logical...

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

By Maxim Lott
Published September 01, 2010 | FoxNews.com

The South Korean government, in an effort to raise money for its military, wants to sell nearly a million antique M1 rifles that were used by U.S. soldiers in the Korean War to gun collectors in America.

The Obama administration approved the sale of the American-made rifles last year. But it reversed course and banned the sale in March – a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time but that is now sparking opposition from gun rights advocates.

A State Department spokesman said the administration's decision was based on concerns that the guns could fall into the wrong hands.
"The transfer of such a large number of weapons -- 87,310 M1 Garands and 770,160 M1 Carbines -- could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes," the spokesman told FoxNews.com.

"We are working closely with our Korean allies and the U.S. Army in exploring alternative options to dispose of these firearms."
Gun control advocates praised the Obama administration for taking security seriously.

"Guns that can take high-capacity magazines are a threat to public safety," said Dennis Henigan of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Even though they are old, these guns could deliver a great amount of firepower. So I think the Obama administration's concerns are well-taken."

But gun rights advocates point out that possessing M1 rifles is legal in the United States -- M1s are semi-automatics, not machine guns, meaning the trigger has to be pulled every time a shot is fired -- and anyone who would buy a gun from South Korea would have to go through the standard background check.

"Any guns that retail in the United States, of course, including these, can only be sold to someone who passes the National Instant Check System," said David Kopel, research director at the conservative Independence Institute. "There is no greater risk from these particular guns than there is from any other guns sold in the United States."

M1 rifles can hold high-capacity ammunition clips that allow dozens of rounds to be fired before re-loading, but Chris Cox, chief lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, noted that is true about any gun in which an ammunition magazine can be inserted -- including most semi-automatics.

"Anything that accepts an external magazine could accept a larger capacity magazine," Cox said.

"But the average number of rounds fired in the commission of a crime is somewhere between 1 and 2 … this issue just shows how little the administration understands about guns."

He called the administration's decision "a de facto gun ban, courtesy of Hillary Clinton's State Department."

Asked why the M1s pose a threat, the State Department spokesman referred questions to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF representatives said they would look into the question Monday afternoon, but on Wednesday they referred questions to the Justice Department. DOJ spokesman Dean Boyd referred questions back to the State Department. [LOL]

According to the ATF Guidebook on Firearms Importation, it would normally be legal to import the M1s because they are more than 50 years old, meaning they qualify as "curios or relics." But because the guns were given to South Korea by the U.S. government, they fall under a special category that requires permission from the State Department before any sale.

Kopel said that he hopes the State Department spokesman's statement that it is working to "dispose" of the guns does not mean they want to melt them down.

"It seems to have this implication of destruction, which would be tremendously wasteful," he said. "These are guns that should be in the hands of American citizens for marksmanship and safety training."

Asked whether melting the guns down would be a good option, Henigan said: "Why let them into the country in the first place? If there is a legally sufficient way to keep them out, we think it's perfectly reasonable to do so."

Past administrations have also grappled with the issue of large-scale gun imports.

The Clinton administration blocked sales of M1s and other antiquated military weapons from the Philippines, Turkey and Pakistan. It also ended the practice of reselling used guns owned by federal agencies, ordering that they be melted down instead.

In contrast, 200,000 M1 rifles from South Korea were allowed to be sold in the U.S. under the Reagan administration in 1987.
A decision like that would be better for everyone, Cox said.

"M1s are used for target practice. For history buffs, they're highly collectible. We're going to continue to make sure that this backdoor effort that infringes not only on lawful commerce but on the Second Amendment is rectified."
Henigan disagrees.

"They clearly were used as military guns, and the fact that they likely can take high-capacity magazines makes them a special safety concern," he said.

The White House referred questions on the issue to the Pentagon, which referred questions to the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, which deferred back to the State Department.

dont really see the need to ban these particular guns, just keep an eye on where they are going.

they should have handed them out as souvenirs at beckapalooza :-) jkjk.

I dont see the big deal if the want to get married. Who cares?

good, now ban the sale of the rest of them.

god the last 2 years of this guy's presidency are gonna be a nightmare with him making bullshit policy, after his party gets crushed in November...

 

Originally Posted by budo09

baaaaah

 

Originally Posted by rocco20v

It's tough to give credit to anything you post about Obama as credible/meaningful when all you do is bash him. He can't possibly be doing EVERYTHING wrong, but yet that's how you'd want us to think based upon the crap you post.

Well by all means, esteemed ObamaClown Nutswinger, why don't you point out something... ANYTHING this ratard and his administration have done "right" so far??????????

Lol @ this idiot getting reelected.

Oh noes! The m1 sales are going to fall into the wrong hands, and those who get them are going to declare war on the united states. Run for your livesssssssssssssssss

 

Originally Posted by budo09

good, now ban the sale of the rest of them.

yeah fuck the constitution the government knows best and will always protect us

 

Originally Posted by BlindBuddah

Hunting, hobbies, protection just as a start.

I mean its a nice thought that we could all just turn in guns people would hold hands and sing Kumbyfuckingya. But this is not the case. The World is filled with mean and evil people some of which would like to rob and kill you. Yes I know...shocking. Say we outlawed guns in the US, guess what, people would still find away to get guns via the black market. Oh and these people aren't going to be the nice school principle who enjoys target practice every Sunday. They will the criminals, drug dealers, terrorists, psychos and ones who want to do harm to others.

BlindBuddah, you aren't looking at the big picture. He wants all guns banned, not just those owned by school principals. Criminals would also be required to turn in their guns. It's pretty naive of you to think that people who acquire guns legally and use them for legal purposes are the only people who would face any inconvenience whatsoever if guns were banned.

It's silly that all these gun-toting retards think that the only people who would benefit from gun bans are criminals and government.

This stupidity isn't just limited to Republitards, though. Read what this clueless jackass had to say about it:

"Gun control? It's the best thing you can do for crooks and gangsters. I want you to have nothing. If I'm a bad guy, I'm always gonna have a gun. Safety locks? You will pull the trigger with a lock on, and I'll pull the trigger. We'll see who wins." -- Mafia informant Sammy "the Bull" Gravano. Interview in Vanity Fair magazine, August 1999.

Hi sweeties!!! I missed (most of) you! These asshats made me come out of lurking with their retarded posts today. Grrrrrrrrr. Obama is a clown.

So, I shot a gun for the first time recently and I have pics to prove it! Yup, I'm a gun-toting, staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment and POS Republican :P Now be impressed and don't piss me off!! lol





Ugggggghhhh, who said it was easier to post pics under this new format. Bite me.

 

Originally Posted by Luckpete

All the Obama haters should just shoot themselves in the face with the gun they for sure have. You redneck pos republicans.

LOL, I don't know if I am being leveled or not? What are you proud that Obama has done?

FWIW I do not possess a gun. I also am not sure I would consider myself a republican. I am very fiscally conservative though, and I really can't stand Obama. What should I do oh wise one?

 

Originally Posted by AmSlim22

they havent killed all the old people. yet.

lmao, touche

 

Originally Posted by DaVols

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

If you want guns, join the military or the police force IMO.

What the fuck does "militia" have to do with the military or police?

As a side note, every unenlisted man was considered a militia member when the Second Amendment was drafted. A man was either enlisted military or militia; never neither nor both.