M14 Forum

Seventh Fleet

I made three tours to Vietnam between 62-66 and my ship the USS Rainier AE-5 (ammo ship) that I served on, had M-1 Garands, Thompsons, BAR's, shotguns and 1911A-1s. The Marines we had contact over there most of the time, had M-14's.

The M-16 was still quite new and they were having lots of issues with jamming at that time. I was an RM-2 (E-5) radioman and I remember seeing many secret messages from MACV to the higher ups back in DC about the M-16 and the problems with it. We got back home from our last tour in Feb 66 and I got out in Aug 66, came home and became a cop.

7th

CE1371

I love the M14 because for me it represents an old Corps and an old attitude that I hold ideal. I really wish I could have got my hands on one during my last deployment because many of our engagements in Afghanistan were relatively long range.

As far as the M16 and its variants go, it has its place and its own capabilities which shouldn't be downplayed. Yes, it had some teething problems but it has really come into its own and has proven itself in combat in both OIF and OEF. The new 7.62 versions of the M16 family are more accurate and flexible with regards to mounting optics and other accessories than the m14.

The M14 is a man's rifle, the last of the old wood and steel. Time keeps moving though and there are new and better 7.62 options out there whether anyone wants to admit it or not. That being said, the M14 will always be my favorite.

XUSNORDIE

I never handled a M14 until I was assigned to Station Weapons Range/Armory Division as a Small Arm Instructor. Even in the 80's it was standard issue in the Navy. Until then I only saw it in movies/books. When I went through Boot Camp we only qualed on 1911 pistols. I always had a thing for the Garand, even the "drill" peices we lugged around in Boot Camp appealed to me. My first time in the Armory I immediately went to the M14 rack and fondled one. Upon arrival at Weaps I had to qual on all "watchstanding" weapons...we had M16's, but it was only the M14, 1911, and 12GA that were issued for watchstanding. I loved the "thump" of the 14! You felt like you were shooting something! I attended SAMI (Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor) school shortly after. There you qualed on pretty much everything in the Navy arsenal aside from SPECWAR toys. We fired an incredible amount of rounds through both the M16 and M14......still, I preferred the M14. It fit me better as I was a 6' 5" 235lb "gung ho....Hoo Yah....If You Aint Ordnance You Aint Sh*t" sailor type back then. The M16, and through my tour I fired them quite a bit, were "fun" to plink with but always seemed tiny to me....when I went through a course to be certified as a Deadly Force Instructor I made a mental note in class "note to self....If need be I can handle my own with the 16....but I hope I have a 14 if SHTF!".....I was already dedicated to the 14....and then one day we received from CRANE Surface Warfare three rifles....M21 Sniper Kits!....I was in heaven! Along with soon to be Designated Marksmans for base ASF, we got to qual on them! Talk about fun! One of the courses of fire was shooting a lif size "head" target through a glass window. I couldn't imagine doing that with a 22cal M16.....that 7.62 NATO gives you a feeling of confidence in certain situations that the 5.56 may have you wondering about until the moment comes.....you already know with the M14 even before you touch off that trigger!

Swamp Rat

It's American

It's steel and wood.

It works dirty.

Even though I liked my M4 and my .308 AR, they just don't give me that...I don't know what to call it, but you can feel it like when you hold an M1, an 03 Springfield, an Krag/Lee Navy, and on back.

gregaba

Hi
I was in nam from 66 to 69. I saw the worthlessness of the m-16. I carried the M-14 and saved myself and many of my platoon member's who had the m-16.
The 14 was robust and no matter how dirty it got on opt's it never jammed. The only time I had to force the bolt into lock was when I was slammed into the sand buy a rocket and filled the reciever with sand and dirt. I forced it closed and it fired just like new.
We were ambushed one night by a nva battalion and when the M-60's were knocked out I went to each position in order and used my 14 on full auto to fool the nva into thinking the m-60's were still up. I had the guy's reload my clip's from the belted 60 ammo. Can't do that with a m-16.
After the firefight a lot of the other guy's traded in their 16's for 14's.
I can tell you a lot of story's of the problem's of the 16 but don't want to take up the room.
I personally believe the 16 killed as many American's as the ak 47. The M-14 was a long range accurate rifle unequaled be any other weapon in the miltary at that time including the M-1 and the BAR which were fine weapon's

BoolitSchuuter

...Because I trust it with my life.

jens5

Because I trained with it,named it,slept with it. As was aptly said a couple of posts, it represents to me, the old Corp. The last great wood & steel battle rifle.

MJ1

The power and the range to hit them way out there when they thought they were safe,,LOL

M14E2

I'll simply say that those of us 'good ol' boys' who grew up with guns and had experience with REAL RIFLES prior to enlisting , whether as hunters or plinkers , could bond with the wood & steel M-14. I fired several US battle rifles , Krags , -03s , Garands , M-1 Carbines , as well as other sporting rifles and shotguns , prior to enlisting. The M-14 felt like an old friend. The M-16 felt like , a toy!

And I still can't stand that SPROINNGGG of the recoil buffer and spring!

gunnerm1a

I carried one from my 1st ship, the USS Kawishiwi (AO146), in NAVFac Eleuthera, BA, NAVSTA Gitmo, (2 years as Range Master and SAMI), and managed to have one in all the rest of my Duty Stations except the last two. Recruiting and Samuel Gompers (AKA: the Love Boat). I took a Clintion Early "retirement" (VSI) and went into law enforcement. I built my 1st M1A while I was on Active duty and still have it. That M1A is in a locked ready rack in my patrol car as my primary Patrol Rifle. I have had it longer than I was married and it never cheated or failed me.

From tracking escaped cons to road blocks the M1A/M14 is my 1st choice.

I do carry a "M4agary" for in door and in town situations where a little more than a pistol is needed, but ranges are close and over penetration is a factor.

jordanvraptor

Because they wouldn't let me put a scope on my 240 bravo... :)

Seriously though, range, power and accuracy. I definitely hated carrying it at times, but I loved it because it was mine.

jens5

[QUOTE=Swamp Rat;732006]It's American

It's steel and wood.

It works dirty.


What Swamp rat said

Grumbler

When I went into Basic in April of '68 at Ft. Benning GA we were issued the M14. A lot of us were disappointed that we had not received the M16. After my first day on the range I fell in love with the M14. Wood & Steel, accuracy, chemistry or whatever. After we talked to several of the DI's, who had been in Nam, hardly any of us wanted the M16. As a matter of fact we use to say of the M16 "You Can Tell It’s Mattel… It’s Swell!” After 40 years I finally bought an M1A SAI and couldn't be more happy. Love is sometimes hard to explain!

Gus Fisher

I was issued an M14 in boot camp in 1971, just 6 days after my 18th birthday. I grew up hunting with shotguns or .22 rifles or pistols, not high power rifles. However, the priciples of marksmanship are the same. Heck, I had never shot at 200 yards and was initially amazed how well you could hit at that range with the M14 offhand.

In the short time we went in and destroyed a CIA base in Cambodia, I was armed with a .45 auto and a M870 shotgun because I was the Armorer.

Over the next few years after boot camp, I alternated qualifying between the M14 and the M16A1. Shot expert with both of them every time, but found it harder to shoot well offhand with the skinny/lightweight M16A1 barrel. I did NOT like what that would have meant in combat. When I tied the All Time Requal Record at Quantico with a 249 out of 250 in 1987, it was with an M16A2, BUT I was a senior Gunnery Sergeant by then with loads more shooting experience and the light and wind conditions that day were as perfect as anyone could pray for when using an M16. The M14 would "shoot through" wind conditions that you had to do more figuring/guessing with when using the M16.

In Somalia, I got with the SEABEE's to LEGALLY temp loan an M14 had the need ever arrived, though it did not. Their Chief made a point of telling his sailors that a Marine Master Sergeant WANTED one of the rifles that some of his younger sailors felt was a bit old fashioned. He KNEW the ability of the M14 to shoot through stuff and when I commented that was part of the reason I wanted one and the other was in that Coastal Desert Environment I was not concerned about the M14 functioning nor shooting through MOST of the "cover" the bad guys could hide behind, he just grinned ear from ear and said that was what he told his Sailors as well.

So though in 26 years of active duty I never fired a shot in anger with an M14, it was ALWAYS my first choice over the M16A1 or A2.

It was in 1974 that retired Lt. Gen. Lew Walt told us that he was the "Stupid SOB" that was responsible for the Corps adopting the M16A1. However, that was NOT what he told Congress. He told them the Corps wanted the M16 for opposed landings and some types of jungle fighting, BUT we wanted to keep the M14 as our Main World Wide Battle Rifle. The idea was we would "task orient" issue the rifle that would be best for the environment we would fight in. However, Congress "heard or took him to say" the Marine Corps wanted the M16A1, so that's why we got stuck with it as our ONLY infantry rifle.

USMC6094

I never carried anything other than an M16A2 while in the Marine Corps. But I grew up to stories of the M14 from my father and the majority of the retired Marines I knew growing up.
I wanted one to own one or the closest thing I could get to it ever since and finally got my first in 2001 before I PCS'd to Japan. Bought it, then had to wait a year to shoot it again.
When I went active duty with the NC ANG in 2008 I tried my best to get my hands on one, but it wasnt meant to be. Most of the guys looked at me funny and wanted to know what an M14 was.