Norinco M14 as a first rifle?

My first rifles (because one is never enough) were an M14 and AR15.

I haven't shot either yet but I plan to start out with the AR because of the smaller round.

One thing I will say is be ready to clean that M14. I think Norinco used mine as a chimney sweep at their manufacturing plant - it was effin' filthy.
 
I think that the trio of a .22LR rifle, and M14 with SKS deal would be a good combination.

Add a couple 500 round bricks of .22 ammo (perhaps after trying a few types in 50 round boxes just to make sure they'll shoot well in your gun), a case of 1200 rounds of 7.62x39 and maybe just a couple 20 round boxes of 7.62 NATO/.308 for now and you'll be off to a great start to rifle shooting.

Practice with the .22 at 50 and 100 yards as suggested earlier (you might want to shoot 100 earlier/later in the day when the wind dies down). The 7.62x39 can be used for shooting at 100 yards (standing or otherwise) and at 200, maybe 300 yards in various prone, sitting or bench positions (you might need a larger figure 11 type target, as I personally find it difficult to get more than 3-4 out of five shots onto the typical bullseye/sighting in target) at 200 yards. Sight in the M14 to 200 yards and occasionally shoot it to confirm that it's on target until you get into reloading or can acquire bulk quantities of 7.62NATO.

If you hunt, the .22 will be fine for small game, the the SKS will be a good bush gun for deer and the M14 will be a good rifle for deer/big game from a stand, as well as for Service Rifle shoots. Unless you're interested in hunting and need a shotgun for various applications, that trio of rifles should serve you fine.
 
rethius said:
But what about if Zombie's come?? Your gonna need a semi auto if Zombies come! Trust me... A .22 does not have the stopping power to take down a determined Zombie.. well maybe those small pussy Zombies, but not the big hungry ones. Go m14 baby and those zombie's will steer clear of your place. But make sure to have a .22 on hand too so the wife can watch the back door!!
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Zombies?!? Buddy, ya got to put the game down and get out once in a while :p.

Seriously, I was in your shoes once and already had some bolt guns and a 22. I just wanted to graduate to a semi-auto. So I bought a Mini-14.

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Ammo is cheap, easy to shoot and mine is accurate to boot! Ended up buying a M14 too and the rest is history. The mini-14 is my goto for plinking and all-round fun gun. My .22 is sorta for sale as it has been replaced by a (near safe queen) .17 hmr.
 
SKS is a great starter, cheap ammo, and fun... but not very accurate... at all...

M-14 was my second rifle... ammo is not so cheap, but damn do I love it...

.22's ... well, they are just so bloody boring...

I learned on one, and it was a step up from the air rifle yes... but my wife learned to shoot on her SKS and she shoots almost as well as me!

my advice... get something you want!

First and foremost its about fun... if it turns out you want cheap practice down the road, get yourself something cheaper to shoot... but start with the fun factor...
 
Thanks guys for all the info, lots to think about.

The lack of cheap ammo is a bit of an issue. Maybe that will make me look at a 223 instead of 308 but I really wanted something I could take apart and put back together. For the 223 that sounds like an AR, which is restricted. I'm shooting at a range so maybe no big deal, but an extra hassle PLUS I would have to regsiter it. By the time I get my PAL I doubt I will have to register the Norinco M14.

One question that might be a stupid question:

Someone suggested I should get an "accurized" version of the Norinco. I was thinking about accurizing eventually, but I figured that was something I should do much later. I will be taking the thing apart and putting it back togetehr and messing around with it to try and learn how everything works.

Wouldn't that mess up any accurizing?

Maybe a dumb question. If the accurizing is stuff I couldn't ruin by messing around with the rifle then it's something to consider, but if it's fine tuning, I guess in the early days I would ruin it by messing around.
 
Get the M14, and if you are like the rest of us, you will have soon more guns than you can shoot .Guns tend to multiply fast around Gun Nutz.I would grab a nice bolt action .22 next; a few SKS's[A Russian and a Chinese], and then a nice high powered German .177 air rifle.That won't be enough though.You will get a lot more.
 
Someone suggested I should get an "accurized" version of the Norinco. I was thinking about accurizing eventually, but I figured that was something I should do much later. I will be taking the thing apart and putting it back togetehr and messing around with it to try and learn how everything works.
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You're getting way ahead of yourself ;)
Take a step back. It will work just fine.
If you can afford the ammo then pick one up.
Then you can learn the basics: How to take it apart, clean it, maintain it, how things work, maybe even start reloading for it. People around here will be happy to teach you.
You 'll learn the most by just "being "around here and following the threads/stickies and asking questions.

Then just shoot it as much as you can afford, trigger time is your friend.
You can see if it turns your crank. If it doesn't, you're not out 1000's.
Buying a modified one negates the experience of how to work on it yourself ;) and this is 1/2 the fun.

When people around here "accurize" they are really trying to obtain MOA type shooting, or the idea thereof. If it's possible is an entirely different thread.
Accurizing are small things which mostly you can do yourself. This place is a super database of information with people like Hungry & M14Doc etc that will help you where they can. When you have a question/issue/concern you'll be well taken care of :D

If you get hooked, then you can start to "accurize" which is not a lot of money BTW and 99% you can do yourself, which is why the platform is so sweet.

So forget about "accurizing" for now. That can all come later and probably will if you get bitten with the bug ;)

I've put thousands through mine as well as others here and it just won't die.
You have tons of time for all this.

You're first objective is to pick one up if you can afford the ammo, learn how she works, play with it and put lots of trigger time down range to see if it's something that interests you.

At least you're starting in the right place...CGN.

Hope that helps :D
 
Beadwindow said:
I think that the trio of a .22LR rifle, and M14 with SKS deal would be a good combination.

Add a couple 500 round bricks of .22 ammo (perhaps after trying a few types in 50 round boxes just to make sure they'll shoot well in your gun), a case of 1200 rounds of 7.62x39 and maybe just a couple 20 round boxes of 7.62 NATO/.308 for now and you'll be off to a great start to rifle shooting.

Practice with the .22 at 50 and 100 yards as suggested earlier (you might want to shoot 100 earlier/later in the day when the wind dies down). The 7.62x39 can be used for shooting at 100 yards (standing or otherwise) and at 200, maybe 300 yards in various prone, sitting or bench positions (you might need a larger figure 11 type target, as I personally find it difficult to get more than 3-4 out of five shots onto the typical bullseye/sighting in target) at 200 yards. Sight in the M14 to 200 yards and occasionally shoot it to confirm that it's on target until you get into reloading or can acquire bulk quantities of 7.62NATO.

If you hunt, the .22 will be fine for small game, the the SKS will be a good bush gun for deer and the M14 will be a good rifle for deer/big game from a stand, as well as for Service Rifle shoots. Unless you're interested in hunting and need a shotgun for various applications, that trio of rifles should serve you fine.
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Who hunts with an SKS? This is s**tty advice. Buy a 12 guage, bolt gun and 22 for hunting. The semi's are toys. It frigging amazes me that people think an SKS is a hunting rifle. Welfare rifle collectors. And yes I have one. I use it to pry things open.

So what if said new guy gets lemon M14 of which there are quite a few? Very discouraging. The Norinco's are a gamble. Buy one later and modify it to your taste. Buy a Rem 700 for hunting.
 
i've preached it before and i'll preach it again- LOAD DEVELOPMENT- first see how accurate your rifle is out of the box, then start doing loads, and when you get to the point of where you no longer see any improvemt, start fooling with the rifle itself- be forewarned, though, your "improvements " may be an exercise in futility- certain rifles MAY not shoot any better than a certain point and that's it
 
Seafury said:
Who hunts with an SKS? This is s**tty advice. Buy a 12 guage, bolt gun and 22 for hunting. The semi's are toys. It frigging amazes me that people think an SKS is a hunting rifle. Welfare rifle collectors. And yes I have one. I use it to pry things open.

So what if said new guy gets lemon M14 of which there are quite a few? Very discouraging. The Norinco's are a gamble. Buy one later and modify it to your taste. Buy a Rem 700 for hunting.
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Most deer hunting in Ontario takes place within less than 100m, often half that distance, so an SKS basically fulfills the same role as a .30/30 lever gun or No. 5 Enfield at about half the cost. I'm all for hunting deer with a quality scoped bolt gun (still my number one pick in the tree stand), but it's hardly necessary around here and there are times where a handier open sighted rifle (i.e. SKS, Jungle Carbine, lever gun or even CZ 858) might be more suitable. If the hunter also takes the time to shoot a couple hundred rounds at the range all summer (easy enough to do with surplus 7.62x39) they'll probably be better prepared than another hunter who shoots 20 rounds of .30/30 or .303 a few weeks before the season begins.

If the OP began his thread asking specifically about a first gun(s) for hunting I'd probably have suggested the trio you've listed. To me he sounded more like a target shooter, so I advised him on which guns he could purchase alongside an M14S to practice with and incidentally mentioned the game he could take with it. Though I'm not as dead set upon bolt guns, I took out both a stock M14S and Stevens 200 (with Bushnell 3200 scope) last weekend for deer and would have gladly recommended the later rifle as a good quality, reasonably priced bolt gun.

I'll concede your point about starting off with a good bolt gun and getting an M14 later when the OP has time to tweak it to good accuracy. But considering that a Remington 700 with decent optics would cost about as much as the trio of rifles and ammo that I suggested, it depends upon whether or not the OP wants to spend lots of time at the range or simply buy an accurate gun that would also cost a fair bit to shoot.
 
I gotta say talking about a rem 700 as a safe alternitive against lemons? I've seen plenty of new 700s be lemons. Unless you buy a higher end one. I hear more complaints about them than norc m14s
 
It is the best first rifle.

I got a 22 for my first rifle. Now I don't even touch it anymore.

SKS is good but there is nothing too much you can do with it other than shooting surplus ammo.

With M305 you can reach to 200 yard easily because you can put a scope. A not bad mount on e-bay is only 30 dollars.

Then you can try load development. With M305 you can get 1~1.5 MOA - something you can't do with SKS.

Buy a standard M14 or a shorty, which I believe it better. The current batch has gained a reputation of accuracy.
 
I'd say go with the m305 if you really like it, I love mine even though I don't shoot it often enough. Sometimes just shooting 100rounds is enough to enjoy the rifle for a while!
 
If not an M14, then why not another classic affordable miltary rifle... A no 1 mk3 enfield .303. A super affordable , repuatable game killer. Accessorize with a synthetic monte carlo stock and a scope mount. Probably the most affordable option for a first rifle if it is being sought for hunting use.... Or just get an M14 LOL
 
Seafury said:
So what if said new guy gets lemon M14 of which there are quite a few? Very discouraging.
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If I got a "lemon M14" what kinds of problems would I have? How would I know? I don't need it to be super accurate at first, but it would be nice if I could upgrade it some day in the future once I get past the basics.


Beadwindow said:
If the OP began his thread asking specifically about a first gun(s) for hunting I'd probably have suggested the trio you've listed. To me he sounded more like a target shooter, so I advised him on which guns he could purchase alongside an M14S to practice with and incidentally mentioned the game he could take with it.
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I wouldn't mind trying hunting but I can't see myself doing it more than a couple of times a year. On the other hand there are a number of ranges nearby and I am hoping to be able to get into a range at least once a week.
 
Beadwindow said:
Most deer hunting in Ontario takes place within less than 100m, often half that distance, so an SKS basically fulfills the same role as a .30/30 lever gun or No. 5 Enfield at about half the cost. I'm all for hunting deer with a quality scoped bolt gun (still my number one pick in the tree stand), but it's hardly necessary around here and there are times where a handier open sighted rifle (i.e. SKS, Jungle Carbine, lever gun or even CZ 858) might be more suitable. If the hunter also takes the time to shoot a couple hundred rounds at the range all summer (easy enough to do with surplus 7.62x39) they'll probably be better prepared than another hunter who shoots 20 rounds of .30/30 or .303 a few weeks before the season begins.

If the OP began his thread asking specifically about a first gun(s) for hunting I'd probably have suggested the trio you've listed. To me he sounded more like a target shooter, so I advised him on which guns he could purchase alongside an M14S to practice with and incidentally mentioned the game he could take with it. Though I'm not as dead set upon bolt guns, I took out both a stock M14S and Stevens 200 (with Bushnell 3200 scope) last weekend for deer and would have gladly recommended the later rifle as a good quality, reasonably priced bolt gun.

I'll concede your point about starting off with a good bolt gun and getting an M14 later when the OP has time to tweak it to good accuracy. But considering that a Remington 700 with decent optics would cost about as much as the trio of rifles and ammo that I suggested, it depends upon whether or not the OP wants to spend lots of time at the range or simply buy an accurate gun that would also cost a fair bit to shoot.
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Alberta has trees. Lots of them. It also has prairie and mountains and lakes and a lot of the stuff other parts of Canada has. You don't see a whole bunch of SKS hunters here. My father in Law runs a guiding service in NW Ontario. His hunters don't show up with M14's and SKS's. Some guys hunt with lever guns but overwhelmingly they use bolt action rifles. I shot my first deer with a civilian No5 Enfield. No bayonet lug or flash suppressor. Had a 5 round mag. Kicked like a mule. He did ask. My first new rifle was a Rem 700AS 308 with a Leupold VXII 3-9 X 40. I'll never part with it. Really it's none of my business what he buys but I still think a 22 is the way to go.
 
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