Having carried an M-14 in combat, it is a sturdy, reliable and accurate combat RIFLE, not a "gimmick" that needs after-market doo-dads added on to make it look "cool".
The SOCOM II is no longer a RIFLE, in my opinion. Where is the forearm? How many doo-dads need to be removed before it is returned to being a RIFLE?
No one seems to believe in the "KISS" theory of combat weapons anymore ("Keep It Simple, Stupid")!
The more intricate the doo-dads get, the more subject to FAILURE they become! "HMM! Batteries for the doo-dad's dead!" "HMM! What's this little nub on the front of the barrel, and the small little hole on the back of the rifle used for? Oh, they're sights? No, my doo-dad that uses batteries is the sight, isn't it?" "HMM! What's a forearm?"
"HMM! Why is this rifle, with all of the doo-dads, so HEAVY?"
Just my "dos centavos"!