Cornyn leads bipartisan letter to Sect. Clinton on the sale of Antique Rifles
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. 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 urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reverse the State Departments 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 departments decision violates law-abiding citizens constitutional right to purchase firearms for legitimate purposes.
The full text of the letter is below:
October 6 2010
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street Northwest
Washington DC 20520
Dear Secretary Clinton:
We write today out of serious concern regarding recent reports indicating the State Departmentin conjunction with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosiveshas arbitrarily chosen to ban the sale of surplus M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles from South Korea to qualified buyers in the United States. We strongly urge you to reverse this decision.
According to recent reports although the Obama Administration had approved the sale of these vintage American-made rifles last year your Department chose to reverse the decision because the firearms could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes." A spokesman for your Department went on to say We are working closely with our Korean allies and the U.S. Army in exploring alternative options to dispose of these firearms." This decision amounts to no more than a backdoor gun ban that lacks any basis or justification under current Federal law and policy. This decision violates law-abiding citizens constitutional right protected under the Second Amendment to purchase these firearms for legitimate purposes such as target shooting hunting collecting and self-protection.
As you may know the M1 is the rifle that helped our American troops claim victory in World War II. In Korea and Vietnam our troops went into battle armed with this rifle that in the words of General George S. Patton is the greatest battle implement ever devised." Today the M1 is lawfully used by American citizens for recreational activities and is also a highly collectible firearm for those interested in American history.
Furthermore according to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Guidebook on Firearms Importation it is legal to import M1s because they are more than 50 years old and therefore qualify as curios or relics." Moreover any individual wishing to purchase one of these firearms would be subject to the National Instant Check System. Essentially the sale of these historic rifleseach a piece of Americas proud historypose no greater risk than the sale of any other firearm legally sold in the United States.
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. Currently the principal rifles sold today through the CMPa federally chartered non-profit organization dedicated to training and educating U.S. citizens in the responsible use of firearmsare World War II-era M1 Garand rifles.
Thank you for your prompt consideration of this matter.
Sincerely
John Cornyn United States Senator
Mike Enzi United States Senator
Tom Coburn United States Senator
Jon Tester United States Senator
Richard Burr United States Senator
James Inhofe United States Senator
Judd Gregg United States Senator
Mike Crapo United States Senator
John Barrasso United States Senator
John Thune United States Senator
Roger Wicker United States Senator
Bob Bennett United States Senator
Lisa Murkowski United States Senator
Mark Begich United States Senator
Jeanne Shaheen United States Senator
Chuck Grassley United States Senator
cc: Eric Holder Attorney General
Kenneth Melson BATFE Acting Director
