M14--why???

timberhunter said:
Back to the fellow with the $450 offer :bsFlag: :bangHead:
You'll be looking long and hard to find one for that price. Or find any for sale these days for that fact. They go up for sale and are gone in minutes.
Click to expand...

I think in regards to price people are referring to them as from Marstar where when available they are at $399. So don't take offence.
 
I take no offence because I also know what they can be had for, so it's not bull####. I have three in the lockup at the moment with seven more on the way. An offer is just that, $450 is an offered starting point. TH is free to PM and discuss and dicker if he chooses. I can, and do get them cheaper. I wouldn't normally offer that much for the base model. I was just being thoughtful and didn't want him to take to much of a bath on it, given what he paid, if he decided to sell. It's really no skin off my nose. Getting upset doesn't help either side. ;)
 
I had one. Shot about 50 rounds through it then it sat in the closet. I ended up selling it for what I paid for it so I was happy. If I need any semi auto rifle shooting I would pull out my SKS (which has shot only about 200 rounds, nothing in the last four years).

My lever action rifle gets all the use. That's because I use it for cowboy action shooting. If you don't compete or have a practical use for a gun then they all can get less exciting as time goes on.
 
Back to the M14/M-305, I have to confess that I like it's history as a derivative of the Garand, it's practicality as a hunting rifle especially now that I reload 150gr .308 starting loads for it, and its looks now that I've put mine into USGI fiberglass stocks. With luck I'll one day use them for Service Rifle shoots, even if I'm in it more for the fun than competition.

I will have to tweak my rifles still, as the timing on them leads to their requiring some pretty extreme sight adjustments and I haven't yet sighted-in the scope that I've placed on one of them. Actually, neither of my 3 rifles have seen much use yet, and my older $230 Norc kit gun still needs some tweaking just to get her feeding right. Luckily I have ammo ready to familiarize myself with them and I'll probably sort out the tweaking before I get my commercial Husqvarnas bedded, which happen to be my latest passion. There's a time for old bolt-guns and a time for M14 derivatives. With the future availability of the Norcs being uncertain, I would suggest holding onto it in case your interest for them grows later when they are no longer offered. You'll probably also get more money for the rifle if you still don't feel for it, so there isn't much to lose by holding onto it a bit longer.

Regards,

Frank
 
My buddy just came back to Toronto from Iraq and he told me that both snipers in his recon unit use M14's over M24's because they like em better.

And those guys are shooting on two way ranges.....;)
 
No offence taken here either. Its a simple supply demand problem. If marstar had them readily available I would have bought from them, or if anyone had one sitting on the shelf. Thats one thing about the internet. We all have friends looking for rifles and we always are on the lookout for our friends. So they don't last long any where.

Again back to shooting long ranges, if I had the space to stretch out past 200 yards, I'd definately be looking to make it into a sniper rifle. But it will also serve as a deadly 100 yard turkey (siloet) shooting rifle, iron sighted.

Actually reading all these responces and ideas is getting the mind turning. All I really wanted was a rifle I could go out and blast away with and not reload for, unless I choose to. I reload around 10 different calibers now. With most of my time taken with family, my little girl is three now and more demanding of my time everyday, reloading time is cut short. A gun I can grab 100 or 500 rnds pre loaded and reletivly cheap, makes for a fun day.

On the accuracy side for this rifle. What is the best 100 yard group size anyone has ever gotten. I'm expecting being a service rifle, 3/4 to 2" group sizes. This being of course with surplus ammo, not handloads.

First thing I am going to do is get the synthetic stock and maybe a 5 rnd clip or at least one pegged at 5. Anyone supply those or is it a watch the boards again thing.
 
If you figure out which ammo your particular M14 likes best, you should be able to make most of the holes kiss at 85m (~100yrd). For whatever reason each gun is different. That's why you hear some people griping about the South African surplus going around, while others are buying up as much of it as they can afford.
 
The "ONE Gun" Solution EH

IF I could only have ONE rifle it would be a Norinco M-14 clone by Norinco with National Match upgrades with applicable USA parts. Equipped with a 3x9 scope on a detachable mount. I have been rifle shooting for 55 years and "have tried em all" each in their turn.

Only have ONE rifle is the key..I have tried to hit 500 metre targets with a 30-30 on a DND rifle range or experienced what it is like to both load and unload it at -35 C;; carried a stock 9lb Garand all fall (Oct to Dec.) moose hunting or packed my current rifle pick in a truck, car, snowmachine or float plane.
Have also faced the prospect of cleaning rifle after it was dropped in the muddy river after a canoe overturned in a muskeg swamp.

Disassembly, easy parts repair, ease of cleaning, and general adaptability are all factors here. Most especially the "ammo train".
The .308Nato is easily available as fresh surplus still with lots of available hunting rounds.
With a flush five round mag and no scope the M-14 is a good hunting rifle as well. It will look reasonably "benign" when showing your hunting license to a CO or in hunt camp pics.

Also, it can equipped with a good scope in its detachable mount allow you to hit consistently a fig11 target at 300-500-600-800 metres.

Try it at the Connaught Ranges at the DCRA NSCC sometime.

It is one of the very few battle rifles which is manufactured to take a scope mount,
 
Last edited:
AR15meister said:
My buddy just came back to Toronto from Iraq and he told me that both snipers in his recon unit use M14's over M24's because they like em better.

And those guys are shooting on two way ranges.....;)
Click to expand...
Whats your buddy from Toronto doing in Iraq? Is he serving with the US forces or something?
 
I have a SKS, it is good for deer hunting at close range (150 yards max) got 2 deers with it, but I was looking for a more powerfull semi auto for medium to long range hunting. The M-305 was making a hit on Gunnutz so I did a little bit of searching on the net and bought one from (Dark) a good deal. The 308 cartridge is more versatile and I can now go moose hunting with it. It revealed to be a very accurate rifle and bonus, it can shoot surplus FMJ amo. Got a nice deer with it this fall.:rockOn:

I am not planning in investing alot in it (JAE stock, short barrel, expensive scopes etc) but maybe a Boyd's stock. I have installed a Marstar Deluxe mount and a scope on it and I now have a rugged hunting and target rifle.

It can be a little heavy to carry all day for hunting, but then again I find it's a very versatile tool. I will not be putting my 270 bolt action completely aside because it has extra punch, but I like the M 305 a lot. It is definitly a keeper unless the Lieberals take it away from me if elected:mad:
 
Last edited:
Greenhorse six said:
So,are you unhappy with it or just kind of let down?they are kind of built up a lot by those who like them a lot.
I do have one ,haven't had much chance to use it yet.
Click to expand...


I'm definately not unhappy with the construction or how the rifle functions. It shoots great, no jams or feeding problems. The woodwork is piss poor to say the best. If you can find one at marstar or any other retailer, buy one just to satisfy your curiosity. You will always get your money back out of it. Its probably the only gun you can resell when there are none to be had at the retailers for a profit, everyone wants one. I guess I was expecting more due to all the hype about them everyone writes.

For the price, even at $600, for a military semi auto rifle I think the norinco is ok. The 308 cartrige is a winner, always has been and always will. I've had several in bolt guns and levers. And like everyone else here has said, do a few modifications and just shoot it. Which minus a new stock is what I will do.

A very good thread guys thanks for all your good ideas and keen help.
 
I have spent a lot of time tuning and modifying my M14. In doing so, I have become to know this rifle in sort of an 'intimate' way. Spend some quality time with your rifle and get to know it. You will learn to like it. You may even catch the M14 fever that so many of us have...
 
Semi Auto Rifles are fun to shoot and have a charm all there own. Your's is one of the cheapest centerfires on the market and one of the best values to be had.

Sure, if economics aren't as much of a concern, there may be other rifles out there that have more appeal, but not everyone has those resources.

Some guys are really passionate about 10/22 and put piles of cash into customizing it. Different strokes for different folks. Sell it and buy something else that strikes your fancy. You won't loose much if any on selling it now.
 
M14s aren't for everyone.

They require tuning for peak accuracy and are on the maintence intensive side.

Because of the great price, some people take a chance on them and either love them, or don't and sell them off.

To build a true tack driving M14 takes time, money, and experience.

For a plain Jane Non-restricted Detachable mag, Surplus ammo play gun, they are great in their stock form (except for the mystery wood stock;) ).

If you love to tinker these rifles are great to build on.But building them up is not cheap.

My Custom SAGE EBR build (just using the Norc reciever) would have been a $4000.00 build if I didn't have a good parts source and didn't do the work myself.;) :eek:

AT this time I am like Hungry and am M14'd out.I no longer own any M14s at this time.:rolleyes:

SKBY.
 
The question isn't WHY?

The question is: Why didja buy ONE instead of buying TWO ? :)

Yes, I still work on them and I will always love tweaking them for other members on this board. I will be keeping all of my tools since I find that working on them is more fun (no kidding) that shooting them. The reason I say that is because my AR (I'm a paper shooting , 1 way range kinda guy) does everything I need it to do for a lot cheaper. Not to mention the ease of reloading the .223 round and the availability of FREE .223 brass of the Winchester kind laying around the recycling brass bucket at my home range. yuk yuk yuk

Jokes aside, the M14 from the Kommunists is banned in the US. I'm so tired and annoyed about people complaining about what we CANNOT own/shoot. I would like to focus on what we CAN have: Shorty AR barrels and Norinco-Plinko M14's. (not to mention NP29's in 9mm single stack M1911's)

So seriously, don't buy ONE, buy TWO of them....
 
i find that almos tevery gun i have bought has losts its initial WOW factor after the first time i shoot it , BUT then the tweaking comes into play.
i dont own a m14 but i assume the logic i use should apply. take my stevens 200 for example. i bought it cause it was cheap and would supply my long range bug, took it to the range fired it, there goes the wow factor, so i decided to MOD it, some bondo and paint back at wow, fired it *busted a base* decided i should bed it so bedded it and sent it for a recrown for S&G's.
i am also re-stocking it with a choate USS and rebarreling with a pacnor #7 300wm barrel.

so you see when you loose the wow factor tinker with it a bit even only to change a pad or add a bipod and you will ikely get it back. if at some point you no longer want to tinker with it and still cant get wowed by it then sell it to bu ya new one or just safe it and buy a new one
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom