M-1/M305 hybrid?

T

tiriaq

Super Moderator
Moderating Team
Rating - 100%
252   0   0
I recall seeing a reference to a rifle made by installing a M305 barrel unit on an M-1 receiver, resulting in a hybrid 7.62 rifle. Front end like a M-14, magazine and action of an M-1.
Just broke down a brand new unfired M305 to get its receiver to replace the receiver in a TRW M-14, and was wondering what can be done with the set of M305 parts.
 
tiriaq said:
I recall seeing a reference to a rifle made by installing a M305 barrel unit on an M-1 receiver, resulting in a hybrid 7.62 rifle. Front end like a M-14, magazine and action of an M-1.
Just broke down a brand new unfired M305 to get its receiver to replace the receiver in a TRW M-14, and was wondering what can be done with the set of M305 parts.
Click to expand...

I think it was a "poor man's" BM59.

Wouldn't you have to do a mag conversion? Don't you lose the feed mechanism actuation when you remove the M1 op-rod?
 
tiriaq said:
I recall seeing a reference to a rifle made by installing a M305 barrel unit on an M-1 receiver, resulting in a hybrid 7.62 rifle. Front end like a M-14, magazine and action of an M-1.
Just broke down a brand new unfired M305 to get its receiver to replace the receiver in a TRW M-14, and was wondering what can be done with the set of M305 parts.
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I've done a number of years ago. I sold off the remaining Norc parts and ended up having some money left over. I then put a heavy Douglas target barrel on and sold off the USGI barrel for almost as much as it cost me to buy the Douglas barrel. In the end, I ended up with a very accurate long range unrestricted M14 with mostly USGI parts (except for the barrel and receiver). The total cost without the ARMS18 mount, rings and scope was just about a wash :D

The top pic is the "new" Norinco/USGI version while the bottom pic show the original TRW M14.

NorincoM14a.jpg


M14_right_side_ATN.jpg
 
The rifle I recall had a M305 front end and a Garand back end. Don't know how the operating systems married together.
These M305 parts are available because all the parts from a 12(3) TRW could be assembled onto the M305 receiver.
I'm just wondering what can be done with these brand new parts, apart from selling them - whether they could be used for some sort of project.
 
Thanks for the link. It is amazing what is out there.
This is something else again - the rifle that I recall still used the M-1 magazine.
 
I am not at all knowledgeable about semis although the M305 and the new shipment of Russian SKS's is making me consider rectifying that. My question is how is the M1/M305 a worthwhile mod over just a plain M305? I know the original M14's were full auto but the M1/M305's can't be can they? Is it just a collector thing having a unrestricted semi auto that looks exactly like a m14?
 
The norinco M14 (aka M14S or M305...they're all the same thing), M1, and M1/M14 hybrids are all semi-auto only.

The original goal of the M1/M14 hybrids was to utilize cheap M14 parts kits when there were no readily available semi-auto only M14 receivers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom