Weapons of Choice

World Net Daily

[Shooter 2.5]

WEAPONS OF CHOICE

300,000 M-14s destined for trash pile
Petition calls on Congress instead to sell guns to help pay for Iraq war
Posted: June 15, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

A petition drive is underway to convince lawmakers to "civilianize" hundreds of thousands of M-14 military battle rifles so they can be legally sold by the government to the general public as a way to pay for the Iraq war.

According to the online petition, "there is a strong demand for an M-14 DCM [Director of Civilian Marksmanship] program, which will curb government waste by providing up to $300-600 million [for] deficit reduction."

"With uncertainty of the price tag of the current war, this will help pay for freedoms we enjoy in this country," says the petition. "With the looming war deficit, our government should not throw away hundreds of millions of dollars by destroying M-14 rifles – some of which are brand new."

The petition, which is being spearheaded by Robert A. Yoder, says as many as 300,000 rifles could wind up in the scrap heap without the government getting any return on its investment.

The DCM program to save the M-14s could work like a similar program involving another venerable military workhorse, the M-1 (Garand) and M-1 carbine series of military rifles.

The DCM sold those through the Civilian Marksmanship Program, a course that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program also offers for sale AR-15-type match rifles, M1917 Enfields, M1903 bolt-action rifles (a former U.S. military weapon) and .22-caliber target rifles at subsidized rates.

"The U.S. Rifle, 7.62 mm, M-14 was the first rifle the U. S. fielded that improved upon the highly regarded U. S. Rifle, Caliber.30, M1 (Garand) and attempted to give U. S. Forces a NATO-standardized weapon," says the online petition. "The M-14 came into active service around 1957 and remained the standard infantry weapon until the official adoption of the M-16 rifle in the late 1960s.

"Like its predecessor, the M-14 is now relegated to ship's arms rooms, ROTC detachments, storage bins in government arsenals and, of late, the demilitarized scrap pile," says the petition.

[Shooter 2.5]

It's on the bang list. Bookmark it.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/involved?group=152

Here's the link for the thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/929539/posts

[Eaker]

;<)

[risk]

Are these legal in California?

[mvpel]

As long as they don't have a pistol grip, bayonet lug, "flash hider," or some other bits and pieces, or if the magazine is permanently affixed to the rifle and can hold 10 rounds or less. And standard-capacity magazines, detachable or no, were banned a year or two ago.

[risk]

So I take it I'd have to have some work done on it by my gunsmith.

[ExSoldier]

"I expect the administrator to kill this thread."

Yep, I posted heavily on the other thread....I won't repeat those gems here. I'd like an M14, but I'll be happy to stay with my ROBAR modified M1A Springfield Armory tackdriver.

[Criminal Number 18F]

"the M-14 is now relegated to ship's arms rooms, ROTC detachments, storage bins in government arsenals and, of late, the demilitarized scrap pile"

Heh. A friend of mine carried one throughout his tour in Afghanistan. He just sent me a picture of me holding it on a rest break on a little mountain hike there. In his group, certain teams are issued two of them. Of course, there are also some M21 and M25 sniper systems in use here and there.

I don't care for the rifle myself, but would support this programme. However, the receivers of the rifles would 100% need to be replaced, because the M14 receiver is selective-fire capable (not that the selective-fire M14 makes any sense; it's uncontrollable in auto fire).

My point is only that the 14 is, like the plague victime in Monty Python's Holy Grail, is "not dead yet!"

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Criminal Number 18F]

Make mine an Harrington & Richardson model, please.

My uncle Dan made those guns. Or did some of the production engineering, at least. When I was a kid he took me in to see the M14s being made, and later the M16s.

H&R lost money on every one. And they missed many of the key points in the contract.

In 1981-82 I carried an "XM16E1" made by H&R while a member of the 10th SF Group. Dan was dead several years by then...

It was my uncles, Dan and Jim, who taught me to love and respect guns, and also high-performance cars. I got the idea of joining the military from them (both vets). The only thing I got from my dad was airplanes (but I got it bad).

I don't know where my other expensive hobby came from: they all died married to their first wives (or are still alive and still married).

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Shooter 2.5]

I think before we can even think about getting these rifles, a stake has to be driven into the heart of the gun grabbers.

If we continue the way we are, I hope that happens in another ten years or less.

[VOA]

bump