Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled "General Quarters: U.S. Navy M14 Rifles" and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/general-quarters-u-s-navy-m14-rifles/.
General Quarters: U.S. Navy M14 Rifles
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
C. Sumpin
Custom
I was in the last company in basic training to qualify with the M-1. In AIT it was the M-14, and in the early days of the Nam the M-14 also. The M-16 (after the feeding/jamming issues were corrected, which cost more than a few GI's lives) it was a superior weapon to the M-14 in the environment it was used in. In the environment of the open seas (and lots of steel) the M-14 would have been great. With the new "swarming" threat, the M-16 could be marginally better.
Keystone19250
SAINT
The picture and mention of the USS Iowa brought a smile to my face as that was the ship my dad served on.Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled "General Quarters: U.S. Navy M14 Rifles" and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/general-quarters-u-s-navy-m14-rifles/.
Great article Mike and awesome rifle, I’m so glad I was able to find one.
Silent Sam
Alpha
I too qualified initially with the M1 in early 1962. I met the M14 at my 1st duty station in Germany. Later in 1966 at OCS I requalified the M14 and that was my carry weapon as a truck company platoon leader in Vietnam. My armored fitted it with the A2 mod for full auto operation (he did for many). That was nearly a necessity as early ammo convoys were lucky to have only a couple MP jeeps for security! I never had an M16.
USMCVIETVET
Alpha
Hello, Carried an automatic M-14 during the first 10 months of my tour in Vietnam. I loved that rifle, never let me down. Note selector switch on receiver.
Bassbob
Emissary
Thank you for your service sir.
C. Sumpin
Custom
Thank you for your service.....Phu Bai......drifting a bit north uh? I CORP?
Fatigues are mighty clean........no salt/sweat rings showing......
The M-14 was a hard hitter, all we had at the beginning; but durn glad the 16 came along; lighter, more rounds, rapid rate of fire, handy in the brush.......
USMCVIETVET
Alpha
Phu Bai was south for me, where we started... 4th Marines....then operated out of Camp Evans, Dong Ha and Con Thien for the rest of my tour. I Corps, Con Thien..... as far north as you could get in South Vietnam.
>>>>Fatigues are mighty clean........no salt/sweat rings showing......
"Fatigues"......you must be Army.....we didn't call them fatigues. Yeah, once in a while they were washed....there were no Butler buildings (background) in the bush either. I was in a transit area waiting for my next assignment. I hated the M-16. The first time I fired it it jammed, took me a long time to clear it. It cost a lot of lives in the beginning. I'd give just about anything to have that weapon now.
>>>>Fatigues are mighty clean........no salt/sweat rings showing......
"Fatigues"......you must be Army.....we didn't call them fatigues. Yeah, once in a while they were washed....there were no Butler buildings (background) in the bush either. I was in a transit area waiting for my next assignment. I hated the M-16. The first time I fired it it jammed, took me a long time to clear it. It cost a lot of lives in the beginning. I'd give just about anything to have that weapon now.
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What a great read from a group of seasoned vets. Sounds like I'm the youngster in the discussion. I made my comparison in 1970. I am a fan of both but I tend to lean toward the M14 as my favorite. The M14 is perfect for stopping anything out to 300 yards and it's reliable in the worst of conditions. The M16 is erratic at 100 yards and you have to keep it clean. It shines though when you are in close quarters. Thanks for your words of wisdom and for your service gentleman.
C. Sumpin
Custom
M16 is erratic at 100 Yards? Have not experienced that. "Shines thru in close quarters"; you bet, and except for rice paddy landscape nearly every contact in the Nam was close to extremely close quarters. And in close quarters design/weight/rate of fire/and handling characteristics would make you reach for the M16/AR style over the M14 every time.
For the Special Ops and LRRP's who often could select their mission weapon, how many chose the M14?
As for the advances over the last fifty five years, a properly equipped AR will do the work of a sidearm, close quarter combat and bust the apple at 600 meters, all in one platform.
Yet the heavy duty hard hitting and reliable M14 has it's place and I love it.
USMCVIETVET
Alpha
The 5.56x45mm round was unsuitable for Afghanistan....they discovered that past 500 meters that round had a lethality problem. They found the enemy had the advantage on U.S. forces because they were carrying rifles firing the 7.62x54mm and getting hits at a much greater distance. You may be able to "bust the apple" at 600 meters with an M-16 if you hold your mouth just right but you aren't going to take out the enemy at that distance.
The M-14 came back into service as a result because the AR's weren't doing the job. The Army rigged telescoping stocks on the 14 along with scopes, etc.
In the movie Black Hawk Down one of the Delta Force guys was using an M-14 to fight off the people trying to get at the pilot in the downed helicopter.
The M-16's and AR-15's are a sexy weapon and they have their place but when it comes to a great battle rifle I'll take the M-14 any day.
The M-14 came back into service as a result because the AR's weren't doing the job. The Army rigged telescoping stocks on the 14 along with scopes, etc.
In the movie Black Hawk Down one of the Delta Force guys was using an M-14 to fight off the people trying to get at the pilot in the downed helicopter.
The M-16's and AR-15's are a sexy weapon and they have their place but when it comes to a great battle rifle I'll take the M-14 any day.
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C. Sumpin
Custom
Correct. As stated, the 16 was designed for CQB such as the jungles of VN where it outperformed the M-14 that came on the scene in the late 50's replacing the M1. The design of the 14 of course would have superior performance in the wide open terrain such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and so on. The 14 and the 16 were both great battle rifles in their place.
USMCVIETVET
Alpha
C. Sumpin....Say Sumpin...right? The article you posted (link above) written by a guy named Gao....probably a member of the CCP...smearing the M-14 is insultingly stupid. "Gao" states that the M-14 is "inaccurate".....LOL. Tell that to the thousands of Marines that qualified with that rifle in the 60's and shot expert including myself.
Further, the article goes on to say: "Kevin “Hognose” O’Brien, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, describes it as “a fiddly, unstable platform” that they were not even allowed to field strip for fear of disrupting the internal tuning of the weapon that allowed it to be accurate".
The statement by "Hognose" is beyond stupid....that's where it gets insulting...The M-14 was and is ROCK SOLID.....The End!
I've fired the M-1, the BAR, the M-60 machine gun, the M-14, the M-16, the AR-15's and short barrels and the M-14 is still my favorite....hands down. My M-14 would empty a 20 round magazine in less than two seconds. Beautiful weapon. That's why it's still in use and will be in the future.
Further, the article goes on to say: "Kevin “Hognose” O’Brien, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, describes it as “a fiddly, unstable platform” that they were not even allowed to field strip for fear of disrupting the internal tuning of the weapon that allowed it to be accurate".
The statement by "Hognose" is beyond stupid....that's where it gets insulting...The M-14 was and is ROCK SOLID.....The End!
I've fired the M-1, the BAR, the M-60 machine gun, the M-14, the M-16, the AR-15's and short barrels and the M-14 is still my favorite....hands down. My M-14 would empty a 20 round magazine in less than two seconds. Beautiful weapon. That's why it's still in use and will be in the future.
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Blackfeather
Custom
Other than it being used in battle, the 16 doesn't meet the "Battle Rifle" criteria.
Never has ... never will.
Never has ... never will.
HansGruber
Ronin
Talking with the guys I know who were actually over there (Afghanistan)…M14’s were not common issue, at all. Rarely seen outside fortified positions, as it was heavy compared to M16s, and really heavy compared to a M4.
Also, they seemed to have no problems with 5.56’s efficacy…most of the people who made noise about that, I’ve found, weren’t actually there.
And one final note, on accuracy: the M16/AR15 is a MUCH more inherently accurate platform. If you doubt this, go to Camp Perry for the service rifle matches; AR’s have ruled the roost for the past couple decades.
KillerFord1977
SAINT
As with my M1a in similar configuration, minus the stock in this pic, I can tell you thats one heavy SOB rifle to carry around.