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I have a friend who was in the Marines in Vietnam when the Marine Corps came around to collect the M14s and replace them with M16s.

This guy was, and is, a crack shot, and a major gun nut, and he hid out on an island for several weeks trying to avoid the confiscation, but they eventually got his M14 - and he's still mad as hell about it, 35 years later.

It's funny, he just recently asked me to look into whether he can get an M14 or M1A from the DCM... I guess I'd better get on it.

However, from the stories he tells about the phenomenal accuracy of the M14 he had - he was able to make head shots at 300 or 400 yards with it - I told him that he must have lucked out and gotten a phenomenally accurate one (it does happen...) and that he'd probably have to get a match gun in order to not be disappointed in the one he gets now. But you can match accurize the standard-issue gun... (the military issues a good manual on how to do it - not something for amateurs, but you can do it...).

(For anyone who thinks he's exaggerating about the accuracy of the weapon, I doubt it... this is a guy who got the Navy Cross for dragging a crew out of a burning helicopter - I don't think he'd exaggerate about his weapon...)

I have fired many and own two examples of the AR-15/M-16 family.

Recently picked up an M1A (semi M-14) Your friend is right, these things are awesome, just playing around at the range, firing quickly (about one shot every five seconds) I was dinging the 200yd plate about 80%-90% of the time with OPEN SIGHTS.

With a little practice and a scope 600yds hits should be easy.

i went through cadet basic training at west point using an M14. We also used them for parades while i was there...they probably still use them. It is a very heavy and sturdy rifle. I remember rifle runs with bayonets fixed...man, talk about feeling like a badass. Then we had bayonet training using M14s. If you have to have hand to hand combat, i'd go for the M14 over the M16...if you butt stroke someone with the M14, they will surely remember.

After i graduated and went to infantry units, we used M16's of course. They are much lighter, but also, in my opinion, not as rugged as the venerable M14. The thing about M16's is some can be decently accurate (say out to 300 m), but in my experience, about 50% in my armsroom really had to be tinkered with before they could acheive decent accuracy. I've fired many that were not accurate. The sights on the M16A1 I always thought should have a better design.

One Saturday i took my wife out to a range on post to teach her how to handle a 9mm (POW-privately owned weapon). The marksmanship team happened to be firing on the same range and they had an M14. They asked me if I wanted to try it out. I said sure. I picked it up and damned if i didn't nail the 10 ring at 300 meters on the 1st shot. This rifle really impressed me. I've wanted to buy one every since then, but can't afford it. A classmate from wp once showed me the website where vets can order one, but they are still very expensive (around $1500-$2500 as I recall) and I can't afford one. Based upon this one experience though, i suspect with a good M14, someone could make accurate shots out to 1000 m, an impossible feat with an M16.

Just compare the sights on both weapons. The M14 sights are much better for accuracy and ease of adjustment. The M14 is the best rifle i ever handled. My two cents.