Is there a reason you're using a 2007 gun instead of a 2017? Oh right, because they explode.
What scope did you put on it? Oh wait, you can't mount a scope without spending more money. And then you'll need a chassis to get proper eye relief because... Oh yeah, the platform wasn't designed for optics! Then you'll have to replace all those out of spec Chinese parts with shot out American or Israeli parts only to find you still have a 3+ MOA gun! Then you'll have to take it to a clinic and pay someone to teach you the ins and outs of a dead platform.
The only reason the M305 got this far is not because it's a solid platform, it's because it was an affordable non-restricted battle rifle. If you think otherwise, you're fooling yourself. Seriously... good riddance.
Oh boy where to start....
The 2014 and up ones
are hit and miss. Not because "they explode" Your comments are riddled with vast ignorance smacking of nothing more than information you gained from casually browsing forums. I suspect you've not built them, tuned them or have much first hand experience with the design aside from maybe running some rounds through it here and there. I may be wrong on this but I get the feeling.
Not all the 2014 and up rifles were assembled with the MIM/Cast bolt/receivers. You can easily spot a MIM bolt and a cast receiver seeing the gun in person or even in photos. You could train an 8 year to spot the signs.
So that only leaves a "small batch" of about thousands of good to go rifles in the country since some of them showed up with bad bolts/receivers but anyhow....
I don't use scopes. I shoot irons only and the M14 has the best irons sights ever put on a rifle (tied only with the AR15A2 style sights but close tie) So that's a nil issue for me. I detest scopes. I'm not a precision shooter and I get bored using scopes. I measure a rifles value by being able to hit my 16" plate with irons at 300m. All my M14's I've built, owned and tuned up can do this all day long. I've got CGN member witnesses on this forum who have seen me hit a 4 ft gong at 600m with irons and bulk ammo prone with a lightly tuned Norc M14 at the cold lake gun club 7/10 shots.
Nothing is "out of spec" on the norinco M14's.
No parts actually require replacing to have a fully functional and performing rifle. The $40 dollar upgrade of the op rod guide spring and guide are the only tangible parts that need replacing as long as you have one of the plentiful forged/machined bolt/receivers. People swap these on Springfields as well. Sorry I'll add that the rear sights are junk. So you swap the assy with a USGI M1 Garand set for $100 off the EE.
The rest of the "tuning" or fixing what you ignorantly refer to as "out of spec" is done with basic tools ie indexing the barrel to the receiver, dimpling/realigning the op rod guide, and bedding the stock with JB steel weld (not really required)
So for a rifle that people are dumping at around the $500 mark used right now and $140 to upgrade the only parts that will make any real difference. A couple hours of elbow grease and you end up with a rifle that can shoot bulk #### ammo into a 5" circle at 100 meters with irons. I've shot match 168gr .308 through my last one I tuned up and it would put 5 rounds into a 2 to 3" circle. There are few rifles I've ever owned that accomplish this with iron sights.
I don't turn up my nose at any of the Non Restricted AR10's on the market now...that's not true the NEA 102's are dice toss gamble typical of Canadian gun products. But NEA junk aside, there's some cool stuff AR10 NR wise. I still look at bang for buck though. 102's are #### so even at $1300 used I wouldn't touch them if I could get one for free. The Stags are all the other upcoming NR AR10's will cost $2K complete or $2K and over by the time you have to source all your parts, hope they fit and assemble to build your ideal rifle.
For me the M14 does everything I need it to do in a 7.62mm NR semi auto gun and it does it at a fraction of the cost of any of the other options.
I would say if you actually believe that dropping around $700 to get a NR semi auto 7.62mm rifle that can shoot as well and as reliably as a $2K Springfield is a junk deal then I don't even know what else to say to you. I guess you would have to read some sentences and learn a bit about the simple design to tweak it if you needed to and maybe even (gasp) turn a wrench or two on the gun....I get that this can be daunting to people in this day and age of proactive helplessness lol
If the BRN10 Retro AR10's get NR status (#### I've never wanted something so bad in my life) I'll sell the M14's but only to fund a light balanced, all assembled retro 7.62 rifle with dedicated iron carry handle.
