Illinois State Rifle
All M-1 Garands Must Be Destroyed - Government Orders
Sun Oct 21 16:51:16 2001


All M-1 Garands Must Be Destroyed - Government Orders
From Illinois State Rifle Association
Posted By S. Jackson
10-11-1

This week, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1438, the Department of Defense
(DoD) annual authorization bill, which contains a provision that is of
grave concern to hunters and sport shooters.
Section 1062 of this bill provides the Secretary of Defense with the
authority to require "demilitarization" of any "significant military
equipment" that has ever been owned by the DoD. This would include all
firearms (such as the venerable M1, M1 Carbine, and Model 1911, as
well as all Civilian Marksmanship Program rifles, even "sporterized"
surplus bolt-action Springfields!); firearm parts such as barrels, bolts,
triggers, firing pins, sights, etc.; ammunition and ammunition
components; and firearm accessories such as cleaning rods, oilers, and
even cleaning brushes.
"Demilitarization" is the term for rendering such items permanently
inoperable, and Sec. 1062 allows for this action to be carried out either
by the owner or a third party, with the owner paying the cost, or by the
DoD.
However, if the DoD determines it should perform the demilitarization, it
can also determine that the cost of returning the demilled item is
prohibitive, then simply keep the item, and reimburse the owner only for
the fair market scrap value of the item.
Furthermore, this new authority would require private citizens to
determine for themselves if an item they own is subject to
demilitarization, and face criminal penalties for non-compliance. The
DoD would be under no obligation to notify law-abiding citizens that
items they have lawfully owned for years, and perhaps that their families
have owned for generations, are suddenly subject to forced
demilitarization.
This becomes extremely significant when one considers that U.S. military
surplus has been "regularly and legally" bought, sold, and traded for
centuries. Countless Americans own items that could be subject to Sec.
1062. It is likely millions of law-abiding Americans would be affected,
and could unknowingly become criminals overnight without having done
anything or having ever been informed.
The DoD already has the authority and responsibility to demilitarize any
item it sells as surplus, so there is absolutely no reason to seek new
authority to confiscate and destroy lawfully sold and lawfully owned
items that are now the property of private citizens.
Be sure to contact your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and your U.S.
Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge them to strike Sec. 1062
from S. 1438, the "National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002." the
"National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002." Act Today - Or Lose
Your Heritage
This notification brought to you as a courtesy to the gun-owning
community by the Illinois State Rifle Association.

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