My Sino-American Retro Nostalgia Project M-14(S)

[Sporting Lad]

Another update:

Some new additions:
I got the '1907'-style leather sling from 'World War Supply' for under thirty bucks (not well depicted here). It's dark brown with brass hardware. I've had this type sling on several of my milsurps over the years and I like them. I prefer the look, the feel, and the smell of leather over musty old canvas or stiff nylon any day. I rubbed in some 'Neets Foot Oil to soften it up and rejuvenate it back from its former state of suspended animation.

I also put the leather cheek pad on recently. It needs some work--it's very stiff and is resisting conforming to the curves in the stock. The underside is soft, almost like felt, but the outside has been 'sealed', so it's not letting any softeners into the leather. Also, the colour is wrong--it should match the sling. Same supplier as for the sling.

This month's performance mod is the addition of a genuine (USGI) M-1 Garand rear sight (Marstar). It's a lot nicer than the one that NORINCO uses, and it feels a lot more precise--I can feel the 'clicks' very distinctly now. In addition, the aperture is a bit smaller (0.064" vs 0.078") which appears to increase my depth of field.

And finally, I got these tupperware sight protectors, front & rear. They're a nice snug fit. Once I get this Momma sighted in, I want her to hold zero whilst being transported to and from the range.

That's it for now (range report upcoming).

 

[johNTO]

I like the additions! Thanks to you I just ordered the same sling for my m305. Been looking for a leather one to replace the canvas.
I think a Marstar rear sight is next....although my OEM is working (at the moment).
The leather cheek pad is a nice touch.
Nice job!

 

[brts28]

Looks great thanks for the pics

 

[rhino62]

Taiwan type 57

After I got out of the Army, I met a northern girl and ended up moving to the west coast of Canada. Because I didn't want to be getting hassled at the border, I left my entire gun collection at home. (Incidentally, I was just talking to a guy who came up same time I did, but he did bring his guns!) Ach, but that was many years ago...

When I started looking for surplus M-1s in Canada I was shocked and disappointed to learn that they were very rare and hard to buy here. I was told that many M-1s were cut in half with a torch on government orders to avoid having them fall into civilian hands. And M-14s were just pure 'unobtainium', so I just put that idea out of my head.
I got caught up in the Canadian lifestyle and lots of different things...

~~~~~~~~~~~~(Insert time lapse footage here.)~~~~~~~~~~~

It was just last winter (several guns later) and I was not even thinking about milsurps anymore, when I found my old gun license in a drawer. It was expired. In the process of renewing it I found myself spending more time at our 'Mom&Pop' "fishing shop". That's where I saw my first "made in China" NORINCO M-14S. I could hardly believe it--here was something that looked like an exact copy of a USGI M-14. Actually, it's not a "copy", per se--
I was told that the Chinese government bought not only the licensing rights, but also all the old M-14 tooling from the US (clever people, these Chinese). I was in no position to purchase a Springfield Armory rifle (even it that were possible) but this version, with a synthetic stock, was priced (brand new!) at under $500! It took me another month to pull myself together and decide that I had to have one. When I went back in, the gun I'd looked at earlier was gone, but in its place stood a shorter version, a... carbine variant of the old M-14. How cool is that??

__________________

It was the government in Taiwan that bought the tooling and right to produce the M14 as the type 57, not the mainland communist government which just reversed engineered the M14 for political reasons (i.e to supply them to the Philippine rebels - they even put US marking on the rifles!)

 

[Sporting Lad]

"We gotta move these...M-14s...!"

Hmmmph. Well perhaps my source would stand to be corrected. Actually, IIRC, IDK where I read that now. Maybe on the "M-14 forum".
Something about how the US govt figured they'd never need any of that tooling again, since they had gotten "the all new, absolutely fabulous"
M-16 on line, so they sold off all the milling and dies and whatnot to "the Chinese". Maybe he meant the former Formosa, and I just assumed
he meant the China Chinese.