Took my M14 hunting this week...

A

Archibald

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and it is heavy. lol.

USGI wood stock, ARMS 18 base and 22 rings, and Super Sniper 10x. Hell I even have the fake selector kit on it.


As I was walking, I start thinking about what I could/should do to lighten it up. I wonder how much weight I would save by cutting down to 18.5 inch barrel, maying putting the shotgun folding stock onto my norinco wood and switching the USGI out.

Are any of you guys hunting with the M14/M305 and what are you doing to save weight?
 
There's a lot of metal on an m14. Even without the stock, the barrelled action with magazine, scope mount and scope is way heavy. It's a battle rifle, and there's not too much you can do to lighten it up. Dropping 1.5" off the barrel and losing the flash compensator will only net a few ounces.
 
I wouldn't hack the barrel. I've got an M14 as well; USGI sythetic stock/scoped etc. They're just plain heavy. Shortening up your barrel will barely be noticeable in terms of weight. What I'd suggest:
-If you can live with open sights I'd suggest getting rid of the scope and mounts, they can weigh like two pounds combined (depending on what you've got). This will be your single largest gain, by far.
-If you've got a bipod or any other accesories, leave them at home. They can always go back on for another hunt if you find you can't live without them. And you probably can.
-Your M14 flash hider is also three inches and a couple of ounces of useless metal, so you can remove that (it can always go back on later).
-The cleaning kit etc you're carrying around in the butt is nice for a soldier in the field for long periods of time, but not needed for a hunter out for the day. Pull it out and leave it at home.

Really the M14 is pretty hard to lighten up besides that I think. And I do hunt with mine, so I know what you mean.
 
I bought one when Marstar 1st started selling them for $399 thinking that I might hunt with it.

ONE trip to the range and that was it. That brute was way too heavy. I promptly sold it off prefering to hunt with a proper sporting rifle. :)



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Archibald said:
and it is heavy. lol.

USGI wood stock, ARMS 18 base and 22 rings, and Super Sniper 10x. Hell I even have the fake selector kit on it.


As I was walking, I start thinking about what I could/should do to lighten it up. I wonder how much weight I would save by cutting down to 18.5 inch barrel, maying putting the shotgun folding stock onto my norinco wood and switching the USGI out.

Are any of you guys hunting with the M14/M305 and what are you doing to save weight?
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing a few years back, even if you take the rifle out its stock with no scope it is still heavier than a decent hunting rifle.

I ended selling it and bought a hunting rifle,

you can either suck it up and haul with a sling or keep using it as a range gun, I dont' think you can lighten it up very much without taking some meat out of the receiver which is ill advised at best.....
 
Get yourself a good tactical sling. I believe mine is made by Safari. The gun hangs muzzle down across your chest, freeing up both hands. When its time to shoot, all you have to do is lift the gun, aim and fire.
 
dangertree said:
How about a fibreglass stock rather than the USGI wood?
Click to expand...

I bought a USGI fiberglass stock from the EE. First thing I noticed was it weighed like three times as much as my crappy, but functional, chu wood stock. If you want light, stick with the stock the rifle comes with. I cleaned mine up really well with a pressure washer connected to hot water and eventually got all the nasty cosmoline out, that cut the weight of the stock down my 1/3rd right there and then I refinished it with nice rubbed in Tung oil. It turned out surprisingly well, and it honestly weighs about a third of my USGI fiberglass stock. I'm pretty temped to go back to it for this year's moose season.
 
dangertree said:
How about a fibreglass stock rather than the USGI wood?
Click to expand...

The fiberglass stock is just as heavy or heavier than the standard contour USGI stock...and much heavier than the Chu stock.

Having said that, on a hunt, FG would probably be the best to use for weather resistance.

It'll will always be heavier than your average bolt broomstick. Then again, a BAR is pretty heavy too...

Either take a simple bolt gun or man up and do some weights :p

Joke, proper slings help.
 
haha so much complaining.

buff up!
GIs had to carry a rifle and over 60+lbs of gear in a combat situation. some - carrying extra #### like grenade launchers, radios, starlight scopes, M60s, M60 ammo, claymores, mine detectors, etc - were over 100lbs + rifle.

seriously, unless you are a senior, at 10lbs you have nothing to complain about, hehe. i second the 'get a good sling' comment though. i had a bruise on my shoulder from carrying a 15lb rifle for a couple of days in a cheapass sling, first thing i did was go out and buy a nice one. with quick release swivels you can just switch it from rifle to rifle, invest in at least one good sling.
 
manbearpig said:
seriously, unless you are a senior, at 10lbs you have nothing to complain about, hehe.
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Not so!

I look at it this way ..... Why make work out something that is supposed to be fun?

Lightweight gear makes the day afield a better experience. If you want to "pack iron cuz your a real man", have at it. I'll take my little (lightweight) 257 Roberts girly gun any day, including tomorrow. :)


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I've never understood the need for lightweight rifles. A heavy rifle doesn't bother my in the slightest (though I probably should note that I'm 6'7" and somewhat bigger than the average joe :p)
 
Yeah, a good sling is essential. I've got "real" M14 and Garand slings, but they stay in my footlocker and are really just for owning. My full sized rifles all have extra wide, well padded slings. I've got a nice new Uncle Mikes neoprene sling on my super heavy (massive scope and heavy canetlever mount) garand and it really helps. But I do understand how weight can matter lots to people. I was just showing my father the self-same garand I rigged up yesterday and the first thing he said when he held it was, "My God it's heavy! No way. Not for me..." So, different strokes...
 
I appriciate all of the responses, even the "man up" ones. With that being said...

1) I am pretty sure I am weighing at at more than 10 pounds with this particular rifle. Way more than any reasonable hunting rifle should weigh.

2) I am not in a war. 150 years ago a soldier had muzzle loaded firearms that were twice the length of todays soldier's rifle. Firearms have evolved, and WEIGHT IS AN ISSUE!


I will look into a better sling though.

I am sure this rifle was designed to use iron sights, and taking the scope off is a lot nicer, even when I use the mount and my replica aimpoint it it a lot better for carrying.

The other inconvienence is the lenght of the rifle - mainly due to the flashhider. Walking through the bush, I am getting a lot of snow and pine needles stuck in there, and when doing back to the quad or truck the rifle just seems like 4-5 inches too long and it's awkward. I just think if I reduced the barrel down to 18.5 on the M14, it would save a little weight and more importantly make it easier for moving around.

I had a USGI fiberglass stock and my USGI wood is much lighter than that. I am wondering if any of you guys who did the DIY folder thing mentioned in the Main Battle Rifle forum find any difference in function to carry or weight. That would save me from the metal buttplate and the extra wood (which probably isn't that bad). Maybe this doesn't make any difference.

Oddly enough, I like the 20/5 mag better than the 5/5 mag because it gives my gun arm something to hang onto while walking if I cradle the rifle.

Hey, I love my M14! That's why I'm hunting with it! I just want to make it a little easier for myself next year. I realize that this is never going to be a lightweight rifle, it's just difficult to justify taking this rifle into the woods when I have another that weights in a 1/2 to 2/3's the weight and it an odd lenght to carry.
 
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