My M14 just arrived! Interesting engraving.

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Z06corvette

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My Norc M-14 just arrived from Home Hardware in Yorkton S.N. 0049XX. Ordered it 2 days ago was quite suprised it showed so quickly. I love picking up guns from the post office!
I have a question about the engraving on the left side of the receiver, it's like this:

M14 .308
CJA SFLD MICH
NORINCO MADE IN CHINA 0049XX

The top and bottom lines are self explanitory, but what about the middle? :confused: It looks like SPRINGFIELD MICHIGAN but that doesn't make sense to me, mind you I'm new to these rifles. And what about the CJA? Any help would be appreciated.:cheers:
 
Mine is the same. It is actually Southfield Michigan. CJA is an importer of the Norinco M14 back in the day and supposedly were the better of them.
 
Oh you are so.......out of the loop.


These recievers were made at least 15 years ago for the US market.....and completed .....maybe recently.

They were mostly stamped with markings for the US market and their various importers.

Anything that was brought into the country in the last 5 years.....AKA Marstar, have all been stamped with the US importer markings CJA


Hope that helps.


GG&FB
 
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Thanks for the info fella's, I did some searching in past threads and found some more info as well. Looking forward to learning as much as I can about these rifles, and I can't wait to start modding it and sending rounds downrange!:sniper:
 
You know, its not absolutely necessary to start "modding" it right off the bat. Why not shoot it a bit, and then see if it needs any changes to make it into a better shooter?
 
Z06corvette said:
My Norc M-14 just arrived from Home Hardware in Yorkton S.N. 0049XX. Ordered it 2 days ago was quite suprised it showed so quickly. I love picking up guns from the post office!
I have a question about the engraving on the left side of the receiver, it's like this:

M14 .308
CJA SFLD MICH
NORINCO MADE IN CHINA 0049XX

The top and bottom lines are self explanitory, but what about the middle? :confused: It looks like SPRINGFIELD MICHIGAN but that doesn't make sense to me, mind you I'm new to these rifles. And what about the CJA? Any help would be appreciated.:cheers:
Click to expand...

CJA is China Jin An, once a commercial arm of the People's Armed Police. Hasn't been in the firearms business since the 90s. They had offices in Springfield Michigan
 
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Just got mine too (finally!) - same markings.

It's not my old FNC1... but it's as close as I'll get and I can already feel the love....

I agree - I'd like to shoot it first as a baseline for comparison after upgrades. I guess my first step will be to find and read a primer on getting it from the box to range-ready ... I suspect there are a few gotchas/need-to-knows (your queue to assist my lazy ass by inserting appropriate threads here ;)

I've already got my copy of the clinic video and may start there ... (not sure if it touches on basics and skips right to tig welding...). Looking forward to finding out why everyone removes the flash supressor...

So - once I've recovered from recent gun shopping spree and am ready to start spending money again - how should I allocate the first $100? $200? $300? hmmm...

- Extra Mags (5/20) x2 (Marstar?)
- Rooster Op Rod Spring Guide (different from Marstar's ?)
- Crate of Surplus Ammo (SA? Assuming I can find any...)
- New Stock (USGI wood for me I suspect...)
- Scope Mount & Optics...

Yikes! what have I done?!?

;)
 
why not do it order of priority?- always the stuff you absolutely need first, then the accessories- if you don't get it , mags first- you NEED to be able to shoot- then the scope or the stock( both of which require a mod to the gun , then your bit's and pieces- the only reason i don't say ammo first is the ready availiblity of 308/7.62- personally, i went with the scope first, and still wear the original chu wood stock, and haven't bought anything else for it for quite a while-
 
The biggest benefit I got was the Marstar op rod guide (forget Rooster, the Marstar one defies improvement) and a Boyd's walnut stock (under $100 delivered). I prefer irons so I didn't scope up. :shotgun:
After those changes the rest is just fussing about really isn't it.:runaway:
 
You need mags. The five round mags are a joke. I am going to keep mine in my vault unless I take this gun deer hunting and don' want to get stopped.
 
tiriaq said:
You know, its not absolutely necessary to start "modding" it right off the bat. Why not shoot it a bit, and then see if it needs any changes to make it into a better shooter?
Click to expand...

I know it's not necessary but there are a couple of things I would like to do fairly soon, I'm reasonably happy with the Chi-wood handle for now but I see a USGI 'glass stock in it's future. I have two 5/20 mags coming from Frontier Taxidermy, I'll change the guide rod and TIG weld the gas block where it needs to be. Probably hunt down a Smith or ARMS scope mount as well. All in due time, I will establish some baseline accuracy tests first then see how the improvements perform. I've got a bunch of SA 7.62 but I might work up a load for it too. I've always found great improvements to accuracy by tuning my ammo.
 
Z06corvette said:
...TIG weld the gas block where it needs to be.
Click to expand...

Generally a wasted mod on the 'Rincos. The gas system is very tight, much tighter than most USGI. A shim kit will provide all the work you need until you are ready to break into the top ten... nationally.
 
the headspace thing is a myth- that problem was resoved years ago and is STILL BEING PROMOTED ON THE INTERNET by FULTON ARMS WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SELLING THEIR OWN STUFF- and the OLDER ones also didn't ALL have that problem- it applies ONLY to rifles bought and sold stateside-
 
Sorry T-star but you are wrong!
wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!!

Do a search on headspace or on my Lazerus2000 previous postings.

I have worked on dozens of these rifles, and I also happen to own both a commercial .308 and military 7.62 NATO headspace gauges, and know how to use them. The headspace on my last NEW Marstar M-14 clone was .015" over .308 GO ... which is typical. I've seen older Chinese with .025" over .308 GO, but these were the ones with the soft bolts and badly shaped left locking lugs.

In the real worl, this translates into "DO NOT SHOOT COMMERCIAL .308 AMMO in a Chinese M-14 until you check the headspace.
Military ball is OK, because it has thicker/stronger brass.

The new Marstar clones will usually take a GI bolt with very little fitting, so if you want to shoot .308 commercial ammo, have the headspace checked first, and budget about $ 300 for a GI bolt and proper fitting.
 
well then , that's another myth that has been perpetuated on this board- and i bow to your greater knowledge- I DO KNOW that my old AL is within mil spec and never had a problem with it
 
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