I'm convinced that owning an M14 is a love hate relationship. Its a bit like lusting after someone even though you know that person is totally nuts and will someday probably leave you crying in a beer with an empty bank account.
No wait, its not KIND of like that, its EXACTLY like that. But I digress.
I ran the M14 in its last configuration for about 5 months before deciding that the solution I currently had wasn't satisfactory. Because of the layout of an M14, having good comb height to use a scope meant that getting to the backup irons was almost impossible The McMillian stock didn't really help this situation at all, yes it was possible to adjust comb height, but it was a cumbersome slow task and not at all suited to a fluid/tactical situation. The first sign of this was the scope mount issue during last June's carbine match when I couldn't get low enough to switch to irons. So I needed a different approach and began looking for something to address some of these issues.
I started out with a couple of experiments to try and solidify the direction of the rifle. The original roles I was attempting to build for called for a M14 that was as capable in CQB environments as it was out to 600 meters.
Rather than try to make the accessories of the rifle try and do everything, I decided to allow minor changes from one role to the next. So I started with a recipe for the CQB version first. This meant optics, vertical foregrip, stock, and weapons light. Since a new recipe called for new optics I looked around trying to find a less conventional approach. After talking to Insight Technologies and reading some initial information I decided to give their Integrated Sight Module-Visible Laser (ISM-v) a try. I mounted up a CTR stock, ladder rail covers and MIAD grip from Magpul for finish out the furniture portion. And since I also needed a VFG and weapons light, I found an off the shelf solution from Streamlight in their new all aluminum VFG (with rail mount) and 6v, 135 lumen SuperTac light. So the "CQB" version of the rifle was setup with:
° FDE Troy MCS
° FDE Troy Industries Folding Battle Sights (Backup Iron Sights)
° Insight Technologies ISM-v red dot/laser weapon sight
° Magpul Industries CTR Stock, MIAD Grip and Rail Covers in FDE
° Streamlight SuperTac Flashlight & Streamlight VFG with railmount
° Checkmate Industries new 25rd M14 magazines
The first place to start was the stock. After a fair amount of research I settled on the Troy Industries Modular Chassis System (MCS) for several reasons. It takes the M14's action and mounts it in a aluminum chassis that approximates the AR15/M16 layout. By moving the action lower in the chassis, recoil is directed straight back instead of back and down like a 'normal' M14 stock. The MCS also uses a fair amount of AR15/M16 accessories such as stocks, pistol grips, backup iron sights and other items. Because of the interchangability of accessories, the M14 platform can be made friendlier to people venturing over from the AR15/M16 world. But I will say that there are good and less good things about this layout.
Troy Industries Modular Chassis System
Before we talk about the good and bad, let's look at what Troy Industries says about the M14 Modular Chassis System:
° Patent Pending Design
° Machined from billet T6 aluminum
° MIL-Std. hard coat anodized
° MIL-Std. M1913 rails located at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock
° All rails feature numbered cross slots
° Single plane, full-length top rail allows perfect co-witness of iron sights and optics
° Mounts all optical sights and scopes
° Optics & sights remain mounted and undisturbed while field stripped
° Stocks are available in Black & Flat Dark Earth
° Will fit USGI M-14's and commercial variants
° Field strips without tools
° Duplicates the ergonomics of the AR Type rifles and the M4 Carbine
° Accepts all M16/M4 pistol grips and stocks
° Only available with the selector cutout, but will install on all semi-auto rifles
This stock will fit a MK14 Mod0, USGI M14, SOCOM, Scout, Bush, Standard, Medium, Loaded, National Match, Super Match, or any configuration without a rear lug. The butt stock, buffer tube, pistol grip, rail mounted sights/optics, and accessories are not included and available for purchase separately.
The TROY M14 Modular Chassis System can be configured for every mission need to include Close Quarters Battle (CQB)
Carbine, Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) or a Semi-Auto Sniper System (SASS).
The MCS is easily mounted and took me about 45 minutes to put everything together. I had a really hard time getting the upper and lower sections separated the first time but after that initial issue, breaking the rifle down for cleaning and maintenence has been quick and easy. A caveat, the MCS is designed to tension bed the rifle within its chassis and because of this; some things that you'd see on an accurized M14 aren't needed. Primarily this related to having a national match gas cylinder, since welding the assembly creates a metal bead that interferes with the MCS's retention system. Not ALL national match gas cylinders have this problem (mine didn't) but the documentation didn't cover this aspect, so be careful when you put the chassis together since you could cause the weapon to not
function properly.
The quality of the MCS was apparent, all rails were properly numbered (top, bottom, left, right), M1913 rails were all in spec (according to the Snap-On MIC103 digital micrometer). The full top rail was a welcome relief from the cobbled together scope mounts that have plagued the M14 since its inception. The flat dark earth coating has held up well and it was obvious that the coating was carefully applied (no runs, drips, smears etc) and attention to detail was very good overall. The MCS comes bare. You get the upper and lower sections and a couple of allen wrenches to assemble it any nothing else. Once assembled, the system holds the receiver and action in a multipoint tension bed that's metal on metal. Nothing to bed, nothing to move. Kudo's to Troy.
Overall the weapon handles well, more balanced and quite frankly, very poised. I'm not sure in the big picture how much the new design reduces recoil, but it recoils "differently" now. Before after a day of shooting the M14 with the McMillian stock it was common, even with the Ace 1" pad, to have a sore or bruised shoulder at the end of the day. With the McMillian, you'll recall that I tried both the padded Ace stock and a bare M4 stock, this time I tried a Lewis Machine & Tool SOPMOD stock and a Magpul CTR, so again I had a padded and an unpadded stock. And even after several range trips I've yet to feel the pain that I did before. It still kicks, don't get me wrong, but its
different somehow. Chalk one up to Troy for doing their homework on this issue.
I ran many of my normal drills to try the combination out and found lots of good and some bad. None of it is insurmountable however. I'll start with the Troy MCS since its the largest overall difference. The change to the AR style layout of the MCS has some platform issues that take some getting used to. Because of the change to AR style layout, most of us that are schooled in the 'nose to the charging handle' style of AR15/M16 shooting will find that either the folded down rear sight or the "charging handle" area will gouge you in the cheek pretty good from recoil of the weapon. You can extend the stock back further but that changes your length of pull (LOP) and
accentuates the rifles tendency to feel "long", since it really doesn't need any help in that arena. I also had a slight fitment issue with the widebackstrap of the Magpul MIAD grip not 'aligning' with the backstrap of the MCS. I might have to fiddle with it and see if it can be solved.
But overall the weapon chassis was solid, stable and given that the weight didn't really change that much; yes I lost a heavy steel mount and a stock with a limited rail system, but the new system is a lot more metal, so it all evened out. Unlike the earlier mount/stock system I had no zero problems and all the normal activities that go along with this, shoothouses, range work, accessory swapping, field stripping, competition, etc, et al, didn't phase the MCS at all. It truly took everything I threw at it in stride, with nary a hitch.