This Ain't Your Daddy's M-14

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As Ed Ames said, "Cool or sad....."

I'm not sure.

My first, immediate thought was, "WANT!"

My second thought was on the decline of classic wood and blued steel.

Back in the '80s, tactical was cool, now it just seems sad to see classics passed by, while plastic stocks and utilitarian finishes have become an altar of worship. I don't need 15 pounds of whiz-bang, tacticool, loaded down with accessories, M4gery rifle, and don't want one.

I truly don't wish to ruffle any feathers with the following opinion: I've had my time with tactical weapons, but in my opinion, in the long run, that feels more like being a mall-ninja/SF soldier wannabe. To me, now, fun is about a beautifully finished firearm with care taken in detail and quality, rather than the outright utility of a baked on finish, polymer stocks, and rails mounted everywhere.
 
To me, now, fun is about a beautifully finished firearm with care taken in detail and quality, rather than the outright utility of a baked on finish, polymer stocks, and rails mounted everywhere.
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I agree, I like the wooden furniture and blued metal parts
 
That's a JAE stock, i believe. They run about $2K with the options, before attaching gun, bells and whistles...your tax dollars at work! But i am glad that the guys on the ground are getting the best equipment for a tough job.

That barrel looks longer than the standard 22" to me.
 
That's a JAE stock, i believe. They run about $2K with the options, before attaching gun, bells and whistles...your tax dollars at work! But i am glad that the guys on the ground are getting the best equipment for a tough job.
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That is a Fulton Armory SOPMOD SASS receiver chassis and buttstock, attached to either an M14 or an M1A, probably the latter, used as a Designated Marksman Rifle. About $700 retail.

I do not fault, one whit, a single dollar ever spent to ensure the safety of our soldiers and their defense of our nation's interests. One of the best things to come out of Iraq and Afghanistan is the ability of the United States military to be able to streamline the procurement of improvements to their unit and individual weapons systems.

I'm just not sure if I want one, personally. It's a damned fine thing to have equipment that always works, without fail, when you need it. It's just that the older I get (I'm still in my thirties), the less I desire the tacticool. It's about fit and finish, with the obvious individual care that a craftsman has taken with a firearm. Lately, mirror polished depths of blued steel, and the whorls in a finely grained piece of wood do it for me.
 
How does that stock make the gun better?
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Adjustable ergonomics, good optic mounting options, solid stable platform are a few things that come to mind compared to a walnut stock.
 
Will take my oversized walnut Super Match stock any day. Heavy as heck, but that sucks up the recoil, which is really important on the long shots.
 
How does that stock make the gun better?
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Most of the modern M14 stocks provide for some sort of steel bedding that makes them more accurate without glass bedding. For the price of the modern M14 stocks I will just keep my wood stock though.

That is a Fulton Armory SOPMOD SASS receiver chassis and buttstock, attached to either an M14 or an M1A, probably the latter,
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I don't recall SAI ever having a miltary contract so I doubt there are any M1A's in the military they should all be real M14's that are upgraded by SEI, Fulton etc.
 
Is this a semi-auto rifle?

We have to remember that military rifles are tools, not works of art. Most military guns have been rather unattractive in GI form... except maybe the Krag.
 
All M14s have the FA lug on them. I am not sure though if they actually have the FA parts installed on the DM rifles, probably do though.
 
I dunno, It works sure. But it looks like those silly Tapco Fusion stocks for the SKS. It's too much for the rifle to handle (dont get me wrong, I too have been tempted by Tapco Fusion). It'd almost be easier just to field an AR10, this way the DM doesn't take too much attention because his rifle looks like everyone else's.
 
The major advantage is the optics mounts. Nice stock.

I'd be interested to know opinions between the major players in M14 enhanced stocks: Sage, Smith, Fulton, Jae-100, etc. I think this is the first one I've seen with a decent scope rail.
 
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They're using it like the Soviet Union used snipers: to increase the effective range of the squad. They have one guy in the squad with a long-ranged weapon that can accurately hit targets at ranges far exceeding standard issue assault rifles.
 
So, the M14 has become a large, lumbering, long, dang powerful rifle that's really accurate and powerful at distance?

The more things change......
 
I think that is a good shot.

That man looks like a designated team sniper who will try to hit important enemy persons at a few hundred yards or less as necessary to protect his team. I think those have done good shoots in battle in the past.

Ive always loved the M14 and think that they still use it today is a wonderful thing indeed.
 
Looks a lot like the Troy MCS stock. By the looks it makes wonders with the venerable M14 (even the disconnected selector is visible on the pic). Now, if I recall correctly the US has multi-level precision-fire support - snipers at battalion level (who have M110/M24(Ax)/M107 and other dedicated SWS), and due more urbanizing conflicts and pure need - a huge numerical increase in designated marksmen. In the squad (SDM, with tuned-up M16A4 IIRC - stainless match barrel, ACOG or Leupold Mark 4) and in the platoon level (Advanced Marksman - with 7.62 cal M14 rifle, with different stocks - original wooden, McMillan, modular ones like Sage or Troy, with Unertl, S&B, Leupold or even day/night scope).

But such a modded M14 is also a pretty good sniper support weapon, for the spotter or additional member in the team.

I've understood that the DM-s and snipers get a lot of work in the I&A. Thus the "need". My sarge told me that in modern guerilla-type conflict most of the work is done with the IEDs and precision fire. One does need snipers and DMs of his own to try to negate that.

But coming back to topic, this M14 does look nice and functional, and customizable. I wouldn't mind mine to look like that. But to tell the truth, there's not enough other semi-auto 7.62x51mm caliber rifles in the military to satisfy the need for them, thus the whole M14 upgrading industry. It might change when the SCAR-H, Massoud and others would be more widespread.

Wood&Blued steel is nice if my rifle is a range toy. When it's more than that, the looks start to be secondary, behind function&ergonomics.
 
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