M14 safety only works when rifle is cocked?

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BioPace

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Hey all, just picked up my M14 from the post office, and i noticed that the safety only engages when the rifle is cocked and ready to fire. Once engaged the safety is nice and positive and does not allow the rifle to fire.

Is this correct - that the safety only engages when the rifle is cocked?

Apologies for this seemingly obvious question, i couldn't find an answer searching.

:rockOn:
 
Hey Bio,
I just picked mine up at about the same time...and had the same question.
Yes, that is perfectly normal.
 
yes, same deal as with the garand- your field manual is fm23-8
you MUST #### it first BEFORE engaging the safety-it's also in one of those 'comic" pamphlets that they handed out with your issued m14- to do otherwise breaks the safety ; and some gomers have done that-all it takes is once, and you REALLY have to reef to do it
 
IIRC John Garand designed the safety that way to not only act as a safety, but as a loaded chamber indicator (if the safety can be applied, the rifle is cocked and most likely a round is chambered) for the Garand. It was just carried over to the M-14 rifle design.
 
w squared said:
And same as the AR family.
Click to expand...

Yes and No, The US military had AR15/M16/M4 etc.. that would allow the safety to be engaged regardless of a cocked hammer or not.

But obviously the C7/C8s up here have to be cocked before the safety could be engaged. Its a nice little tool for those "space cadet" troops who can't remember if the chambered a round or not. :)
 
Almost every gun with a manual safety will require the hammer to be cocked for it to be placed on safe.

Stop worrying and go put rounds down range!
 
BurnabySoldier said:
Yes and No, The US military had AR15/M16/M4 etc.. that would allow the safety to be engaged regardless of a cocked hammer or not.
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Err....

That doesn't sound right to me. I've NEVER handled any "Stoner Armalite Pattern" rifle that could engage the safety on a relaxed hammer. I'm not saying they don't exist...but I don't think they've been put in service like that. Canadian C-7's, American M-16A1's, AR-15's that I've handled...none that I remember could ever engage the safety unless the hammer was cocked.

In fact I seem to recall a discussion about this among mostly American military members (current and former) and they too mentioned the hammer needs to be cocked, as an easy chamber indicator.

AFAIK, the C-7 did not have any part of the trigger mechanism re-designed, I believe it's an "off the shelf" M-16A1 trigger mechanism parts.
 
RickR1100 said:
Err....

That doesn't sound right to me. I've NEVER handled any "Stoner Armalite Pattern" rifle that could engage the safety on a relaxed hammer. I'm not saying they don't exist...but I don't think they've been put in service like that. Canadian C-7's, American M-16A1's, AR-15's that I've handled...none that I remember could ever engage the safety unless the hammer was cocked.

In fact I seem to recall a discussion about this among mostly American military members (current and former) and they too mentioned the hammer needs to be cocked, as an easy chamber indicator.

AFAIK, the C-7 did not have any part of the trigger mechanism re-designed, I believe it's an "off the shelf" M-16A1 trigger mechanism parts.
Click to expand...

A US Marine let me fondle his weapon a while back. The selector had Safe, Single, and 3rd Burst, and the selector it self was free to swing both ways :) without being cocked.
 
BurnabySoldier said:
A US Marine let me fondle his weapon a while back. The selector had Safe, Single, and 3rd Burst, and the selector it self was free to swing both ways :) without being cocked.
Click to expand...

Must have been broken. All the M16A3 weapons I handled in the U.S. Navy had to be cocked to put the safety on. The M16A3 was a Safe-Semi-Full Auto weapon.

My two AR's are the same way. My three Garands, 1911 same. :confused:
 
Well FML, i should never have asked.

Not only have i unleashed an internet argument about rifle safeties, but my safety has stopped f***ing working.
 
u.s. weapons m1, m14 and m16 family require you to #### the weapon to load/put on safe. it is the design.

regarding the m16 type rifle, the hammer has to be down to allow the bolt to pass over it to the rear when fired. the buffer and spring then sends the bolt forward, over top of the hammer cocking the weapon again. if the rifle is not cocked first the bolt can not go back, the hammer will be in its path. the seletor works in cojunction with the position of the hammer (hammer down, selector can move to safe).

that is were the u.s. military (army?) term, "lock and load" comes from...

- #### the weapon
- put on safe
- load magazine

so it is 100% natural and kosher regarding your safety.

as far as any u.s. milatary m16 family weapon being able to apply the safety with out cocking isn't true (burnaby soldier). unless it was n/s. i've worked a lot with the u.s. army. 3rd armoured, 10th mnt and 82nd abn. i have had ample hands on with m16a1 and a2 none of them would allow the safety to be ingaged with out cocking first. it goes against the design. also (burnaby soldier) the c7 family is the same design as a m16 family. although full auto (u.s. a1 auto, a2 3 round burst), heavier barrel and a1 upper. probably missing a few things. has nothing to do with what you elude to, as lack of training of canadian soldiers.

but take what i'm saying and add $1.35 and you may get a coffee at tim's.

please cut me some slack on terms and such. i'm going by memory and that aint so sharp all the time lol.
 
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Well thanks for clearing that up.

BTW i'm even more of an idiot than i thought. I just wasn't pushing hard enough, worrying about damaging the safety as mentioned above somewhere.

Gave the gun to the wife and she safed it and asked what i was on about....
 
Oh, yea, the safety IS quite stiff when new, at least my M305 was when I first got it. I "worked" it a whole bunch, it's way better now, but it's still kinda stiff even now. And I'm ok with that...better than a "loose" safety that might unstick itself with a modest bump!
 
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