If the receiver is forged, you're good to go - just as soon as you fire that MIM bolt in the trash and replace it with a forged bolt from almost any maker.
The days of good quality inexpensive forged M14 receivers are officially over :( :(
- Thread starter Claven2
- Start date
If the receiver is forged, you're good to go - just as soon as you fire that MIM bolt in the trash and replace it with a forged bolt from almost any maker.
I had a 308 m305 with a MIM bolt break in my face earlier this year
Your life, your funeral.
Don't go by that copy - lots of errors. Lee's latest version was summer 2017. That one was a 2004 edition, there were 4 major editions since then.
See, this is why I hate visiting the Black or Main Battle Rifle forums; every time I do I find another example of how little I know about these damned things! 
Now I'll be on pins and needles until I get home and have a chance to inspect the bolt on my DA Socom for casting sprue marks. Can we be certain that a lack of sprues indicates a forged receiver or bolt? How can you be sure they don't simply machine them out of a cast one?
I'm lucky enough to own a really accurate, good-shooting Chinese M14 clone; unlike the knowledgeable guys here, I didn't get it by building it. I just bought and sold a crapload of them until I lucked into a good one.
Now I'll be on pins and needles until I get home and have a chance to inspect the bolt on my DA Socom for casting sprue marks. Can we be certain that a lack of sprues indicates a forged receiver or bolt? How can you be sure they don't simply machine them out of a cast one?
I'm lucky enough to own a really accurate, good-shooting Chinese M14 clone; unlike the knowledgeable guys here, I didn't get it by building it. I just bought and sold a crapload of them until I lucked into a good one.
If you want the most up to date version you should buy the book, however this is a link to a latter version of this hxxp://miamirifle-pistol.org/userfiles/file/pdf/M14 RHAD Text Only Edition 100815.pdf. In a previous posting there was a reference to the forged receivers being made in the 1990's however I believe all the original forgings originated in either the later 1960's or early 1970's. I think that the Socom18 sold by CANAM in 2013 where probably the last ones that used the remaining original receiver forgings.
There are imports from all retailers dated 2014 confirmed to have 1990's lottery numbers.
I could not tell you when forgings were made, the receivers were given lotto numbers after being finish machined and just before being heat treated.
You can thank the greedy importers. They dont give a chit about the gun enthusiast in Canada. All they care about is making $$$ and telling you to go pound sand when warrenty issues come up. :-(
with AR10's having a NR status now I dont see M14s popularity gaining any traction anymore.
with AR10's having a NR status now I dont see M14s popularity gaining any traction anymore.
