M14 rifle
| M14 | |
|---|---|
| File:Rifle M14 PE.jpg The M14 rifle | |
| Type | Service rifle |
| Place of origin | United States of America |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1957–present |
| Used by | Estonia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey, Venezuela, United States |
| Wars | Vietnam War–present |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1954 |
| Produced | 1959–1964 |
| No. built | ~1.38 million |
| Variants | M14E1, M14E2/M14A1, M14K, M21, XM25 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) |
| Length | 1,118 mm (44 in) |
| Barrel length | 559 mm (22 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO |
| Caliber | 7.62 mm (.308 in) |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 700–750 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 460 m (500 yd) |
| Feed system | 20-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Aperture rear sight, "barleycorn" front sight |
The M14 rifle (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14) is an American selective fire battle rifle firing 7.62 × 51 mm NATO ammunition. Although largely superseded in military use by the M16 rifle, it remains in limited front line service with the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. The M14 also provides the basis for the M21 and XM25 sniper rifles (not to be confused with the XM25 grenade launcher).
History
The M14 was developed from a long line of experimental weapons based upon the M1 Garand. Although the Garand was one of the most advanced infantry rifles of the 1940s, it was not a perfect weapon. Modifications were beginning to be made to the basic M1 rifle's design since the twilight of the Second World War. Modifications included adding a fully automatic firing capability and replacing the 8-round "en bloc" clips with a detachable box magazine holding 20 rounds. Winchester, Remington, and Springfield Armory's own John Garand offered different conversion designs. Garand's design, the T20, was the most popular, and T20 prototypes served as the basis for a number of Springfield test rifles from 1945 through the early 1950s.
Earle Harvey of Springfield Armory designed a completely different rifle, the T25, for the new .30 Light Rifle cartridge. The latter was based upon .30-06 cartridge case cut down to the length of the .300 Savage cartridge. The .30 Light Rifle eventually evolved into the 7.62 × 51 mm NATO and the commercial .308 Winchester round. In the background, Lloyd Corbett was tasked with developing .30 Light Rifle conversions for the M1 rifle, and later, the T20 prototypes. After a series of prototype designs, the T44 surfaced. The earliest T44 prototypes used the T20 receivers rebarreled for 7.62 mm NATO, and replaced the long operating rod/piston of the M1 with the T25's shorter "gas expansion and cut-off" system. Later T44 prototypes used newly fabricated receivers shorter than either the M1 or T20; the new action's length was matched to the shorter 7.62 mm NATO cartridge instead of the longer .30-06. The T44 competed successfully against the T47 (a modified T25) and the FN FAL (T48). This led to the T44's adoption by the U.S. Military as the M14 in 1957. Springfield Armory began tooling a new production line in 1958 and delivered the first service rifles to the U.S. Army in July, 1959. However, long production delays resulted in the 101st Airborne Division being the Army's only unit fully equipped with the M14 by the end of 1961. The Fleet Marine Force finally completed the change from M1 Garand to M14 in late 1962.
The rifle served adequately during its brief tour of duty in Vietnam. Though it was unwieldy in the thick brush due to its length and weight, the power of the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge allowed it to penetrate cover quite well and reach out to extended range, developing more than 2,400 ft·lbf (3,250 J) of muzzle energy. The weapon also proved to be very reliable and continued to function even under adverse conditions. However, there were several drawbacks to the M14. The traditional wood stock of the rifle had a tendency to swell and expand in the heavy moisture of the jungle, adversly affecting accuracy. Fiberglass stocks were produced to resolve this problem, however, the rifle was discontinued before they could be distributed for field use. Also, because of the M14's powerful 7.62 × 51 mm cartridge, the weapon was virtually uncontrollable in fully automatic mode. The M14 was developed as a means of taking the place of four different weapons systems — the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M3 "Grease Gun" and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). It was thought that in this manner the M14 could simplify the logistical requirements of the troops if it took the place of four weapons. Although it proved to be an impossible task to replace all four, the weapon excelled as a replacement for the M1 rifle, fixing many of the previous rifles shortcomings. The cartridge was too powerful for the SMG role and the weapon was simply too light to provide as a light machine gun replacement for the BAR. The M60 machine gun better served this task.
The M14 remained the primary infantry weapon in Vietnam until replacement by the M16 in 1966–1968. The M16 was ordered as replacement by policy change of Defense Secretary McNamara over the objection of Army officers who had backed the M14. Though production on the M14 was officially discontinued, some disgruntled troops still managed to hang on to them while deriding the M16 as a frail and underpowered "Mattel toy" or "poodle shooter". (The early M16 also suffered from reliability problems which tarnished its reputation long after these were corrected.) The U.S. Army also converted several M14s into the M21 sniper rifle, which remained standard issue for this purpose until the adoption of the M24 SWS. Some M14/M21 were later converted to XM25 sniper rifles for use by special forces.
The M14 is still used as a sniper rifle and/or a designated marksman rifle in many armies, due to its excellent accuracy and effectiveness at long range. The United States Marine Corps still use an updated M14 as their Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) for infantry squads. This rifle has seen duty in both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States Air Force Honor Guard and Base Honor Guards use the M14 for 3-volley salutes in military funerals. Black Hawk Down, the well-known account of the United States' battle in Mogadishu, Somalia records that one of the elite Delta Force soldiers, Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, used an M14 in preference to the much more modern weapons of his colleagues.
Though the M14 still has advocates, it also holds the dubious distinction of serving as the standard infantry rifle of the U.S. Army for a shorter span of time than any other weapon.
M14 production tooling was sold in 1967 to the Taiwanese, who in 1968 began producing their Type 57 Rifle. The State Arsenal of the Republic of China produced approximately 1,000,000 of these rifles from 1969 to the late 1980s.
During the Clinton administration, 479,367 M14 rifles were destroyed by Presidential Executive Order. The BATFE considers the M14 receiver to be a "machine gun".
The commercial, semi-automatic-only version available to the general public is sold by Springfield Armory, Inc. of Geneseo, IL and other manufacturers as the M1A, M14S, and other model names.
Production
Standard service rifles were produced from 1959 to 1964.
- United States Armory, Springfield, MA
- Harrington & Richardson Arms Co., Worcester, MA
- Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. (Winchester-Western Div.), New Haven, CT
- Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Inc.(TRW), Cleveland, OH (considered the highest-quality variant, TRW marked parts often command a premium when they come up for sale)
The purpose-built National Match version was produced in 1962 and 1963 by Springfield Armory, and in 1964 by TRW. Springfield Armory upgraded a number of service rifles in 1965 and 1966 to National Match specifications. Upgrading for 1967 was carried out at U.S. Arsenal, Rock Island, IL. These M14 variants are to this day capable of extreme long-range accuracy.
Springfield and TRW delivered more than 11,000 National Match rifles in the 1962–1964 period. Roughly 8,000 service rifles were modified to NM standards during 1965–1967.
Variants and related designs
M14E1
- The M14E1 was tested with a variety of folding stocks to provide better maneuverability and the like for armored infantry, paratroopers and others.
- No variant was standardized.
M15
- Selective fire, heavy barrel version of the standard M14, intended to replace the BAR as a squad automatic weapon.
- Never issued. The M15 was declared obsolete prior to entering production.
M14E2/M14A1
- Selective fire version of the standard M14 used as a squad automatic weapon.
- Successor to the short-lived M15 rifle. The developmental model was known as the M14E2.
- First designated as M14E2 when it was issued in 1963 and redesignated as M14A1 in 1966.
M14 SMUD
- Stand-off Munition Disruption, used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel to destroy unexploded ordnance.
- Essentially an M14 National Match rifle with scope.
M14K
This variant was designed by La France Specialities of San Diego, California, and produced by Smith Enterprise of Tempe, Arizona. The prototype actually used the M60 machine gun parts for the gas system; however, production models had the system custom-manufactured so the rate of fire could be controlled.
Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR
Shorter, more tactical version of the M14, with a retractable stock and multiple rails for more accessories.
Types of sights
- Rear peep, front blade, metric
- Rear National Match peep with hood, front National Match blade, metric
Rifle design
Receiver markings
Stamped into receiver heel:
- U.S. Rifle
- 7.62-MM M14
- Springfield Armory (or commercial contractor name)
- Serial number
Stock
The M14 rifle was first furnished with a walnut stock, then with birch and finally with a synthetic stock. Original equipment walnut and birch stocks carry the Department of Defense acceptance stamp or cartouche (an arc of three stars above a spread-winged eagle). These stocks also carried a proof stamp, a P within a circle, applied after successful test-firing.
Rifles manufactured through late 1960 were provided with walnut handguards. Thereafter synthetic, slotted (ventilated) hand guards were furnished but proved too fragile for military use. These were replaced by the solid synthetic part still in use, usually in dark brown, black or a camouflage pattern.
Right-hand twist, 1:12 inches, 4 grooves
Accessories
- M6 Bayonet with M8A1 sheath
- Bandoleer
- Sling (M1 web (cotton or nylon) or M1907)
- Cleaning kit
- M5 winter trigger and winter safety
- M12 blank-firing adaptor and breech shield
- stripper clip and stripper clip guide
- M1961 ammunition magazine pocket
- M2 bipod
- M76 grenade launcher
- M15 grenade launcher sight
See also
- List of firearms
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
- M1 Garand
- M21
- M25
- U.S. Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle
- Mini-14
- SOCOM 16
References
- Duff, Scott A, Miller, John M and contributing editor Clark, David C. The M14 Owner's Guide and Match Conditioning Instructions. Scott A. Duff Publications, 1996. ISBN 1-888722-07-X
- Stevens, R. Blake. U.S. Rifle M14 — from John Garand to the M21. Collector Grade Publications, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-88935-110-4
- Murphy, Edward F. The Hill Fights: The First Battle of Khe Sanh. New York: Presidio Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7393-1834-9
- Pisor, Robert L. The End of the Line: The Siege of Khe Sanh. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2002. ISBN 0-393-32269-6
External links
- New-era M14 alleviates reliability issues
- Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide
- Modern Firearms Site
- SurplusRifle.com
- M14 Type Rifles
- M14 Firing Line Forum