MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont gun importer is blaming the White House for its laying off of 41 workers
because the government blocked its plan to bring nearly $30 million worth of antique, American-made
military rifles home from South Korea.
The White House’s refusal to allow Century International Arms to re-import the World War II-era M1 Garand
rifles is an apparent result of new rules set up last summer concerning requests to ship military-grade
firearms back into the United States.
“This importation was denied despite our explaining that the denial would harm the company and pointing
out that there is no rational, gun-control reason to block the importation of these historic,
70-year-old firearms,” the Fairfax company said in a statement posted on its website Thursday.
An email to the White House press office seeking comment was not immediately returned Friday, but a press
release from last August said the administration was blocking the re-importation of military firearms as
part of two “common-sense executive actions” designed to keep dangerous firearms out of the wrong hands.
The decisions were part of a gun violence reduction plan first announced in January 2013.
President Barack Obama’s administration said the policy — with only a few exceptions, such as for museums
— is intended to keep “military-grade firearms” off the streets.
But Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy and Gov. Peter Shumlin had urged the White House to allow the deal to
go through, noting the M1 is highly valued by collectors of military memorabilia and the rifle itself
would even have been exempted from last year’s proposed assault weapons ban.
Century Arms attorney Brady Toensing said in a statement Friday the deal was a routine transaction and
all approvals were in place in February of 2013 until the company discovered the White House had
intervened and blocked the deal. The decision was followed in August by the executive action banning the
re-importation of military firearms.
“But there is no rational reason to block these firearms from coming back to the United States,” Toensing
said. “It is a heavy and cumbersome rifle, but it is highly sought-after by collectors and prized as a
collection piece.”
In their May 2013 letter, Leahy and Shumlin said the South Korean government had been given preliminary
approval for the deal last year and the departments of State, Defense and Justice had signed off on it.

“This lawful pending retransfer agreement is important to Vermont’s economy and crucial to more than 200
Vermonters who are employed by Century Arms,” the letter said. “Accordingly, we ask your assistance to
return the retransfer request to the Department of State without objection so that it may move forward
through the importation process.”
The letter said the M1 rifle has not been produced for more than 50 years. Leahy and Shumlin called the
M1 a historically valuable and collectible firearm that is provided to citizens through the
government-chartered Civilian Marksmanship Program, which provides gun safety and marksmanship training.
And the M1 was specifically exempted from a proposed 2013 weapons ban.
“This proposed exemption reinforces the fact that these are collectible firearms not the target of law
enforcement concern,” the letter said.
Century Arms describes itself as North America’s largest importer of surplus firearms and accessories.

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Vermont gun importer is blaming the White House for its laying off of 41 workers
because the government blocked its plan to bring nearly $30 million worth of antique, American-made
military rifles home from South Korea.
The White House’s refusal to allow Century International Arms to re-import the World War II-era M1 Garand
rifles is an apparent result of new rules set up last summer concerning requests to ship military-grade
firearms back into the United States.
“This importation was denied despite our explaining that the denial would harm the company and pointing
out that there is no rational, gun-control reason to block the importation of these historic,
70-year-old firearms,” the Fairfax company said in a statement posted on its website Thursday.
An email to the White House press office seeking comment was not immediately returned Friday, but a press
release from last August said the administration was blocking the re-importation of military firearms as
part of two “common-sense executive actions” designed to keep dangerous firearms out of the wrong hands.
The decisions were part of a gun violence reduction plan first announced in January 2013.
President Barack Obama’s administration said the policy — with only a few exceptions, such as for museums
— is intended to keep “military-grade firearms” off the streets.
But Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy and Gov. Peter Shumlin had urged the White House to allow the deal to
go through, noting the M1 is highly valued by collectors of military memorabilia and the rifle itself
would even have been exempted from last year’s proposed assault weapons ban.
Century Arms attorney Brady Toensing said in a statement Friday the deal was a routine transaction and
all approvals were in place in February of 2013 until the company discovered the White House had
intervened and blocked the deal. The decision was followed in August by the executive action banning the
re-importation of military firearms.
“But there is no rational reason to block these firearms from coming back to the United States,” Toensing
said. “It is a heavy and cumbersome rifle, but it is highly sought-after by collectors and prized as a
collection piece.”
In their May 2013 letter, Leahy and Shumlin said the South Korean government had been given preliminary
approval for the deal last year and the departments of State, Defense and Justice had signed off on it.

“This lawful pending retransfer agreement is important to Vermont’s economy and crucial to more than 200
Vermonters who are employed by Century Arms,” the letter said. “Accordingly, we ask your assistance to
return the retransfer request to the Department of State without objection so that it may move forward
through the importation process.”
The letter said the M1 rifle has not been produced for more than 50 years. Leahy and Shumlin called the
M1 a historically valuable and collectible firearm that is provided to citizens through the
government-chartered Civilian Marksmanship Program, which provides gun safety and marksmanship training.
And the M1 was specifically exempted from a proposed 2013 weapons ban.
“This proposed exemption reinforces the fact that these are collectible firearms not the target of law
enforcement concern,” the letter said.
Century Arms describes itself as North America’s largest importer of surplus firearms and accessories.