I've been at THR a long time and you've already topped my best post. Please take note THR'ers, a Democrat!

VegasAR15 said:
Basically says
Dina Titus said:
I fully support your rights to own guns, except when I am trying to take them away from you.
I actually cried I laughed so hard. That doesn't happen but a few times per year.
 
I'm just happy to see support for reversing the current Federal stance on the buy-back of these historical relics gaining ground due at least in some part to all of us who participated in being the voice of "The People".
 
This was in my inbox this morning from my Senator

Dear Mr. Martine:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the sale of surplus military rifles from South Korea. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.

As you may know, the South Korean government has a stockpile of nearly one million American-made, World War II-era M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles that it is willing to sell to qualified buyers in the United States. Although the Obama Administration initially approved the sale of these rifles in 2009, the State Department has chosen to reverse this decision, claiming the firearms “could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes.”

This decision amounts to no more than a backdoor gun ban by the State Department, which lacks any basis or justification under current federal law. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, it is legal to import these M1s because they are more than 50 years old. Moreover, any individual wishing to purchase one of these firearms would be subject to the National Instant Check System. The sale of these historic rifles—each a piece of America’s proud history—pose no greater risk than the sale of any other firearm legally sold in the United States.

Therefore, I wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to strongly urge her to reverse the State Department's decision. I have also encouraged her to consider utilizing the Civilian Marksmanship Program as a means for the sale of these rifles. It is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizens’ constitutional right to purchase these firearms for legitimate purposes such as target shooting, hunting, collecting, and self-protection. Restricting this right runs counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers, who expressly guaranteed that citizens would retain the right to keep and bear arms.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
 
Responses I received

Attached are the responses I received. I like Sen. Dorgen's response. Sen. Conrad's however, didn't really say much.
 

Attachments

  • Senate Responses.pdf
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Another nice bit about this:

(from http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/ind...ecord_id=1a261ab9-9884-42e1-bb95-b2cfa31c078f)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today led a bipartisan group of Senators including Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), and others in sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging her to reverse the State Department’s reported decision to ban the sale of surplus antique rifles from South Korea to qualified buyers in the United States. The letter was also sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Director Kenneth Melson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE).

Recent media reports indicate the Obama Administration inked a deal with the South Korean government to bring home nearly one million American-made WWII-era surplus military rifles. However, the State Department stepped in at the last minute and arbitrarily blocked the agreement. The rifles in question are the iconic M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles, which are popular among collectors and military historians. The letter to Secretary Clinton stresses that the sale poses no risk to Americans and the department’s decision violates law-abiding citizens’ constitutional right to purchase firearms for legitimate purposes.
...
 
I oppose any further importation of ...

... ANY vehicles from Asia due to the fact that some may be used in the commission of bank robberies and other felonies. The purchase and ownership of such potential devices to be used in an unlawful manner should be restricted under the most severe of license, title, and insurance of such persons, as may be best detected. No, wait ... ... there is no Constitutional right to keep and bear a car, is there? Never mind. But, how much profit should the importer be expected to make on the reimportation of weapons that are presumably still property of the U.S.A. ???
 
I have a feeling that this post may be slammed by the mods. But here goes.

If the Koreans are not allowed to sell to us, they just might choose to sell to mexico, then we will see a surge of firearms taken in raids that have been traced back to America!!!


( Ok, it was just a poor attempt at some humor)
 
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I have a feeling that this post may be slammed by the mods. But here goes.

If the Koreans are not allowed to sell to us, they just might choose to sell to mexico, then we will see a surge of firearms taken in raids that have been traced back to America!!!


( Ok, it was just a poor attempt at some humor)
Humor? Don't you think the feds would use such logic when they need to push for a new ban of some sort?
 
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