The bad news is that if Justin has his way, your modern rifles like the AR platform will be history - and you'll be lucky to keep your Minis or M305 guns. "Sunny days" (to put a dark face on the situation).
What is the best and worst thing that you can say about the M14?
- Thread starter steelgray
- Start date
The bad news is that if Justin has his way, your modern rifles like the AR platform will be history - and you'll be lucky to keep your Minis or M305 guns. "Sunny days" (to put a dark face on the situation).
Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Or they could just go the way of Russia. You can have your semi's, they just can't be rifled lol
It's one of my "from my cold, dead hands" rifles.
I just love how it handles and shoots, though your mileage may vary. Ergonomics will vary from person to person and is relatively subjective, but as a 6'2, 200lb, long armed and decently fit guy, I don't find it heavy or awkward. I'd use something else if I had to make a shot or two at a deer after hiking all day, but that's not what this rifle was made for.
Various versions and makes aside:
Pros:
- Great sights
- Customize-able, within reason, and not overly cheaply either (but what is?)
- Looks good in wood or in synthetic or steel, and is aesthetically pleasing to me (subjective, I know)
- Reliable when set up right
- Accurate enough
Cons:
- Outdated 'clamp in' method of securing/fitting a receiver to a stock, but this is common with rifles of the era anyway. It was built on what worked, and not overly forward thinking.
- Reciprocating op-rod with an awkward set up.
- Not accurate enough. Depends on what you're looking for in a rifle, but I'm fine with 2/2.5 MOA. Better can be had, but now that the Stag 10's are here, you're approaching custom build prices.
I just love how it handles and shoots, though your mileage may vary. Ergonomics will vary from person to person and is relatively subjective, but as a 6'2, 200lb, long armed and decently fit guy, I don't find it heavy or awkward. I'd use something else if I had to make a shot or two at a deer after hiking all day, but that's not what this rifle was made for.
Various versions and makes aside:
Pros:
- Great sights
- Customize-able, within reason, and not overly cheaply either (but what is?)
- Looks good in wood or in synthetic or steel, and is aesthetically pleasing to me (subjective, I know)
- Reliable when set up right
- Accurate enough
Cons:
- Outdated 'clamp in' method of securing/fitting a receiver to a stock, but this is common with rifles of the era anyway. It was built on what worked, and not overly forward thinking.
- Reciprocating op-rod with an awkward set up.
- Not accurate enough. Depends on what you're looking for in a rifle, but I'm fine with 2/2.5 MOA. Better can be had, but now that the Stag 10's are here, you're approaching custom build prices.
I love everything about em, in the modern day range chalk full of AR's the M14's unique silhouette always stands out and always draws the attention. The classic wood and steel beast thundering out the 7.62 x 51 mm will have the .556 crowd looking over to see what all the noise is, they always ask what it is? what does it shoot? can I try it?
I'm not a big feller in stature , in fact I'm more or less an average joe, but this rifle just fits me. Everything lines up right, the iron sights are perfect and accurate. Now you can say its awkward to load or maybe not ergonomic as an AR but hey practice makes perfect . I don't find it too heavy or too long it just works for me.
Now if I really had to write a con, well it would not be about the rifle, it would be about the cost of ammo. If I could get the same amount of ammo, say a box of 500 for the same price as .556 that would be a miracle.
I'm not a big feller in stature , in fact I'm more or less an average joe, but this rifle just fits me. Everything lines up right, the iron sights are perfect and accurate. Now you can say its awkward to load or maybe not ergonomic as an AR but hey practice makes perfect . I don't find it too heavy or too long it just works for me.
Now if I really had to write a con, well it would not be about the rifle, it would be about the cost of ammo. If I could get the same amount of ammo, say a box of 500 for the same price as .556 that would be a miracle.
Pro's
-reliable when set up correctly and running proper ammunition
-Awesome iron sights
-Easy to work on/strip
-I like the looks of them
-Lots of aftermarket stuff for them
-Can be shot as it came or you can spend a bunch customizing it.
-Fairly accurate, definitely accurate enough to get the job done in original configuration or can be accurized like one of the ones I have that has pretty much everything done that can be done to a Norinco based build (not much left other than the receiver).
Cons
-Price of used modified ones has fallen through the floor since the BCL102 and Stag 10 came out. I have over $3000 into one of mine and I'd be lucky to get $2000 for it.
-A little heavy for some but I don't find it to be too heavy. Not a rifle I'd really want to carry all day but with a good sling it could be done.
-Ammo costs
-Rock and lock mags take a bit of getting used to if you're used to an AR style magazine well.
-Can be finicky with some ammo (like most semi auto rifles).
Krieger 18.6 inch barrel/Fulton bolt and firing pin/bedded into Blackfeather/lots more done as well
-reliable when set up correctly and running proper ammunition
-Awesome iron sights
-Easy to work on/strip
-I like the looks of them
-Lots of aftermarket stuff for them
-Can be shot as it came or you can spend a bunch customizing it.
-Fairly accurate, definitely accurate enough to get the job done in original configuration or can be accurized like one of the ones I have that has pretty much everything done that can be done to a Norinco based build (not much left other than the receiver).
Cons
-Price of used modified ones has fallen through the floor since the BCL102 and Stag 10 came out. I have over $3000 into one of mine and I'd be lucky to get $2000 for it.
-A little heavy for some but I don't find it to be too heavy. Not a rifle I'd really want to carry all day but with a good sling it could be done.
-Ammo costs
-Rock and lock mags take a bit of getting used to if you're used to an AR style magazine well.
-Can be finicky with some ammo (like most semi auto rifles).
Krieger 18.6 inch barrel/Fulton bolt and firing pin/bedded into Blackfeather/lots more done as well
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TV-PressPass
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Mountains, Alberta
From the jungles of Indochina to the mountains of Afghanistan, it was almost good enough.
The good:
Plenty accurate in sniper configuration
Reliable under battlefield conditions
Uses 7.62 mm ammo
If you run out of ammo, you can borrow from the machinegunner
Can be used as a club
Easy to disassemble for cleaning
The bad:
Poor ergonomics by modern standards
Magazine only holds 20 rounds
Beats up the scopes
The Norks use to be a good way to get into the platform cheap. I never sunk a bunch of money into one, just the cheap DYI accuracy mods and find they are plenty accurate as is.
Problem now is the new ones are MIM bolts which are garbage, so you are not able to get into it cheap anymore.
Problem now is the new ones are MIM bolts which are garbage, so you are not able to get into it cheap anymore.
TacticalTeacher
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Georgian Bay, ON
Watching movies with the M305 / M1A / M25 is always fun....
* Born on the 4th of July
* Full Metal Jacket
* Forrest Gump
Just to name a few....
Yeah, feeding the pig is expensive.
Ergonomics can’t beat any AR platform
And My back hurts in my old age! Ouch!
Gets more expensive when you took my advice: Don’t buy ONE.... buy TWO of them!
Cheers, Barney
* Born on the 4th of July
* Full Metal Jacket
* Forrest Gump
Just to name a few....
Yeah, feeding the pig is expensive.
Ergonomics can’t beat any AR platform
And My back hurts in my old age! Ouch!
Gets more expensive when you took my advice: Don’t buy ONE.... buy TWO of them!
Cheers, Barney
I think you are reading that wrong. He said the ergonomics can't beat, not the ergonomics beat the AR.
The bad:
An old outdated platform that while robust, requires all sorts of old world tricks and alchemy to accurize-if that’s what you want to get out of it. Otherwise the base versions are reliable and reasonably accurate.
The good:
An old outdated platform that while robust, requires all sorts of old world tricks and alchemy to accurize-if that’s what you want to get out of it. Otherwise the base versions are reliable and reasonably accurate.
Someone already mentioned the 1911. For me, like the 1911, the M14 platform requires all sorts of tricks and modifications to make one quite accurate but all the hard work put in by the various armed forces teams down south made some pretty accurate rigs. They are like race cars to me, a lot of time invested and built for a specific purpose.
Not real practical I know, and I can bolt an AR together like lego that shoots tighter with less fuss, but for me there’s a mysterious quality to Devcon bedded actions with extra lugs, torque screws and welded gas cylinders.
An old outdated platform that while robust, requires all sorts of old world tricks and alchemy to accurize-if that’s what you want to get out of it. Otherwise the base versions are reliable and reasonably accurate.
The good:
An old outdated platform that while robust, requires all sorts of old world tricks and alchemy to accurize-if that’s what you want to get out of it. Otherwise the base versions are reliable and reasonably accurate.
Someone already mentioned the 1911. For me, like the 1911, the M14 platform requires all sorts of tricks and modifications to make one quite accurate but all the hard work put in by the various armed forces teams down south made some pretty accurate rigs. They are like race cars to me, a lot of time invested and built for a specific purpose.
Not real practical I know, and I can bolt an AR together like lego that shoots tighter with less fuss, but for me there’s a mysterious quality to Devcon bedded actions with extra lugs, torque screws and welded gas cylinders.
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