M 14 question!!!!

[Createdeemcee]

Are the M 14's that are issued to sharp shooters on todays modern battlefield still made as select fire, or are they pretty much semi auto's???

[~center~]

Per Army policy, they are issued as semi-auto with the ability to be re-converted to select fire. You might get written up for turning yours back into full-auto, besides why would you want to?! The M14/M21 makes for a poor machinegun.

[Hollis]

Per Army policy, they are issued as semi-auto with the ability to re-converted to select fire. You might get written up for turning your back into full-auto, besides why would you want to?! The M14/M21 makes for a poor machinegun.


I am completely clueless on the modern config, But I do know you are 150% when you say, "The M14/M21 makes for a poor machinegun."

[Biglug]

I'm sure there are a few out there that still have the selector in place but most have a selector lock installed these days.

In traditional (60's) setups (usgi wood or fiberglass stock) the M14 is too light to control in full-auto well for the recoil of the 7.62x51mm round as a GPMG.

You can make an M14 more controllable, but in the end it's the forward and overall weight that has the biggest part in that control and that's kind of moot point in the modern doctrine.
That's what the current SAW does and the 240 for heavier support fire.

M14's were being setup a long time ago for better results and use as a sniper/marksman rifle and that's where it does a very good job and is basically being used as still today.
Different units do different things with the M14's they have depending on funding or what they can get with NSN's, but the more lucky ones are sent to Smith Enterprises and other armorer's military and civilian to be further accurized and refined in barrel and stock also.

http://www.smithenterprise.com/index.html

http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/

[StukaJr]

So the selector switch on the currently deployed M14's is deactivated/just for show? I realize it looks quite different - does it serve some other purpose?

[Hollis]

So the selector switch on the currently deployed M14's is deactivated/just for show? I realize it looks quite different - does it serve some other purpose?


Maybe someone had it done, for one of those, "just in case" issues. The thinking being, "Having it and not using it is one thing, Not having it and maybe needing it is another."

[AZRON]

So the selector switch on the currently deployed M14's is deactivated/just for show? I realize it looks quite different - does it serve some other purpose?

The M-14 was mfg. with the selector switch however for the U.S. Army 7 out of 9 issued to an inf. squad had the selectors removed before being issued somewhere up the supply chain above the company level.

With OIF many are finding their way back in organized and unorganized manners.
A video of an old Plain Jane M-14 with a selector being used was seen by some in use of a Marine inf. sgt. on the road to Bagdad.
Many others have been upgraded to be issued to company designated marksman.
Somewheres on the net is a report about the M-14s in U.S. service from the beginning to current and including OIF. I've read it, but don't know where on the net it is.

[Biglug]

So the selector switch on the currently deployed M14's is deactivated/just for show? I realize it looks quite different - does it serve some other purpose?


An actual usgi M14 receiver was design to be fullauto and the selector lock serves no other purpose but to take the place of the selector keeping the rifle locked into semiautomatic only as civilian commercial versions are designed to be except for the small number of fullauto capable civilian M14/M1A's that were made.

For a usgi M14 the selector lock can be removed at will if wanted and the selector reinstalled if the parts are available or can be found in the supply chain.
I'm sure what it's like in the current status of supply for whether they can be had or not though.:)

http://www.smithenterprise.com/imagesprod/Army-M4SE-Mar-17-07.lg.jpg

:http://nas4.atlanta.gbhinc.com/GB/074320000/74320664/pix395681046.jpg
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as15-e.htm

[~center~]

http://www.smithenterprise.com/imagesprod/Army-M4SE-Mar-17-07.lg.jpg

:http://nas4.atlanta.gbhinc.com/GB/074320000/74320664/pix395681046.jpg
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as15-e.htm


Good pics! The top one is what they look like now (or should look like) and the bottom one is with the selector installed. The top one still has the ability to shoot full-auto but the parts have to be reinstalled.



Maybe someone had it done, for one of those, "just in case" issues. The thinking being, "Having it and not using it is one thing, Not having it and maybe needing it is another."

Right you are! I would rather they just left them the way they were in the long run. After all, better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.