USGI M14 Parts
I have seen some adds in the past few months or so on here and on a few other sights ( retail sites included ) that are advertising M14 clones built with complete USGI parts kits. These adds are either claiming they were from one of the recent IDF/USGI kits or other complete M14 kits sourced from elsewhere, like a prohib rifle being sold off as a kit. Some of these adds have been misleading to say the least. Most of the adds have rifles that are built on a Norinco receiver with a USGI Kit. But more than a few times when I went to look at the pictures it clearly shows a Norinco oprod installed on the rifle!, like right in the first pic!. Now this is more than likely done as USGI op rods do not always jive with a Norc receiver and usually take some time to be fitted into place correctly. The ones who put the kit together may not have had the know how to do this correctly. Some of the kits not only have a Norino op rod, but have also been found with non USGI bolts. So to claim a build is completely USGI is wrong and should be corrected.
I have also seen adds for individual parts being listed as USGI when they are not. This once again could be an innocent mistake as they seller may have been misinformed when they bought the part, or they just simply don't know what they have. I am not attacking anyone in specific nor I am saying that all of these adds were done with malicious intent.
For this reason I have created a list of how to identify some of the main marked USGI M14 parts. This is basically a what is and what isn't type guide. Hopefully this will help out whomever it can along their M14 journey. And for anyone who gets one of the parts kits from wolverine this will help to identify what's in the box.
A Brief History.
First off. USGI. What does that mean? It stands for United States Government Issue.
This thread will focus on the original 4 manufactures and their sub-contractors who were awarded US government contracts to produce The M14 Rifle. They are as follows;
H&R – Harrington and Richardson.
Produced roughly 537,512 rifles.
WRA – Winchester Repeating Arms.
Produced roughly 356,510 rifles.
TRW – Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge Inc.
Produced roughly 319,163 rifles.
SA – Springfield Armory.
Produced roughly 167,173 rifles.
M14 Rifles were produced from 1959 – 1964, with many spare parts produced for these rifles past 1964.
I know its been said before but, for those that don't know I just want to reiterate the difference between Springfield Armory "SA" and Springfield Armory Inc. "SAI".
SA or Springfield Armory is the original government entity that opened in 1777 in Springfield Massachusetts. This government armory designed and produced a great many arms for the United States including the M1 Garand and M14 rifles. This Armory was closed permanently in 1968. It is now a museum.
SAI or Springfield Armory Inc. has nothing to do with the original Springfield Armory. The name Springfield Armory was leased to Robert Reese in 1974 and its current production HQ is in Geneseo Illinois. SAI did use original military blueprints to make the M1A and did use a lot of surplus USGI parts on the early M1A rilfes. That being said, parts that are produced by SAI can NOT be considered USGI and must be considered commercial.
USGI Markings
H&R uses H-R, HRA, HRA-W, HRT ,HR-N, H&R B or C or D, H&RB8, H R, H&RB9.
WRA uses OM, OM-N, Winchester Trademark, and 66118. The “66118” is their cage code #. Op rods will only be marked with the 66118 and will also have The Ordnance Stamp ( an eagle with the 3 stars above it in a circle ) on it.
TRW uses TRW, T.R.W and TRW HT-D.
SA uses SA.
USGI M14 Parts.
Okay so now that we got the quick history lesson out of the way lets get down to brass tacks. First part we will look at is the Operating Rod.
Operating Rod – Drawing # 7267064
The most basic way to identify a USGI or GI pattern op rod from that of a Norinco op rod is to look for the notch machined into it for the connector rod.
*** NOTE The connector rod or arm is part of the selector assembly. The selector assembly is needed to switch a USGI M14 Rifle from semi auto to full auto. These parts can ONLY be found, and ONLY be used on authentic USGI M14 Receivers. The selector assembly parts are NOT present in ALL of the commercially manufactured rifles. And can NOT be made to work on ANY and ALL commercially made receivers / rifles. ***
Now as far as I have seen all of the American commercial manufacturers Will include this notch, but at this point the notch is totally useless, does nothing and is put there simply for looks. The same will be said for using a USGI op rod on any commercial receiver/build, its totally useless and is there for looks nothing else.
With the rare exception of some of the earliest Norinco's imported, Norinco op rods will NOT have this notch.
So your next step is to look for the USGI manufactures markings on the op rod itself. These markings will include the drawing number of 7267064 and will be located on the bottom/side of the op rod. The stock will need to be removed to find these markings. If your op rod doesn't look like or have any one of the following 5 markings on it, then your op rod is NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
Example of and location of the notch on a USGI op rod.
Location of the USGI Manufacturer's Markings with drawing number 7267064.
H&R.
WRA.
TRW.
SA.
Now before we get into some of the commercial markings it is time to bring up one of the main replacement part manufactures. SAK - Saco-Lowell for the most part made replacement barrels in standard profile and in NM profile but the also made replacement Op rods. The op rods will have the same drawing # of 7267064 followed by SAK and sometimes below that there may be another letter stamped in like an "S"
SAK.
Commercial Example.
Commercial op rods may look similar and may even use the same drawing number but are still Not USGI
The SAI is close to GI but still not quite the same. The USGI SA op rod is marked with the drawing # and SA on one line.
While the SAI op rod will have the SA below the drawing # and will sometimes add a “-2” to the drawing #.
SAI.
Norinco Example . Most Norcino's will not have the notch for the connector rod, however some of the earliest imported rifles might have the notch. Most of the Norinco op rods will have a 4 digit number on them.
Bolt – Drawing # 7790185 and 7790186
Next part we will look at is the Bolt. Drawing numbers for the bolts are 7790185 and 7790186. This will be followed by the manufacturer ID and a material lot number, these lot numbers vary in length and can be a mix of numbers and letters.
7790185 is a bolt that was sent out without the bolt roller attached.
7790186 is a complete bolt.
Some bolts may also have a dimple mark in them this is to show it has been proof tested and passed. The location and depth of the dimple varies. As well some bolts might have a "M" or "S" stamped on them as well. Your bolt should resemble one of these examples, if it does not then it is NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
With Dimple Proof Mark
WRA.
With Dimple Proof Mark
TRW.
With Dimple Proof Mark
SA.
With Dimple Proof Mark
Commercial Example.
Some commercial examples once again may also use the drawing number but are still Not USGI.
SAI bolt. Yes it does look very similar to a USGI bolt, but the dead give away will always be the material lot code. All USGI codes were only ever 2 - 4 characters. As well a USGI bolt has its marking stamped or rolled into it, SAI used a slightly larger and slightly different font and the marks are also laser engraved. Basically if the lot code starts with "F00" then its definitely SAI.
SAI.
Fulton Armory.
LRB.
Norinco. ( blank on top, may have numbers on underside )
Barrels – Drawing # 7790190
Next part, Barrels. Okay barrels can get a little crazy as there are various kinds of them. So for the moment we are going to stick to the basic barrel, the standard profile chrome lined barrels. We can save the NM chrome and non chrome and medium weight and heavy weight NM chrome standard profile barrels for another day.
The Barrels we will be focusing on will have drawing number of 7790190. These are chrome plated with a 1:12 twist rate. The barrels will be for the most part marked on the right side about 4 inches from the chamber.
The exceptions to this are seen with SA and WRA where markings have been found in the usual spot on the right side as well as upside down on the left side, on the top of the barrel, and on the bottom of the barrel too.
Barrels will also be marked with The Ordnance Stamp which is an eagle with 3 stars above it, as well as an “M” and “P” these are usually found on the right side of the barrel close to the chamber, the markings vary in depth.
“M" means the barrel passed magnetic particle inspection...
"P" means it passed the first proof firing.
A punch mark on or in the loop of the "P" means it was installed on an M14 rifle and passed a second proof firing.
So basically if your barrel doesn't look like any of the 5 here it is NOT a Standard Profile chrome lined USGI barrel.
The barrels will start with the manufacturer – then the drawing # - Then the date – Then material lot code.
USGI Examples.
H&R. Aug 1961.
WRA. Right side of barrel. July 1963.
Top of Barrel. July 1963.
Bottom of Barrel. March 1961.
TRW. markings unfortunately faded towards the end. December something
SA. Upside down, left side of Barrel. July 1967.
Top of Barrel. January 1960.
SAK. January 1961.
What the Ordnance stamp looks like
Examples of Ordnance stamps, with M and P proof marks
Commercial Example.
SAI barrels will be marked Springfield Armory Inc. with Geneso Illions .308 on it usually close to the chamber on the right side or underneath it.
Trigger Housing – Drawing # 7267030
Trigger housings are pretty straight forward, it will have the drawing number followed by the manufacturer mark on the left side.
Some Winchester housings will be marked OM-N (Olin Matheson Chemical Corp, wholly owns the Winchester trademark ) or WRA as opposed to the cage code of 66118.
And as per usual if the housing does not have any of the following markings its NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
WRA.
66118
W.R.A
OM-N
TRW.
SA.
Commercial Example.
SAI Housing. Some SAI housings or trigger groups will have no markings at all with the exception of an “sa” mark and a little clock on the left side of the safety. These trigger housings with no markings were manufactured by Wayne Machine, Inc. (Taipei, Taiwan).
Some other SAI housings will have 7267030-I , 7267030-S , 7267030 , 7267030-G , or 7267030-H. These SAI groups will be much darker in finish than a Norinco.
Norinco's Trigger housings will usually have a 4 digit number stamped on them.
Norinco.
Hammer – Drawing # 5546008
STOP. Hammer time! Okay so all M14 hammers will be marked with the drawing # of 5546008. For TRW, SA, and WRA, it will be manufacturer mark first followed by the drawing #.
The exceptions to this are H&R who marked the opposite way 5546008-HR-N. As well Some Winchester hammers will be marked 5546008-OM-N
The drawing number of 5546008 is sometimes found on M1 Garand hammers. It can be found stamped either on the side or on the top and can sometimes have a letter in front of the number like a C.
Late final production of SA M1 Garand hammers are identically marked to SA M14 hammers. Production of these hammers ended in December of 1957. So if you have a late production SA M1 Garand it might have the same looking hammer as an SA M14. And SA would use up the surplus or over run before starting new production. Really tho it makes no difference.
H&R M1 Garand hammers use the same drawing number in 2 formats. The first Hammers are marked HRA C5546008 production of these hammers ended in November 1953.
The second hammers had the marking changed to HRA 5546008, production of these hammers ended in December 1956. So seeing as the M1 and M14 Hammers are identical is shape and size, H&R would use up their surplus or over run of M1 Garand hammers first before starting new production. So yes you may find your M14 hammer is marked HRA and not HR-N, this is still technically okay and still USGI. But if you want to be hard core about it the most "correct" H&R M14 hammer ends with HR-N.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
WRA.
TRW.
SA.
Example of final production of H&R M1 Garand Hammer
Safety
Okay so safeties are for the most part fairly straight forward, there is no drawing # on them just the manufactures mark.
That being said Winchester is a grey area, some say the correct Winchester safety would be marked “K8” made by KMT.co, others say it would be marked “MXR” by manufacturer unknown. Regardless of that KMT.co Killeen Machine Tool was a known supplier of replacement M14 parts, some say they were the sub-contractor to SA some say WRA. So you can easily use a K8 marked safety for a Winchester trigger group as it is in all respects USGI.
All the markings will appear on the right side of the safety facing out , except for TRW who stuck it on the left side facing in.
You may find an H&R M1 Garand safety in your trigger group as these were produced up to December 1956, and H&R would use these final production or over run safety's first. They are easily identified as they are marked HRA not H&R. They may also have inspectors initials on them. Once again these are technically not wrong but if you want to be as correct as possible your safety would be marked H&R.
H&R. Marked H&R may also be marked with a B, C, or D
WRA (maybe, maybe not but still USGI) Marked K8
TRW. Marked TRW HT-D. Might be another letter as opposed to a "D" could be an "A" etc.
SA. Marked SA
Examples of H&R M1 Garand Safety.
Marked with inspectors initials
Without inspectors initials
Commercial Example.
Example of an SAI safety.
Rear Sights.
Rear sights were made by a bunch of sub contractors. The rear sight base was only marked by 2 companies H&R using “H&RB8” and “H&RB9”. And Winchester using “OMB3”
*Excerpt from Lee Emmerson's Book on The History and Development of the M14
Elevation knob and pinion assembly
Druge Brothers - DRC
Frazier Manufacturing - FZR, made in 1962
Globe Union - made in 1962, possibly later
New Haven Clock - NHC, made for TRW and in 1965 as replacement spare
Springfield Armoy – SA made in 1959, possibly later
Wico Electric - WCE, made for H&R and TRW and in 1969 as replacement spares
Windage knob assembly
Bruce Machine and Engineering - BME, made for Springfield Armory
Druge Brothers - DRC, made for TRW
Frazier Manufacturing - FZR
Stewart Iron Works - SWK
Weather Manufacturing - W inside a hexagon
Wico Electric - WCE, made for TRW
Wright Manufacturing - HRA-W, made for H&R
Wright Manufacturing - WRIGHT, made for TRW
Norinco marks their sights with WCE as well but they are not the same as USGI WCE sights. On an USGI WCE elevation drum it will have an “M” for Meters
USGI Examples.
DRC.
HRA-W.
SWK.
WRIGHT
New Haven Clock
WCE.
WCE.
WCE.
H&R Marked H&RB9.
WRA Marked OMB3
Commercial Example
SAI has marked their rear sight parts like so;
USGI M14 Stocks
The Basics
First off we will start with wood stocks. And the most basic way to know if your stock is USGI is if it has a cutout for the selector switch. Now that being said at some point in time the stock could have has this area filled with wood filler or JB weld etc, but it should be pretty easy to tell if that's been done. USGI wood stocks are primarily made of Black Walnut and Birch.
Selector switch cutout side view.
Selector switch cutout top view.
Selector switch or cap.
Markings
The next thing you will be looking for on your stock (With out having to take it apart ) is the DOD acceptance stamp and a " P " proof mark. The DOD stamp will be located on the left side of the stock near the grip. The " P " proof mark with be on the face of the grip itself
DOD = Department Of Defense . It is represented by an Eagle with 3 stars above it.
A proof mark will be represented by a " P ", either in a Arial or Serif font. The Arial P can also appear with the loop of the P being Elongated.
These markings mean it has been proof tested, passed and has been assembled onto an M14 rifle at factory. Now don't fret if these marks are not present as most replacement stocks didn't have them. And the stock could have easily been refinished maybe a few times over its life and these marks could have been sanded away.
DOD Stamp
DOD Stamp on stock
Arial P
Arial P on stock
Elongated Arial P on stock
Serif P
Serif P on Stock
Manufacturer Markings
Okay so now we are going to get into the finer details. The easiest way to ID the manufacturer ( if the mark is present ) is to remove the buttplate assembly. This area is usually undisturbed by normal rifle use and even in refinishing, so if its been marked it should be pretty easy to spot.
Harrington and Richardson
H&R Stocks can/will be marked under the buttplate area with an " H " and possibly and single digit number too, tho sometimes it might just have a lone number.
H&R stocks will also be marked with an Arial P as well as the elongated Arial P proof mark and a pin punch used on the front ferrule.
*All pics of the H&R are from the same stock
H&R
H&R tried to highlight the number " 1 "
H&R Arial P
H&R Pin Punch Ferrule
Springfield Armory
SA stocks if they are marked under the buttplate they will have " SA " or " S.A " or sometimes just a lone number. SA stocks used both the Arial P and the Serif P fonts. SA used the pin punch as well as the half moon crimp on the front ferrule.
SA lone number,
SA " S.A "
SA Pin Punch
SA Half Moon Crimp,
Winchester
Winchester stocks if marked under the buttplate may have a " W-W " ( Winchester - Western ) Marking. Winchester stocks used the Serif P. They will also have 2 DAS stamps, one in the same spot on the left side of the stock as the other makers as well as one located in the trigger guard inlet area, this one will be quite small but with the right light can be seen.
* All pics of the Winchester are from the same stock
Winchester Serif P
Winchester DOD stamp on trigger guard inlet
Winchester Half Moon Crimp
** If anyone has a pic of a Winchester stock with the " W-W " markings, just the markings no additional numbers please feel free to share it here and I will add it to the thread.
S.E Overton Co.
Overton made stocks for TRW, if present the stock will be marked with an " O " under the buttplate. Overton stocks primarily used the Elongated P proof mark and a pin punch on the front ferrule.
Overton " O "
Overton Elongated Arial P
Overton Pin Punch
H. Sacks & Sons Inc.
H. Sacks & Sons, was a subcontractor to Springfield armory and who also made replacement stocks in standard profile and match profile. The stocks will be marked under the buttplate with a " S " under a kind of arrow or diamond shape. The stocks used both the standard Arial P as well as the Elongated Arial P. The stocks also used both a pin punch as well as the half moon crimp on the front ferrule.
H. Sacks & Sons " S " marking
H. Sacks & Sons Half Moon Crimp,
H. Sacks & Sons Pin Punch
Drawing # 11010263
This drawing # can be found under the buttplate on 2 different stock manufactures. These stocks are National Match stocks and are larger than that of the standard profile stock. Winchester stocks with this drawing # are often called " big reds " . H Sacks & Sons also used this drawing number on their NM stocks. These stocks are rarely ever marked with a DOD and P proof stamp. Other NM stocks are marked with " 7791174 ".
Winchester " Big Red "
H. Sacks & Sons
H. Sacks & Sons, NM stock on the left, standard stock on the right. Slightly thicker in a few areas most notably in the wrist.
Drawing #9352638 A note on Reinhart Fajen Inc.
Reinhart Fajen Inc. ( Cage code 77742 ) made the largest of the Camp Perry legal NM M14 stocks, these things are basically a 2x4. They were made of Walnut, Beech or Birch. They will come routed out for rear lugged receiver and almost never have a DOD or P proof mark and usually come without any metal on them.
Fajen Stock Markings
M14E2 / M14A1 Stocks
The M14E2 or M14A1 stocks were made of Walnut or Birch and the bulk of them were produced by C.A.L ( Canadian Arsenals Limited.) Others were made by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal.
The C.A.L Stocks are marked " CAL " under the buttplate assembly.
The SA Stocks are marked " SA " under the buttplate assembly.
*** More on this type of stock and its parts will come in another thread.***
CAL marked Birch Stock
Fiberglass Stocks
USGI Fiberglass stocks can be easy to identify that is if the selector cutout has not been filled. But if it has been filled and the stock has been painted it can be a little harder to tell as there are no DOD or proof marks on them. There is only 1 manufacturer of the fiberglass stock being General Tire & Rubber Co. whom also made handguards. The fiberglass stock also has checkering on the grip and the forend.
Seeing as there are no markings on the outside, there a few markings you can look for on the inside of the stock where the receiver, trigger group and magazine fit into.
Markings
Checkering
Fiberglass stock
A final note on stocks .
A lot of stocks are unmarked by the manufacturer and identifying these can be quite tricky as you have to look at many details of the stock from the shape of the grip, how much wood there is behind the receiver, the angle and shape of the cuts from the mag well going forward. There is a lot to look for, so hopefully this thread is a good start on finding out what you have.
Handguards
Handguards were made by General Tire and Rubber. co will be marked - DT followed by numbers from 2-67 . Handguards made by Structurlite Plastics Corporation. will be marked with just a number eg. 2 - 8
USGI Examples.
General Tire & Rubber Co.
Structurlite Plastics Co.
A note on H&R.
H&R were the only one to mark their front bands. It will have an “ H on the left and “R” on the right of the inside of the front band.
H&R used many sub-contractor's. Such as;
The Torrington Company - Torrington produced gas tubes for H&R and they can be identified by being marked with a T inside a circle (T) and or K (T) L.
Textile Machine Machine Works - Textile Machine Works manufactured H&R's Bolt. It is identified by being marked "HRT". The "T" on the bolt is for Textile Machine Works.
Wright Manufacturing - Wright produced the windage knobs for H&R and TRW. However the H&R knob will be marked "HRA-W". The "W" for Wright as opposed to the the TRW knobs marked "WRIGHT".
H&R Front Band.
The Torrington Company H&R Gas Tube.
Textile Machine Works H&R Bolt.
Wright Manufacturing H&R Windage Knob.
A note on KMT
KMT.co Killeen Machine Tool Company produced several parts for the M14, They made Safety, Trigger Guards, Buttplate Assemblies, Op Rod Spring Guides and Magazines
Safety.
Trigger Guard.
ButtPlate.
Op Rod Spring Guide.
Magazine.
Flash Suppressors
All USGI flash suppressors have a bayonet lug. That is unless some fool cut it off, smoothed out the surface, and reparkerized it but that would be a lot of effort for really no reason and that would be very hard to prove after the fact that it was USGI. SAI offers suppressors with and without bayonet lugs.
The inside diameter of a USGI flash suppressor is not much bigger than the barrel itself, unless it was reamed out to NM specs at some point.
Most commercial flash suppressors are made to have the larger diameter and will look different than a USGI suppressor when looking down them. Other than that most US made commercial suppressors are nearly identical to a USGI one.
The bottom of a USGI flash suppressor is solid, this is done to not kick up dirt and dust when shooting prone. So there will no opening on the bottom of the suppressor. A lot of norinco's failed to keep this feature. Also in general the norinco's are usually crooked.
USGI Examples.
Solid bottom
Smaller inside diameter.
Commercial Example
SAI non lugged with larger inside diameter
A note on trigger guards.
There are 2 versions of trigger guards. The first version had a brazed stop pin. The later and more common Trigger guard had a bent tab instead as it was quicker and cheaper to produce.
Early Version
Common Version
A note on Gas Tubes.
There are 2 versions of gas tubes. The early version had no lip to support the front band. The later and more common version has the added lip to support the front band.
Early Version.
Common Version.
Buttplate Assemblies
The easiest way to identify a USGI buttplate assembly is if its made by KMT as these were the only contractor to mark them. But for the most part its easy to tell them apart from a Norinco as the Norc's plate is usually painted black as opposed to parkerize and in general appearance are not nearly as well done as a USGI or American commercial part.
USGI Examples.
KMT.
USGI.
The finish / parkerizing on them is more or less the same dark gray color
Commercial Example.
Norinco.
The shoulder rest flap is much lighter in gray color as opposed to the painted black of the base of the assembly
A Note on IDF rifles/ Kits
*** Excerpt from Lee Emmerson's ( AKA Different ) Book on The History and Development of the M14
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used the M14 as a sniper weapon system (SWS) from 1973 to 1997 when it was replaced by the M24 SWS. Israeli Military Industries built 10,000 sniper weapon systems out of the 35,000 rifles given to them by the United States in 1973 as a result of the Yom Kippur War. The remaining M14 rifles were disassembled for spare parts. ***
These parts will have additional numbers and symbols stamped into them put there by the IDF, these numbers will have nothing to do with the original USGI drawing numbers. Having these IDF numbers " match " per se is neat but may not technically mean it's a USGI matching rifle. The IDF number may match, but the GI manufactures marks may not as a lot the parts the IDF used to make the rifle were from all different USGI manufacturers / rifles. Vice versa you may have a kit with all matching USGI manufacturer marks but different IDF numbers.
Examples of IDF marks and numbers, this rifle had mostly H&R parts but has different IDF numbers on each of the parts.
Overall Finish and Other small parts.
Its pretty easy to tell the Norico parts from USGI or other American commercial parts as Norinco's parkerizing is for the most part a lot lighter of a gray then the darker USGI parts and over all finish of the USGI parts is a lot nicer and smoother. Some GI parts are even smaller in dimension than some of the Norinco parts. Also the threading on the gas lock ring and castle nut will not fit on a US barrel and vice versa.
As far as the rest of the small parts go its kind of difficult to tell who made what as there is no markings on them. Now if it came in a parts kit that's one thing, or if it came still in wrap or in the tube that would be great too. But small parts on their own would be hard to verify as being legit USGI.
Hopefully this helps out those who are new to the M14 platform and are hoping to build a close to correct original GI M14 or those who have parts that they are wanting to sell but don't know exactly what they have.
CeeJay
I have seen some adds in the past few months or so on here and on a few other sights ( retail sites included ) that are advertising M14 clones built with complete USGI parts kits. These adds are either claiming they were from one of the recent IDF/USGI kits or other complete M14 kits sourced from elsewhere, like a prohib rifle being sold off as a kit. Some of these adds have been misleading to say the least. Most of the adds have rifles that are built on a Norinco receiver with a USGI Kit. But more than a few times when I went to look at the pictures it clearly shows a Norinco oprod installed on the rifle!, like right in the first pic!. Now this is more than likely done as USGI op rods do not always jive with a Norc receiver and usually take some time to be fitted into place correctly. The ones who put the kit together may not have had the know how to do this correctly. Some of the kits not only have a Norino op rod, but have also been found with non USGI bolts. So to claim a build is completely USGI is wrong and should be corrected.
I have also seen adds for individual parts being listed as USGI when they are not. This once again could be an innocent mistake as they seller may have been misinformed when they bought the part, or they just simply don't know what they have. I am not attacking anyone in specific nor I am saying that all of these adds were done with malicious intent.
For this reason I have created a list of how to identify some of the main marked USGI M14 parts. This is basically a what is and what isn't type guide. Hopefully this will help out whomever it can along their M14 journey. And for anyone who gets one of the parts kits from wolverine this will help to identify what's in the box.
A Brief History.
First off. USGI. What does that mean? It stands for United States Government Issue.
This thread will focus on the original 4 manufactures and their sub-contractors who were awarded US government contracts to produce The M14 Rifle. They are as follows;
H&R – Harrington and Richardson.
Produced roughly 537,512 rifles.
WRA – Winchester Repeating Arms.
Produced roughly 356,510 rifles.
TRW – Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge Inc.
Produced roughly 319,163 rifles.
SA – Springfield Armory.
Produced roughly 167,173 rifles.
M14 Rifles were produced from 1959 – 1964, with many spare parts produced for these rifles past 1964.
I know its been said before but, for those that don't know I just want to reiterate the difference between Springfield Armory "SA" and Springfield Armory Inc. "SAI".
SA or Springfield Armory is the original government entity that opened in 1777 in Springfield Massachusetts. This government armory designed and produced a great many arms for the United States including the M1 Garand and M14 rifles. This Armory was closed permanently in 1968. It is now a museum.
SAI or Springfield Armory Inc. has nothing to do with the original Springfield Armory. The name Springfield Armory was leased to Robert Reese in 1974 and its current production HQ is in Geneseo Illinois. SAI did use original military blueprints to make the M1A and did use a lot of surplus USGI parts on the early M1A rilfes. That being said, parts that are produced by SAI can NOT be considered USGI and must be considered commercial.
USGI Markings
H&R uses H-R, HRA, HRA-W, HRT ,HR-N, H&R B or C or D, H&RB8, H R, H&RB9.
WRA uses OM, OM-N, Winchester Trademark, and 66118. The “66118” is their cage code #. Op rods will only be marked with the 66118 and will also have The Ordnance Stamp ( an eagle with the 3 stars above it in a circle ) on it.
TRW uses TRW, T.R.W and TRW HT-D.
SA uses SA.
USGI M14 Parts.
Okay so now that we got the quick history lesson out of the way lets get down to brass tacks. First part we will look at is the Operating Rod.
Operating Rod – Drawing # 7267064
The most basic way to identify a USGI or GI pattern op rod from that of a Norinco op rod is to look for the notch machined into it for the connector rod.
*** NOTE The connector rod or arm is part of the selector assembly. The selector assembly is needed to switch a USGI M14 Rifle from semi auto to full auto. These parts can ONLY be found, and ONLY be used on authentic USGI M14 Receivers. The selector assembly parts are NOT present in ALL of the commercially manufactured rifles. And can NOT be made to work on ANY and ALL commercially made receivers / rifles. ***
Now as far as I have seen all of the American commercial manufacturers Will include this notch, but at this point the notch is totally useless, does nothing and is put there simply for looks. The same will be said for using a USGI op rod on any commercial receiver/build, its totally useless and is there for looks nothing else.
With the rare exception of some of the earliest Norinco's imported, Norinco op rods will NOT have this notch.
So your next step is to look for the USGI manufactures markings on the op rod itself. These markings will include the drawing number of 7267064 and will be located on the bottom/side of the op rod. The stock will need to be removed to find these markings. If your op rod doesn't look like or have any one of the following 5 markings on it, then your op rod is NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
Example of and location of the notch on a USGI op rod.
Location of the USGI Manufacturer's Markings with drawing number 7267064.
H&R.
WRA.
TRW.
SA.
Now before we get into some of the commercial markings it is time to bring up one of the main replacement part manufactures. SAK - Saco-Lowell for the most part made replacement barrels in standard profile and in NM profile but the also made replacement Op rods. The op rods will have the same drawing # of 7267064 followed by SAK and sometimes below that there may be another letter stamped in like an "S"
SAK.
Commercial Example.
Commercial op rods may look similar and may even use the same drawing number but are still Not USGI
The SAI is close to GI but still not quite the same. The USGI SA op rod is marked with the drawing # and SA on one line.
While the SAI op rod will have the SA below the drawing # and will sometimes add a “-2” to the drawing #.
SAI.
Norinco Example . Most Norcino's will not have the notch for the connector rod, however some of the earliest imported rifles might have the notch. Most of the Norinco op rods will have a 4 digit number on them.
Bolt – Drawing # 7790185 and 7790186
Next part we will look at is the Bolt. Drawing numbers for the bolts are 7790185 and 7790186. This will be followed by the manufacturer ID and a material lot number, these lot numbers vary in length and can be a mix of numbers and letters.
7790185 is a bolt that was sent out without the bolt roller attached.
7790186 is a complete bolt.
Some bolts may also have a dimple mark in them this is to show it has been proof tested and passed. The location and depth of the dimple varies. As well some bolts might have a "M" or "S" stamped on them as well. Your bolt should resemble one of these examples, if it does not then it is NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
With Dimple Proof Mark
WRA.
With Dimple Proof Mark
TRW.
With Dimple Proof Mark
SA.
With Dimple Proof Mark
Commercial Example.
Some commercial examples once again may also use the drawing number but are still Not USGI.
SAI bolt. Yes it does look very similar to a USGI bolt, but the dead give away will always be the material lot code. All USGI codes were only ever 2 - 4 characters. As well a USGI bolt has its marking stamped or rolled into it, SAI used a slightly larger and slightly different font and the marks are also laser engraved. Basically if the lot code starts with "F00" then its definitely SAI.
SAI.
Fulton Armory.
LRB.
Norinco. ( blank on top, may have numbers on underside )
Barrels – Drawing # 7790190
Next part, Barrels. Okay barrels can get a little crazy as there are various kinds of them. So for the moment we are going to stick to the basic barrel, the standard profile chrome lined barrels. We can save the NM chrome and non chrome and medium weight and heavy weight NM chrome standard profile barrels for another day.
The Barrels we will be focusing on will have drawing number of 7790190. These are chrome plated with a 1:12 twist rate. The barrels will be for the most part marked on the right side about 4 inches from the chamber.
The exceptions to this are seen with SA and WRA where markings have been found in the usual spot on the right side as well as upside down on the left side, on the top of the barrel, and on the bottom of the barrel too.
Barrels will also be marked with The Ordnance Stamp which is an eagle with 3 stars above it, as well as an “M” and “P” these are usually found on the right side of the barrel close to the chamber, the markings vary in depth.
“M" means the barrel passed magnetic particle inspection...
"P" means it passed the first proof firing.
A punch mark on or in the loop of the "P" means it was installed on an M14 rifle and passed a second proof firing.
So basically if your barrel doesn't look like any of the 5 here it is NOT a Standard Profile chrome lined USGI barrel.
The barrels will start with the manufacturer – then the drawing # - Then the date – Then material lot code.
USGI Examples.
H&R. Aug 1961.
WRA. Right side of barrel. July 1963.
Top of Barrel. July 1963.
Bottom of Barrel. March 1961.
TRW. markings unfortunately faded towards the end. December something
SA. Upside down, left side of Barrel. July 1967.
Top of Barrel. January 1960.
SAK. January 1961.
What the Ordnance stamp looks like
Examples of Ordnance stamps, with M and P proof marks
Commercial Example.
SAI barrels will be marked Springfield Armory Inc. with Geneso Illions .308 on it usually close to the chamber on the right side or underneath it.
Trigger Housing – Drawing # 7267030
Trigger housings are pretty straight forward, it will have the drawing number followed by the manufacturer mark on the left side.
Some Winchester housings will be marked OM-N (Olin Matheson Chemical Corp, wholly owns the Winchester trademark ) or WRA as opposed to the cage code of 66118.
And as per usual if the housing does not have any of the following markings its NOT USGI.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
WRA.
66118
W.R.A
OM-N
TRW.
SA.
Commercial Example.
SAI Housing. Some SAI housings or trigger groups will have no markings at all with the exception of an “sa” mark and a little clock on the left side of the safety. These trigger housings with no markings were manufactured by Wayne Machine, Inc. (Taipei, Taiwan).
Some other SAI housings will have 7267030-I , 7267030-S , 7267030 , 7267030-G , or 7267030-H. These SAI groups will be much darker in finish than a Norinco.
Norinco's Trigger housings will usually have a 4 digit number stamped on them.
Norinco.
Hammer – Drawing # 5546008
STOP. Hammer time! Okay so all M14 hammers will be marked with the drawing # of 5546008. For TRW, SA, and WRA, it will be manufacturer mark first followed by the drawing #.
The exceptions to this are H&R who marked the opposite way 5546008-HR-N. As well Some Winchester hammers will be marked 5546008-OM-N
The drawing number of 5546008 is sometimes found on M1 Garand hammers. It can be found stamped either on the side or on the top and can sometimes have a letter in front of the number like a C.
Late final production of SA M1 Garand hammers are identically marked to SA M14 hammers. Production of these hammers ended in December of 1957. So if you have a late production SA M1 Garand it might have the same looking hammer as an SA M14. And SA would use up the surplus or over run before starting new production. Really tho it makes no difference.
H&R M1 Garand hammers use the same drawing number in 2 formats. The first Hammers are marked HRA C5546008 production of these hammers ended in November 1953.
The second hammers had the marking changed to HRA 5546008, production of these hammers ended in December 1956. So seeing as the M1 and M14 Hammers are identical is shape and size, H&R would use up their surplus or over run of M1 Garand hammers first before starting new production. So yes you may find your M14 hammer is marked HRA and not HR-N, this is still technically okay and still USGI. But if you want to be hard core about it the most "correct" H&R M14 hammer ends with HR-N.
USGI Examples.
H&R.
WRA.
TRW.
SA.
Example of final production of H&R M1 Garand Hammer
Safety
Okay so safeties are for the most part fairly straight forward, there is no drawing # on them just the manufactures mark.
That being said Winchester is a grey area, some say the correct Winchester safety would be marked “K8” made by KMT.co, others say it would be marked “MXR” by manufacturer unknown. Regardless of that KMT.co Killeen Machine Tool was a known supplier of replacement M14 parts, some say they were the sub-contractor to SA some say WRA. So you can easily use a K8 marked safety for a Winchester trigger group as it is in all respects USGI.
All the markings will appear on the right side of the safety facing out , except for TRW who stuck it on the left side facing in.
You may find an H&R M1 Garand safety in your trigger group as these were produced up to December 1956, and H&R would use these final production or over run safety's first. They are easily identified as they are marked HRA not H&R. They may also have inspectors initials on them. Once again these are technically not wrong but if you want to be as correct as possible your safety would be marked H&R.
H&R. Marked H&R may also be marked with a B, C, or D
WRA (maybe, maybe not but still USGI) Marked K8
TRW. Marked TRW HT-D. Might be another letter as opposed to a "D" could be an "A" etc.
SA. Marked SA
Examples of H&R M1 Garand Safety.
Marked with inspectors initials
Without inspectors initials
Commercial Example.
Example of an SAI safety.
Rear Sights.
Rear sights were made by a bunch of sub contractors. The rear sight base was only marked by 2 companies H&R using “H&RB8” and “H&RB9”. And Winchester using “OMB3”
*Excerpt from Lee Emmerson's Book on The History and Development of the M14
Elevation knob and pinion assembly
Druge Brothers - DRC
Frazier Manufacturing - FZR, made in 1962
Globe Union - made in 1962, possibly later
New Haven Clock - NHC, made for TRW and in 1965 as replacement spare
Springfield Armoy – SA made in 1959, possibly later
Wico Electric - WCE, made for H&R and TRW and in 1969 as replacement spares
Windage knob assembly
Bruce Machine and Engineering - BME, made for Springfield Armory
Druge Brothers - DRC, made for TRW
Frazier Manufacturing - FZR
Stewart Iron Works - SWK
Weather Manufacturing - W inside a hexagon
Wico Electric - WCE, made for TRW
Wright Manufacturing - HRA-W, made for H&R
Wright Manufacturing - WRIGHT, made for TRW
Norinco marks their sights with WCE as well but they are not the same as USGI WCE sights. On an USGI WCE elevation drum it will have an “M” for Meters
USGI Examples.
DRC.
HRA-W.
SWK.
WRIGHT
New Haven Clock
WCE.
WCE.
WCE.
H&R Marked H&RB9.
WRA Marked OMB3
Commercial Example
SAI has marked their rear sight parts like so;
USGI M14 Stocks
The Basics
First off we will start with wood stocks. And the most basic way to know if your stock is USGI is if it has a cutout for the selector switch. Now that being said at some point in time the stock could have has this area filled with wood filler or JB weld etc, but it should be pretty easy to tell if that's been done. USGI wood stocks are primarily made of Black Walnut and Birch.
Selector switch cutout side view.
Selector switch cutout top view.
Selector switch or cap.
Markings
The next thing you will be looking for on your stock (With out having to take it apart ) is the DOD acceptance stamp and a " P " proof mark. The DOD stamp will be located on the left side of the stock near the grip. The " P " proof mark with be on the face of the grip itself
DOD = Department Of Defense . It is represented by an Eagle with 3 stars above it.
A proof mark will be represented by a " P ", either in a Arial or Serif font. The Arial P can also appear with the loop of the P being Elongated.
These markings mean it has been proof tested, passed and has been assembled onto an M14 rifle at factory. Now don't fret if these marks are not present as most replacement stocks didn't have them. And the stock could have easily been refinished maybe a few times over its life and these marks could have been sanded away.
DOD Stamp
DOD Stamp on stock
Arial P
Arial P on stock
Elongated Arial P on stock
Serif P
Serif P on Stock
Manufacturer Markings
Okay so now we are going to get into the finer details. The easiest way to ID the manufacturer ( if the mark is present ) is to remove the buttplate assembly. This area is usually undisturbed by normal rifle use and even in refinishing, so if its been marked it should be pretty easy to spot.
Harrington and Richardson
H&R Stocks can/will be marked under the buttplate area with an " H " and possibly and single digit number too, tho sometimes it might just have a lone number.
H&R stocks will also be marked with an Arial P as well as the elongated Arial P proof mark and a pin punch used on the front ferrule.
*All pics of the H&R are from the same stock
H&R
H&R tried to highlight the number " 1 "
H&R Arial P
H&R Pin Punch Ferrule
Springfield Armory
SA stocks if they are marked under the buttplate they will have " SA " or " S.A " or sometimes just a lone number. SA stocks used both the Arial P and the Serif P fonts. SA used the pin punch as well as the half moon crimp on the front ferrule.
SA lone number,
SA " S.A "
SA Pin Punch
SA Half Moon Crimp,
Winchester
Winchester stocks if marked under the buttplate may have a " W-W " ( Winchester - Western ) Marking. Winchester stocks used the Serif P. They will also have 2 DAS stamps, one in the same spot on the left side of the stock as the other makers as well as one located in the trigger guard inlet area, this one will be quite small but with the right light can be seen.
* All pics of the Winchester are from the same stock
Winchester Serif P
Winchester DOD stamp on trigger guard inlet
Winchester Half Moon Crimp
** If anyone has a pic of a Winchester stock with the " W-W " markings, just the markings no additional numbers please feel free to share it here and I will add it to the thread.
S.E Overton Co.
Overton made stocks for TRW, if present the stock will be marked with an " O " under the buttplate. Overton stocks primarily used the Elongated P proof mark and a pin punch on the front ferrule.
Overton " O "
Overton Elongated Arial P
Overton Pin Punch
H. Sacks & Sons Inc.
H. Sacks & Sons, was a subcontractor to Springfield armory and who also made replacement stocks in standard profile and match profile. The stocks will be marked under the buttplate with a " S " under a kind of arrow or diamond shape. The stocks used both the standard Arial P as well as the Elongated Arial P. The stocks also used both a pin punch as well as the half moon crimp on the front ferrule.
H. Sacks & Sons " S " marking
H. Sacks & Sons Half Moon Crimp,
H. Sacks & Sons Pin Punch
Drawing # 11010263
This drawing # can be found under the buttplate on 2 different stock manufactures. These stocks are National Match stocks and are larger than that of the standard profile stock. Winchester stocks with this drawing # are often called " big reds " . H Sacks & Sons also used this drawing number on their NM stocks. These stocks are rarely ever marked with a DOD and P proof stamp. Other NM stocks are marked with " 7791174 ".
Winchester " Big Red "
H. Sacks & Sons
H. Sacks & Sons, NM stock on the left, standard stock on the right. Slightly thicker in a few areas most notably in the wrist.
Drawing #9352638 A note on Reinhart Fajen Inc.
Reinhart Fajen Inc. ( Cage code 77742 ) made the largest of the Camp Perry legal NM M14 stocks, these things are basically a 2x4. They were made of Walnut, Beech or Birch. They will come routed out for rear lugged receiver and almost never have a DOD or P proof mark and usually come without any metal on them.
Fajen Stock Markings
M14E2 / M14A1 Stocks
The M14E2 or M14A1 stocks were made of Walnut or Birch and the bulk of them were produced by C.A.L ( Canadian Arsenals Limited.) Others were made by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal.
The C.A.L Stocks are marked " CAL " under the buttplate assembly.
The SA Stocks are marked " SA " under the buttplate assembly.
*** More on this type of stock and its parts will come in another thread.***
CAL marked Birch Stock
Fiberglass Stocks
USGI Fiberglass stocks can be easy to identify that is if the selector cutout has not been filled. But if it has been filled and the stock has been painted it can be a little harder to tell as there are no DOD or proof marks on them. There is only 1 manufacturer of the fiberglass stock being General Tire & Rubber Co. whom also made handguards. The fiberglass stock also has checkering on the grip and the forend.
Seeing as there are no markings on the outside, there a few markings you can look for on the inside of the stock where the receiver, trigger group and magazine fit into.
Markings
Checkering
Fiberglass stock
A final note on stocks .
A lot of stocks are unmarked by the manufacturer and identifying these can be quite tricky as you have to look at many details of the stock from the shape of the grip, how much wood there is behind the receiver, the angle and shape of the cuts from the mag well going forward. There is a lot to look for, so hopefully this thread is a good start on finding out what you have.
Handguards
Handguards were made by General Tire and Rubber. co will be marked - DT followed by numbers from 2-67 . Handguards made by Structurlite Plastics Corporation. will be marked with just a number eg. 2 - 8
USGI Examples.
General Tire & Rubber Co.
Structurlite Plastics Co.
A note on H&R.
H&R were the only one to mark their front bands. It will have an “ H on the left and “R” on the right of the inside of the front band.
H&R used many sub-contractor's. Such as;
The Torrington Company - Torrington produced gas tubes for H&R and they can be identified by being marked with a T inside a circle (T) and or K (T) L.
Textile Machine Machine Works - Textile Machine Works manufactured H&R's Bolt. It is identified by being marked "HRT". The "T" on the bolt is for Textile Machine Works.
Wright Manufacturing - Wright produced the windage knobs for H&R and TRW. However the H&R knob will be marked "HRA-W". The "W" for Wright as opposed to the the TRW knobs marked "WRIGHT".
H&R Front Band.
The Torrington Company H&R Gas Tube.
Textile Machine Works H&R Bolt.
Wright Manufacturing H&R Windage Knob.
A note on KMT
KMT.co Killeen Machine Tool Company produced several parts for the M14, They made Safety, Trigger Guards, Buttplate Assemblies, Op Rod Spring Guides and Magazines
Safety.
Trigger Guard.
ButtPlate.
Op Rod Spring Guide.
Magazine.
Flash Suppressors
All USGI flash suppressors have a bayonet lug. That is unless some fool cut it off, smoothed out the surface, and reparkerized it but that would be a lot of effort for really no reason and that would be very hard to prove after the fact that it was USGI. SAI offers suppressors with and without bayonet lugs.
The inside diameter of a USGI flash suppressor is not much bigger than the barrel itself, unless it was reamed out to NM specs at some point.
Most commercial flash suppressors are made to have the larger diameter and will look different than a USGI suppressor when looking down them. Other than that most US made commercial suppressors are nearly identical to a USGI one.
The bottom of a USGI flash suppressor is solid, this is done to not kick up dirt and dust when shooting prone. So there will no opening on the bottom of the suppressor. A lot of norinco's failed to keep this feature. Also in general the norinco's are usually crooked.
USGI Examples.
Solid bottom
Smaller inside diameter.
Commercial Example
SAI non lugged with larger inside diameter
A note on trigger guards.
There are 2 versions of trigger guards. The first version had a brazed stop pin. The later and more common Trigger guard had a bent tab instead as it was quicker and cheaper to produce.
Early Version
Common Version
A note on Gas Tubes.
There are 2 versions of gas tubes. The early version had no lip to support the front band. The later and more common version has the added lip to support the front band.
Early Version.
Common Version.
Buttplate Assemblies
The easiest way to identify a USGI buttplate assembly is if its made by KMT as these were the only contractor to mark them. But for the most part its easy to tell them apart from a Norinco as the Norc's plate is usually painted black as opposed to parkerize and in general appearance are not nearly as well done as a USGI or American commercial part.
USGI Examples.
KMT.
USGI.
The finish / parkerizing on them is more or less the same dark gray color
Commercial Example.
Norinco.
The shoulder rest flap is much lighter in gray color as opposed to the painted black of the base of the assembly
A Note on IDF rifles/ Kits
*** Excerpt from Lee Emmerson's ( AKA Different ) Book on The History and Development of the M14
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used the M14 as a sniper weapon system (SWS) from 1973 to 1997 when it was replaced by the M24 SWS. Israeli Military Industries built 10,000 sniper weapon systems out of the 35,000 rifles given to them by the United States in 1973 as a result of the Yom Kippur War. The remaining M14 rifles were disassembled for spare parts. ***
These parts will have additional numbers and symbols stamped into them put there by the IDF, these numbers will have nothing to do with the original USGI drawing numbers. Having these IDF numbers " match " per se is neat but may not technically mean it's a USGI matching rifle. The IDF number may match, but the GI manufactures marks may not as a lot the parts the IDF used to make the rifle were from all different USGI manufacturers / rifles. Vice versa you may have a kit with all matching USGI manufacturer marks but different IDF numbers.
Examples of IDF marks and numbers, this rifle had mostly H&R parts but has different IDF numbers on each of the parts.
Overall Finish and Other small parts.
Its pretty easy to tell the Norico parts from USGI or other American commercial parts as Norinco's parkerizing is for the most part a lot lighter of a gray then the darker USGI parts and over all finish of the USGI parts is a lot nicer and smoother. Some GI parts are even smaller in dimension than some of the Norinco parts. Also the threading on the gas lock ring and castle nut will not fit on a US barrel and vice versa.
As far as the rest of the small parts go its kind of difficult to tell who made what as there is no markings on them. Now if it came in a parts kit that's one thing, or if it came still in wrap or in the tube that would be great too. But small parts on their own would be hard to verify as being legit USGI.
Hopefully this helps out those who are new to the M14 platform and are hoping to build a close to correct original GI M14 or those who have parts that they are wanting to sell but don't know exactly what they have.
CeeJay
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