M305 is heavy

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The Chu wood seems a little denser than balsa :).

I don't know about that... I've read "chu" wood is actually catalpa wood.

It just does. Provably, consistently.

I think it has to do with moving parts recoiling having some harmonics that can affect the barrel before the bullet has fully left. But...regardless of the "why", the solution with these "match grade" guides really works, there's hundreds of posts here attesting to it right in these forums. And while some might prefer one 'brand' over another, they are apparently all better than not having them.

Hungry and M14Doc seem to feel that's either the first or second "accurizing" item someone should do. Also it may improve the life of your recoil spring.

I bought my M14S used and the previous owner had installed one of these "improved" guides. I shot boxes of ammo with it in, then with the original guide. Still 1.5 to 2 MOA. I left the original guide in.

I don't advise doing any of this, but maybe a competent gunsmith can help you with some of these options: carefully vent the handguard and the stock, lose the cleaning kit in the buttstock, shoot irons, carefully window the mags, lose the clip guide and the metal buttplate.

you'll save maybe 100g-200g...

The metal butt plate is more than 300g itself. The junk in the trunk is going to be another 300g. That's well over a pound off right there.
 
yea, but theoretical ain't real life, son- as i said, i've got the beretta FOLDING PARATROOPER STOCK on mine- that's about as stripped down as you can get- and it still weighs in at 11 pounds- the beretta paratrooper is the same as what's on the bm59- everything south of the pistol grip is nothing but 2 metal rods and a plate- shaving a pound off here and there doesn't matter- and the bm59 PUBLISHED WEIGHT is 9.7 pounds, the same as what an m14 weighs when you strip out the mag and cleaning kit
 
They certainly are heavy girls, but boy are they fun.

I found that after shooting my M-14 for a long time, my shooting with other lighter guns had improved considerably as I had become used to handling a heavy weight rifle.

Here is my beast, tipping the scales at just shy of 14 pounds loaded.

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If you want a lightweight M-14, avoid aluminum stocks like the plague!!!
 
yea, but theoretical ain't real life, son- as i said, i've got the beretta FOLDING PARATROOPER STOCK on mine- that's about as stripped down as you can get- and it still weighs in at 11 pounds- the beretta paratrooper is the same as what's on the bm59- everything south of the pistol grip is nothing but 2 metal rods and a plate- shaving a pound off here and there doesn't matter- and the bm59 PUBLISHED WEIGHT is 9.7 pounds, the same as what an m14 weighs when you strip out the mag and cleaning kit

What is theoretical about actually weighing the parts that were removed? :confused:
 
Ok Ok I will strap 2 five pound weights to her before mounting her in a Jeep. That should read 'mounting my M14 on a Jeep'. Then crawl on all fours with it until I get to the rifle range.

Ok I've got a stout rifle but lets make the weight count. To tighten the accuracy the gas cylinder shim and uniting makes good sense and seems pretty cheap hardly costing a cent but how does the op rod guide help accuracy? Just wondering because that seems like an fairly cheap update as well.

I can say this, there are mods you can do to a Norc that are required and ones that seem to be wishfull thinking.
Each rifle may require different tuning but in general this is what I have noticed:
I replaced the rear sight assembly with an M1A set.
Changed the stock to an M1A wood one.
My op rod guide was loose, very loose (probably defective loose as all others I have seen were solid in place) I had a friend do a couple quick clean welds to stick it in place in line with the barrel.
Other than that my rifle is a stock Norinco.
Before you go crazy and start bedding your stock and welding every joint etc pick up some high quality ammo and see what your rifle can actually do.
I tried 20 rounds of Norma .308 Win. I shot the tightest group at 100 meters from the prone I have ever achieved with any rifle.
The M14 as we own it is not a sniper rifle, it's a battle rifle, so I could shim the gas system, bed the stock, replace every part with USGI stock parts for thousands of dollars but would it shrink my incredible groups with quality ammo any more? No.
Ask yourself what you want from it. If it's accuracy, you have to realize that there is only so much you can do to accurize a $500 Chinese semi automatic battle rifle in .308 Win.
Just my two cents. I'm sure there are others that will swear they can hollow out a dime with theirs at 800 meters because they have a USGI bolt etc lol
Just approach it with calm logic is all I'm saying and you will quickly thresh the husks from the grain so to speak.
Cheers!
 
What is theoretical about actually weighing the parts that were removed? :confused:

b/c in the real world you have to REPLACE those parts with SOMETHING, with the exception of the cleaning kit- i.e. the mag has to be replaced with a smaller or lighter mag, and that backplate has to be replaced with something; therefore, you don't actually lose 300 g or whahever, but you lose the product of the weight of the part less the weight of the replacement part- be it an aluminum backplate that you fabricated, or that rubber recoil pad
just removing those parts leaves the rifle in unshootable position
 
if you are a small person dont hunt with it. well, blind hunt with it .....

im 6 foot 2 240lbs....20lbs of fat there I dont want but still you get the idea.... the gun is fine for me to bush hunt with.
 
She is the last of the true battle rifles Sir.
A final production standing alone at the end of a long proud line of full powered rifles designed to be fired by true hard men.
You should be only so priveledged as to heft her 10 + pounds of weight on your lowly shoulders :D
I love the weight of my M14, it just feels.....right.

I couldn't have said it better myself.
I'm 42, 5ft 10, 160 lbs and have a permanent and worsening pelvic/spine injury. I'm not supposed to be out hunting but I do as often as I can and when I do, it's either an M14 with irons or optic, a lee enfield no1mk3 scoped or a win 70 boss equiped 7mm rem mag with optic and bipod. The scoped win 70 is heavier than my scoped m14 by a full pound. A good sling is essential ;)
 
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b/c in the real world you have to REPLACE those parts with SOMETHING, with the exception of the cleaning kit- i.e. the mag has to be replaced with a smaller or lighter mag, and that backplate has to be replaced with something; therefore, you don't actually lose 300 g or whahever, but you lose the product of the weight of the part less the weight of the replacement part- be it an aluminum backplate that you fabricated, or that rubber recoil pad
just removing those parts leaves the rifle in unshootable position

Yes the actual weight is reduced less than the sum of the parts removed. But it is still the actual real world weight, and not theoretical. BTW, the rubber butt pad comes in around 100g. So the butt plate replacement and removal of the junk in the trunk (cleaning rods, oil, tool, and brush) still shaves 500g in the real world, which is well above a pound. Replacement of the mag and stock? :confused: As I already mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, I never replaced anything else. The "chu" wood stock is already quite light, and I still use the factory 5 round mags that came with it.
 
even that paratrooper stripped down model still FEELS like it weighs the same as the full size model- ie on an 11 or 12 pound gun, you're not going to feel that pound lighter- esp if you have carried the heavier one before- your mind memorizes the weight, and as long as you pick up a m-14 of any colour or configuration, you're going to percieve that weight- whether it's there or not- the only way you're not going to perceive it to use an old trick they use in india- a GUN BEARER
 
even that paratrooper stripped down model still FEELS like it weighs the same as the full size model- ie on an 11 or 12 pound gun, you're not going to feel that pound lighter- esp if you have carried the heavier one before- your mind memorizes the weight, and as long as you pick up a m-14 of any colour or configuration, you're going to percieve that weight- whether it's there or not- the only way you're not going to perceive it to use an old trick they use in india- a GUN BEARER

No one is arguing what you feel. The OP asked for ways to lighten up his M14S. I gave him suggestions on what I did to lighten mine. And it does feel lighter to me. It is now just the right weight for my bush hunting gun.
 
The best way to lighten an m14?
Squeeze the trigger 5 times.... She gets lighter with every shot :D

Another good trick for lightening and improving balance and handling? Drop her into an Ingram Custom Rifleworks composite stock :D
 
I'm 45 and overweight with a few other health issues. I lugged my M14 for six hours a day during the first two days of our three day moose season until I finally closed the deal on a nice bull. If I can carrry that rifle around the bush then I figure anyone can. There's no basis for complaints over your rifle's weight.
 
I'm 45 and overweight with a few other health issues. I lugged my M14 for six hours a day during the first two days of our three day moose season until I finally closed the deal on a nice bull. If I can carrry that rifle around the bush then I figure anyone can. There's no basis for complaints over your rifle's weight.

One of the forum members here, 2tap, just had 2 major surgeries in one year and he can pack his scoped m305 along logging roads for hours at a time. I know because I was with him last year when he did it.

If the guys in Vietnam were able to pack these around in the jungles, and fire fully automatic without a recoil pad, we shouldn't whine about an 11lb rifle. I'm not a big guy by any means, in fact, I'm kind of like an asian girl because I have tiny hands and a sissy voice but I don't find the rifle to be too much. It kind of compensates for my other attributes like uh, my small feet?

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I kind of look like this guy
 
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