86,000 Korea War veterans return home
Well, not exactly human veterans, but veterans, nonetheless. The Korean government is shipping 86,000 M1 Garand rifles that we left behind back to the US according to The Korea Times;
Kim Mi-sung, an official of the force and resources management office, said the defense ministry received an approval letter from the United States on Sept. 2 last year that stated Washington agreed to allow the importation of the M1s.
She noted that the U.S. government, however, rejected Seoul’s proposal to export some 600,000 M1 Carbines, which were also used in the Korean War, as they come with a magazine that can carry multiple rounds unlike the Garands.
Too bad about the carbines, but they do look pretty scary with that 20-round box magazine. Maybe the Koreans can try to send them over after this next election when there’s someone running the Executive Branch with a lick of common sense.
I don’t think I’ve ever fired the Garand, but I’ve heard nothing but good stuff about them, their performance and their accuracy. With 86,000 more on the market, maybe I’ll get my chance.
Category: Guns
I trained on the Garand. Even a version chambered for the .22?
Stood watch with one in Da Nang, and elsewhere.
There’s a story I DO believe about urinating on the thing to cool/clean it.
M1 thumb anyone?
One of the reasons I love my SKS’s is that they built similarly.
Heavy… yeah. No full auto… yeah.
The first M-16s we saw were crap.
Sorry to go on…
Umm…8 rounds is terribly “multiple” to me.
At least the M1’s are coming home. Now I can squeeze two more in the safe 🙂
Are they going to be up for sale? I want a true piece of history
In 67 after Boot Camp and arriving at CamPen for ITR (Now Scool of Infantry) we were issued M1s (mine made by Singer sewing machine), everything we trained with was WWII and Korean vintage, BARs, .30cal. Browning machine guns, 3.5 rocket launchers (Bazookas) and flame throwers. We did familiar fire the M60. Didn’t see an M16 or another M14 until Staging Bn. When I did a Sea Duty tour our Detachment armory was stocked with M1s, BARs, and .30cal mgs. Great fun doing Fire Ex off the fantail.
M1 carbines typically have 15 or 30 round magazines. Although the 30’s were really created for the M2 carbine.
My grandfather, a Korean War Marine, always said the 30s were crap though. M2 as well.
My Dad was in Korea during the war, would love to pick one up if they go on sale here. However unless we get rid of Obummer I doubt I will get the chance.
My uncle has one, as well as a fully automatic Thompson. Got to fire them both.
I love love love me that gun. Hated the “inert” one we always carried around in boot camp. Heavy fucker.
I used to work for a company that made 100 rd drum magazines for AK’s that you can buy for $30, and they’re worried about 20 rd magazines?
Back in the dark ages, when I was in JROTC in High School, we were “given” M-1’s for fam firing, training, etc. I loved that thing, and learned almost off the bat what “M-1 thumb” was. Hurts like a sumbitch, that.
But yeah, a well-built and reliable weapon. The ones from the armory we had were built by International Harvester. Being from a farming area, I thought that that was kind of cool.
You can buy a M-1 right now on Gun Broker.com or the CMP. I got one from the CMP about three years ago.
Couple of corrections
1- We didnt leave them behind, these were sold to South Korea outright which is why they arent being returned to the US Army and given to the CMP like the Greek M1’s which were lend leased. The ROK’s used them in Vietnam also.
2-Only US Manufacturers of the Garand were Springfield Armory, Winchester for WWII, during Korea Springfield, International Harvester, and Harrington & Richardson also built them. Later on Beretta produced them for NATO on Machinery from Winchester IIRC.
I was issued my M1 in 1962 and it was an instant love affair. That rifle clearly made up for my inefficiencies and always found the target … can’t say the same thing for the M14 they issued me a few years later.
Zero, I paid close attention to my DI when he taught us about M1 thumb … others weren’t so lucky but they added credence to what the DI was teaching.
“I don’t think I’ve ever fired the Garand”
That is a loss that you young-uns will have to live with. I not only have fired one recently, (Serial number just under 200,000), but was issued one in ’60, and loved it nearly as much as the super accurate BAR. Fortunately, I never went “downrange”, but did a bunch of range time as well as maneuvers. It would fire blanks efficiently enough to cycle the bolt, M-14 wouldn’t but I modified the M-14 by jamming a .30 carbine casing backwards in the flash suppressor.
Oh please oh please oh please, let’s see the market forces at work here. I could make room for one of those in the garage.
I remember reading about the M-1 carbine’s less-than-stellar performance at Chosin Reservoir (I think it was “Give Me Tomorrow”). In a number of instances described, the round wouldn’t penetrate the thick clothing that the Chinese were wearing.
Would love to get my hands on an M-1 Garand.
Out of curiosity, what exactly is the South Korean stance on personel firearm ownership?
As for the M1 Carbines, rejecting its importation because of the magazine, a capacity that most modern rifles have(or close to) is just plan stupid. In the early stages of Vietnam it was also under consideration for the South Vietnamese. Have heard stories about the round being under powered and having sight problems.
Always liked the Paratrooper version(s) though.
I hope like heck they put them up for sale! I would love to own one. My brother owns a Garand, which I’ve had the privilege of firing. It’s my understanding that the M-1Carbine was underpowered. I had two uncles who were in Korea who used them and could’t stand “them damn things”, a direct quote from my late Uncle Ray. The M-14 was the most goodest weapon ever invented. My deer rifle is a .308,which is basically a 7.62, sighted at 700 yards KD.