Went down the M14 road and want to turn around!

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Birdmang said:
I paid $500, and I have never shot an M14/M1A.

EDIT: Would it be legal to grind out the polytech/made in china and leave the Serial number, then have the heel engraved so it looks cooler?
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You did fine....don't sweat the negative comments... "some" Chinese guns had problems...many didn't. Shoot it and keep your eyes on the issue points..(bolts, rear sights) when ever they go south get them fixed...no need to spend good poney for something thats not broke.

Chinese barrels are very good and quite accurate.
 
I am glad I built up my M1a's when CMP parts that were cheap, compared to what they are going for now.

Except for the Super Match I bought new back in 1992. That was all GI parts except for barrel, beefy stock, and Douglas barrel.

The finely tuned Match versions are very accurate and mine have been very reliable.

I remember reading an article and the author had just purchased a Norinco M14S. During his test the rifle exceeded headspace due to a soft bolt. That may have been a one of, I don't know. I think that article is "ground zero" for the Polytech stories. I am aware of other people who put thousands of rounds through Chinese guns without any problems.

I believe up in Canada they are still gettting these Chinese M14 copies, I cannot recall reading a thread from Canadians about bolt issues. Maybe someone can provide a link?

I have known a number of people who built very nice match rifles around Polytech receivers. That path was and is still expensive.

I am glad I got my M1a's when I did, I am glad I got my Distinguished with the thing, and I think it is one great rifle.
 
I seem to remember something about their receivers being forged, rather then Springfields' now being cast. IIRC, the Springfield's are supposed to have a range life of a half million rounds, the forged go 1 million?
 
Not sure why people knock the Polytech/Norinco M14s...the receivers are forged and better than the cast receivers.

Those USGI parts for the M1A are drying up that is for sure and the cost is nuts.
 
SentinelStrategic said:
I have been contemplating selling my M1A and putting the money towards an AR-10 or a better bolt rifle. I have ~$3500 invested in rifle, stock, scope, rings and magazines. The M1A is a seriously expensive toy. In retrospect, I should have thought it through better than I did. I could have spend half as much and built an AR-10 that was twice as accurate.
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Its nostalgia outweighs its cons? You hear on, or in gun forums that the M14 is a quintessential part; of a patriotic arsenal. Usually its the 1903 Springfield, Colt 1911, M1Garand, M1Carbine, and the M14. I think your right on the AR10, or 15.
 
*Cough* Polytech makes a good rifle..If ya all say so...I will stick with Springfields..
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No, Polytech makes great receivers to build a good rifle on. Their receivers are sought after by folks looking to have one of the custom shops build them a gun.

Many of their parts are questionable and need to be inspected before firing, especially the bolts.
 
Several years ago, I paid Ron Smith of Smith Enterprise ~$400 to upgrade my Polytech into a fine-shooting rifle.

All he said they needed was a little heat-treatment of the bolt and receiver, check headspace, reworking of the rear sight, and bedding the action.

I replaced the Chinese muzzle attachment with an M1A flash hider.

When he was finished, mine was easily capable of sub-MOA with match loads. Total investment was less than $750.

YMMV


M
 
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Oh stop this, I'll buy it off you. As for the rest of you girlymen man up it's a .30 battle rifle or get a .22lr.

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Any info on this: Would it be legal to grind out the polytech/made in china and leave the Serial number, then have the heel engraved so it looks cooler?
 
Birdmang said:
Any info on this: Would it be legal to grind out the polytech/made in china and leave the Serial number, then have the heel engraved so it looks cooler?
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I know for sure you can't remove the serial number without getting in deep trouble with the Feds, not to mention you could never resell it through a FFL if you wanted to get rid of it. I'm not sure about the legality of removing the manufactuer's name and country of origin, but I suspect that since those were required to be there for importation, they should remain, also. Grinding down the surface of the receiver would also remove the surface hardening that protects it from wear, generally not a good idea. As far as looks, nobody has ever criticized my Norinco for looking just like every other military M14 ever issued. If you want to make yours look cool, you can always put it on one of those fancy fiberglass stocks, or a bullpup configuration with all the tacticool rail mounts; it will fit right in, just like a USGI barreled action.
 
First of all, accuracy will be plenty good enough for hunting, defense, target, plinking etc. An inch at 100? Almost definitely probably not lol. Mine does not, but I do not ever ask it to. I have a short handy 16 inch carbine version (not polytech though). Have not run handloads through it or really shot any groups with it. It is reliable, and hits jugs and cans at 100 yards pretty easily with good ammunition. Kills deer just just fine; it makes one heck of brush gun.

Honestly I would just take it out and run her.

Dont worry about it. Things tend to be much worse on the internet.

How much have you shot it? Any results?
 
Texas Rifleman: i agree with you


the polytech is a M14. it is a type of M14. the civilian type. if i have a reproduction of an old Colt revolver......are you telling me that i cant call it a "Colt"? sure, it is not a real Colt but it is a Colt design, and to "not utter the name in the same sentence of the real maker" is rediculous.

......oh, and the M1A is a M14 too.

saying its not, is like saying..."that is not a soda......it is a Pepsi."
 
Apparently some people won’t know the real thing if it kissed them on the lips.
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Probably not seeing as that there are only 20 or so in civilian hands. You gotta let go of the "it's not a real M14" thing a little. We all know it's not real, there aren't any "real" ones for all practical purposes unless you've got $30,000+ laying around.

What we are calling "real" is a receiver that's forged, not cast. The Springfields are cast. Not that it's a bad thing in and of itself, but "real" M14's were forged, and so are Polytechs.

So, because of receiver manufacturing, the Polytechs are more "real" than the Springfields to many folks looking to build a rifle that's as close to the original as a person can get.

Fulton Armory doesn't make "real" M14's either but they stamp their rifles M14, as does LRB.
 
Having shot a couple M14's, or more, I have to say having the selector switch is NOT a good thing...;)
 
You want it accurate enough to hit a paper plate at 100 yds? Is that an 8" paper plate, or a 12" paper plate? Having a rifle like that and having "paper plate" MOA, ain't sayin' much for accuracy! Sling shot might be what you're after!
 
I felt the same way. I bought a used M1A loaded standard, it had a 2nd gen scope mount and dedicated SA optics. I found out pretty quick I was in over my head.

The scope mount rides so high, you have to lean way into it to get eye relief on the scope. The relief can't be adjusted because you have very little space to work with on the mount. I got dinged in the eyebrow when I tried to shoot it. I decided pretty quick that I would need a custom stock or at least a raised comb to really be able to shoot it at all.

So, I tried the iron sights instead, shooting under the mount. I cranked the rear sight so high, the mount was blocking the sight picture. No luck there either. Upon realizing that I was looking at a LOT of cash to set it up the way I wanted to, I unloaded it and broke even. Now I'm building an AR-10, which isn't cheap either, but I can do it one piece at a time.
 
"Sell it to someone who appreciates it, and buy a few glocks."

1 bad M-14 is 5 times better than 10 good (if there is such a thing) Glocks! JMHO
 
If I remember correctly from an excerpt I read the Marine Corps had a protocol that establish that Springfield (USM Armory), H&R & Winchester receivers service life was 400,000 and TRW receiver service life 450,000 cartridges fired. Those were all forged receivers.

The other tidbit of info is that H&R replaced bolts in their rifles due to an inferior material provided by their metals suppler. I believe this was within a certain rifle serial number range. Most likely all the problematic bolts were scrapped.
 
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