With renewed interest in the M14 due to its increasing employment in Afghanistan, I thought I'd post this information from a forthcoming article on the rifle that I authored. I first encountered the M14 in 1963 when I was in the service. I liked it then, and I still do. Hope you like the information contained here!
John
The U.S. M14 rifle, a product-improved select-fire development of John Garand’s famous M1 rifle, was designed to replace the M1, the M1 carbine, the M1918 Browning automatic rifle, and the M3 and M3A1 submachine guns. Adopted in 1957, it failed in its full-auto mode, proving virtually uncontrollable, but when fired semiautomatically, it showed itself to be as fine a full-power battle rifle as could be had. Although the M16 series of 5.56mm rifles and carbines have become standard in our service, existing stocks of 7.62mm M14s are still in demand by our military where decisive longer-range firepower is required. Many in our armed forces think the M14 should be resurrected and returned to standard front-line service where target distances are routinely in excess of 200 yards. Powerful, reliable, accurate and robust, the M14 is still a classic and useful battle rifle.
Towards the end of World War II, perceived deficiencies in the M1 rifle began to be addressed by the U.S. Army’s research and development department at the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. While the M1’s en-bloc clip holding 8 rounds worked reliably and ensured that the weight of the rifle could be kept within reasonable bounds, more ammunition capacity was seen as desirable. Winchester, Remington, and John Garand all offered conversion designs. A shorter, lighter version of the standard .30-06 cartridge was developed, originally based on the .300 Savage round. Dubbed the 7.62x51mm (civilian version .308 Winchester) cartridge, it permitted a 20-round detachable magazine to be employed, with ballistics comparable to the .30-06. Garand’s T(Test)20 design showed promise. A new gas system was developed from Earle Harvey’s T25 submission, which replaced the long operating rod/piston of the M1 with a gas expansion and cut-off design. It propelled a piston under the barrel a brief distance to strike and activate the much shorter operating rod. The melded designs resulted in the final T44 prototype. It retained the rotating bolt, trigger mechanism and sights of the M1, assuring easier transition to the new rifle by those used to the M1. A slotted flash suppressor was added to the lighter-weight barrel. A trip lever was actuated by the operating rod when in full-auto mode to release the hammer as the bolt closed as long as the trigger was depressed, and a selector switch was employed on the right rear of the receiver. The T44, after competition with other designs, including the T48 FN FAL, was adopted in 1957 as the U.S. Rifle, 7.62mm, M14. The 7.62x51mm cartridge was subsequently adopted by other Western nations and became designated as the 7.62mm NATO.
The new rifle was equipped with a hinged butt plate which was to give support in the prone position during full-auto fire. It also had a bayonet lug accepting a ringed M6 bayonet based on the Garand’s M5 and M5A1 bayonets. The gas bleed from the barrel incorporated a rotating gas cutoff valve which would allow rifle grenade launching. The first rifles in production used a solid wood handguard which proved unsatisfactory, as excessive heat from the barrel caused charring and smoking. A replacement slotted plastic handguard also gave problems, allowing heat waves to rise through the slots and interfere with sighting. The final design was a non-slotted plastic handguard which proved much better. Fiberglass stocks were issued late in production to replace the first walnut or birch types which tended to expand in the moisture-laden jungles of Vietnam. An M15 version was produced which was equipped with a heavy barrel and stock and a bipod in an attempt to control full-auto fire when used as a squad automatic rifle. As it turned out, the standard-barreled M14 could do as well in this role, and a somewhat modified version with a wood pistol grip stock, muzzle compensator and metal foregrip served as the M14A1. It too was virtually uncontrollable in full-auto fire. Most selector switches on standard issue weapons were replaced with unit-installed lockout knobs that would not allow full auto fire.
Although the M14 was standardized in 1957, it took a while for the new weapon to be issued to the armed services. The first rifles were delivered by Springfield Armory in July 1959. The 101st Airborne Division was the only unit in the Army that had a full complement of M14s, and that was at the end of 1961. The Fleet Marine Force finalized their changeover in late 1962. I personally recall that my Army unit was not issued M14s until sometime in 1963. Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge (TRW), Harrington and Richardson and Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation (Winchester-Western Division) also began producing the M14 for issue. National Match M14s were built for rifle competition. These proved to be exceptionally accurate arms. Records indicate that 1.38 million M14s were procured for an average unit cost of $104. Production ceased and Springfield Armory was ordered closed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1968. Production equipment was sold to Taiwan, where the Type 57 rifle has been produced for the armed forces there. The 5.56mm M16 rifle began to be phased in as the “Standard A” rifle for our armed forces, relegating the M14 to limited standard status. The Army converted some M14s into the scoped M21 sniper rifle. These were our standard sniper weapons until 1988. Some are still in service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they continue to be quite effective. Navy Seals used scoped M14s in a recent Somali pirate incident to take out the bad guys with precision shooting. Standard and scope-modified M14s continue to be used as designated marksman rifles by our combat arms. The U.S. Marine Corps has developed its Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), an accuracy-modified M14, for use by security teams and scout snipers. The Marine rifle team uses M14s in competition.
The M14 acquitted itself well in Vietnam, where many servicemen remember it fondly and preferred it for its reliability and power over any other weapon. While a bit heavy and unwieldy in the brush, it had the power to penetrate foliage and inflict decisive damage on the enemy.
Civilian versions of the M14 made as semiauto only have been produced by many commercial manufacturers and are currently available. The rifle illustrated was made by AR Sales, an early provider of these rifles, as the Mark IV in 1969. Other than the receiver, it’s equipped with all GI parts including a match barrel and an issue fiberglass stock. The most notable producer in recent years has been the modern commercial Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Illinois. Their standard rifle is called the M1A, and it’s used prolifically in rifle matches across the U.S. China has also made semiauto M14 rifles, and a large number of these have been imported into the U.S. Reportedly, Philippine rebels are using many of these Chinese-made weapons.
Although the M16A2 rifle and the M4 carbine are now standard issue, existing stocks of M14 rifles are portioned out regularly by our armed services when power, accuracy and extended range are found desirable. Semiauto M14s are also hard to beat as civilian defense arms, and many thousands of them have been bought as collector’s items. A lot of Vietnam combat veterans still swear by the old ’14. As our last true full-power battle rifle, it’s an enduring classic that still finds useful employment in armed conflict, on rifle ranges, and in hunting fields.
John
The U.S. M14 rifle, a product-improved select-fire development of John Garand’s famous M1 rifle, was designed to replace the M1, the M1 carbine, the M1918 Browning automatic rifle, and the M3 and M3A1 submachine guns. Adopted in 1957, it failed in its full-auto mode, proving virtually uncontrollable, but when fired semiautomatically, it showed itself to be as fine a full-power battle rifle as could be had. Although the M16 series of 5.56mm rifles and carbines have become standard in our service, existing stocks of 7.62mm M14s are still in demand by our military where decisive longer-range firepower is required. Many in our armed forces think the M14 should be resurrected and returned to standard front-line service where target distances are routinely in excess of 200 yards. Powerful, reliable, accurate and robust, the M14 is still a classic and useful battle rifle.
Towards the end of World War II, perceived deficiencies in the M1 rifle began to be addressed by the U.S. Army’s research and development department at the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. While the M1’s en-bloc clip holding 8 rounds worked reliably and ensured that the weight of the rifle could be kept within reasonable bounds, more ammunition capacity was seen as desirable. Winchester, Remington, and John Garand all offered conversion designs. A shorter, lighter version of the standard .30-06 cartridge was developed, originally based on the .300 Savage round. Dubbed the 7.62x51mm (civilian version .308 Winchester) cartridge, it permitted a 20-round detachable magazine to be employed, with ballistics comparable to the .30-06. Garand’s T(Test)20 design showed promise. A new gas system was developed from Earle Harvey’s T25 submission, which replaced the long operating rod/piston of the M1 with a gas expansion and cut-off design. It propelled a piston under the barrel a brief distance to strike and activate the much shorter operating rod. The melded designs resulted in the final T44 prototype. It retained the rotating bolt, trigger mechanism and sights of the M1, assuring easier transition to the new rifle by those used to the M1. A slotted flash suppressor was added to the lighter-weight barrel. A trip lever was actuated by the operating rod when in full-auto mode to release the hammer as the bolt closed as long as the trigger was depressed, and a selector switch was employed on the right rear of the receiver. The T44, after competition with other designs, including the T48 FN FAL, was adopted in 1957 as the U.S. Rifle, 7.62mm, M14. The 7.62x51mm cartridge was subsequently adopted by other Western nations and became designated as the 7.62mm NATO.
The new rifle was equipped with a hinged butt plate which was to give support in the prone position during full-auto fire. It also had a bayonet lug accepting a ringed M6 bayonet based on the Garand’s M5 and M5A1 bayonets. The gas bleed from the barrel incorporated a rotating gas cutoff valve which would allow rifle grenade launching. The first rifles in production used a solid wood handguard which proved unsatisfactory, as excessive heat from the barrel caused charring and smoking. A replacement slotted plastic handguard also gave problems, allowing heat waves to rise through the slots and interfere with sighting. The final design was a non-slotted plastic handguard which proved much better. Fiberglass stocks were issued late in production to replace the first walnut or birch types which tended to expand in the moisture-laden jungles of Vietnam. An M15 version was produced which was equipped with a heavy barrel and stock and a bipod in an attempt to control full-auto fire when used as a squad automatic rifle. As it turned out, the standard-barreled M14 could do as well in this role, and a somewhat modified version with a wood pistol grip stock, muzzle compensator and metal foregrip served as the M14A1. It too was virtually uncontrollable in full-auto fire. Most selector switches on standard issue weapons were replaced with unit-installed lockout knobs that would not allow full auto fire.
Although the M14 was standardized in 1957, it took a while for the new weapon to be issued to the armed services. The first rifles were delivered by Springfield Armory in July 1959. The 101st Airborne Division was the only unit in the Army that had a full complement of M14s, and that was at the end of 1961. The Fleet Marine Force finalized their changeover in late 1962. I personally recall that my Army unit was not issued M14s until sometime in 1963. Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge (TRW), Harrington and Richardson and Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation (Winchester-Western Division) also began producing the M14 for issue. National Match M14s were built for rifle competition. These proved to be exceptionally accurate arms. Records indicate that 1.38 million M14s were procured for an average unit cost of $104. Production ceased and Springfield Armory was ordered closed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1968. Production equipment was sold to Taiwan, where the Type 57 rifle has been produced for the armed forces there. The 5.56mm M16 rifle began to be phased in as the “Standard A” rifle for our armed forces, relegating the M14 to limited standard status. The Army converted some M14s into the scoped M21 sniper rifle. These were our standard sniper weapons until 1988. Some are still in service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they continue to be quite effective. Navy Seals used scoped M14s in a recent Somali pirate incident to take out the bad guys with precision shooting. Standard and scope-modified M14s continue to be used as designated marksman rifles by our combat arms. The U.S. Marine Corps has developed its Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), an accuracy-modified M14, for use by security teams and scout snipers. The Marine rifle team uses M14s in competition.
The M14 acquitted itself well in Vietnam, where many servicemen remember it fondly and preferred it for its reliability and power over any other weapon. While a bit heavy and unwieldy in the brush, it had the power to penetrate foliage and inflict decisive damage on the enemy.
Civilian versions of the M14 made as semiauto only have been produced by many commercial manufacturers and are currently available. The rifle illustrated was made by AR Sales, an early provider of these rifles, as the Mark IV in 1969. Other than the receiver, it’s equipped with all GI parts including a match barrel and an issue fiberglass stock. The most notable producer in recent years has been the modern commercial Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Illinois. Their standard rifle is called the M1A, and it’s used prolifically in rifle matches across the U.S. China has also made semiauto M14 rifles, and a large number of these have been imported into the U.S. Reportedly, Philippine rebels are using many of these Chinese-made weapons.
Although the M16A2 rifle and the M4 carbine are now standard issue, existing stocks of M14 rifles are portioned out regularly by our armed services when power, accuracy and extended range are found desirable. Semiauto M14s are also hard to beat as civilian defense arms, and many thousands of them have been bought as collector’s items. A lot of Vietnam combat veterans still swear by the old ’14. As our last true full-power battle rifle, it’s an enduring classic that still finds useful employment in armed conflict, on rifle ranges, and in hunting fields.
