New Norinco M14s and cast receivers?

[Rosco7002]

Hi All,

My first real post here but have been reading and enjoying this uniquely Canadian main battle rifle forum for a while.

Yesterday my son and I took our new M14 build to the range for its first test firing. I’ve got to say that the accuracy results were very encouraging - 1.5 MOA +/-

We did quite a bit of work on the rifle but a little more is planned still so, once that is done, I’d like to submit a full write up if folks are interested?

One thing that attracted me to this project was the low-cost access to a quality forged receiver so I was pretty concerned when I saw folks reporting the new ones were cast.

My rifle is a 2016 in 308 - definitely has a MIM bolt but AS NEAR AS I CAN TELL the receiver is forged. I’ve gone over that with the scrutiny of a paranoic, there are no casting spru marks. I did see a line on the heal of the receiver which had me REAL concerned but I’m pretty certain this is actually some machining marks rather than a mold line.

I grabbed some pics of the cast receivers off the internet - they have a very distinct mold line that runs right from the back of the head to the step below the rear sight platform. Also seems like these reports come exclusively from guys who’ve bought the 7.62x39 variant.

My question is - has anyone confirmed if the new Norinco 308s are all still being built on the forged receiver? If so, I’ll probably grab one or two more to build off - this was a really enjoyable project!

Thanks.

 

[260SnowBird]

I'm interested in your write up, for sure post it when your done, but can't help you on your question, however there are quite a few older M305's for sale on the EE with Forged Receivers, if I was in the process of making a project rifle I would look at those as opposed to a brand new one, just for the cost side of things, I Scored big time on a beauty M14S last month,
Look forward to seeing the post!

 

[Claven2]

If you want to be safe, buy used ones off the EE from before 2016. Probably cheaper too.

Are you keeping the mim bolt??

 

[Rosco7002]

The MIM bolt’s day are numbered, within the next week or two I should have my hands on a USGI replacement.

I’m not against the idea of picking up used M14s for use in future builds but I really hope we can determine if the new ones still use a forged receiver. Many of the other parts are also good quality and, with such a modest price, it’s nice to start work using brand new a brand new barrel, etc.

I’ll see if I can manage a post that shows pics of my receiver vs the x39 cast ones. Outside of the mold line on the heal being a giveaway the spru marks seem like concrete evidence. Mine definitely does not have that and it doesn’t seem like Norinco’s manufacturing process would have included and machining which removes it... correct assumption?

 

[Rosco7002]

So here a couple of images I found online that show the x39 mold line...

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[Rosco7002]

... and here’s a couple of mine.

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You can see the cast ones have a dead straight line that goes all the way from the rear of the heal to the base of the sight platform. My receiver does have some “lines” there but the don’t go the whole way and, to my eye at least, look like flaws in the final finishing / machining. Also, the cast ones have a crappy looking finish where Norinco seems to have just sandblasted and parkerized over the raw casting.

 

[Odd Shot]

Can't see your pics

 

[Rosco7002]

Ill try again, upgraded my account last night specificially to avoid using a third party picture hosting sight.

Here’s some cast ones....

 

[Rosco7002]

Here’s mine....

 

[Odd Shot]

From the picture yours looks like a casting

 

[Dyspnea]

I think it’s a machining tool mark or gouge. The line doesn’t run directly down the center of the heel. Plus the surface metal does not have the texture as a cast part.

Edit the line not being centered, might just be because of the picture angle.

More pictures would be ideal

 

[Tom Morrison]

That receiver looks like a casting to me, is it a .308 or a 7.62 x 39? Glad I picked up a shorty a while back at a better price with a good forged receiver and bolt.

Edit, yeah your reciever is a forged one, I missed your caption on first set of pics.

 

[Rosco7002]

Thanks for the input fellas. I’m leaning towards it NOT being cast, here’s my reasons:

- there are no spruce marks anywhere.
- the finish on my receiver looks very different to the cast ones (i.e. the cast ones have a raw, textured surface that looks like it’s straight from the mold).
- this is a 308 rifle, the cast ones seem to be all 7.62x39.

The lline on the heal:

- is not one continuous straight line,
- it does not run full length,
- it is nearly invisible whereas the mold marks are plain to the eye, and,
- it’s actual several individual, small ridges in the metal.

All that being said, I’m not an expert in this area at all. Will really welcome feedback from knowledgeable hands.

 

[Rosco7002]

 

[Apple tree]

View attachment 176772

View attachment 176773

I don't know man...hard to see from those pictures. It sure doesn't look as crude as the 7.62X39 casts posted previously...

So here, have a post that doesn't help you at all.

 

[tiriaq]

It doesn't look machined.
How about some photos below the stock line?

 

[Claven2]

It doesn't look machined.
How about some photos below the stock line?

This.

Does it have the 1990's era stamped codes below the woodline, or are they engraved?

 

[Rosco7002]

Numbers are engraved not stamped. Claven2 - I noticed you post about the x39 cast receivers a while back, that showed a big, glaringly obvious spruce mark right in front of the bolt stop. That definitely isn’t there on my gun... by the stop or anywhere else that I can see.

 

[Claven2]

That is a cast receiver. Definitely. It's just machined a little better than most of them.

If it's a .308 gun, then that is the first one reported.

 

[Rosco7002]