300,000 M-14s destined for trash pile

WorldNet Daily ^ | June 15, 2003

[Mini-14]

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."

 

M-14

"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.

 

M1 Garand

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.

 

M1903 bolt-action rifle

"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.

[muir_redwoods]

We'll probably end up paying $500 bucks a piece to destroy them.

[SJSAMPLE]

I don't know. You know the BATF line; "Once a machinegun, ALWAYS a machinegun."

Just think about all the owners of re-welded M14 receivers, which were supposedly "demilled", who recently faced BATF agents at their doors with orders to seize them (the receivers). I don't see how these are going to be allowed into civilian or non-agency hands. The best we can hope for is to keep them for the Armed Services, who actually WANT these rifles in the inventory.

[Eaker]

I saw a high speed photograph of a .308 being deflected by a playing card.

What was the MOA of deflection?

Eaker

[Byron_the_Aussie]

Some years ago the Aussie government sponsored the BTEC program, a massive aerial cull across the northern part of the country. The aim was to shoot from helicopter hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of unbranded cattle, wild horses, donkeys and buffalo in an attempt to wipe out brucellosis and TB in domestic stock. The program went on for years. The weapon of choice for the shooters (who were able to use any type of rifle they wanted, including other quality ones like SIGs and SLRs) was invariably the M-14. It was selected on the basis of its accuracy, reliability and pointability. That rifle cycles flawlessly when kept clean and has enough weight on the forend hand to keep your sight picture when shooting. It seems very short-sighted to destroy these rifles, disparaging comments made here about it's weight notwithstanding.

[ChadGore]

Re: 300,000 M-14s destined for trash pile

OH THE HUMANITY !!

[MHGinTN]

You're older than I thought!

[Atlas Sneezed]

"I saw a high speed photograph of a .308 being deflected by a playing card."

Sure, but compare to a .223 bullet weighin 1/3 as much, and designed to fragment.

I'd rather stop an attacker before he gets into the range of a typical 200 yard firefight.

[Shooter 2.5]

Since it only showed the card and bullet, I think it was about ten degrees.

[J Jay]

What a damn travesty.

It sure is. Did you sign the petition?

[wardaddy]

BUMP!

[wardaddy]

Me too...and I noticed a number of FReeper's names I recognized.

Good Work.

Wife of Wardaddy.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Weapons of Choice

[Shooter 2.5]

I forgot about the fragmenting part. That's a good point.

[cibco]

Signed bump!

[MHGinTN]

Just signed also. There were only 8394, so far signed on. What a travesty to wasxte the resources which could aid our honorable veterans.

[ExSoldier]

I got my Garand from DCM about ten years ago and it cost me $165.00. How did they send it to me? U.S. Mail.

[Shooter 2.5]

About two years later, they were 225 dollars. A year or two after that, they were at the present day prices. The only good thing today is you can buy almost as many as you want. I really don't know how many Service Grades you can buy in a year but you can buy eight Rack grades and one collector grade in one calender year.

[ExSoldier]

"I'd want a soldier in each platoon armed with a sniper version of the M14."

The sniper version of the M14 is the M21 originally equipped with the ART (Auto Rangefinding Telescope) 3X12 scope and it was a heavy sucker. I had my Springfield Armory M1A upgraded by ROBAR with with an action job and their NP3 coating for the internals as well as their ROGUARD (Black) on all external parts and I mounted a Harris bipod and Shepherd rangefinding scope and it STILL doesn't weigh what an M21 did. Finally, my buddy, a former SEAL sniper worked his magic at the range and helped me zero and "set" the barrel as he put it. Anyway it's a 500 meter tackdriver. Funny thing, the aiming circles on the Shepherd scope are for an 18 inch diameter and set for a specific bullet weight (I chose 168 gr Federal Boattail MATCH) and they say it's the diameter of a Deer's shoulder area....it also happens to approximate the area of a man's chest. Hmmmmm.

[Squantos]

read later bump...........Stay Safe

[Sparta]

If the Feds want to get rid of M-14s, I'll be happy to take one off their hands.