A rifle importer has hired a new gun to lobby Congress to overturn a presidential executive action that bans the importation of vintage World War II rifles.
Red, White and Blue LLC wants to bring a huge supply of M1 Garand rifles back to the United States from South Korea. The firearms are prohibited from private purchase by an executive action aimed at blocking the importation of all military assault weapons. The Chantilly, Va., firm has hired lobbyist Bruce Hock, a former Senate Armed Services Committee staffer, to help bring back the guns. Red, White and Blue already has a contract with lobbyist Michael Pieper, former chief of staff for the late Rep. Barbara Vucanovich (R-Nev.).
The M1 Garand rifle, the Army's standard-issue firearm from 1936-57, has become a collector's item because of its World War II role. During the Cold War, however, the United States provided hundreds of thousands of them to South Korea for possible use against Russia, making them a scarce commodity in the United States. South Korea recently decided to upgrade its firearms and is looking to sell their old rifles to U.S. collectors to defray upgrade costs.
President Obama's 2013 executive action has been a contentious topic for Second Amendment enthusiasts and gun dealers. Red, White and Blue LLC has spent more than $111,000 in lobbying since 2012. A single M1 Garand with most of its original parts easily can sell for $4,000.
