M14 Sporter

[yonderin]

Know of one that is marked as such on heel as well as C.A.I. (Century Arms?) St Albans VT. Suspect it is Norc but might be Polytech?

Owner is curious as to quality and potential value? All that is known is that it is mid-90s at latest.

Thanks.

 

[lerch641]

Mine is just marked M14 and when I got the lotto numbers checked it was from '94.

 

[notsorichguy]

Norc=Polytech

Polytech=Norc

Sounds like a pre-2007 import to me....

 

[1-trident-1]

other than marketing, what makes it a sporter?

 

[45ACPKING]

other than marketing, what makes it a sporter?

just marketing
these rifles were originally imported as "sporting rifles" , ie: target shooting and hunting markets
To the OP , 2007 and older rifles aren't worth more and the heel stamp is nothing more than nostalgia to a collector of these rifles.
Those of us who build these rifles or have in the past..... we seek the 2007 and older rifles simply for their receivers not because rifles 2007 and older were somehow built better. Chinese quality control has been crappy the M14s/M305 whole existence , norinco or polytech….. it's all the same, same, same. BUT it is widely accepted by many knowledged and experienced M14 smiths who have taken the gauges, tools and heat treat testing to those receivers and they are deemed to be "on par" with their USGI counterparts. The same can not be said for anything imported after 2009.
After 2007 we were warned by John at marstar that the Chinese assembly lines were nearing the bottom of the decent parts bins.
It's my belief from seeing dozens of not a couple hundred rifles across my bench after 2007 that I was seeing that Jon was right..... and I made my exit from working on these rifles as a business as I wanted nothing to do with what was imported by most importers after 2007. I evn had the opportunity to purchase at discount, many warrant return rifles to pick thru for serviceable parts so I really got an indepth view into the 2009 thru 2014 imports and the issues they were arriving on our shores with.
I've spread the advice and gleanings from my experience but a lot of folks did not and still don't want to hear it.

OP, your friend's rifle is no different than any other 2007 and older, there is nothing that makes it more valuable and if it is in excellent condition with a low round count and it's issued accessories a fair value would be around 750.00 or less.

 

[BattleRife]

Know of one that is marked as such on heel as well as C.A.I. (Century Arms?) St Albans VT. Suspect it is Norc but might be Polytech?

Owner is curious as to quality and potential value? All that is known is that it is mid-90s at latest.

Thanks.

Unfortunately the internet seems to have forgotten that quality on the Chinese M14s was pretty steady once they got the pattern right in the mid 90s until they started to run out of good parts around 2010 or so. Thus the 2007 batch is considered a benchmark and given what little premium is out there, when the reality is 2007 was actually close to the tail end of the good ones. The one thing the 07 and 09 batches have really going for them is they are clearly stampled "2007" and "2009", making them easy to recognize.

Generally an unmodified Chinese M14 is worth about $550. With a 90's import you have to scrutinize it to see if there is anything that might bring the value down: blue finish in lieu of parkerizing, lack of a scope mount point on the left side, faux muzzle device without any slots. If none of these types of oddities is present, you should be able to ask the going rate.