What's your experience with the M-14

[Backlighting]

In 1968, as a result of the draft, I found myself in Basic Training @ Ft. Jackson, S.C. It is there that I first encountered the M-14. It's been a long time since but here's what I remember of that training & experience.
The rifle was heavy, especially since we had to force march with it with full backpacks and steel helmets (this was in the S.C. summer). There was no rubber butt plate...just a steel one that let your shoulder know it, after a day at the range. We fired it from various positions: including the prone, seated, standing and the squat. I remember that at the prone position the man-sized targets were far away...I think 300 yards. You could barely see it but you did eventually hit it. No scopes.
The most difficult position by far was the squatting one. I don't remember the distance but I do remember it was difficult to maintain a steady hold.

I've had a dozen or so rifles since then but can say if I were limited to 1 rifle I would choose the M14, perhaps because of my familiarity with it and what I learned it can do.

Of all the things I encountered during Basic, grenade throwing & shooting the M-14 were the most fun.

 

[fkienast]

I used a match conditioned M-14 in the Far Eastern Division matches. Later on Sea Duty, we had the M-14 in the USMC armory for ceremonial duties, and used the Navy ones on occasionally during security alerts. Plus we trained the Navy in it's use and Fam Fire.

 

[michaelt]

I used mine on guard duty on bunker line. 67-68 But going any place or in back seat of bird dog. I had a M-1 carbine 2nd tour 71-72 I had a M-16 but still had a Carbine for flying .

 

[vonn]

Basic at Ft. Knox April 1966. Heavy to hump but hit hard and was very accurate. First big rifle I ever shot,big step up from the .22 single shot I learned on. Have an M1A and still one of my favorites. The military had to bring some back for longer range use in Afghanistan I believe. Had M16's after basic,good rifles but don't have the punch of a 7.62 for sure.

 

[rustythread]

M-14 was my rifle for 3 years. Great battle rifle, and capable of superb accuracy. Never thought of it as "heavy", because the closest comparison I had then was to an M1. Doubt if I could carry one around now for very long, but 50 years ago it was a piece of cake.

 

[REM 3200]

M-14 qualification on KD range:
100 yards - standing off-hand
200 yards - kneeling or squatting
300 yards - sitting
500 yards - prone

 

[Bozz10mm]

In 1968, we trained and qualified in basic with the M14. Two weeks prior to graduation, a "lucky" few were selected for a day of special training with the M16. At that point, they knew where they were headed after training.....Viet Nam baby, Viet Nam.

Basic was the last time I touched an M14. After 6 months of basic, AIT, and jump school, I returned to my NG unit. They had transitioned to M16s. So I was trained on a rifle I would never use, and issued a rifle I was never trained on. I did get to shoot an M1 at the range with my NG unit before I went to basic tho.

 

[ameridaddy]

The M14 was my service rifle, starting at Ft Jackson in Jun, Jul, Aug 1964. I qualified expert with a very worn rifle on a rainy day where we couldn't see any silhouette targets beyond 250 meters. I found a got a very comfortable, consistent spot weld with the iron sights, and when I was later issued a new rifle, it was easy hitting silhouettes with it. After basic, I hit 87 out of 90 targets on a pop-up silhouette course with one to three targets at a time popping up randomly anywhere from 50 to 350 meters. Anywhere within 250 meters, getting a hit was a piece of cake. The silhouettes at 350 were quite a bit more difficult, because with a neck hold, the broad standard front sight covered the silhouette.

I found the recoil and noise not bad at all, an advantage of its 22" barrel and the 9.5 lb empty weight. The rifle gave me confidence that if I could see it, I could hit it. I loved it, and if 308 ammo weren't so expensive, and the rifle now seeming big and too heavy for my arthritic bones, I'd have an M1A with iron sights to blast away every trip to the range.
I also had a chance to qualify with an M1 Garand, M1 carbine and M-16, and in those days, I preferred the M-14 of the four rifles based on range shooting. If i had to hump a ruck and engage in close combat, I think I'd have chosen the M1 carbine at that time. I'd heard about the early M-16 powder jamming problems, but never experienced it.

 

[Dennis]

Marine Boot camp in '71. Qualified high Sharpshooter, (didn't get the coveted Expert badge, darnit). Standing 200 meters slow fire (10 rnds, I believe), then standing to sitting 2 mags, 5 rnds each in 1 minute. Then 300 sitting, 10 rnds slow fire. Then standing to prone 5 and 5 in 1 minute. Than back to the 500 for 10 rnds, prone.
Those Primary Marksmanship Instructors taught this young country boy how to shoot.
We were taught a cheek weld that had your cheek bone touching the knuckle on your thumb. Got pretty sore.
Then my second qual was at Ewa Beach Range on Oahu. I was stationed at Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor. Again, high sharp-shooter.
Next year we learned all about the M-16. Shot Expert every year after that.
I have 2 M1as, now. LOL.
Great rifle.

 

[Drm50]

Did basic at Knox with M16, in first couple basic cycles to train
with it. Went to Bliss for AIT, Auto Weapon MOS. we did all our
shooting up at White Sands. We were trained on M14 as well as
other small arms there. Two things I remember for M14 stories:
We had a instructor put a 14 on his forehead and nose and fire
it. I think it gave him some discomfort, but it was his little trick
to show the recoil wasn't that bad. To me it wasn't bad, but I
started deer hunting at 12, with a old Rem 8, .35cal. Well we
we're getting stuck with pulling guard duty at White Sands on
weekends. One married guy that lived off post bought a 788 Rem
308. So he could get all the free ammo he needed. He snuck it
out on guard duty to play with. He was complaining about the
recoil, when one idiot with us said he was a candy... He would
shoot it off his head and nose. It almost knocked him out, mashed his nose across his face. The other tidbit was shooting
the 14 at the 400yd pop ups. At White Sands it was a little windy
enough that with a 16 you had to hold off the target to hit, with
14 you just held on edge to wind and squeezed off for a hit. When I got to RVn I didn't see many 14s, every one was issued
16s by 1970. There were still a lot of M1&M2 carbines and M3s
floating around at this time.

 

[MCorps0311]

I trained with the M-14 in USMC boot camp, and shot it on the rifle range in 1968.

 

[Darkenfast]

Training on the M-14 in the Navy was my first real rifle experience (mostly a revolver shooter before that). I found it very easy to shoot accurately at slow-to-moderate rates of fire. At a competition with U.K. forces, the speed with which the better teams could shoot their scoped SA80's completely blew us out of the water on the faster events (out to 300 metres, as well!). I assume the current U.S. M-4s would be similar. Still, it was a good rifle in its time, and may hang on as a Designated Marksman platform for awhile.

 

[garyez]

What fun to do IDR! The M-14 was the first rifle I ever saw with a plastic, or was it fiberglass, stock so at first it seemed a light weight. On field stripping it always seemed some unlucky guy would let that heavy recoil spring go flying.

 

[max]

Went trough Basic at Leonard Wood in the Summer of 69 with the 14. Then on to MP school at Ft Gordon and still the 14. I don't remember that we fired the 14 much, if at all there. When 20 of us got out orders for RVN we spent a few hours on the range firing the 16 on full auto. Now that was fun. I saw a few 14's while in RVN. I wish I had one now.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I trained with M14 at Ft. Knox may-June 1965. A buddy enlisted in 1964 for Army OCS and trained M14, went to artillery school and then Nam. When he arrived cadre gave him an M16 and one full mag to empty and he was ready for the bush.

I ended up at a small fort in USA where we qualled with M1 Carbines. I had never seen one and thought they were toy guns. We shot prone at little teeny targets. I think we all made expert.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Went trough Basic at Leonard Wood in the Summer of 69 with the 14.

Max, we definitely crossed paths - I was at Fort Leonard Wood from the July 4th weekend through the end of August, 1969.

As for the M-14.....

It's easier to quote - I'll use Max's words and add some of my own:

In 1969, as a result of joining the USAR, I found myself in Basic Training @ Ft. Leonard Wood,
MO. It is there that I first encountered the M-14. It's been a long time since but here's what I
remember of that training & experience.

The rifle was heavy, especially since we had to force march with it with full backpacks and
steel helmets (this was in the Missouri in the summer).

On the other hand, I really only recall the weight on long marches - otherwise, I so loved that weapon its weight didn't bother me


There was no rubber butt plate...just a steel one that let your shoulder know it, after a day at
the range. We fired it from various positions: including the prone, seated, standing and the
squat. I remember that at the prone position the man-sized targets were far away...I think 300
yards.

I recall having no problem hitting 300 and 350 yard targets once I got the hang of the M-14.

I cannot recall a squatting position.


I've had a dozen or so rifles since then but can say if I were limited to 1 rifle I would choose the
M14, perhaps because of my familiarity with it and what I learned it can do.

I agree - my first personal rifle was a Remington 788 in .308 and I still have that one. It's my go to hunting rifle. But after many years I did acquire a Springfield M1A. It's still wonderful and since full auto was dumb with an M-14 the M1A is just my idea of the perfect rifle.

Of all the things I encountered during Basic, grenade throwing & shooting the M-14 were the most fun.

Grenades didn't do much for me but I LOVED shooting the M-14.

One more thing - I loved the rifle drills and got really good with the M14 - I couldn't spin it in the air like the professionals do but I sure could run it from one side to the other and back again in rapid, fluid form!

 

[max]

I entered the service on 17 July. You were a hardened vet by then.

 

[Muley Gil]

As a Marine midshipman in a Navy/Marine ROTC unit, I drilled with an '03A3. Our rifles had the front sights removed and the ends of the firing pins had been ground off. When we had field exercises, we borrowed M-14s from the Army ROTC.

About 10 years ago I bought a Springfield Amory SOCOM.

 

[Frank237]

I carried a semi auto only version of the M-14 with the MT Hwy Patrol as a Patrol Rifle for a dozen yrs or more. I ALWAYS liked the idea of that guy sitting in the trunk, should I ever truly need some LR fire power.

 

[crsides]

In 69 I trained with the M14 in boot camp. We were suppose to train on the m16, but after 80 guys locked and loaded the auto's for a 3 shot burst, range officer spotted some deer hunters directly down range. The call out helicopters to find them, but never did, so we went back to the barracks. First and last time I ever touched a M16.

That M14 was a nose buster.

Charlie