US allows import of 86,000 M1 rifles from Korea

[SMS]

I hope they come in through an importer...then all mine, without import stamps/marks, will be even more valuable. LOL.

I doubt they will be anywhere close to the condition of the Greek returns....

 

[Perplexed]

This has made the rounds time and again, and with the source being a Korean newspaper with no confirmation from the US gov't, I'm dubious. The Koreans claim they have the documentation showing that the US sold the firearms to them, in which case they could sell them back to us. If that happens, you can bet those firearms will go straight to the importers, who will then stamp the receivers with an ugly import mark and charge a pretty penny for what's reported to be firearms in rough condition. The CMP will likely not see any of these firearms, since they work off U.S. Army surplus material. If the Koreans cannot prove that they bought the firearms from the U.S., then it becomes a case of a MAP loan, which means they're obligated to return the firearms to us at no charge. If that happens (ha!) then the Army will take delivery of the firearms and turn them over to the CMP. In either case, it'll be quite a while before these firearms turn up for sale.

Personally, I hope the US gov't continues to prevent this "deal" with a sale to US importers; otherwise, we'll see a glut of import-marked M1's on the market and CMP-papered M1's will shoot up in price and value, making it harder for less-well-heeled enthusiasts to collect unmarked M1's. Also, if the deal is allowed to happen with the Koreans not producing any definitive documentation of having bought the firearms to begin with, that sets a dangerous precedent for other countries that took part in the MAP to claim similar treatment. That is, selling back to us the firearms we loaned them. Not right.

 

[Traveler]

I would sure like to have one of these.... We'll have to keep our eyes on this one.

 

[KOPBET]

Are these the same guns we gave away that we would now have to buy back from the Koreans?