In 2009, the Obama administration approved the sale of about 850,000 M1 Garand rifles and carbines from the Republic of South Korea to gun collectors in America.

All such sales must be through federally licensed dealers to legally approved purchasers who pass the National Instant Check System (the Brady background check), just like all other firearm dealer sales.

This year, however, the State Department reversed itself and banned the sale, stating it could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes.

When Fox News inquired of the State Department about the “illicit purposes,” it was referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which, subsequently, referred to the Department of Justice.

The White House referred questions on the issue to the Pentagon, which referred questions to the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, which deferred back to the State Department.

Talk about a royal run-around! We can only speculate on what the alleged “illicit purposes” might be.

M1 rifles and carbines are prized by collectors and enthusiasts, along with people who use the M1 rifle for long-range shooting competitions, such as the annual Camp Perry National Matches in Ohio.

A number of Fort Wayne-area shooters compete at Camp Perry, and many of those with the M1. In addition, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (originated in 1903 by the then-Department of War), sells M1s to qualified Americans as part of its mission of promoting safety and marksmanship training for citizens and, especially, youth.

The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team and other ceremonial honor guard units still employ the M1, but it has not been issued for combat in many decades.

So, what are the alleged “illicit purposes” of the M1 rifle and carbine? Darned if I know!

The M1 rifle is large, heavy and old. The low-power carbine, although smaller and lighter, uses special hard-to-find ammunition. Both are expensive, because they are collector items, technically classified as “Curios or Relics” by the BATFE. The M1, essentially, is never used by criminals and is obsolete for combat, law enforcement or other similar applications. It was first employed by the Army in the early 1940s, almost 70 years ago.

Imagine the State Department, in the early 1940s, prohibiting the sale of archaic Custer-era (1876) single-shot Springfield trapdoor rifles, claiming they could be exploited by individuals for illicit purposes. Such a prohibition would have been equally ludicrous as the current one regarding the M1.

People seeking guns for “illicit purposes” wouldn’t even consider the M1. It is obsolete, too big, too heavy and too expensive. The State Department should reverse itself – again – and allow the Republic of South Korea to sell its surplus M1s to American gun collectors and enthusiasts.