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Before I even got my RPAL , I always wanted an M-14 and an AR . Now I can get both from Marstar as part of their package deal with the AK-74 Dewat .
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The thing is , I constantly see people on here with problems . They buy the Norinco M-305 and have problems with them right out of the box . The same with the Norinco CQB ( M-4 ) . There always seems to be extraction issues , or broken this or that . They have to return them to the seller or change op rods or other parts , etc.
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I don't want problems . I have Mosins , Russian SKS' , Winchester Defender - no problems ever . I go to the range , I blast holes in paper , I come home and clean them on the coffee table and watch the Blue Jays . Zero problems . I had an SVT-40 that was having extraction issues . I farted around with the gas system , cleaned the bore until it was spotless and still had problems with it . Gone , sold it at a loss .
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My point is , do I want these , or are they going to be more trouble than they are worth ? If you look down the threads in this section or the Black Rifle section , you will find people looking for advice , as they are having issues with their Norinco AR's and M-14's . Should I save my money and stick with what I have ?
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Thanks
It sounds more to me that you are a consumer/user vice someone who likes to tinker.
The Norinco M14 is still the best (alright second best next to SKS
) gun in Canada bang for buck.
There will be no major issues with the M14 but the following is what you may encounter and the work/fix to resolve it:
The barrel may be over/under indexed. Tighten or loosen the barrel in the receiver with a barrel clamp and a big old socket wrench.
The flash hider/front sight may be off center. Replace the flash hider with a modern North American one ($30-$80+ depending on what brand you buy)
The rear sights may not work properly. Replace with any North American rear sight (could be up to $100, I picked up an A1 set for $60 used)
The Op Rod Guide may be loose. Drive out the roll pin, tap it forward, center punch a few small welts where it was, hammer it back in place, make sure it's in line with the gas system, roll pin back in.
The gas block may be a bit loose. Slip a very thin metal shim around the barrel between the gas block and the handgaurd cap.
I picked up a used on a ways back for $300 cash and it had every single one of those problems lol But I got got it all fixed eventually and now it is one of my all time favorites.
A lot of the rest of the "upgrades" that people do swapping out springs etc, swapping out random parts for USGI parts etc etc are just wastes of time and money but that's my opinion. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Those are the most common. All very easily remedied using basement gunsmithing techniques lol
The M14 is a stupid simple design. It's a great rifle. There is literally less than 80 parts to the entire rifle, that's every nut pin and bolt counted as well.
See to me I love tinkering and working on these types of things. You learn the rifle inside and out, I get a huge sense of accomplishment learning all the knowledge and then passing it on when someone else needs help. It's a bit of a dice toss unless you can actually handle the M14 and inspect it first. You may get none of these issues and your rifle may be good to go, you may get the rifle and have one or all of these issues to resolve. In the end you still have spent like $600 tops and you have one of the most accurate and reliable military rifles available to your common PAL holder in this country that shoots as good as any Springfield rifle out there.
It doesn't sound like you're that type of guy though Sir lol The other option is a $2K plus Springfield M1A that has no issues but costs a hell of a lot more. The bonus is that there are a lot of guys on here, myself included, that have passed through the eye of needle already and learned a great deal. You will have all the help, guidance and assistance you need right here at your fingertips.
