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August 19th, 2010
According to the Korea Times, the U.S. Government (branch and officials unknown) has stymied plans by the Korean Defense Ministry to sell 86,000 M1 Garands and 22,000 M1 Carbines to American gun collectors. The gun export program was designed to augment Korea’s defense budget, and the Defense Ministry had hoped to start shipping rifles at the end of 2009. But somebody in Washington has blocked the re-importation of the classic Garands and Carbines.
There are many unanswered questions involving this story. The Koreans won’t say exactly what branch of the U.S. Goverment is opposing the shipment of M1 Garands and M1 Carbines, and the Obama Administration isn’t talking. The Korea Times reports:
The problems the U.S. government cited were somewhat ambiguous, said an official at the Ministry of National Defense on condition of anonymity.
“The U.S. insisted that imports of the aging rifles could cause problems such as firearm accidents. It was also worried the weapons could be smuggled to terrorists, gangs or other people with bad intentions,” the official told The Korea Times.
“We’re still looking into the reason why the U.S. administration is objecting to the sale of the rifles and seeking ways to resolve the problems raised,” he said.
Gangs Armed with Surplus Garands?
The No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money Blog attacked the notion that Classic M1 Garands (or carbines) would become the new weapon of choice for ‘gangs or other people with bad intentions': “As to the assertion by some unnamed U.S. official that gangs might use M-1 Garands, I think someone watched the movie Gran Torino a few too many times. Can you imagine how many cases of ‘M-1 thumb’ there would be if the Crips, the Bloods, or the Latin Kings were to attempt to use a M-1 Garand?”
October 27th, 2009
The CMP recently launched a new, upgraded CMP Online Forum that’s faster and easier to navigate. The New Forum features 18 categories, covering CMP Sales, Auctions, and CMP events. There are separate sub-boards for Bolt-Action Rifles, M1 Carbines, M1 Garands, and Smallbore rifles. At the top of the new CMP Forum you’ll find links for Competition, Rifle Tech Info, and Sales. NOTE: Even if you were a member of the CMP’s Old Forum, you must re-register on the new site. The Old Forum will remain online for a few months, though it is now closed to new posts.
CLICK HERE to visit CMP Online Forum
The newly updated forum also has a marketplace area (for parts trading), and a calendar section where readers can post info about Regional matches and events. Collectors should watch the Auctions category for advanced notice of items to be auctioned on the CMP’s online Auction Site.
September 25th, 2009
Here’s good news for collectors of classic American military rifles. Over 100,000 M1 Garands and M1 Carbines are “returning home” from South Korea. The South Korean Defense Ministry recently announced plans to ship 86,000 Garands and 22,000 Carbines back to the United States for sale to American collectors. Originally made in the USA, these weapons were supplied by the US during the Korean and Vietnam war years.
 Thankfully, South Korea’s plan to return the Garands and Carbines to the United States has received a “green light” from American officials. “The US government recently approved our plan to sell old M1 and carbine rifles, which were given to our soldiers as part of a US aid programme,” a ministry spokesman declared.
Most of the arms have been in storage at military warehouses, only occasionally used for drills by reserve forces. While South Korea plans to send back most of its M1 Garands, it intends to retain another 640,000 carbines for reserve units. The 108,000 rifles set for return to America are collectively valued at over $108,000,000 (based on $1000.00 retail price per gun). Realistically, given the fact that CMP rack grade and service grade Garands sell for much less, we would hope many of these Korean returns would sell for quite a bit less than $1000.00. But, ultimately, supply and demand in the United States will dictate selling prices.
UPDATE: On August 12, 2010, the Korea Times reported that the U.S. Government is now opposing the return to the USA of the 108,000 Garands and Carbines. A Korean Defense Ministry source revealed that American officials were now claiming the weapons could cause accidents or “be smuggled to terrorists, gangs or other people with bad intentions”.
May 14th, 2009
Garand Matches are among the most popular of CMP events, and the M1 Garand, acquired direct from the CMP, still represents a great value among collectible, military-style firearms. Recognizing the demand for accurate, yet affordable ammunition for M1 Garands and M1As(civilian version of m14), Federal® has introduced new American Eagle ammo expressly designed for these popular classes of rifles. M1 Garand and M1A shooters now have a quality yet economical ammo option, which reduced risk of slam-fires.
Special Loads for Special Rifles
The M1A and M1 Garand are storied rifles with a huge following. Unfortunately, much of the hunting ammunition today isn’t suitable for these special rifles. “We know there is a very large number of shooters who use the M1A and M1 Garand rifles at the range,” said Kyle Tengwall, Federal’s director of marketing. “Whether it’s practicing for a competition, or just spending some time at the range, these shooters need affordable loads that perform well. These new loads cater to this special segment of shooters, and we’re proud to offer them something that shoots great and is available at price that can’t be beat.”
These special loads use staked primers to reduce the risk of firearm malfunction, including slamfires. The M1 Garand load features a 150-gr FMJ bullet and a carefully selected propellant that produces pressures that match the gas system design. The M1A load utilizes a 168-grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet that gives match-grade accuracy at an unbeatable price.
Ammo Specs:
A76251M1A / 7.62×51, 168gr OTM 2650 fps
AE3006M1 / 30-06, 150gr FMJ 2740 fps
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