Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Rise and Fall and Rise of America’s Last Battle Rifle (M-14)
War is Boring ^ | November 13, 2014 | Paul Richard Huard

Posted on 11/14/2014 6:18:16 AM PST by C19fan

Critics said the M-14 was what happened when the U.S. government took many years and spent millions of dollars designing a rifle that was really just a glorified M-1 Garand from World War II.

The M-14 was the U.S. military’s last battle rifle. It appeared in 1959—the contemporary of the Pentagon’s first jet fighters and ICBMs. With its heavy steel parts and walnut stock, the M-14 looked positively archaic.

It was hardly a Space Age weapon. And it only endured as America’s battle rifle until 1970, when the M-16 completely superseded it—the shortest service record of any U.S. military rifle in the 20th century.

Yet, the M-14 has come and gone and come back again. Its accuracy and power—it fires the 7.62 x 51 millimeter NATO round—have given it a new lease on life as a weapon for snipers and designated marksmen.

The M-14 refuses to surrender.

(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 3006; 308win; 30cal; 762x51mm; afghanistan; banglist; basictraining; battlerifle; fn; fnfal; fultonarmory; gunporn; iraq; johnsonm1941; m14; m16; m16a1; m1941; m1a; m1asocom; marine; marines; platoon; rifle; springfield; springfieldarmory; usmc; vietnam; warisboring
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last
Seems the M-14 suffers when compared the FN FAL as most Western armies adopted the FN FAL. From what I understand the US screwed the Brits over keeping the .30-06 round instead of adopting an intermediate round.
1 posted on 11/14/2014 6:18:16 AM PST by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Perhaps, but the M-14 was not a 30-06. It’s a .308 Winchester, a 7.62mm x 51 mm round. It’s is shorter than the 30-06 by 12mm’s.


2 posted on 11/14/2014 6:22:10 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Oh, and the FN FAL is a 7.62mm, like the M-14.


3 posted on 11/14/2014 6:22:53 AM PST by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

M14 Marine salute!


4 posted on 11/14/2014 6:24:31 AM PST by rrrod (at home in Medellin Colombia)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan; elhombrelibre
That screwing happened back in the 30's when the Garand was being developed. The limeys had a small caliber cartridge they wanted, (seems like I read somewhere that it was a .26 caliber but that's just what I recall) and General McArthur, who was somehow in charge of the project, said "Nothing less than the .30-'06."

The rest is history.

5 posted on 11/14/2014 6:29:45 AM PST by OKSooner ("Knowledge is good.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Thanks for a good post C19Fan

"On full-auto, the M-14 fired 750 rounds a minute, leading to complaints that it was nearly uncontrollable as a select-fire weapon."

An older neighbor said he was in the N.G. in the early 60s and had to qualify on the B.A.R.

Only weighing 120 lbs, he got on the firing line in the prone position, fired a burst, the stood up, walked back to the firing line again and shot another.....Ha

6 posted on 11/14/2014 6:31:45 AM PST by virgil283 (No matter how big and bad you are when a two year old hands you the toy telephone, you answer it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I would like to obtain one.

I like them.


7 posted on 11/14/2014 6:32:06 AM PST by WayneS (Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

M1A1 bump


8 posted on 11/14/2014 6:32:24 AM PST by dangerdoc ((this space for rent))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Sadly, I will not live to see the day when the Marines adopt the M4A1 Pulse Rifle as their primary weapon.


9 posted on 11/14/2014 6:37:02 AM PST by edpc (Wilby 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

I could have bought a BRAND new M-14 (in box never fired manuals everything)in the 1980’s for 400 bucks. Why didn’t I do that?


10 posted on 11/14/2014 6:37:14 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

In the spring of 1970 I found six virtually unused M14’s (with resin stocks) in our battalion supply when I became support platoon leader. They had probably been used for cermonial purposes only and weren’t on the property list.

I took the best one and that’s what I carried for the next year or so. When I got transferred to the 1st Cav I took it with me. Nobody said a thing. (Try to imagine that happening in today’s Army.)

The Cav’s sniper school gun smiths at Bien Hoa accurized it for me. It was a tack-driver. They also put a selector switch on it. Mastering full auto with it took some practice but I did it.

It was a boat anchor compared to the Car-15 I had carried but it was a true rifle. Loved the damned thing.

Only regret was I couldn’t figure out a way to sneak it back home.


11 posted on 11/14/2014 6:38:47 AM PST by x1stcav (Oh, Lord! Let his end be like Bartolomew Iz'!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: edpc

I guess the xmlr-1a and 3a are too far off as well.


12 posted on 11/14/2014 6:39:07 AM PST by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Some of the variants are verrry nice. Like the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical. I would love to get my hands on one. Fairly short money too.


13 posted on 11/14/2014 6:39:22 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are not inclined to commit crimes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: x1stcav
Only regret was I couldn’t figure out a way to sneak it back home.

Disassemble and ship in several packages.

14 posted on 11/14/2014 6:46:07 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are not inclined to commit crimes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Thats no M-14


15 posted on 11/14/2014 6:46:45 AM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
the shortest service record of any U.S. military rifle in the 20th century.

I thought the Johnson M1941 had the shortest service.

16 posted on 11/14/2014 6:53:31 AM PST by Poison Pill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Donate And Keep The Lights On


17 posted on 11/14/2014 6:56:04 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
I carried an M-14 exclusively in Vietnam.

Yeah, it was heavy, so was the ammo load.

But it never jammed on me, it was not a time hog, as the M-16 was in demanding that I clean it every ten rounds.

It kicked like a mule...but when the fecal matter is striking the rotating ventilation device, one never feels such things.

The cyclic rate of fire was relatively slow, compared to the Mattel, er, uh the Colt AR-16, I mean M-16, but I have personally observed one round take out three bad guys.

I have also personally observed one M-16 round bounce off the belt buckle of a bad guy.

Not saying that all M-16 rounds bounced off, but I do know from first-hand observation, that the 7.62 round fired from the Springfield M-14, did much, much more damage than the 5.56 round fired from the Mattel, er, uh, the Colt M-16.

I really don't know what the reasoning was for replacing the M-14, I'm sure there were good ones, such as weight, ease of manufacturing, economy of maintenance, something of that nature, anything other than how well the soldiers using it liked it.

I was just a Snuffy then, but later, when the whiz-kids decided the venerable 1911A-1 was not suitable for our modern forces, I submitted several missives in support of it, but I assume the fix was in by then, by the Beretta family, to supply that piece of crap 9mm shooting boat anchor.

That's a whole 'nother story.

I learned the Manual of Arms on the M-14.

Done correctly, it is a thing of beauty. I once captured a Soldier of the Year award with it and I am convinced it was the most precision Manual of Arms presentation the board had ever seen.

I practiced for hours and hours with that damned thing.

Have you ever seen a decent rendition of the Manual of Arms on a Mattel, er, uh, Colt M-16?

Why does the Old Guard and the USMC Drill Teams still use the M-14?

Why is the M-14 still in the inventory of Special Operations units?

Why is the 1911 still in the inventory of Special Operations units, for that matter?

18 posted on 11/14/2014 6:57:46 AM PST by OldSmaj (obama is a worthless mohametan. Impeach his ass now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: central_va

I didn’t quite do that but did buy a M1A in 1986 for $650.00. Then there was the horrible TBA. In 1968 I shot Expert in Officers’ Basic with a M14. I’d have bought it on the spot if I could have.


19 posted on 11/14/2014 6:59:56 AM PST by libstripper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: dangerdoc
M1A1 bump

Well....not really:

Inland M1A1

Select fire (single/full auto) M14 with selector switch up and behind trigger group next to the receiver. You can see the wooden notch for the "go fast" switch".

Semi Auto M1A

20 posted on 11/14/2014 7:11:55 AM PST by DCBryan1 (No realli, moose bytes can be quite nasti!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson